"Did it stick? Did it stick? Please tell me it stuck... Anyone? Anyone?!?"
Posted on 08/28/2004 12:29:43 AM PDT by adam_az
Edited on 08/28/2004 12:21:18 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
UPDATED 8/28/04 at 8:21 MST
According to an 8/27/2004 article in the the New York Times, a new Swiftboatesque testimonial video was released featuring Texas lobbyist Ben Barnes who claims that he got George W. Bush into the National Guard in 1968.
"I walked through the Vietnam Memorial the other day," Mr. Barnes said, according to a videoclip posted on the Internet this summer, "and I looked at the names of people who died in Vietnam and I became more ashamed of myself than I've ever been because the worst thing I did was get a lot of wealthy supporters and a lot of people who had family names of importance into the Guard and I'm very sorry about that and I apologize to you and the voters of Texas."The New York Times did not mention Ben Barnes connections with John Kerry's campaign, or the DNC connections with the release of these videos.
Who Is Ben Barnes?CBS News reports that Ben Barnes is one of eight "bundlers" who have raised more than $500,000 for John Kerry's campaign. He is also listed as a Vice Chair of the Kerry campaign on the John Kerry campaign website. According to the Dallas Ft. Worth Star Telegram, Barnes is one of the "gatekeepers and endorsers for Texas appointees and job-seekers" in a potential Kerry administration.
Ben Barnes, then Lieutenant Governor... has admitted that he personally interceded with Guard officials at the behest of a business associate of Congressman Bush. The ex-President says he is "almost certain" he didn’t ask Barnes, directly or indirectly, to intercede for his son; the carefully crumbling denials suggest there is smoking documentation somewhere, and we may yet get a more precise snapshot of how the people who start the wars avoid risking their children to fight them.These claims were already discredited by then. CNN reported in July 1999 that the Los Angeles Times had already investigated them, reporting that the "Los Angeles Times said it found no evidence that either Bush or his father, former President George Bush, had personally tried to influence or pressure anyone to get the younger Bush a place in the Texas Guard. Bush's father was a congressman from Houston at the time."
Who is Distributing This Video NowAccording to the New York Times, the website which released the video, Austin4Kerry.com, crashed when James Moore, the author of "Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential" and "Bush's War For Reelection : Iraq, the White House, and the People" sent an email to his mailing list, with the resuling traffic crashing the website hosting the video.
That loser Josh Marshall was talking about this this week. He acknowledged that Barnes has always said neither Bush nor his fater nor anyone on their behalf contacted him to get W into the Nat'l Guard.
Marshall basically hoped Barnes would just make something new up.
Crappola like that is why Marshall can't get steady work even at CNN.
Its going to backfire on them. It shows disrespect of a sitting President. They doing to Bush what we tried to do to Clinton. Unbelievable. The Democrats can't defend their own candidate so they feel compelled to discredit Bush's National Guard service when the truth of the matter is ALL the facts are on the President's side. NONE of the facts are on Kerry's side vis a vis the Swifties.
Another lie? Never mind - see only Republicans are presumed liars just like the Cretans. The burden on Bush is to disprove Barnes. Of course, the standard of proof is exactly reversed when it comes to Kerry vs the Swifties. He's presumed to be telling the truth and its up to the Swifties to prove the contrary.
I agree. I think the reason a lot of people began opposing the Vietnam War is they saw the burdens were not equally shared. Which is why I oppose the reinstution of a draft. There are just too many ways for the rich and politically connected to game the system so their kids don't have to face dying like the sons of average folks. That's one of the things that made the war so divisive. All that being said, Bush didn't avoid service like quite a few of people of his generation did and it disrespects the service of every National Guard serviceperson to imply they're not defending their country like the sailors, airmen, and soldiers are. The Democrats have a political tone deaf ear here when they trash a President's honorable service to the country for political advantage.
Perhaps you should have made that the queen of another suit?
What ever happened to Ben Barnes? Having worked for Barnes during much of the eight years he was at the pinnacle of the Texas power structure—first as Speaker of the Texas House from 1965 to 1969, then as lieutenant governor from 1969 to 1973—I sometimes find it hard to imagine Barnes existing outside of politics. Does he now pout in self-exile, cursing Frank Sharp, the Houston financier whose manipulations led to Barnes' downfall? Is he secretly planning campaigns for future political wars? Or has he settled for the life of a prosperous West Texan, desiring only peace and quiet and money?
>>>>>>>Seems to me Ben Barnes was speaker during the time he claims he helped Bush get into the Air National Guard
Sad but true. The Left & MSM lapped up Kerry's allegations of atrocities, despite the fact that the stories he told were second & third hand, and some were even from frauds. But the Swifties aren't credible, because "they didn't serve on Kerry's boat." Forget about the fact that they were only feet and yards apart from each other.
Ben Barnes is so full of bs.
"Did it stick? Did it stick? Please tell me it stuck... Anyone? Anyone?!?"
"Did it stick? Did it stick? Please tell me it stuck... Anyone? Anyone?!?"
I dunno, but you could throw McAwful against a wall and he would stick....
Hmmmm McAwful up against a wall... what a thought! ;)
(That's black humor, I'm not advocating violence!)
Part 2 is posted!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1202419/posts
First off, he claims he helped Bush when he was Lieutenant Governor, but Bush joined the national guard in 1968 when Barnes was Speaker of the House (see http://www.chronicallybiased.com)
Second, the Texas legislature only meets on odd numbered years and, barring a special session, would NOT have been meeting in May of 1968 when Bush joined the guard. That Barnes was even in Austin at that time is dubious as virtually all legislators have other jobs at home in their districts for the year and a half out of every two years that they are not in session.
Best I can tell, Barnes was Special UN Rep. to Geneva that year.
In addition to GWB, Senator Loyd Benson (TX) had his son in the same guard unit at Ellington.
It was common knowledge that those who could (such as Benson)- pulled some strings to try and enroll their sons in guard units,
However, I would be the first to say that GWB served very honorably.
BTTT for later study.
If that is the case, why aren't Vietnam vets/draftees make up a substantial portion of our politicians in Wash DC? Many are of the age. Too many on either side of the aisle had many deferments. Those who went ended up in Guard units.
The New York Times did not mention Ben Barnes connections with John Kerry's campaign, or the DNC connections with the release of these videos... Mr. Barnes wasn't Lt. Gov yet in 1968, he was the UN Representative to Geneva. Previously, he US Representative to the NATO conference in 1967. He wasn't elected governor until 1969. The Republican party had it's first Republican majority in all three branches of government in Texas for the first time in 130 years in 2002. In 1968, there were only 8 Republicans elected to the State Legislature out of 150 seats. At the time, President Bush's father was one of Republicans elected in a state that was primarly Democrat., which did not put him into a position of great influence... Mr. John Lebowsky, CEO of Polycot Consulting LLC, who is the actual proprietor of GreaterDemocracy.org, and the person who Mr. Hynes says is hosting the Barnes videos.thanks also for http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1202419/posts
I agree about your point on the Dems, but the GOP was equally tainted with deferments. I actually criticize both parties. I also do not support the draft. I am not talking about deferments due to marriage, or a delay for additional degrees in a major (i.e medical doctor, masters, PhD), but five to seven deferments? Deferments were abused by those who did not want to go to Vietnam. Anyone who can figure out the nuances of the Sopranos do not need to figure out what just happened. I think the same mind set still exists, and it will manifest itself if we are forced to fight a long war. The only way to avoid this divisive problem is having a volunteer force and avoid using the draft. I am not a leftie. I am an independent Conservative and Nationalist
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