He assumes this is haunting Bush!
Excuse me but this is probably what Bush is doing right now.
Posted on 09/11/2004 11:12:23 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
Frank Jones says he's angry about newly revealed memos that indicate President Bush got preferential treatment in the Air National Guard during the Vietnam war, but he's not surprised by favoritism in the Guard.
Jones, a Republican from Troy, N.Y., served in Vietnam in 1970 and 1971 before doing 16 years in the Guard himself. As the presidential election nears, Jones says controversy over both candidates' military records and the mounting death toll in Iraq are important issues.
"I'm really in neither camp at this point," he said. "However, I do see a direct correlation to Vietnam. The body count is really starting to get to me."
Some current and retired members of the National Guard and other military services say the newly revealed Bush documents do not bother them, while others say they are troubling.
The documents, which became fodder for Democratic critics last week, indicate Bush was suspended from flying with his Texas Air National Guard unit because he missed a medical exam and that he missed six months of training. Questions have been raised about the documents' authenticity.
Lt. Col. Jim Driscoll, spokesman for the Georgia Army National Guard, said retired service members may comment on political issues such as the Bush documents, but most current reservists and active-duty service members will hesitate to voice their political opinions.
"It would be inappropriate," he said. "The president is our commander-in-chief and so we have to be very careful from an ethical perspective of how we express our political opinions."
Some who served in the National Guard say it is common practice to miss drills - even up to six months - because of job conflicts, family problems or illness.
Ralph Bradley, 56, a Republican from Albany who served three years in Vietnam in the Air Force and 17 years in the Georgia Army National Guard, said members are encouraged to make up drills so they don't lose pay or retirement benefits.
"There's all kinds of situations ... that cause a person to go out of state for a period of time," he said.
Army Reserve Sgt. Tim Wilding, 37, of Jefferson City, Mo., agreed.
Back home for two weeks of leave from Iraq, Wilding said he remains a staunch Bush supporter despite allegations Bush may have tried to get out of Guard drills for several months in 1972.
"A lot of guys don't serve for four or five months at a time," he said. "They've got other stuff going on. They'll make it up later on, or they just won't get paid. That's really no big deal to a lot of National Guard soldiers."
Allegations of suspect conduct during the Vietnam war also have been leveled at John Kerry, who won three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star in Vietnam.
A group sponsoring television ads challenging his wartime record contends Kerry's own gunfire caused the wound that brought his first Purple Heart. Navy records and other veterans do not support the charge.
Ahmad Majied of Albany says the latest allegations about Bush's military record are more troubling to him than allegations about service honors leveled at Democratic challenger Kerry.
Majied, a Democrat from Albany who served 30 years in the Navy, including five years as a SEAL in Vietnam, said the memos support his belief that Bush was a "playboy" during his service years.
"He had enough money to get what he wanted," Majied said. "I think his main concern was not to go to Southeast Asia. I bet he never dreamed it would come back to haunt him."
Neal Eubanks of Leesburg, who served 39 years in the military - 23 in the Air Force and 16 in the Georgia Army National Guard - said the presidential candidates should move beyond their military records and focus on the issues, such as the economy and unemployment.
"You don't see Korean veterans or World War II veterans or Grenada veterans always talking about 'I served here and I served there,'" said Eubanks, 67, a Bush supporter.
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Associated Press writers Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., David Lieb in Jefferson City, Mo., and Michael Gormley in Albany, N.Y., contributed to this report.
Proof that Karl Rove did not leak forged memos. This sucks.
I talked about this with a Democrat at the office yesterday. He said it was turnabout for the SwiftBoat Vets "lies" and we should not complain.
Thanks for the AP writer's name.
Bump!
This story was probably written tues night ready to go Thursday, but there was a little problem. so they waited until 9-11. AP is one nasty, vicious group.
He assumes this is haunting Bush!
Excuse me but this is probably what Bush is doing right now.
"Ahmad Majied of Albany...a Democrat from Albany who served 30 years in the Navy, including five years as a SEAL in Vietnam, said the memos support his belief that Bush was a "playboy" during his service years."
Perhaps the SEAL wannabe guys need to follow up on this fellow...
Nah, there's a lot of reporting in the MSM about the forgery scandal (e.g., ABC radio news yesterday called them "forged documents" with no hedging or qualifiers).
If the people in this article haven't yet figured it out, then they're really beyond hope.
Actually I wouldn't be surprised if the AP simply made up the quotes in this story, because it seems unlikely that a VN vet would have heard the Bush story but missed the forgery angle. It doesn't add up.
No but when he finds out he'll be even angrier at being duped. What happens to a person when they realized they've been mugged or conned? ;-)
Letter to AP sent:
"How could you possibly release the article entitled "U.S. Servicemen React to Bush Guard Memos" after everything that has surfaced about these memos?
This is *shameless*.
Until the authenticity of these documents is thoroughly tested, it is ridiculous to run any article that doesn't mention IN THE FIRST PARAGRAPH that the documents are possibly (more like "most likely") forgeries. Failure to do so only propagates a lie.
I once remember when news agencies were interested in getting to the truth. How sad that those days are past. You leave me with no choice but to regard skeptically every article sourced from the AP. You are only damaging your own credibility in the fashion of Jason Blair and the NYT."
So, in their mind, the words of Vietnam veterans who served with Kerry is somehow so evil that it must be countered with forged documents from a man who is dead and cannot refute them.
In the AP story a guy named Ahmad Majied of Albany, Ga. claims to have served "five years as a SEAL in Vietnam." There is a website somewhere that authenticates Navy SEAL service.
Great letter.
I hope they get a ton.
Bump!
It's not that the documents are forged, it's all about the reaction. It's not the narrative but the meta-narrative. This article is blatant propaganda.
The longer he waits to reveal his 180 the better off we all are. The notion that he is waiting for a late date to spring his glorious record in order to stifle his critics is seeming quite ill advised now.
Likely it is that the records demonstrate the contrary concerning his exploits. More and more I am convinced that Kerry's actual records indicate a poor review by his superior Officers. Gosh, I am one of his constituents, and I would certainly like to review his performance as a U S Senator, but I digress.
Every moment that he waits to release his file proves he is hiding something. Opening his 180 on the Friday before the vote seems pretty stupid. He could have nipped this criticism stuff in the bud if the 180 actually reinforces his grandiose claims. The fact that he has not released them is fuel for this fire.
Perhaps he seeks to emulate the original JFK by actually being in command of a sinking ship. I cannot figure this dude out, but I know that I despise him
Guy sounds like one of those "fake vets", or at least fake SEALs. Any SEALs out there with lists of Vietnam era SEALs? I know the SEALs take particular umbrage at people who weren't SEALs claiming to have been.
I say the article is BS....if I recall, active military personnel are not allowed to comment on politics, especially in front of presstitutes.
Bump!
Attack mode courtesy of James Carville and John 'Gutter' Sasso.
I'm with you.
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