DNC TO LAUNCH FRESH ATTACK ON BUSH GUARD DUTY: WILL RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT 1978 CAMPAIGN LIT

The Drudge Report ^ | 9-12-04 | Matt Drudge

[Crazieman]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUN SEPT 12, 2004 19:02:38 ET XXXXX

DNC TO LAUNCH FRESH ATTACK ON BUSH GUARD DUTY:  WILL RAISE QUESTIONS ABOUT 1978 CAMPAIGN LIT

**Exclusive**

Faster than a CBS eye can blink, dogged Dems are set to take to the airwaves anew hoping to keep questions about President Bush's National Guard duty in play, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Candidate Kerry apparently has rejected former President Clinton's advice not to get further locked in a 2004 Vietnam quagmire.

"George W. Bush's campaign literature claimed that he 'served in the U.S. Air Force.' The only problem? He didn't,"  slams a new DNC press release set for distribution.

Dems will attempt to increase the heat on Bush ahead of his planned Tuesday address before The National Guard Association gathering in Las Vegas.

In 2000, Bush opened his National Guard Association speech: "General, I am reporting for duty."

MORE

Kerry plans to speak to the group on Thursday, but he personally hold back questioning Bush's service, sources explain.

The coordinated nationwide effort this week by the DNC has been code-named "Project Fortunate Son."

"George Bush has a clear pattern of lying about his military service," DNC Communications Director Jano Cabrera blasts in the new release. "From 1978 to the present day, George Bush has refused to tell voters the truth about his service. It's time for the President to come clean."

"Flyers distributed to Texas voters during Bush's failed Congressional race say 'he served in the U.S. Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard.' But according to Air Force officials, Air National Guardsmen are not counted as members of the active-duty Air Force."

MORE

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[Shermy]

What happened 35 years ago is mostly irrelevant, so Kerry needs to get past it---but he can't seem to.

It's not irrelevant to Kerry, which shows a character fault in himself.

Some speculate that his year long Rambeaux of Vietnam storyline is a reaction to what he always knew was going to come out...his over the top anti-war activities.

[MMkennedy]

I think one thing that the American people instinctively recognize about all of this that the MSM and the Kerry Campaign, in their blind stupid rage, completely miss, is that Bush has NEVER bragged about his service. He doesn't bring it up. HE doesn't base his campaign on it. He doesn't wear it on his sleave. Therefore his sins, if there are any, are not held against him. But Kerry brings it up every friggin second so he is always susceptible to the questions. Any fifth grader could figure this out. Why is it so hard for Lurch, Shrum et al?

[jim35]

Spit balls!

[AZamericonnie]

Ok I went & checked it out on DU. How could this possibly even be their "smoking gun?" It is in no way relevant to this election. I's kinda pitiful when you think about it. To think that this is on the same level as commiting treason stateside is beyond all logic.

[aft_lizard]

The last time I checked Air National Guard fell under the department of the Air force, back then it was air force and army but either way.

No where on that does Bush claim that he was active duty, although technically he was for two years.

[dalereed]

"They have even scoured garage sales buying up old typewriters and are actively looking for someone who actually knows how to use them."

They haven't called me yet, my mother taught me to type in 1946 and made sure that I was reasonably good at it.

No chance of matching her since she typed 180 wpm on a manual typewriter.

[Brad from Tennessee]

The issue Terry McAuliffe is pushing this time is that Bush said in a congressional race campaign flyer that he had served in the U.S. Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard and that Bush is lying about the Air Force.
In reality, Bush was active duty (24-7) for the first two years of his Guard career going to OCS and then flight training (all USAF schools). You don't learn how to fly a fighter plane at weekend drill. After 23 months he joined his active reserve unit.
The problem with this Guard issue is that last week--after careful coordination between the DNC and big media, CBS caused the whole train to wreck. This latest assualt is Part II of a political operation that is disintegrating. The right hand no longer knows what the left is doing.

[woofie]

Thanks for posting that....

[ThanhPhero]

Kerry has chosen to fight his battles on the Viet Nam War, the only area where he thinks he has any advantage and he is losing it badly. He is being beaten on his only strong point. I like it that way.

[drachenfels]

When a Reservist/National Guard type is activated for training, they are considered active duty. For purposes of "total number of people on active duty", the pentagon does NOT consider them on active duty (this is head count ONLY).

To prove this, have a troopie get in trouble while in training, and ask WHO is going to discipline them... Active Duty leadership or their home station chain of command? OBVIOUSLY, the folks that they're assigned to, during the period that they're assigned for.

In the case in question... Hmmm, 2 years in training sure smells like Active Duty to me.

IMHO, it should be another Kerry Campaign self-inflicted wound, if the MSM had a clue in any of their talking heads.

cheers...

[rodguy911]

"They are toast and they know it."

It's actually worse than that the Clintonistas have moved in for the kill just to make sure f'ing goes absolutely no where.

[SolomoninSouthDakota]

"Fresh on the heels of memogate, will memogate clean their clocks, or will they bury it in more false allegations?"

Dead on. They are banking on burying it with new charges so that the public ends up saying the whole issue is unintelligible with just one side saying this and the other saying that and there is no difference in the candidates when it comes to their past service. IMHO it might just work.
That's the bad news.
The good news is that on the prez.'s side, he is a known quantity as they say and this is certainly old political fodder. He also still enjoys a comfortable lead. This is absolutely not an issue that will propel John effing Kerry to the front. Also a plus is the fact that this helps let the "clock run out on the election" so to speak.

[small voice in the wilderness]

Smoking Gun my pajama-clad butt. These fools at DU are picking that gun up, peering down the barrel, and passing it to the next shmuck in line. They're gonna blow up real good soon.

[dennisw]

They should have engineered Kerry's departure months ago and put Edwards at the top. Still, it might be working. You notice the "Time" interviewer didn't bother to ask Kerry the Cambodia question?

Eddie boy was too green plus no one will vote in a trial lawyer as president. Not his kind anyways. Never underguesstimate the power of the dinosaur media. We are still Lilliputians trying to tie down Gulliver. 

John Kerry is far from down and out of the race because talking points and propaganda do not carry elections by themselves. You have to be able to deliver them to "swing" voters, and the old mass media does a much better job than Rush Limbaugh, FoxNews and the internet. That's why millions are invested in TV advertising and nothing on internet advertising.

[silverleaf]

GOOD GRIEF! THIS is what they are planning to attack? They are fools. Bush spent nearly two continuous years in the active duty USAF - in officer training and then in UPT (pilot training) before returning to his Guard unit. DU= maroons!

[hobson]

LOL! Baaaaaaad karma!

[Pikamax]

http://www.webster-dictionary.org/definition/Air%20National%20Guard

WordNet Dictionary
Noun 1. Air National Guard - a civilian reserve component of the United States Air Force that provides prompt mobilization during war and assistance during national emergencies
Synonyms: ANG


Wikipedia

United States Air National Guard Shield
Shield of the United States Air National GuardIn the US military, the Air National Guard (ANG) is a militia associated with the US Air Force (USAF). Each state, territory, and the District of Columbia has an Air National Guard. As Federally-organized militia, Air National Guard units are liable to activation by both the President of the United States and the governors of the several states.

[syriacus]

It was a tragic accident that a teenager got into. Happens every day.

Exactly. And now we have proof that Democrats are liars when they say...

• Only Democrats are compassionate.
• Only Democrats think that people can reform
• Only Democrats want minors to be forgiven their mistakes.

[meyer]

Don't tell me, they found more smoking documents in Kitty Kelley's book?

The only thing smoking in that book is the author.

[VadeRetro]

Does the word DESPERATION ring any bells?

This is pure nihilistic despair. They're ready to pull the chords on their explosive vests.