Posted on 09/14/2004 12:26:39 PM PDT by Kaslin
LAS VEGAS - President Bush (news - web sites), his Vietnam-era military service the subject of dispute, said Tuesday he is proud of his stint in the Air National Guard and told members strained by today's wars that he is trying to make their lives easier.
"Nineteen individuals have served both in the National Guard and as president of the United States, and I am proud to be one of them," Bush said in prepared remarks of his speech to the National Guard Association of the United States conference.
Members of the Guard are fighting in Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Iraq (news - web sites), and helping recovery efforts after Florida hurricanes, Bush said. "I am proud to be their commander in chief, and I respect and honor all of those who serve in the United States Armed Forces — active, Guard and Reserve."
In the prepared remarks, Bush did not mention the election-year tempest over unexplained gaps in his service in the Guard. The Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) sought to fuel the controversy by releasing a nearly three-minute video accusing Bush of using family connections to get into the Guard and out of the Vietnam War.
The Pentagon (news - web sites)'s reliance on the National Guard and Reserve grew quickly after Bush authorized a partial mobilization of reserve forces in the days following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and they currently comprise about 40 percent of the entire U.S. force in Iraq.
As of last week, there were 165,000 National Guard and Reserve troops on active duty in support of the war on terrorism, including those providing extra security in the United States.
The combat duty that some Guard units are doing in Iraq is their first since World War II, and they are suffering large numbers of casualties. At least 175 Guard and Reserve troops have died in Iraq since the invasion was launched in March 2003 — more than a third of those in the past five months.
Bush said he recognized those difficulties, and said his administration was working to ease their burden.
"I know this time of call-ups, alerts, mobilizations, and deployments has been difficult for Guard members and their families and employers," Bush said.
"We are working to provide you at least 30 days notification before you are mobilized, so you have time to make arrangements," he said. "We are working to give you as much certainty as possible about the length of your mobilization — you deserve to know when you can expect to resume civilian life."
The Pentagon also was trying to minimize the number of deployment extensions and "repeat mobilizations," he said.
In his prepared remarks, the president outlined the history of America's citizen-soldiers, and touted his efforts to improve living and work condition for today's Guard, before turning to Iraq. As he does in almost every campaign stop, Bush noted that rival Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) and Democratic running mate John Edwards (news - web sites) joined most members of the Senate to give him authority in October 2002 to wage war.
He said Kerry and Edwards later voted against funding for the war, not mentioning that his own administration once threatened a veto of the measure and that Kerry had supported one version of the bill. He noted that Kerry has both called for more money for Iraq and asserted that Bush has squandered money there that could be spent in the United States.
"It is critical that the president of the United States speak clearly and consistently at this time of great threat in our world, and not change positions because of expediency or pressure," Bush said.
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, addresses the same group Thursday.
Bush was speaking at the National Guard conference in the afternoon following a morning campaign event in Colorado's Arapahoe County, which he won by more than 15,000 votes in 2000. The rally near Denver was focused on health care, but the crowd loudly applauded Bush's tough talk against terrorists.
"We're staying on the offensive," he said. "We'll strike the terrorists abroad so we will not have to face them at home."
Two hecklers disrupted his speech, and the crowd shouted them down with chants of "Four more years!" As the protesters were removed, one shouted "Get outta here!" and the other held up the two-finger peace sign.
The battle against terrorism has been the rallying cry of Bush's race for re-election in a presidential campaign fraught with verbal fisticuffs between him and Kerry.
Bush holds a commanding lead over Kerry among veterans and their families. An AP-Ipsos poll last week found Bush was the choice of 58 percent and Kerry 38 percent. In the poll, veterans and their families said Bush was stronger and more honest than Kerry.
Go get um G-Dubbya!
... as opposed to the one-finger peace sign.
Wow...they report on the speech....and it is not even half over.
Alternate title: "Bush to DNC, Neener neener neener"
Do you get the idea that the President had 'prepared remarks' for the speech today??
I think the author mentions it 3 times. Wassup with that?
The Bush campaign should ALWAYS have taken this tack. There is NOTHING to be ashamed of in serving in the National Guard. They should have long ago began hammering the Kerryites for denigrating the solid reputation of the Guard and the people who serve in it.
as opposed to the one-finger peace sign.
LOL
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1214961/posts
e-mail the National Guard Assoc. of the United States and request that they demand an apology from the DNC on behalf of all National Guardsman.
-ngaus@ngaus.org
http://www.ngaus.org
Today, the DNC officially dishonored and insulted every person who served, serves, and will serve in the National Guard.
The DNC's latest attack on President Bush implies a message that National Guard service does not count as service to one's country.
The DNC has not only shown that it does not care about National Guardsman. The DNC has also shown that they have no knowledge of the military, or that facts.
The DNC cites a Bush Campaign document from Texas that states that Bush served in the Air Force and the Air National Guard.
The statement in the Bush campaign document seems to be accurate. As discovered by some folks on Free Republic, www.goang.com (the Air National Guard recruiting web address)states...
-"The Air National Guard is a vital part of the US Air Force. This is the ANG official recruiting website. We offer more than 180 career opportunities as well as many educational benefits. Enter here to "Fuel Your Future!" "
ALSO. The campaign document in question simply states that Bush served in the Air Force and the Air National Guard. According to what is listed above, that is correct. The Air National Guard is a reserve component of the Air Force. The campaign document does NOT read that Bush was ACTIVE DUTY Air Force.
President Bush is slated to speak before the NGAUS on Tuesday.
Kerry is supposed to speak on Thursday.
Again, the DNC owes an apology to those who have served, currently serve (many who are currently fighting in the War on Terror), and will serve in the National Guard.
Odd how the article mentions "gaps" in the President's Guard service, but not the gaps in CBS's credibility since they hyped forged documents to smear the President. Musta just been an oversight. /sarcasm.
MSM doesn't understand that he is speaking to the group most qualified to brand the 60 Minutes memos a fraud. Anyone in that group could give you a half dozen reasons right off the top of their heads as to why.
Agreed. The Rat attacks on people who serve in the National Guard is truly despicable.
Maybe this report is based on a print out of the prepared remarks, not the speech itself, which would allow them to get the story out while the speech is going on. So by continually referencing the prepared remarks, they cover themselves if he deviates. Just a guess.
This is a very biased article! Go back and read the insertions abut what "Bush failed to mention"!
Agreed. I really didn't like the tone of this article at all. Good for Bush to take the high road through all of this.
Haha. This will send so many libs into heart failure.
Sigh. I wish he wouldn't have commented on it, because now it will be said that he is hanging his performance on VN.
Well stated. Bush's people must be reading these threads. I have posted something similar, a number of times.
I am tired of Kerry, impuning those that serve this country corageously in the National Guard.
I thought Bush addressed this rather well.
Remind me to use spell check!
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