[rocklobster11]

I've been wondering why these forged memos were created, as they didn't appear to have any damaging or new information in them. However, I've now come to the conclusion that the memos were created to create a timeline showing that Bush was ordered to take a phyiscal (including drug test) within 10 days (May 14) so he panicked and skipped town on May 15.

What do you think of this:

• Fact: Bush was due for a physical by end of July, but transferred to Alabama to work on a congressional race and missed his physical because he wasn't planning on flying anymore
• Fact: The official evaluation from 1973 says that the Texas officers were not able to evaluate Bush for the period in question because he left the base on May 15, 1973.

These are the facts. Bush's detractors have long tried to imply that Bush missed his physical to avoid a drug test. But the timeline does not work to their advantage, since the physical was not due until months after Bush went to Alabama. Thus, the memos were created for the purpose of:

• May 4, 1972 forged memo says Bush has until May 14 to get his physical.
• Bush did not get the physical by May 14, as evidenced in the May 19 forged memo.
• Bush left Texas on May 15, so obviously he must have been making a quick get away from the Guard because he was worried about the drug test.

Kitty Kelley is also pushing the DNC talking point that Bush didn't take the physical to avoid a drug test. These forged memos alter the timeline to make their story seem credible. Also, that would explain why they were put out on 60 minutes last week. Have 4-5 days of news cycle about Bush not obeying a direct order and being given special treatment. Then when the Kitty Kelley book comes out, use these memos to change to an attack that he wasn't just disobeying a direct order, he was running away from a drug test because he was doing cocaine while in the guard.

To repeat, the whole purpose of these memos is to give credence to the Bush was doing cocaine in the National Guard lies that the DNC wants to use to either demoralize Bush's base, or force Bush to go into great detail on all of Bush's young and irresponsible days.

In reality, in 1972, there was no regular drug testing implemented as part of the annual flight status physical, from what I've heard.

[HawaiianGecko]

Data for figure 3. Emergency department drug mentions for selected drug groups, total drug mentions, and total drug episodes: 1978 to 2001
Year	Cocaine	Heroin/ morphine	Marijuana/ hashish	Meth/ speed	Total drug mentions	Total drug episodes
1978	3,438	11,666	10,581	3,102	492,356	323,100
1979	5,347	11,900	11,284	3,845	511,124	329,109
1980	7,712	14,707	10,218	5,092	502,225	315,624
1981	9,750	17,112	10,644	6,469	534,828	329,923
1982	12,370	22,965	11,584	6,596	538,649	330,611
1983	15,188	25,100	10,765	6,278	510,879	314,616
1984	24,368	26,449	12,062	7,487	531,049	327,297
1985	28,827	28,877	12,651	6,135	536,135	334,503
1986	51,666	28,622	13,171	6,023	550,070	352,477
1987	91,791	32,696	22,276	7,707	664,554	396,414
1988	101,578	38,063	19,962	8,992	668,153	403,578
1989	110,013	41,656	20,703	8,722	713,392	425,904
1990	80,355	33,884	15,706	5,236	635,460	371,208
1991	101,189	35,898	16,251	4,887	674,861	393,968
1992	119,843	48,003	23,997	6,563	751,731	433,493
1993	123,423	63,232	28,873	9,926	796,762	460,910
1994	143,337	63,158	40,034	17,537	899,600	518,880
1995	135,711	69,556	45,259	15,933	900,287	513,519
1996	152,420	72,980	53,770	11,002	906,366	513,933
1997	161,083	70,712	64,720	17,154	942,382	526,818
1998	172,011	75,688	76,842	11,486	981,764	542,432
1999	168,751	82,192	87,068	10,447	1,014,243	554,767
2000	174,881	94,804	96,426	13,505	1,099,306	601,563
2001	193,034	93,064	110,512	14,923	1,165,367	638,484
Note: Totals include other drugs not specified above. More than one drug may be mentioned for each emergency department episode; therefore, the total number of drug mentions exceeds the total number of drug episodes. A drug mention refers to a substance that was recorded during a drug-related episode (an emergency department visit). Data from 1994 to 2000 were revised in the 2001 DAWN ED report; therefore, reports previous to 2001 may indicate differing numbers. Source: Drug Abuse Warning Network.

As one can clearly see from the chart above ( http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/publications/factsht/druguse/ ) cocaine use has been generally on a climb since 1978. 

Graphing the above chart gives us a better idea on the use of cocaine use in the U.S.  If one were to simply eyeball the following (Fig-1) graph of the above data, you would clearly come to the conclusion that cocaine use was not a factor in 1972.

Figure-1

 

  In fact, linear regression analysis (Fig 2) shows that in 1972 it would be below zero, a case that must be thrown out since it is absurd, but it highly suggests that use of this drug on a recreational basis as is being charged was NIL in 1972.

In short there was absolutely NO REASON at all for the Air National Guard to implement expensive drug testing in 1972.

[wildbill]

Using the technology for drug testing available in 1972-1973, anyone who wanted to pass a test for cocaine or speed simply had to abstain for 72 hours or less.