McAuliffe: Dems Will Focus on Bush AWOL Charge

NewsMax ^ | 2/1/04 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe insisted on Sunday that President Bush "never served in the military," and said that Democrats would make reports that the president went "AWOL" from the Alabama National Guard in the early 1970s a central focus of the presidential campaign.

"George Bush never served in our military in our country," McAuliffe told ABC's "This Week," apparently discounting Bush's stint in the National Guard from 1968 through 1973. "He didn't show up when he should have showed up."

McAuliffe then echoed the charge by discredited filmmaker Michael Moore, who said three weeks ago that he wanted to see a debate between Gen. Wesley Clark and "the deserter."

Said McAuliffe:

"I look forward to that debate with John Kerry, a war hero with a chest full of medals, standing next to George Bush - a man who was AWOL in the Alabama National Guard."

During the Democratic debate in New Hampshire two weeks ago, ABC News anchorman Peter Jennings said Moore's Bush desertion charge "is not supported by the facts."

After the Boston Globe claimed during the 2000 presidential race that Bush had not appeared for Guard service for 17 months, its sister paper, the New York Times, admitted that report was wildly inaccurate.

Referring to the May 2000 Globe report, the Times said in Nov., "A review of records by The New York Times indicated that some of those concerns [about Bush's Guard service] may be unfounded. Documents reviewed by The Times showed that Mr. Bush served in at least 9 of the 17 months in question."

One document, the paper said, showed that "Mr. Bush served at various times from May 29, 1973, through July 30, 1973, a period of time questioned by The Globe."

The Times said that other records showed that Bush received permission from his superiors to make up the drills he missed during the nine month period still in question.

Still, despite the fact that the Bush AWOL charge has been completely discredited, McAuliffe insisted that the president's guard service would be a major campaign issue.

"The facts are what they are," he told "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos. "[Bush] used his father's contacts to get a spot in the Texas Guard. He then wanted to go work on an Alabama Senate race. He went to Alabama for one year. He didn't show up. Call it whatever you want, AWOL - it doesn't matter."

[Aeronaut]

The dems are certainly adherents of the politics of personal destruction. Careful what you throw, 'cause you might get something back.

[hobson]

Even Peter Jennings said those reports have been discredited. It won't work.

[prairiebreeze]

Let's see. Do I want to vote for a National Guardsman who's shown tremendous leadership for our military, our country and national security OR do I want to vote for a VietNam vet (with a rather short deployment) who came home, joined up with anti-war activists and publically stated his opinion that the US should not only make substantial monetary reparations to Hanoi, but utilizing lock-step UN thinking advocated pulling all US troops out of VietNam and THEN try to negotiate for the release of US Pow's?

Horse. Barn door. Out.

The medal throwing, paint throwing episodes I won't even get into.

Let's see. Who to vote for......

Prairie

[BluH2o]

"George Bush never served in our military in our country," McAuliffe told ABC's "This Week," ...

This is an old ploy, perfected by the Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels ... if you lie about something long enough, it will, in time, become truth ... at least to some people. Those "some" people, in this instance, will certainly be liberals ... many of them journalists.

[prairiebreeze]

McAwful would be wise to remember that when you point a finger at another person, three fingers are pointing back at you.

The Bush administration has developed appropriate responses to this lunacy I believe.

Prairie

[Piquaboy]

Anyone who would join hands with "Jane (traitor) Fonda is a treasonist $%#&%$*.

[zook]

Please don't throw me in the briar patch!

[COBOL2Java]

the goal is to make the claim again, set the initial public impression and then hope that only some of the people come across the refutation.

"It is the absolute right of the State to supervise the formation of public opinion."
- Paul Joseph Goebbels

I guess Terry's learned from the best...

[Williams]

The Clintons obviously told Moore, Clark & MCauliff to make the "AWOL/Deserter" charges. They know Kerry is totally weak on defense and was practically a traitor after returning from Vietnam. Keep in mind George Bush has been president 4 years and this should be irrelevant. But the democrats are aggressive scumbags, and the republicans had better get back up and knock John Kerry down hard. They are facing the party that branded Bush 41 a WWII war criminal!

[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

Bush has won two wars.

Kerry is french.

'nuff said.

[Tuxedo]

Wait ONE minute!!!!!

Kerry served in Vietnam?

[section9]

Now what would make Terry wander off into Blunderland like that?

Hmmm. Don't they know that these personal attacks will gin up Bush's base just at the time Bush is having some trouble with his home base?

These people are going to run against Bush instead of for something. Excellent.

I'm pinging Common Tator on this. Only he can comment on how enormously stupid this is. Unless he thinks it's a stroke of genius, of course. I'd like to hear.

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[mewzilla]

Clark was the sore thumb :) If it looks like a Dem can win, the nominee will be someone the Toons can control. One way or the other. I can see Hillie being appointed veep sometime after Inauguration Day if a Dem wins, Heaven forbid, when the Breck Girl or whoever the place holder for her is conveniently resigns. She knows she'll never be elected.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

So the dim stratagy is to tell Guard members that they really aren't in the military? That should go over well.

[petercooper]

He did. I just found out too.

[roses of sharon]

Yes, more proof that Peter Jennings had this planned all along.

His question to Clark was intended to bring this subject up again.

[Centurion2000]

"George Bush never served in our military in our country," McAuliffe told ABC's "This Week," apparently discounting Bush's stint in the National Guard from 1968 through 1973. "He didn't show up when he should have showed up."

He's done an admirable job of leading them for the last 4 years ..... what a twerp

[arete]

Terry Mculiff, where are all those Millions of Dollars you made from the Global Crossing Scam? Now there is a charge with some substance! Why do we not hear more about that?

For the same reason that you don't hear how Daddy Bush made millions off Global Crossing too.

Richard W.

[pfflier]

If McAwfuls ally in this is Michael Moore, then my money is on the President.

Not related but by the way, does Moore even look like he practices basic hygiene?

[armymarinedad]

George Bush never served in our military in our country," McAuliffe told ABC's "This Week,"

Now these are he kind of quotes that will go over well with the National Guard and reserve crowd. Especially the ones who have been to Iraq and Afganistan.