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."

[COBOL2Java]

Wow, T_C, I've found a few other quotes from Goebbels that are so close to Terry McAwful's tactics, it's scary!

"The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly - it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over"

- - -

"Intellectual activity is a danger to the building of public character"

[pfflier]

To add to his integrity, he said that he threw someone elses medals.

[AlbionGirl]

This will work about as well as the potential strategy on the part of Republicans to make hay w/Kerry's post-Vietnam activities.

I hope McAuliffe does, and I hope Kerry begins to mouth the stuff too, as opposed to relying on Max as his proxy for this assertion. In that A/W Kerry's words 'bring it on...'

[mystery-ak]

You are so right...just get the story out there whether it's true or not.

[Piquaboy]

You are right. The Rats will do anything and I do mean anything to get back in power. Lies are a second language to these people.

[tndarlin]

Kerry served in Vietnam?

I can tell you for those in the 30 and under bracket.....WHO CARES ANYMORE WHO SERVED IN SOME OLD WAR AGES AGO?!?

[o_zarkman44]

Well there is another charge, just like President Bush Jr being AWOL I havent heard before! I can't imagine Bush Sr. being a business partner with McAullif.

[arete]

Let's see, Kerry was getting shot at in Nam and winning medals. Bush took a leave from defending Texas to work on a political campaign in Florida and failed to report back for duty. Humm . . . going to be a tough choice on the military service issue.

Richard W.

[TheGeezer]

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.

Most journalists already believe it, since most journalists are liberofascists.

[whereasandsoforth]

This is pure McCarthyism - Charlie McCarthy. Remember the Clintons want Bush for one more term. They have Terry on a string. This is a losing strategy and they know it. Why else would the smartest people in the world be pushing this crapola?

[Hat-Trick]

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.

[Delta-Tango]

I guess Kerry is McAuliffe's man? Does this mean anything?

Here's my theory. McAwful got a call from Bubba and said, "Let's end it now and get on with the election." Besides, Kerry is no threat to McAwful. It was no secret that Dean was going to make a major housecleaning at the DNC the day after he got the nomination. However, a funny thing happened to him on the way to Boston.

[L.N. Smithee]

I get confused? Is Kerry backed by the Clinton's? I thought Clark was their guy?

If eight years of the Clintons didn't teach you that they are as loyal as alley cats, 2002's NY gubernatorial race should have -- ask Andrew Cuomo or Carl McCall, the guys that they one-by-one stabbed in the back.

[TC Rider]

Bring it on, McAwful.

Give us an excuse to show W in his 70s vintage flight suit, then for contrast, we can show him landing on the aircraft carrier last year.

[Cacique]

Remember Goebbels dictum which has survived the test of time. "Tell a lie as often as necessary until it becomes the truth". Works every time.

[avital2]

i read somewhere that the medals he threw he tossed at the request of the owners. has anyone seen documentation of this?

[dirtboy]

I look forward to that debate with John Kerry, a war hero with a chest full of medals...

And a brain full of Marxist mush, strained through the Vietnam antiwar protest filter to where it is incapable of accepting the application of American military power in pursuit of American security interests - in other words, in a time of war, it will fall flat on its face with the electorate. Throw in Kerry's Clintonistic ability to make a no vote into a yes vote and vice versa, and Kerry will get pounded like a cheap cutlet in debates.

[Wolverine]

Terry Mculiff, owner of 18,000,000 lie$.

[Williams]

Just saw the interview on ABC. Do you see now that Moore and Clark just set the stage for MCauliff (Clintons)? It was straight in your face the president is a deserter from the head of the DNC. And Stephy of course let him dodge the question about Clinton having been a draft dodger. I'll tell you right now, guns stronger than Gillespie had better marginalize this and make an issue of MCauliffe hard and fast. Last week this was a screwball charge. Now it's the democrat platform. They will do this stuff and WIN at it if you don't club them over the head with it. Stop laughing it off and launch an outrage attack. Otherwise you lose the conviction of the American people.

[L.N. Smithee]

"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."

If this guy had any concern for the accurate depiction of the UCMJ, he wouldn't be saying "AWOL - it doesn't matter." That's like saying "a sabbatical, a leave of absence, not showing up for work under penalty of law or possibly execution -- it doesn't matter."

BTW, I would be wary of extolling the virtues of a guy with the Senate attendance record Kerry has racked up while criticizing someone who "didn't show up."