MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 2/3/04 (Excerpt from RNC Research w/Sen McCain interview) MUST READ

Republican National Committee ^ | Feb 3, 2004 | RNC Research

[PhiKapMom]

THEY SAID IT!

RNC RESEARCH
February 3, 2004

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MSNBC's "Imus In The Morning," 2/3/04

DON IMUS: So Senator Kerry, sort of, subtly brought up yesterday, and I guess apparently Terry McAuliffe, who came from under some rock some place probably -- but anyway, they brought up this question about the president's military service and whether, in fact, there was -- whether he was AWOL from the Alabama National Guard. Are those appropriate questions, and should the president answer those questions and clear this up?

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ): That issue came up in the last election cycle. I think they were responded to. If this turns into a nasty campaign, clearly they have to respond to it. But, look, I believe that service in the National Guard is honorable service. There are thousands and thousands of National Guardsmen and women who are in Iraq as we speak, and so to somehow denigrate service in the National Guard is totally inappropriate, and I think there would be a backlash to it if they pursued that.

IMUS: I don't think they're doing that. I think what they're -- the question is, it's fine to be in the National Guard if you go to the meetings. I don't think he went to the meetings. I think that's the charge.

MCCAIN: Well, but that charge was never proven, and again, it was brought up in the primary that President Bush and I were in. I never pursued it. I never asked questions, but there were questions asked by the media about it. I don't know. You know, all is fair in love and war, and maybe they'll have to answer those questions again. But everything I know is that President Bush served honorably in the National Guard, and if you're going to make an allegation that somebody didn't, you better have some pretty good proof besides just throwing it out there. You see my point?

IMUS: Sort of.

MCCAIN: Well, look, I mean, you can accuse anybody of anything. But the burden of proof is on the person who is making the accusation.

IMUS: Well, that's not the way it works. You know that. That's not the way it works.

MCCAIN: Look, I know that President Bush has a record of honorable service during the Vietnam War in the National Guard where he also went through pilot training and flew a rather difficult airplane to fly and did well. And that's what I know about his service, and I will believe that until somebody proves otherwise. I mean, you can't say that you're guilty until you prove yourself innocent.

IMUS: I've always said that he went to enough meetings to learn how to fly one of those planes.

MCCAIN: Yes. And it's a difficult airplane to fly.

IMUS: But if he got transferred to the Alabama National Guard for some reason and then didn't show up for any of those meetings, I don't think...

MCCAIN: But, see, I don't know that that's the case.

IMUS: If you don't know that that's the case, that means it's never cleared up then.

MCCAIN: Everything that I've heard -- every bit of information I've ever heard, I never got into it because I wasn't that interested, is that he served honorably and well. And I assume that to be the case.

[international american]

Rush is talking about this right now. Trashing Kerry and Micheal Moore-on, also the network news for not calling them on it:)


RO......moving flooring looking for butt!

[international american]

Imus to me is the most depressing dude on radio. You couldn't pay me to listen.

[joesbucks]

I watched the interview this morning. The one thing that I noticed is that McCain was "barking" as he made his reply. The words did not quickly come to him and were difficult to find and say.

Barking= a lot of ers, ahs, but , I-I-I type of words used as one speaks.

That's not normal for McCain who is generally pretty straight forward. I'm not saying he didn't believe what he was saying, but clearly he seemed uncomfortable.

[MeekOneGOP]

Looks like Imus is out to smear Bush. Sheesh !

[Conspiracy Guy]

Floor of butt laughing rolling is on me.

CG

[prairiebreeze]

Who's Bob Bechtel, I don't recognize the name?

[Conspiracy Guy]

Watching a radio talk show is like watching a 900 sex line operator. Fat and ugly in culers with ironing board, dirty dishes, and flies buzzing around. I don't watch or listen to either. icky

CG

[ladyinred]

I so totally agree with you. I have said for months now that the Clinton's are behind these horrific attacks on the President. The almost 24/7 bashing that has taken place since last year has all been by design with the media working to destroy him at the urging of Bill and Hillary Clinton. This reeked of them from the very beginning.

Unfortunately, even many here at FR have joined the bandwagon because the President doesn't share all of their views. The frightening thing is, they are helping the real enemies of our freedom and our constitution with no regard for the consequences. If President Bush doesn't do every single they want, they will do all they can to destroy him and bring about a real socialist government to "teach republicans a lesson!" I certainly wish they would realize what they are really doing before it is too late.

[Conspiracy Guy]

It is such a non-issue that I have never researched it. I was merely stating there are many legal ways he could have been elsewhere.

CG

[hoosiermama]

Here's a new thread on the miltary issue. Look at the last paragraph first.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1070754/posts

[international american]

Imus is a nobody....details at 11......

[hoosiermama]

Well yeah! But there is also the possibility that there are some planned planted disruptors..... Put in place to divide us and thereby destroy.

[prairiebreeze]

Yup you are exactly right. The Bush-bashers on FR have to own the fact that they are supporting Bill and Hill. Some indirectly and others pretty darned DIRECTLY!!

Prairie

[fritzz]

Good Lord, anyone in the Air National Guard knows that pilots rarely go to 'meetings'. They are assigned flight time and get there hours in during the week, or whenever. I never saw a pilot actually stand for AM call or any other drill.

What a stupid argument.

[Huck]

I think they oversold the WMD, and undersold the "liberation." If the main reason for war had been liberation of Iraqis, I'd have opposed it outright. Now it's their best argument.

[Redbob]

" Bush can pick on Kerry's record of voting to cut the B-1,..."

Better yet, let it be proven that intelligence failures led to 9/11, and then let Bush wait until his first debate with Kerry, and let Bush bring up Kerry's record of voting to hamstring the CIA!

[hoosiermama]

Wait a minute, you are saying you are opposed to the liberation of Iraquis.....did I understand you correctly.

[Huck]

Wait a minute, you are saying you are opposed to the liberation of Iraquis.....did I understand you correctly.

I would have opposed a war predicated solely or primarily on the liberation of Iraqis. I am all for everyone being free. Kumbayah. But I don't support that as a foreign policy for the USA--to liberate the world. That's not a good enough reason to go to war.

[capydick]

Imus is a grumpy old dried up prune, who loves to dish it out but doesn't like it to be dished out to him.

Right. Did you see him when Howard Stern called him about a month ago and lit into him, asking him about his daughter from his first marriage? The whole studio collapsed and left Imus sitting there like the drug addled addict that he is. Because Bernard couldnt type responses fast enough to Imus' monitor - he just sat there while Howard hammered him, eventually giving the commercial break sign. Classic.