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.

[PhiKapMom]

While I was out in the car awhile ago, Lauri Due came on Fox radio News with Bush was AWOL -- she went through the whole RAT spin and at the end of the report in a quieter tone said the White House denied the allegation. It was all about he was AWOL until the very end.

Now I hear from you Bechtel was on Fox with the same crap! And the media, most of them, seem to be loving every minute of it! Guess it is too much to ask for them to report with the same conviction Kerry's ties to Chung that are coming out!

[PhiKapMom]

The F-102's were being decomissioned and sent to the boneyard at Davis-Monthan during that time period -- you are correct.

BTW, the squadron that Pres Bush was a member of now flies F-16's and were the fighter escort for AF One for part of the trip to Offut. They handed off escort duty to the Tulsa ANG for the remainder of the trip to Offut. So much for the ANG not being military.

Pres Bush was on active duty during pilot training and went through the same exact training that every Air Force pilot goes through before earning their wings. They are not going to turn over a plane to someone who shows up occasionally!

[PhiKapMom]

Am sure defending Pres Bush was the last thing that McCain wanted to do on the air if I were guessing.

[Howlin]

I mistyped; it's Bob Bechel

http://www.kepplerassociates.com/speakers/beckelbob.asp?1

You remember him -- he's the one who offered to PAY electors to change their committed votes to Gore in 2000!

[PhiKapMom]

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.

That makes two of us! When you get the people at the DU laughing about what is going on here, you know something is wrong.

[prairiebreeze]

Got it. Yes how very Democratic of him....

Prairie

[PhiKapMom]

Exactly! Tinker AFB has a fairly new active Reserve unit for Tankers now.

The Tulsa ANG flew the no fly zone of Iraq from the time it was established until Gulf War II.

That is what has made me livid at the remarks of the RATs -- it is demeaning the sacrifices that our Guard and Reserves. Not to mention, the Air Force cannot meet its flying commitments without the Reserves and Guard.

[jonno]

bump

[jonno]

bump

[Conspiracy Guy]

Pres Bush was on active duty during pilot training and went through the same exact training that every Air Force pilot goes through before earning their wings. They are not going to turn over a plane to someone who shows up occasionally!

Scratching head? Yes it's always been that way did I say something that made you think I didn't know that? I see the group practicing low level whenever I fly down that way. I couldn't remember whether Bush flew 102 or 106's but I knew it was one of the old delta wing interceptors. The unit was going to F4's at the time his tour was ending and yes they have F16's now.

[ClintonBeGone]

Senator John McCain stood up to Imus on this one! Imus comments that proof of an allegation is not on the accuser because "it doesn't work that way" speaks volumes to me.

I'm actually amazed he did that. Wait till Bush does answer and reminds people that Kerry was a war protestor. Wait for the howls then.

[ClintonBeGone]

I don't always agree with him and sometimes the show drives me crazy and I have to turn the channel. But I think he conducts very good interviews and they are worth wading through the junk.

I agree. I don't really watch Imus for Imus. I watch it for his guests. He's rarely serious so you can't get too mad at him.

[backhoe]

Thanks!

[backhoe]

Or am I missing something here?

Not really- the way any military unit is structured, you have to be present & accounted for, or your absence excused through channels. If President Bush had, in fact, not reported or walked away without proper protocols, the Air Police would have hunted him down & returned him.

There would have been no honorable discharge, either.

The "murkiness" you note- sloppy paperwork- is not uncommon, especially so many years having elapsed.

[backhoe]

Thank you!

[Rocket1968]

I served in a Navy Reserve Unit at about the same time. It was common to "skip" drill weekends and make them up, often with a different unit. The rules were loose to begin with and were not strictly enforced. President Bushs experience seems consistant with what I encountered as well. I actually earned credits by coming in some evenings and "swabbing the deck." My enlistment required me to serve two full years of active duty. I received early releases from active duty and active reserve status. There were a lot of military cut backs at that time. The President would have also earned quite a few credits for going to flight school, as I did for my active duty time.

This is such a farce. It is certainly desperation on the part of the rats.

[Scenic Sounds]

The "murkiness" you note- sloppy paperwork- is not uncommon, especially so many years having elapsed.

Yeah, that really doesn't surprise me at all. LOL

Thanks.

[axel f]

So true. I have seen people on FR say it would be a good thing to have a Democrat president and a Republican congress for "gridlock." They think this will further conservatism.

Here in Kansas, thanks to many Republicans who crossed over and voted for the Democrat, we now have that exact situation here--a Democrat governor and a Republican Legislature. I can tell you conservatism is NOT being furthered in my state! Our governor vetoes conservative legislation, and there aren't enough votes to override her vetoes. She is now proposing taxes on everything, and she could definitely get her way. I'm definitely not impressed with what's going on in my state--I wouldn't want that for the rest of the country!

I have to say I am very worried that this afore-mentioned mindset seems to make sense to so many here! I don't want a Democrat in the White House. I hope these people really think this through!

[Bigg Red]

Clintons are behind the resurfacing and using their friends in the press to spread the allegations that are without fact

**
Correct, PKM. They are going to try their darndest to knock the President down so Hitlery can come in and rescue the country. I wouldn't put it past those to to help in engineering another terrorist attack. They've already had a hand in 2 of them.

[joesbucks]

Am sure defending Pres Bush was the last thing that McCain wanted to do on the air if I were guessing.

Then I wonder why McCain was in New Hampshire last week as an envoy and supporter of the President during the New Hampshire primary? He was an outspoken supporter at that time.

I may inferring what McCain didn't imply, but clearly he "appeared" uncomfortable with his comments on Imus this morning but trying to dance around the questions.