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.

[Conspiracy Guy]

In the guard and active service throughout the late 60's and early 70's there were Early Outs. You could apply in almost any unit and be approved or turned down. It is my understanding that the type aircraft Bush was flying was being decommissioned. If he was nearing the end of his tour and applied he would be approved rather than retrained for a short peiod of time. I got a 90 day early out in 1976 in a field where they were also offering big re-enlistment bonuses. Go figure.

He is clean on this.

CG

[hoosiermama]

Obviously not attending a meeting and making up the time later is an accepted protocol.....Can someone check the manual on that? Having the quote from the book in front of us should help shut up the whining.

[PJ-Comix]

DNC CHAIRMAN TERRY MCAULIFFE DOES NOT THINK NATIONAL GUARD IS PART OF U.S. MILITARY: "George Bush never served in our military and our country."

Kind of an INSULT to anyone currently or previously serving in the National Guard. Plus flying a jet fighter is far from safe. I read about such crashes all the time.

[Attillathehon]

IMHO, the DemocRAT Primary is nothing but a farce -- light bulb came on last night that this whole RAT primary has been a farce with the sole intent to destroy Pres Bush's numbers and his credibility during the RAT Primary season. It was and has been orchestrated by the Clintons because Clintonites are involved in all the major candidate campaigns.

Of course it was. Look at Chris Mathews' weekly interviews with the seven Democratic candidates. Each one was on his show just once, but it amounted to seven weeks of Bush bashing. To be "fair" I guess they propose to give candidate Bush "one" week too.

They are corrupt and dirty and will do anything to win the White House, including risking our national security.

[Bluntpoint]

Is it true that when she thought Imus might not survive his fall from his horse, that she camped out on her stoop in Manhattan with a placard reading:

"WILL LOVE FOR WEALTH, POWER OR EVEN A MODECUM OF FAME"

[prairiebreeze]

I fully agree! Twice, heh. :^D

Much appreciation and gratitude to your brothers and all of our Guard personnel.

Wish the true agenda of the RATS would be shown.

Prairie

[My2Cents]

If this turns into a nasty campaign,...

What does he mean "if"?

[hoosiermama]

To be "fair" I guess they propose to give candidate Bush "one" week too.

Maybe Bush can get the ACLU to represent him in an "equal time" case? ;^)

OTOH he can demand his "equal time" closer to the election.

[USCG-RET]

international:
"If this is Bush's strategy, it is a good one; let the morons hang themselves."

Of course it's his strategy. What else could it be? There's a huge amount of paper work here with the Presidents name on it. Every time he flew an airplane, he had to fill out a maintainance report (pre-flight and post flight I would imagine). Where are those? For that matter, where are the pay-stubs? Those two things would put this to rest once and for all. And right now all that stuff is in a box in Rove's office, just waiting for the right time to be made public....
You just wait and see. It's going to be great.

[My2Cents]

I remember Ted Koppel on "NightLine" giving Dan Quayle a hard time about his record but gave Bill Clinton a complete pass

Ah, but Democrats are SUPPOSE to distain the military and military service...

[hoosiermama]

WOuld there be evaluations with glowing remarks too? hee hee

[mystery-ak]

I have no manual, this is a question for Mike....I do know that you can skip drills, with permission of your 1sgt, to be made up later.

[international american]

Welcome to Free Republic!!

[prairiebreeze]

Wow, does that mean you feel betrayed only by the Bush administration, or do you also feel betrayed by Clinton, Britain, Israel, France, Germany, Russia and the UN?

I guess if WMD was the only reason that I used as justification for the war, I might feel betrayed (which I don't BTW). But I think in all fairness I'd have to at least admit to the years of those entities believing in the same supposedly flawed intel. Personal emphasis on "supposedly".

WMD became a central issue in the war justification because that's the issue that Blair could best use for joining the coalition. The UN didn't sanction Saddam about human rights violations or mass murder, only WMD. Which is a sad commentary on our world but that's another topic.

Prairie

[international american]

Shows you how desperate the Dem's are:)

[blackie]

That's all you hear is, rat this, rat that ~ give us a break. :):)

[Conspiracy Guy]

I don't know if he took an early out or had some weekends rescheduled or what. But I know he is clean on the issue.

CG

[Conspiracy Guy]

The Biigger question is, "Who watches Imus and why?"

CG

[USCG-RET]

hoosiemama:
"WOuld there be evaluations with glowing remarks too? hee hee"

Oh man, wouldn't that be great?? *Especially* one from Turnipseed....that would be too much to ask for!!!