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Debunking The Bush AWOL Story - From The Horse's Mouth
Brig. Gen. Turnipseed | February 6, 2004 | Hon

Posted on 02/06/2004 3:58:26 PM PST by Hon

I just got off the phone about an hour ago with Brig. Gen. William R. Turnipseed. He is the sole source for the four year old story that Bush was AWOL during his National Guard service.

Mr. Turnipseed is very unhappy with the way what he said "casually" four years ago has been twisted by the "Bush haters" (his words) in the media, especially the Boston Globe (who first reported the story) and the New York Times.

In a nutshell here is what happened, according to Turnipseed. Back in 1972 his Alabama National Guard unit received a letter from Bush (who was in the Texas Nation Guard) asking if he while he was in Alabama do some equivalancy training with the Alabama unit.

Turnipseed said that this request was as a matter of routine turned over to his administrative assistant, Lott, who wrote back to Bush, giving him the dates of the next unit drills. Lott told Bush he could report for those dates.

Neither Turnipseed nor Lott can now remember whether Bush appeared for these drills or not. Turnipseed says he himself might not have even been around the base at the time, so he wouldn't know one way or the other. And he says he has always said this.

The points Turnipseed wanted to stress are these: Bush was never ordered to report for duty to his unit. Since Bush was in the Texas National Guard and Turnipseed was in the Alabama National Guard, he couldn't have ordered him even if he had wanted to. But he didn't want to.

He (or his assistant, Lott) simply gave Bush the dates he could report if he wanted to do equivalency training with them. There were no orders given. If he showed up or didn't show up, it wasn't their concern.

Additionally, Turnipseed says that he never once said anything about Bush being "AWOL." He said it isn't even a term used in the National Guard. And anyway, as already noted, Bush's training record was not his concern, but the Texas National Guard's.

He said that since the Texas National Guard gave him an honorable discharge it shows that he fulfilled his training requirements.

Turnipseed said that the media has constantly misrepresented what he said and edited him so as to make Bush look bad.

He also said that he had no idea who Bush was, and that he certainly didn't do him any special favors. Nor would he have.

He said that when he first spoke to the Boston Globe reporter about this four years ago he didn't realize he was talking to a "Bush hater."

Turnipseed is a strong Bush supporter. He said that he has been contacted many times especially recently, by "Bush haters" in the media, who try to get him to say that Bush was AWOL. Once they realize that he won't cooperate they lose interest in talking to him. When they do quote him, they say he is backpedaling--even though he is still saying the same exact thing he told them four years ago.

He has been recently asked to go on with Peter Jennings and NBC's Dateline, but he is concerned that they will edit him in such a way as to misrepresent his story again. I have been in touch with Fox news, in hopes that they will have somebody talk to him and try to present his story fairly.

Bottom line, this whole AWOL story was media spin from the git-go. The Boston Globe reporter simply cherry picked Turnipseed's comments and totally misrepresented him--to make Bush look bad.

And the media are still doing it four years later. They should be ashamed--but they have no shame. They have only their agenda.


TOPICS: Breaking News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Alabama; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: awol; bsdebunked; bush; bushawol; deserter; honismojo; medialies; williamturnipseed
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I will try to keep this updated if I hear anything more about this from Mr. Turnipseed or Fox.
1 posted on 02/06/2004 3:58:29 PM PST by Hon
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To: Hon
Keeper bump.
2 posted on 02/06/2004 4:01:11 PM PST by Hillarys Gate Cult (Proud member of the right wing extremist Neanderthals.)
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To: Hon
Bump - I'd send this to Rush, Sean, and Drudge.
3 posted on 02/06/2004 4:01:31 PM PST by Alissa
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To: Hon
...they have no shame. They have only their agenda - Agreed!
4 posted on 02/06/2004 4:02:11 PM PST by Free_at_last_-2001 (is clinton in jail yet?)
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To: Hon
SPOTREP - Getting it straight re: W
5 posted on 02/06/2004 4:02:13 PM PST by LiteKeeper
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To: Hon
Send it to Brit Hume too. special@foxnews.com

He's awfully good about getting to the bottom of a story and having a guest in for a full segment for a sit down discussion/interview.

If Turnipseed is a Bush supporter, he would probably feel like he'd get a fair hearing for his side of the story with Brit.
6 posted on 02/06/2004 4:03:17 PM PST by terilyn
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To: Hon
Outstanding! I mean really!
7 posted on 02/06/2004 4:03:34 PM PST by cmsgop ( How Come Vic Tayback Never Won an Oscar ???????????????????????????????)
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To: Hon
Truth Bump
8 posted on 02/06/2004 4:03:49 PM PST by Finalapproach29er ("Don't shoot Mongo, you'll only make him mad.")
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To: Hon
I hope FOX will interview him, because certainly the liberal media will twist the interview.

That being said, I remember from my days of drilling that when people didn't show up for drills they usually threatened them with 45 days ACDUTRA. I don't remember hearing about anyone EVER being charged with AWOL for missing drills.

9 posted on 02/06/2004 4:03:54 PM PST by Enterprise ("Do you know who I am?")
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To: Hon
good for you...how did you get a hold of him? i woudln't even know how to go about this! But I am glad you did!
10 posted on 02/06/2004 4:04:07 PM PST by merry10
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To: Hon; Howlin
Good reporting!
Bump
11 posted on 02/06/2004 4:05:10 PM PST by eddie willers
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To: Hon
Thank you for posting this.

I hope that FNC does get the good General on, if for no other reason than to put the truth (novel concept) out and on the record.
12 posted on 02/06/2004 4:05:11 PM PST by Howie66 ("America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.")
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To: Hon
The Boston Globe? Who'd of thunk it.
13 posted on 02/06/2004 4:05:14 PM PST by TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig (When in doubt, charlie out.)
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Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

To: MeekOneGOP; Mo1; Howlin; JohnHuang2
This one didn't stay in the sidebar long. Maybe one of you would use your ping list so more people see this?
15 posted on 02/06/2004 4:05:33 PM PST by terilyn
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To: Hon
Yeah dude send this to Drudge right now, If I hear this AWOL crap again from my Demo friends I'm gonna have to be bailed out of jail,....LOL!
16 posted on 02/06/2004 4:05:42 PM PST by cmsgop ( How Come Vic Tayback Never Won an Oscar ???????????????????????????????)
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To: Hon
Gee, more lies by the media who would've guessed?

17 posted on 02/06/2004 4:06:33 PM PST by demlosers (SUV=Haliburton=Bush=Religion=Flag=VRWC=Repubs =WMDs= Oil=Black Helicopters=We're all going to die!!)
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To: Hon
"From The Horse's Mouth"

Almost thought this was another one of those in a long line of stories about Kerry spouting off his mouth over the unfounded Bush was AWOL charge.

18 posted on 02/06/2004 4:07:23 PM PST by BigSkyFreeper (All Our Base Are Belong To Dubya)
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To: Hon
This is not a sarcastic question....BUT....I know who Turnipseed is, I know who George Bush is but who are YOU? Your homepage shows a fairly current registration. They are many Freepers here whose word I would take but am always a little wary of such postings. Do you know Turnipseed personally and just called him for a response? Did he authorize this? Is the media not hounding him to give a response???? Just checking my sources!....
19 posted on 02/06/2004 4:07:29 PM PST by BlessedAmerican (Pray for our President and those who are fighting to preserve our freedom!)
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To: Hon
Hannity is the one to contact. He'll get him on Hannity and Homely.
20 posted on 02/06/2004 4:08:19 PM PST by McGruff ( Botoxgate, Chinagate II, Lobbygate. Bring it on!)
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