ABC Radio: Staudt says no pressure to aid Bush

ABC News has an exclusive interview with Col. Stoudt, the retired colonel who allegedly pressured Killian to cover for Lt. Bush during his Air National Guard stint according to forged documents aired by CBS News.

Stoudt says the docs are fake, he never pressured Killian about Bush and he did nothing to help Bush get into the Air National Guard in fact he was happy to have as many pilots as he could.

The theory further goes that Kerry's freefall sparked a desperation move to run the story now and here we are.

And that free fall was in part precipitated by the Swift Boat Vets and their persistence in the face of absolutely hateful MSM rejection. (O'Reilly called them disgraceful).

I think without doubt that this was to be the October sooprize. It was a three pronged attack:

1. Rather's 60 Minute forgeries to get the question asked "Why did W skip his physical?"

2. Kitty Kelley to answer with "He was doing cocaine so couldn't take a physical."

3. Then, the piece de resistance: The Moveon.Org ad containing Blabber's lying 60 Minutes.

Had this been done in late October, it might have been devastating without time to answer.

But Blabber was hoist on the petard of some pajama clad Free Republic Freepers. Nonetheless, he couldn't just collapse and confess that the memos were forged, because there were two acts to follow. So he stonewalled.

As the Scottist poet Bobby Burns said, "The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley (oft go astray)". And Bobby could have added "RATS" in his poem.

God Bless the Swift Boat Vets for Truth.

God Bless the pajama clad Freepers and Bloggers.

Worldnetdaily
MEDIA MATTERS
Col. Staudt denies Bush got special treatment
CBS memo says he pressed to 'sugar coat' review of performance

Posted: September 17, 2004
7:45 p.m. Eastern

© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com

The officer cited in controversial CBS memos as having pressed to "sugar coat" a performance review for George W. Bush in the Texas Air National Guard denies he ever sought preferential treatment for the future president.

In his first public statement since "60 Minutes II" aired a program claiming it had unearthed damaging memos, retired Col. Walter Staudt told ABC News that Bush was a highly qualified officer who passed all the necessary tests.

"I never pressured anybody about George Bush because I had no reason to," Staudt said.

Staudt, who served as brigadier general of Bush's unit in Texas, retired in 1972. A purported memo by Bush's squadron commander Col. Jerry Killian dated Aug. 18, 1973 -- 18 months after Staudt left the Guard -- said Staudt was putting on pressure to "sugar coat" the performance evaluation of Lt. Bush.

CBS has tried to explain the discrepancy by suggesting Staudt still was in the sphere of influence.

But Staudt said that after his retirement he had no involvement in Guard affairs.

"I didn't check in with anybody -- I had no reason to," he said. "I was busy with my civilian endeavors, and they were busy with their military options. I had no reason to talk to them, and I didn't."

Staudt told ABC that during his Guard service he never tried to influence Killian or other Guardsmen, adding he also never came under pressure to accept Bush.

"No one called me about taking George Bush into the Air National Guard," he said. "It was my decision. I swore him in. I never heard anything from anybody."

Staudt told ABC he came forward because he saw erroneous reports on television.

Bush did not use political influence to get into the Air National Guard, he asserted.

"I don't know how they would know that, because I was the one who did it and I was the one who was there, and I didn't talk to any of them."

Staudt said he was in charge of deciding which pilots to accept for training.

Bush was "highly qualified," Staudt said.

"He passed all the scrutiny and tests he was given."

Staudt says he recalled Bush's eagerness to join the pilot program.

"I asked him, 'Why do you want to be a fighter pilot?'" Staudt recalled in the ABC interview. "He said, 'Because my daddy was one.' He was a well-educated, bright-eyed young man, just the kind of guy we were looking for."

He regarded Bush as being in the upper 5 or 10 percent of pilots applying.

"We were pretty particular, because when he came back [from training], we had to fly with him," Staudt said.

Staudt said he continues to support Bush.

"My politics now are that I'm an American, and that's about all I can tell you," he told ABC. "And I'm going to vote for George Bush."

Meanwhile, CBS commentator Andy Rooney distanced himself from his network's reports, saying he believes the documents are fake and could ultimately be costly to anchor Dan Rather, the New York Daily News reported.

"I'm surprised at their reluctance to concede they're wrong," Rooney said, referring to CBS officials.

At least one of the documents bears a faxed header indicating it was faxed to CBS News from a Kinko's copy shop in Abilene, Texas miles from the Baird, Texas, home of Bill Burkett, a retired officer in the Texas National Guard who has been identified by other news organizations as a possible source.

Asked about Burkett's role in the "60 Minutes" story, President Andrew Heyward declined to comment, except to say, "I'm not going to get into any discussion of who the sources are."

In August, Burkett wrote a commentary [pdf file] for a left-leaning website in which boasted he had "reassembled" Bush's National Guard files.

The commentary's footnote said he had served as "one of the sources for information" in Michael Moore's film "Farenheit 9/11," which refers to Bush as a "deserter."

You know, it is interesting that we haven't been treated to Kerry's letters home. I haven't read "Tour of Duty," but one would think some letters should have surfaced somewhere. Maybe he was too busy making movies.

Miss M, I have SO thought the same thing. This is the ultimate diary, record of what is in the mind is a GI in wartime, understress, in times of introspection (as if Lurch had any introspection other than political opportunism and how to plan his next self inflicted wound complete with Purple Heart.) Quite a gift, I'll take a few kernals of rice in my butt, one purple heart, a Silver Star with an "H" (or whatever that was called) AND I get to write my own commendations! Talk about special treatment. I mean what was going on there?

And finally I have to ask who the hell can call someone who served for 4 months and then got out with VERY questionable injuries a "war hero?"

The fact that he pulled a comerade out of the drink qualifies him as a hero? I say that qualifies him as a human being. But this is something that he gets to ride 25 years on as his big heroic act? For SHAME on America for defining heroism down to the simple act of what is EXPECTED of any soldier, no less a commander during wartime. Never mind that, it's what we expect of a lifeguard. For this he is called a "hero"? I say he did his job. How dare he parade this guy around like some trophy again for his policical gain. what a sham.

The man is a disgrace. Bush may be a fortunate son but so was Lewis Puller, Jr. whose life was blown to smitereens by a land mine. See http://www.brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/107/Fortunate%20Son:%20The%20Healing%20of%20a%20Vietnam%20Vet.htm. His life was a real testament to bravery and proof that no matter your fortunate beginings its no guarantee of ANYTHING later on. He committed suicide about one year ago. Tragic, simply tragic. Read this book if you want a perspective on the outcome of Fortunate Sons, as if that were some slur OR any guarantee of anything at all.

I am sick of polite society painting Kerry as a war hero. He was a coward forced into service, he did his job and he f***ed it up royally. He produced more casualties for our men in Vietnam and (and the south vietnamese) & now those in Iraq with his inflamatory rhetoric than certainly any one single Viet cong.

Yes I too would like to see his letters but those are his personal property and I wouldnt demand. I am sure he's saving them for his "presidential library" or hiding or sanitizing them as we speak so we will never ever really know what's inside Lurch's brain. My feeling is that it's ugly indeed but not to fear Burkett is probably on the job as we speak faxing the "cleaned up versions" from Kinkos in Albeline, for posterity, of course. ;)Cant wait for the movie or "soon to be out on DVD."

The poster of course has already been printed "A Pack of Lies Now." ;)

Anne

MRC Flash Alert: Staudt Speaks and Demolishes CBS Case, But ABC Skips Own Scoop
Air National Guard Colonel Denies Bush Got Preferential
Treatment," read the ABCNews.com headline. An excerpt of the un-
bylined posting:

Sept. 17, 2004 -- The man cited in media reports as having
allegedly pressured others in the Texas Air National Guard to help
George W. Bush is speaking out, telling ABC News in an exclusive
interview that he never sought special treatment for Bush.

Retired Col. Walter Staudt, who was brigadier general of Bush's
unit in Texas, interviewed Bush for the Guard position and retired
in March 1972. He was mentioned in one of the memos allegedly
written by Lt. Col. Jerry Killian as having pressured Killian to
assist Bush, though Bush supposedly was not meeting Guard
standards.

"I never pressured anybody about George Bush because I had no
reason to," Staudt told ABC News in his first interview since the
documents were made public.

The memo stated that "Staudt is pushing to sugar coat" a review of
Bush's performance.

Staudt said he decided to come forward because he saw erroneous
reports on television....

Staudt insisted Bush did not use connections to avoid being sent
to Vietnam.

"He didn't use political influence to get into the Air National
Guard," Staudt said, adding, "I don't know how they would know
that, because I was the one who did it and I was the one who was
there and I didn't talk to any of them."

During his time in charge of the unit, Staudt decided whether to
accept those who applied for pilot training. He recalled Bush as a
standout candidate.

"He was highly qualified," he said. "He passed all the scrutiny
and tests he was given."

Staudt said he never tried to influence Killian or other
Guardsmen, and added that he never came under any pressure himself
to accept Bush. "No one called me about taking George Bush into
the Air National Guard," he said. "It was my decision. I swore him
in. I never heard anything from anybody."...

He added that Bush more than met the requirements for pilot
training. "He presented himself well. I'd say he was in the upper
10 percent or 5 percent or whatever we ever talked to about going
to pilot training. We were pretty particular because when he came
back [from training], we had to fly with him."...

He added that after retiring he was not involved in Air National
Guard affairs. "I didn't check in with anybody -- I had no reason
to," he said. "I was busy with my civilian endeavors, and they
were busy with their military options. I had no reason to talk to
them, and I didn't."...

END of Excerpt

For the ABC posting in full, now moved to the "U.S." section:
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/Politics/Vote2004/staudt_bush_040917-1.html

Staudt pretty much demolished Dan Rather's contention that the
"thrust" of his story remains true. On Wednesday's 60 Minutes,
Rather had insisted: "Those who have criticized aspects of our
story have never criticized the heart of it, the major thrust of
our report, that George Bush received preferential treatment to
get into the National Guard, and once accepted, failed to satisfy
the requirements of his service."

ABC's posting includes a much-used photo you'll probably
recognize of current President Bush and his father standing next
to Staudt at some point during Bush's Guard years.

> Friday's CBS Evening News** picked up on a different scoop,
some old letters the Pentagon gave to the AP in response to a
Freedom of Information Act request. From the White House, John
Roberts concluded a story about how bad news from Iraq does not
seem to be hurting President Bush:
"The Pentagon scraped up new documents on the President's
National Guard record. They don't appear to shed any new light on
the story. In fact, the highlight is a letter from President
Bush's father to the commander of his basic training unit. The
commander had praised Lieutenant Bush. His father writes back that
his son will be a gung-ho member of the Air Force and that
instructors have awakened his very best instincts."

That commander was not Staudt or Killian. Ap reported: "The
letter written by Bush's father, former President Bush, was
addressed to Maj. Gen. G.B. Greene Jr., commander of the training
center at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, where Bush took his
basic training."

For the AP story:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=536&e=4&u=/ap/20040918/ap_on_el_pr/bush_guard_records

CNN's NewsNight on Friday night, the MRC's Brad Wilmouth
informed me, ran a full story from Jamie McIntyre about the old
letters released by the Pentagon but McIntyre didn't mention
Staudt's first comments.

**Due to tornadoes in Northern Virginia, the Washington, DC
network affiliates on Friday night did not carry ABC's World News
Tonight, the CBS Evening News or NBC Nightly News, so I cannot be
sure about what else the CBS Evening News may have carried on
Friday night about the memos controversy -- but given how Roberts
incorporated one development into his story it's doubtful the
newscast carried anything else.

I got the Roberts quote from Brad who took advantage of the
CBSNews.com posting of seven stories from tonight's CBS Evening
News. That video is posted at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/i_video/main500251.shtml?channel=eveningnews

I was able to catch ABC's World News Tonight on the 9:30pm re-
broadcast of it on NewsChannel 8, a Washington, DC area all news
cable channel owned by the same company which owns the ABC
affiliate here.

# For the MRC's coverage of CBS's "memogate" since last week,
check the MRC's home page and the CyberAlert archive page:
http://www.mediaresearch.org/archive/cyber/welcome.asp

-- Brent Baker

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