Bush's Guard Record

[rhino 0]

>BYRON YORK
>
>Before you fall for Dems' spin, here are the facts
>
>What do you really know about George W. Bush's time in the Air National
>Guard? That he didn't show up for duty in Alabama? That he missed a
>physical? That his daddy got him in?
>
>News coverage of the president's years in the Guard has tended to focus
>on one brief portion of that time - to the exclusion of virtually
>everything else. So just for the record, here, in full, is what Bush
>did:
>
>The future president joined the Guard in May 1968. Almost immediately,
>he began an extended period of training. Six weeks of basic training.
>Fifty-three weeks of flight training. Twenty-one weeks of
>fighter-interceptor training.
>
>That was 80 weeks to begin with, and there were other training periods
>thrown in as well. It was full-time work. By the time it was over, Bush
>had served nearly two years.
>
>Not two years of weekends. Two years.
>
>After training, Bush kept flying, racking up hundreds of hours in F-102
>jets. As he did, he accumulated points toward his National Guard service
>requirements. At the time, guardsmen were required to accumulate a
>minimum of 50 points to meet their yearly obligation.
>
>According to records released earlier this year, Bush earned 253 points
>in his first year, May 1968 to May 1969 (since he joined in May 1968,
>his service thereafter was measured on a May-to-May basis).
>
>Bush earned 340 points in 1969-1970. He earned 137 points in 1970-1971.
>And he earned 112 points in 1971-1972. The numbers indicate that in his
>first four years, Bush not only showed up, he showed up a lot. Did you
>know that?
>
>That brings the story to May 1972 - the time that has been the focus of
>so many news reports - when Bush "deserted" (according to anti-Bush
>filmmaker Michael Moore) or went "AWOL" (according to Terry McAuliffe,
>chairman of the Democratic National Committee).
>
>Bush asked for permission to go to Alabama to work on a Senate campaign.
>His superior officers said OK. Requests like that weren't unusual, says
>retired Col. William Campenni, who flew with Bush in 1970 and 1971.
>
>"In 1972, there was an enormous glut of pilots," Campenni says. "The
>Vietnam War was winding down, and the Air Force was putting pilots in
>desk jobs. In '72 or '73, if you were a pilot, active or Guard, and you
>had an obligation and wanted to get out, no problem. In fact, you were
>helping them solve their problem."
>
>So Bush stopped flying. From May 1972 to May 1973, he earned just 56
>points
>- not much, but enough to meet his requirement.
>
>Then, in 1973, as Bush made plans to leave the Guard and go to Harvard
>Business School, he again started showing up frequently.
>
>In June and July of 1973, he accumulated 56 points, enough to meet the
>minimum requirement for the 1973-1974 year.
>
>Then, at his request, he was given permission to go. Bush received an
>honorable discharge after serving five years, four months and five days
>of his original six-year commitment. By that time, however, he had
>accumulated enough points in each year to cover six years of service.
>
>During his service, Bush received high marks as a pilot.
>
>A 1970 evaluation said Bush "clearly stands out as a top notch fighter
>interceptor pilot" and was "a natural leader whom his contemporaries
>look to for leadership."
>
>A 1971 evaluation called Bush "an exceptionally fine young officer and
>pilot" who "continually flies intercept missions with the unit to
>increase his proficiency even further." And a 1972 evaluation called
>Bush "an exceptional fighter interceptor pilot and officer."
>
>Now, it is only natural that news reports questioning Bush's service -
>in The Boston Globe and The New York Times, on CBS and in other outlets
>- would come out now. Democrats are spitting mad over attacks on John
>Kerry's record by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
>
>And, as it is with Kerry, it's reasonable to look at a candidate's
>entire record, including his military service - or lack of it. Voters
>are perfectly able to decide whether it's important or not in November.
>
>The Kerry camp blames Bush for the Swift boat veterans' attack, but
>anyone who has spent much time talking to the Swifties gets the sense
>that they are doing it entirely for their own reasons.
>
>And it should be noted in passing that Kerry has personally questioned
>Bush' s service, while Bush has not personally questioned Kerry's.
>
>In April - before the Swift boat veterans had said a word - Kerry said
>Bush "has yet to explain to America whether or not, and tell the truth,
>about whether he showed up for duty." Earlier, Kerry said, "Just because
>you get an honorable discharge does not, in fact, answer that question."
>
>Now, after the Swift boat episode, the spotlight has returned to Bush.
>
>That's fine. We should know as much as we can.
>
>And perhaps someday Kerry will release more of his military records as
>well.
>
>
>Byron York is a White House correspondent for National Review. His
>column appears in The Hill each week. E-mail: byork@thehill.com Thanks,

[vmsfreaky1 0]

Oh Boy, nothing like a rhino post to bring me out of the darkness! hehe.

Thanks for those FACTS.

I'm glad the national review could bring me out of all that democrat spin that had invaded my liberal mind.

I wonder if the

[Botellines 0]

Alright, but will Bush improve your economy, while making your country safer and restore international support?

If you really think that he will, vote for him, i couldn´t care less wether he did coke or not. Come on, like no one around this pages have ever done anything illegal.
Now, if he was lieing about his service, that is a no no in politics. (Ask Clinton)

[tunaplanet 0]

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(Ask Clinton)

Or Kerry.

Forty-two

[Botellines 0]

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(Ask Clinton)

Or Kerry.

Or Bush.

Tuna, if it was proven that Bush lied about his serving, would you retire your support to Bush? and let´s say, vote someone else, or just don´t vote if everybody lies?

[jazzjumper 0]

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Tuna, if it was proven that Bush lied about his serving, would you retire your support to Bush? and let´s say, vote someone else, or just don´t vote if everybody lies?

Hey, politicians lie. It's a fact of life.

If Bush lied about serving his full duty to the guard (that is the issue, right?), what was the impact to people around him? If Kerry lied about earning 5 medals, and then came back and trashed vietnam vets and met with the enemy while still serviing in the reserves, who did it hurt?

I think one has to take the degree of the offense when making their choice. Kerry lies to cover up other lies. And that is the reason he will lose the election. He is forgetting what he lied about in the first place, and blaming the anal exam (which all Presidential candidates get at this point) on the Bush campaign. Bush isn't doing it....WE ARE. We are the grass roots people. The right's grass roots are currently more effective than the left's. To me, it's that simple.

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[kallend 2,026]

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>Bush asked for permission to go to Alabama to work on a Senate campaign.

What kind of "girlie man" gives up flying supersonic jet fighters to work on an election campaign in Alabama?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[Jib 0]

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What kind of "girlie man" gives up flying supersonic jet fighters to work on an election campaign in Alabama?

Someone who cares more about a cause more than getting his own rocks off.

--------------------------------------------------
the depth of his depravity sickens me.
-- Jerry Falwell, People v. Larry Flynt

[kallend 2,026]

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What kind of "girlie man" gives up flying supersonic jet fighters to work on an election campaign in Alabama?

Someone who cares more about a cause more than getting his own rocks off.

Right on - Helping a Nixon supporter. OK.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[okalb 104]

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I think one has to take the degree of the offense when making their choice.

Now that is comedy. That is what most Democrats had to say about Clinton lying about a blowjob. But according to Republicans lying about getting a blowjob from a fat chick is about as bad as it gets. Glad to see everyone has their priorities straight.

Time flies like an arrow....fruit flies like a banana

[jazzjumper 0]

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I think one has to take the degree of the offense when making their choice.

Now that is comedy. That is what most Democrats had to say about Clinton lying about a blowjob. But according to Republicans lying about getting a blowjob from a fat chick is about as bad as it gets. Glad to see everyone has their priorities straight.

Him, I think it was about lying under oath during an investigation... and he was impeached (with democratic support.) So nice try, but try again.

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[kallend 2,026]

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I think one has to take the degree of the offense when making their choice.

Now that is comedy. That is what most Democrats had to say about Clinton lying about a blowjob. But according to Republicans lying about getting a blowjob from a fat chick is about as bad as it gets. Glad to see everyone has their priorities straight.

Him, I think it was about lying under oath during an investigation... and he was impeached (with democratic support.) So nice try, but try again.

Ha ha. Recall the reason Bush and Cheney refused to take an oath before testifying to the 9/11 Commission?

So EVERY lie told by Bush and Cheney (including all the stuff about Iraq's WMDs and the size of the deficit) is LYING UNDER OATH.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[jazzjumper 0]

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Ha ha. Recall the reason Bush and Cheney refused to take an oath before testifying to the 9/11 Commission?

So EVERY lie told by Bush and Cheney (including all the stuff about Iraq's WMDs and the size of the deficit) is LYING UNDER OATH.

Refused? Hello, it's called executive privilege. What lying? They acted on the best intelligence of the time (hell, even Kerry said it.) And the deficit...uh, hello? There is a war going on. Besides, those are predictions.

Try again.

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[billvon 2,991]

>If Bush lied about serving his full duty to the guard (that is the
>issue, right?), what was the impact to people around him?

None. But then again, neither is lying about a blow job - yet that was more important to most republicans than going after Bin Laden back during the Clinton years.

>Kerry lies to cover up other lies.

As does Bush. If your point is that all politicians lie, I agree.

[jazzjumper 0]

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None. But then again, neither is lying about a blow job - yet that was more important to most republicans than going after Bin Laden back during the Clinton years.

Seems to me that Clinton had 3 chances to get Bin Laden on a silver platter and refused. I get he was a bit distracted by the blow job...but oh yeah, that was probably the Republicans' fault as well.

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[tunaplanet 0]

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None. But then again, neither is lying about a blow job

Lying about a blowjob = Ok

Lying about a blowjob under oath in front of a federal grand jury = Bad

You do see the difference in the two, right? Do I need to explain further?

Forty-two

[billvon 2,991]

>Seems to me that Clinton had 3 chances to get Bin Laden on a silver
>platter and refused.

He tried once; he was immediately crucified by republicans who claimed he was trying to divert attention from his blow job. But hey, lying about a blow job is far more important than some unknown guy in Afghanistan, eh?

[tunaplanet 0]

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lying about a blow job is far more important than some unknown guy in Afghanistan, eh?

You mean the President of the United States lying under oath in front of a federal grand jury, right?

Liberals love to water down the truth by saying he just lied about a BJ.

Forty-two

[jazzjumper 0]

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He tried once; he was immediately crucified by republicans who claimed he was trying to divert attention from his blow job. But hey, lying about a blow job is far more important than some unknown guy in Afghanistan, eh?

Faulty memory syndrom again. It was the Sudan, and the intelligence he say they had and was used to make the decision was never unclassified. The US also ended up paying compensation again for it, under an agreement ignored by the mainstream media.

Clicky

Once again, using just enough of the facts to make your point.

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[PhillyKev 0]

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None. But then again, neither is lying about a blow job - yet that was more important to most republicans than going after Bin Laden back during the Clinton years.

Seems to me that Clinton had 3 chances to get Bin Laden on a silver platter and refused. I get he was a bit distracted by the blow job...but oh yeah, that was probably the Republicans' fault as well.

I suppose the republicans weren't screaming that Clinton was "wagging the dog" when he launched air attacks against OBL and SH. They politicized those circumstances and tried to claim that Clinton was fabricating a threat to divert attention from the Lewinski scandal. Don't even try to tell me that didn't happen.

[PhillyKev 0]

Talk about Faulty memory.

http://www.cnn.com/US/9808/20/us.strikes.01/

And did you even read your own link?

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The retaliatory attack against the Khartoum facility was two weeks later, coupled with cruise missile strikes against alleged terror camps in Afghanistan said to have been under bin Laden's control.

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U.S. cruise missiles launched from Navy ships struck the Sudanese plant and also hit terrorist training camps in Afghanistan.

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The United States attacked the Al Shifa pharmaceutical plant in Khartoum and suspected terrorist training camps near Khost, Afghanistan,

There are 12 more references to the attack against Afghanistan in your link.

[jazzjumper 0]

Yes I did, read it all.

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[jazzjumper 0]

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I suppose the republicans weren't screaming that Clinton was "wagging the dog" when he launched air attacks against OBL and SH. They politicized those circumstances and tried to claim that Clinton was fabricating a threat to divert attention from the Lewinski scandal.

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Don't even try to tell me that didn't happen.

Jezzus you sound like my mother. Of course they were screaming that...hell, even the media was contemplating it (Chris Matthews, et al.) I laughed my ass off about the whole thing. Don't you remember, the movie "Wag the Dog" had just come out!

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!

[billvon 2,991]

>Faulty memory syndrom again.

Gotta read what you quote before you post it! He bombed Afghanistan and was crucified for it by the republicans, who would much rather see a democrat attacked than see Bin Laden killed.

[jazzjumper 0]

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Gotta read what you quote before you post it! He bombed Afghanistan and was crucified for it by the republicans...

Okay guys, I did read it. My point is, he bombed it, blamed it on intelligence, then turned around and let the feds pay the damages for bombing it. They had the intelligence for a long time, then decided to strike 3 days after the Grand Jury testimony. The problem is that it really looked like he was wagging the dog because of his timing.

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..., who would much rather see a democrat attacked than see Bin Laden killed.

You're kidding, right? I wouldn't piss on a democrat if they were on fire, but I've risked my life hunting OBL down and am going back to do it again in 10 days (hoorah!)

No matter how good she looks, someone, somewhere is
sick of her shit!