On Bush National Guard Service and the TV Media

It is time for the news media to either go after Bush and his record in guard service or not. If the media is serious about this story than it is time for them to either interview people who might have been directly involved with the story 30 years ago, or get the military talking heads on their shows to discuss the rules and what Bush did and didn't do. It serves no purpose to have Bush campaign people on the shows and just hit the talking point that Bush got an honorable discharge. If this is all the media is going to do then just drop the story and let the print media run with the stories.

They're going to be very reluctant to even discuss this. As close as election is
supposed to be, broken promises, failures to honor these obligarions only adds more weight to the Kerry side of the scale. The corporations won't like this one bit.

I so look forwrd to seeing them FORCED discussing this story.

Barnes is supposed to be on 60 Minutes.

We will have to see what the fallout is after that.

I doubt it will be published because it exceeds the word count. I could not pare it down and keep the pertinent facts in it. It contrast my service in the TANG and Ellington and transfer out of state and back again with Dumbya's. Nicolas Kristof's op ed today spurred me to write my first ever letter to an editor. Kristof believes that Dumbya did not do his duty to train but stops short of the real issue- the Commander in Chief is a deserter from the US armed forces.

Missing in Action

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/08/opinion/08kristof.html?hp

a brief mention and excerpt...in story about *'s guard service.

it's a start!

It's on the AP wire now, and the story has been out ther for only a short while.

If you haven't read it:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BUSH_NATIONAL_GUARD?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=POLITICS&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Right now, as we type, editors and the ilk are going "WTF?" and trying to get verification. Video folks want to copy the actual documents.

This is something that will break late today, and into tonight, and maybe become something by tomorrow. IMHO, of course.

Reminded me of an old T-Shirt I had...it had two buzzards sitting on a fence with the caption "Patience My Ass...I wanna kill something".

I am not sure how much play this story will get or should considering all the other noise flying around right now. The AWOL/TANG stories should be used in the context of the Iraq war, and it's not going to be the media that does that, but Democrats and their surrogates.

Just like the GOOP spinners, every Democratic talking head that goes on Tweety or even InSannity or O'Reilly, has to hit on this boy's unfitness to lead. The TANG/AWOL then is important. Trying to frame it as a Vietnam thing just makes it look like a lame response to the slimeboaters.

I hope this connection is made, since it will destroy this entire regime's only issue.

Actually, that t-shirt kinda fits if you think about it?

I disagree with using this issue in "context of the Iraq war". This is a stand-alone issue:

Did President Bush fulfill his military commitment to the US?

PERIOD, end of question!

Now the tie in is simple; Bush's cronies, including the VP, have smeared the service record of his opponent and TURNABOUT IS FAIR PLAY.

Something everybody agrees with, and easy to understand.

While I'm an old fart and remember Vietnam, a majority of the electorate now doesn't and all this crap has thrown things way out of context. While I'd love to revisit what happened then...especially all the great things Kerry stood for in those days...along with how his record has been slimed by those who avoided service, that point misses a big one we need to drive home.

By showing the manchild shirked the military, he proves he's unfit to lead it. The chickenhawks have gotten us into this war and if this regime is re-selected, it means a draft and greater adventurism and profiteering. This is the message that has to go out, since it's the most urgent.

Clinton is right...Kerry has to move off Vietnam, and so do we. It's nice this stuff comes out, and all it does is puts more facts in our corner. Those who don't want to believe won't be any more convinced by this revelation than by the previous ones. What has to be showcased and hammered home is this regime's total incompetence to lead and protect this country.

We destroy this meme and the entire GOOP collapses.

"Hmm 'Old Farts for Kerry'....naw, too..."

Yesterday I posted somewhere, while watching the Rummy Dog and Pony Show, that I thought Donnie-boy was doing a damm fine impression of Bob McNamara (sp?). Funny not to many folks picked up on that. But if you listen to what these folks are saying it is VERY reminiscent of Vietnam.

IMHO, Kerry should move off his (and Bush's service - for that is an issue who's battle is best left others in the campaign) and ONTO the "Lesions of Vietnam". Your second paragraph alluded to that. And that is what the Vietnam Effect on this Campaign should be.

But Bush's service record also Does call into question his fitness to command and that leads to a referendum on his handling of the war.

Dare I dread to say we are about to revisit the worst "lessons of Vietnam". We're perculating a brand new generation that is dividing along their own war and have yet to see it as broadly as we did. But then, it was a long way from the Gulf Of Tonkin & Ia Drang to Tet to Cambodia to My Lai. This is something we should discuss, but not at this point. That's an effect that we'll have to deal with afterward.

Right now, the focus has to stay on the leadership thing. These bastards started it, and let's make 'em eat it. This boy has paraded as the "war pResident" and making this country safe. We need to destroy this facade...and with it all his cronies.

We have several steps to take before we can see a light to the end of the tunnel in this horid invasion...IMHO. There are still many who think this is a "winnable" thing. They have no concept of the "Vietnam lesson" and thus we'll be forced to replay it. Instead of nightmares in the jungles, these will be in the berms.

We really don't know the extent of the mess this regime has created. The secrecy surely is air tight on the dirtiest deals and secrets that we won't start learning about until this regime is defeated and some damage assessment can be made.

Cheers!

is start to call the whores on their bias on air. maybe if our people say things like "Judy, you did the swift boat prople for a month every day and they had no proof. Now we have proof the president was AWOL, and you're ignoring it. Is that PROOF of your bias?"

Kills two chimps w/ one stone: brings up the record issue, and calls the whores on their bias on-air, which is our only hope of ending it before the election.

to fulfill his obligation during its news segment of GMA this morning.