1973 Document Puts Bush on Guard Base

Washington Post ^ | February 12, 2004 | Mike Allen and Lois Romano

[Tamzee]

washingtonpost.com 1973 Document Puts Bush on Guard Base

By Mike Allen and Lois Romano Washington Post Staff Writers Thursday, February 12, 2004; Page A01

The White House last night released a document showing that President Bush was at a military base in Alabama during the last year of his National Guard service, but aides backed away from his weekend pledge to release all his military records.

Bush's staff provided copies of a one-page record of a dental exam, complete with drawings of Bush's teeth, that showed he was at Dannelly Air National Guard base in Montgomery, Ala., on Jan. 6, 1973.

The document is the first definitive evidence that Bush showed up at a base of the Alabama National Guard during a period of about a year, from May 1972 to May 1973, for which it was unclear how the president had fulfilled his military service. Earlier this week, the White House released records showing Bush had been paid for days of service during that period, including the date of the dental exam. But the records did not say where Bush had been.

The White House released the records this week in an effort to end a controversy that has put White House aides on the defensive amid Democratic accusations that Bush shirked his duty. Administration officials declined yesterday to commit to releasing further records, despite a statement Sunday by Bush on NBC's "Meet the Press" that he would open his entire military file.

[samtheman]

He's set a strategy in motion that will win the War on Terror. But decades ago he might have missed a couple of meetings. Well, then, by all means, let's bring in someone who has been a life-time peacenik and blame-America-firster. Makes sense to me.

[thedugal]

Bump and LOL.

[cardinal4]

This story's transparency will backfire on the democrats. Even the lefties I spar with at work arent interested..

[marron]

How do Democrats think they are going to get any traction out of proving Bush avoided serving in a war they opposed? The people who are going to be concerned with such things know that Bush is prepared to make war on jihadists, and that Kerry can't make up his mind.

Veteran status only counts as a guide to future action. Bush has been quite open about what he is going to do with his time left in office, he is going to chase down the people who want to kill us, and either finish them or make them cry uncle.

Kerry has also been quite open about where he is going to lead us. He is going to put the war on auto-pilot and let the UN tell us what to do. He has been quite frank about it.

What does the respective veteran status of the two men tell us that we don't already know?

[beckysueb]

This is going too far! Looking at the mans teeth for petes sake! when is it going to end! Next they won't believe it is really his teeth and they'll be wanting a "bipartisan" committee to examine his teeth in full view of the public and media to determine if the teeth in the diagram are really his teeth and God help him if he has a tooth missing. I can just hear them on a Fox alert. "Well, after careful examination, we have determined this is someone elses teeth. Notice there is a hairline chip in his tooth that doesn't show up in this diagram." Thats it! Hang 'im

[Judith Anne]

President Bush has answered all the questions the left had about his service record.

Which means, of course, that the left will drop this as an issue, and say, on cue, "Let's move along, the 70s have no relevance today."

Which means, of course, that they lost.

Now, I recall several more under-the-media-radar rumors that the left floated during the 2000 election...perhaps others here also remember them...I wonder how long before they're brought up? Warning to the lefties: You'll lose on those, too...

[Dog]

Wait until the general public finds out what the media and RATS have just found........looking at a the Presidents dental records.......has just crossed the line.

There comes a tipping point in a feeding frenzy and ladies and gentleman we are at that tipping point.

This firecracker is about to blow up in the medias hand..

[Dog]

Which means, of course, that the left will drop this as an issue, and say, on cue, "Let's move along, the 70s have no relevance today."

You know why they will say this? Becuase this story is about to blowback on Kerry........who with Terry McC of the DNC started this media witch hunt.

But the fun part is we freepers won't allow the story to die.

[J. L. Chamberlain]

No one is interested. So, why is the White House in such a tizz about all this nonsense? One day it's releasing pay records, the next it's dental. I mean, what in the heck is going on?

J

[ambrose]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1076545/posts
`Very active':

Joe LeFevers, a member of the 187th in 1972, said he remembers seeing Bush in unit offices and being told that Bush was in Montgomery to work on Blount's campaign.

"I was going in the orderly room over there one day, and they said, `This is Lt. Bush,'" LeFevers said Tuesday. "They pointed him out to me ... the reason I remember it is because I associate him with Red Blount."

Red Blount's son, Winton Blount III, said Bush was the campaign's deputy manager and spent a lot of time in Birmingham and north Alabama.

"He was a very active part of that campaign," said Blount. "And as my aunt said, she hoped people would act as nice in other people's homes as he did."

[Tamzee]

The part I like about this whole AWOL smear situation is now Bush can demand that Kerry release all his records, too.... and point to how cooperative he was in providing everything up to and including drawings of his pearly whites ;-)

It makes me wonder if Bush didn't plan the entire thing out in advance....

[Tamzee]

Why, thank you, sir... terrific link :-)

[Judith Anne]

Now it's Kerry's turn to release HIS dental records. ;-D

And while he's at it, maybe the medical records of the injuries that got him out of Viet Nam--inquiring minds want to know, after all.

[cardinal4]

A very plausable scenario. The dem tactics are becoming Wile E Coyotelike..

[Tamzee]

Bush provides records which prove he was at the base during time in question and match the payroll records...

[beckysueb]

He had 3 minor scratches. I doubt if they even kept the records. Do they keep records that long for issueing band aids?

[Tamzee]

[beckysueb]

Wow! Our President was a fox!

[Bluntpoint]

While demanding that others floss for this country, Bush, according to newly released dental records, did not floss!

[marron]

Its kind of a fake controversy.

The people who are pro-war support GW because he has led it the way they would expect him to by and large, and as a consequence don't really care if he did or didn't show up at his meetings 30 years ago. And the people who are against the war aren't going to vote for him, again, regardless of whether he did or didn't show up for his meetings.

[Judith Anne]

;-D

[NYCVirago]

Blah, blah, blah, let's examine this minutia all over again. Meanwhile, the WaPost couldn't expend one inch of column space today about the Fonda/Kerry photo.

[beckysueb]

They are hoping they can turn the independents away and also the far right like they did in 2000 with the last minute DUI story. You'd be surprised at how many "rightous" people dumped him ater that one came out.

[NYCVirago]

This story's transparency will backfire on the democrats. Even the lefties I spar with at work arent interested.

Same here.

[observer5]

It is such JOKE!

When Pres. Bush is accused of skipping National Guard duty the entire world press investigates and write millions of worlds about it.

When Pres. Clinton is accused of RAPING a woman, the press completely igores it.

But we have no double standards here. NOOOOOOOO!

[NYCVirago]

Now, I recall several more under-the-media-radar rumors that the left floated during the 2000 election...perhaps others here also remember them...I wonder how long before they're brought up? Warning to the lefties: You'll lose on those, too...

I think I know which rumors you're talking about, and I've seen references to two of them this week -- one by Michael Moore, and one by Moby.

[beckysueb]

I agree. And another thing that amazes me is that all the people that dumped him in 2000 for a measley 25 year old DUI almost put a baby killing tree hugger in office! And if this story manages to turn away voters, they will be helping to put a baby killing lying commie in office! Yes the double standard is truly amazing!

[cardinal4]

Which rumors are those? The DWI? I know there was cocaine use allegations about W, is that the rumor?

[marron]

You are right, of course. Of course the people who write the stories are not the highest wattages out there, and sometimes fall for their own hackery. You will remember all of the stories about Bush's intelligence from writers who thought Gore was smart? I can't count how many times I've seen writers refer to Gore's gargantuan intellect.

And all of the cocaine stories from the dim past that were supposed to upset us after 8 years of Clinton, for pete's sake. As if we didn't all remember the seventies. And as if we don't all remember Clinton.

But you are right, it is the independent voter who is at stake, and if anyone is dimmer than the average journalist its the independent voter.

[Judith Anne]

I hesitate to even mention them here on the forum, I just wonder if they'll go there again.

[beckysueb]

It would be just like them to try to rehash that again after their guy, Clinton, whos own brother said he had a nose like a vacuum cleaner when it came to cocaine.

[beckysueb]

I guess they forgot that Gore flunked out of 2 schools. One was Divinity school. Like Rush said how in the world do you flunk God!!

[cardinal4]

I was just about to comment on that; talk about the pot calling the kettle black. Using Coke in the White House goes far beyond depravity, it reduced the Oval Office to a suite in The Hustler bldg. The condom tree, the infamous "sink" incident, the Licoln Bedroom brothel raffle were just a few of the immoral embarrasments the Clintons fomented. For their patsies (The DNC) to attempt to revive DWI and cocaine stories, without revisiting Travelgate, monicagate, fostergate, et al, is typical of the latest Dem tactic; pick up a pile crap, heave at the wall and see what sticks..

[Judith Anne]

Gore never even got a degree of any kind, as far as I know.

[Rebelbase]

I have never seen a more nonstory, meida concoction that this AWOL businesss.
How many trees will have given their lives to cover this before its all over?

[mystery-ak]

David Gregory said last night that this story will live through the campaign..too many unanswered questions...it's not going away...

[serurier]

I believe President Bush , He lead Iraq war , for freedom .

[kittymyrib]

And now you have even Mort Kondrake saying he thanks God that Al Gore did not win the presidency after seeing his mental illness on display in the speech he gave a couple of days ago.

[beckysueb]

Good point. Maybe we should throw that at the tree huggers everytime they bring this up.

[Dog]

David Gregory is full of leftist crap....pardon my french.

NBC pulled their good news reporter Dr. Bob Arnot out of Iraq in December because he was filing to many "good news stories". They are nothing but a mouth piece of the DNC.

[arasina]

Wow! Our President was a fox!

What do you mean, WAS? :o)

[Huck]

Last night I caught Hannity running down a list of weapons programs that Kerry voted against. It seemed like it was every single one.

[Tamzee]

How many trees will have given their lives to cover this before its all over?

VERY good point... perhaps if we phrase the debate in exactly this manner, THEN the greenies/liberals/socialists will drop the ridiculous accusations :-)

[Huck]

When Pres. Bush is accused of skipping National Guard duty the entire world press investigates and write millions of worlds about it.

When Pres. Clinton is accused of RAPING a woman, the press completely igores it.

That was just about sex.

[Rebelbase]

I was severly pre-caffinated for this post, let me correct it:

I have never seen a more nonstory, media concoction than this AWOL businesss.

[Tamzee]

Its kind of a fake controversy.

But of course! Liberals don't start controversies to actually get to the bottom of an issue, they start controversies that they believe will provide political leverage.

Gutter politics...

[Tamzee]

I agree... and you could see the desperation at the press briefing when the payroll records were released. The reporters were absolutely frantic that their smoke and mirrors were getting swept away and they would lose the pretend scandal.

[Russ]

If you read the story in the Washington Post this morning about Powell's appearance before the House committee yesterday you will see that the Dems there are chanting the AWOL mantra. They figure that if you can get enough people to repeat a lie long enough people will eventually believe it.

[Howlin]

How do Democrats think they are going to get any traction out of proving Bush avoided serving in a war they opposed?

Aha! That's the factor that's been missing in my confusion about this issue: why is it okay for Kerry to have rightously protested this war and the government of this country, but not for Bush to have been able to do what he chose to do, work to get somebody elected to Congress?