Gaps Remain In Bush Guard Service (Barf Alert! CBS tries to help Kerry)

CBS News ^ | 5/04/2004 | Beth Lester

[RogerWilko]

As the back and forth over military service continues, the Bush and Kerry campaigns are engaged in an increasingly personal battle over who served and how. The continuing questions have prompted a new CBS News investigation into the first military records shakedown of this presidential campaign: the drawn-out battle for the records of President George W. Bush.

The missing military records include a bevy of forms, logs, pay stubs and evaluations from Mr. Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard. CBS News' evaluation of all the documents released by the White House confirms that the records have several holes.

One important question concerns a required physical that President Bush missed in 1972. Because of his absence, Mr. Bush lost his flying wings. Air National Guard regulations require that "the local commander who has authority to convene a Flying Evaluation Board will direct an investigation as to why the individual failed to accomplish the medical examination." But there are no records of an investigation or of any requests to complete one.

There are various possible explanations. Perhaps the investigation was never concluded or never forwarded up the chain of command. The regulation says the commander "will" direct an investigation but it does not require the completed report to be forwarded up the chain of command. The commander "may" do so, but it is not required. The report could have been lost at lower levels...

[RogerWilko]

Uhhh... Didn't we do this once before? Like about 200 times or more!!

I can't believe they're trying to dredge this crap up again! How pathetic can they be?! They're trying to give Kerry as much help as possible.

I think Bush already has shown what he would do as president... Even if they came up with anything about his guard service, it wouldn't equate to the claims the flip-floppin' wannabee loser's making!

[CSM]

Liars and whores!

[Eric in the Ozarks]

It didn't stick in Texas. Didn't stick in 2000.

[Dick Grayson]

CBS Tries to Help Kerry

Let 'em try. Seems like everytime someone does, it's like tossing an anvil to the drowning Kerry.

[anniegetyourgun]

I just wanna know if W commited any atrocities while on guard duty....

[Owl_Eagle]

Uhhh... Didn't we do this once before? Like about 200 times or more!!

Something like that.  In other news, I got this great email about how Robin Williams has a plan for America and I also got this email from Nigeria, where it seems there's this government official...

Owl_Eagle

”Guns Before Butter.”

[300winmag]

I can't believe they're trying to dredge this crap up again! How pathetic can they be?! They're trying to give Kerry as much help as possible.

Bush was a "short timer" as far as flying status went. He wouldn't be in long enough to transition to the new aircraft, so there was no reason for him to take another physical. His CO and medical officer obviously saw nothing wrong with that, which happens all the time.

Bush is expected to prove every single second of his Guard service, while Kerry's paperwork for his Silver Star remains top secret. Why is Kerry's only claim to military competence kept secret?

[KellyAdmirer]

There's also an absence of President Bush writing himself up for any phony medals during the war, too.

[martin_fierro]

It's only May.

Still plenty of time for the Lamestream to bash Dubya.

[Patrick1]

Desperate times call for desperate measures.

[Peach]

And yet Old Media is silent that Kerry won't release his medical records. The guy has had cancer and won't release his records. Shades of Clinton.

[TomGuy]

It is part of the shell game--look at GWB's record but ignore JF'ingK's record.

[Semper Paratus]

"This is Dan Rather. Coming up next on CBS news:

"What is the President trying to hide about his drunk driving in 1974?"

[Dr Snide]

the Bush and Kerry campaigns are engaged in an increasingly personal battle over who served and how.

Did I miss something, when exactly did the Bush campaign say anything about how Kerry served? Ever? I love how the Boston Herald and Charles Gibson are some how just as representative of the Bush campaign as Terry McCaulif and John Kerry are of the Kerry campaing. CBS is so desprate to equate the to and take the heat off Kerry. And even if the two were equivilant,whose military records have CBS spent the most time picking over? This is going to be a long year with the media gearing up to select a president.

[onedoug]

If Kerry committed murder - as seems likely - during his "service", I think that's all we need to know.

[BushisTheMan]

Not only CBS but also the pollster that we all love to hate. Is that politically correct since he's of Arab descent?

[RogerWilko]

There's also an absence of President Bush writing himself up for any phony medals during the war, too

I also don't remember him before the last election... National Guard this, National Guard that... blah, blah blah... Unlike Flip-Flip with all his heroic claims!

The press is the one that made an issue over his Guard service in the first place! Flip-Flopper brought it on himself!

[faithincowboys]

Fox news and talk radio isn't enough-- the Left is operating without any guilt, they are totaly unfair and they don't care. This is being done to counter the O'Neil Press Conference.

[Wright is right!]

"It didn't stick in Texas. Didn't stick in 2000."

It doesn't matter to See BS if it sticks. When they run stories like this, it's to telegraph to the candidate that the network is still on board. Lots of people in the media do this to send messages to their friends, the Dems, that they represent friendly territory.

This story is being run because See BS wants a couple of long interviews.

Michael

[So Cal Rocket]

CBS is trying to deflect attention away from this:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1129294/posts

[hobson]

It's groundhogs day again...
Kerry in trouble/Bush AWOL,
Kerry in trouble/Bush AWOL,
Kerry in trouble/Bush AWOL,
etc...

[Pete]

Usually, such bias would upset me. However, nowadays this type of stuff doesn't bother me because there is a vague sense of desperation associated with it. There is something in the air that smells of a continuing Kerry implosion. I think everyone, including the mainstream press, have had a whiff. That picture of Kerry on the bicycle is a perfect example. That is not the kind of picture that gets play when a candidate is doing well. Kind of like Dukakis in the tank.

[richardtavor]

I personally want to examine the military service records of Dan Blather

[ZULU]

His reports didn't account for his time sleeping and using the toilet.

The viciousness of the liberal press here is beyond contempt.

I agree with Mark Levin. If Bush gets reelected, the FIRST thing the Demonrats will do is try to impeach him.

[richardtavor]

As a former Yeoman, who was very familiar with the UCMJ and reservist status, I can assure you that I personally suffered 3 paper cuts that I could have claimed purple hearts for (yes, and I served during Vietnam). Your statement is accurate--at that time period the Navy was trying to find ways to get Navy Pilots out--no one was in a pay billet--as a matter a fact, you could always "threaten" a superior officer by telling him you would list him as absent during a drill--I never did, but as a Yeoman, that was the only power we had!

[abc1]

The gap appears to be between CBS's ability to act like a credible news source instead of Kerry's mouth piece.

[A.A. Cunningham]

B.G. Burkett wrote about Rather's questionable military service in "Stolen Valor".

[hchutch]

As I have asked some liberal sto explain - how can they attack Bush over his conduct from 1968-1972 and then turn around and claim Kerry's patriotism is being unfairly attacked when I ask questions about some of Kerry's conduct regarding Vietnam in that same timeframe?

I'm not sure if Common Tator would agree, but I think the reason is simple: By trying to keep the focus ONLY on Kerry's service IN Vietnam, compared to Bush in the Air National Guard, they are tyring to obscure the fact that on the whole, Bush's service and conduct was far more honorable than Kerry's.

[talleyman]

CBS not credible? After Dan Blather said Clinton was an honest man? How can you say that? (You mean the Fraudcast Media is biased?)

[rebel_yell2]

What about the "gaps" in Kerry's records? He promised to release them all but has not. Is CBS investigating this . . . ?

[Warren]

Right! Don't matter a twit.

[Prov1322]

I'm certain that SeeBS will provide the same level of public service for the Kerry military record! </sarcasm>

[Not now, Not ever!]

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