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A “Lost” Fact in the “Rathergate” Mess — Part 1 (Bush volunteered to go to Vietnam)
BernardGoldberg.com ^ | August 25th, 2009 | Bernard Goldberg

Posted on 08/25/2009 5:33:03 PM PDT by Bratch

In 2007, Rather filed his $70 million lawsuit against his old company saying he wasn’t allowed to defend his story because the top management of CBS’ parent company, Viacom, wanted to appease the Bush Administration and protect its business interests.

Until now, the controversy over the Rather/Mapes story has centered almost entirely on one issue: the legitimacy of the documents – a very important issue, indeed. But it turns out that there was another very important issue, one that goes to the very heart of what the story was about – and one that has gone virtually unnoticed. This is it: Mary Mapes knew before she put the story on the air that George W. Bush, the alleged slacker, had in fact volunteered to go to Vietnam.

Who says? The outside panel CBS brought into to get to the bottom of the so-called “Rathergate” mess says. I recently re-examined the panel’s report after a source, Deep Throat style, told me to “Go to page 130.” When I did, here’s the startling piece of information I found:

Mapes had information prior to the airing of the September 8 [2004] Segment that President Bush, while in the TexANG [Texas Air National Guard] did volunteer for service in Vietnam but was turned down in favor of more experienced pilots. For example, a flight instructor who served in the TexANG with Lieutenant Bush advised Mapes in 1999 that Lieutenant Bush “did want to go to Vietnam but others went first.” Similarly, several others advised Mapes in 1999, and again in 2004 before September 8, that Lieutenant Bush had volunteered to go to Vietnam but did not have enough flight hours to qualify.

(Excerpt) Read more at bernardgoldberg.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 1999; 2007; bernardgoldberg; cbs; cbsnews; danrather; howtostealanelection; ltbush; mapes; marymapes; mediabias; pravdamedia; ratherbiased; rathergate; tang
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To: Labyrinthos

Why not?


41 posted on 08/25/2009 6:59:42 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for 0bama: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: Bratch

Bush, his TANG service both pro and con including the Vietnam volunteering , and many other facets of his life were discussed indepth and many times over during the 1999 to 2000 general election. Too bad those old threads from FR are not here for review.


42 posted on 08/25/2009 7:02:36 PM PDT by deport
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To: muawiyah

Listen to her still deny the truth

http://www.notablequotables.org/mrc/2006/dishonors/2005-11-09-Mapes.wmv


43 posted on 08/25/2009 7:04:50 PM PDT by STARWISE (The Art & Science Institute of Chicago Politics NE Div: now open at the White House)
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To: BP2

That’s a good one!


44 posted on 08/25/2009 7:06:19 PM PDT by 2111USMC
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To: Bratch; mazda77; cll; All
Essential reading from Aug 2004:

Q and A- F-102, Vietnam & George W. Bush

The money quote:

...Nevertheless, we have established that the F-102 was serving in combat in Vietnam at the time Bush enlisted to become an F-102 pilot. In fact, pilots from the 147th FIG of the Texas ANG were routinely rotated to Vietnam for combat duty under a program called "Palace Alert" from 1968 to 1970. Palace Alert was an Air Force program that sent qualified F-102 pilots from the ANG to bases in Europe or southeast Asia for periods of three to six months for frontline duty. Fred Bradley, a friend of Bush's who was also serving in the Texas ANG, reported that he and Bush inquired about participating in the Palace Alert program. However, the two were told by a superior, MAJ Maurice Udell, that they were not yet qualified since they were still in training and did not have the 500 hours of flight experience required. Furthermore, ANG veteran COL William Campenni, who was a fellow pilot in the 111th FIS at the time, told the Washington Times that Palace Alert was winding down and not accepting new applicants.... [emphasis added]
FR had it a long, long time ago. I guess better late than never that the SRM catches up.
45 posted on 08/25/2009 7:07:54 PM PDT by NonValueAdded ("The President has borrowed more money to spend to less effect than anybody on the planet. " Steyn)
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To: Bushbacker1
He said she said, not much more than the oliver typewriters. It is a moot subject!!
46 posted on 08/25/2009 7:09:12 PM PDT by org.whodat (Vote: Chuck De Vore in 2012.)
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To: sergeantdave
The press accused him also to be a slacker every time he went to his ranch on vacation. The fact though is the he did work on his vacation. There are plenty of photos to prove it.

If there is a slacker, it is zerobama.

47 posted on 08/25/2009 7:11:38 PM PDT by Kaslin (Acronym for 0bama: One Big Ass Mistake America)
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To: WVNan
I remember clearly reading about his volunteering to go. Don’t recall when or where, but I knew that fact and I feel sure it came from FR way back during the flap over the issue.

Good memory. See post #45 above

48 posted on 08/25/2009 7:11:52 PM PDT by NonValueAdded ("The President has borrowed more money to spend to less effect than anybody on the planet. " Steyn)
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To: Bushbacker1

Bump


49 posted on 08/25/2009 7:24:26 PM PDT by swmobuffalo ("We didn't seek the approval of Code Pink and MoveOn.org before deciding what to do")
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To: swmobuffalo

Mary Mapes and her mate, Gunga Dan should be keel hauled. She’s a communist. and Dan is a no-account loser.


50 posted on 08/25/2009 7:43:33 PM PDT by CT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slx8CCjoL4E&feature=related)
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To: ArtyFO; Bratch; RAO1125; Blood of Tyrants

Not only does Blood have as good point in post 16, you guys are wrong about the F-102 in Vietnam. The Dagger served in Vietnam, and it was dangerous duty:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-102_Delta_Dagger#Operational_history


51 posted on 08/25/2009 7:44:58 PM PDT by Mr. Silverback (We're definitely in the Rise of the Empire era, but is Obama Valorum or Palpatine?)
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To: CT

In 1991 I worked for a guy from Midland Texas. No politics, other than we were both conservative. But it wasn’t like we were talking presidential stuff. He told me one of the best men he ever knew (that wasn’t a politician) was President Bush’s son, Geogre W. The two of them grew up together, and my friend, Stan said W. was an honest and decent man.

Stan was an AF officer and pilot in Vietnam. He died just before 9-11 of liver cancer. God bless him, and God bless George W. Before this battle is over, any and all faults of W. will be shining start when compared with Lennin.


52 posted on 08/25/2009 7:49:52 PM PDT by CT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slx8CCjoL4E&feature=related)
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To: reefdiver
The current POE soiling the people's house defends himself, even if the charges are figments of his imagination.
Do you think he is more presidential than President Bush?
53 posted on 08/25/2009 7:54:29 PM PDT by Just A Nobody (Better Dead than RED! NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: DrDeb
Yes he did, DrDeb. Many of us knew these facts 4-5 years ago.

Thanks for the ping.

54 posted on 08/25/2009 7:55:41 PM PDT by Just A Nobody (Better Dead than RED! NEVER AGAIN...Support our Troops! Beware the ENEMEDIA)
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To: deport; 1Peter2:16; 2Trievers; 4mycountry; A_perfect_lady; Alberta's Child; Allegra; AllieOop; ...

Another glance backward

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If it turns out that the Killian memos are indeed forgeries, the Internet will have played an invaluable role in exposing the fraud much faster than the 18 months Mr. Camacho had to twist in the wind.

**Free Republic, a Web bulletin board, raised early warning signals about the memos within hours of last Wednesday’s “60 Minutes” broadcast.

Powerlineblog.com, a site run by three lawyers, reposted those comments, which were amplified by indcjournal.com. Then design expert Charles Johnson, who blogs at littlegreenfootballs.com, retyped one of the memos using Microsoft Word and showed them to be a perfect typographic match.

A defensive Dan Rather went on the air Friday to complain of what he called a “counterattack” from “partisan political operatives.” In reality, traditional journalism now has a new set of watchdogs in the “blogosphere.”

In the words of blogger Mickey Kaus, they can trade information and publicize it “fast enough to have real-world consequences.”

Sure, blogs can be transmission belts for errors, vicious gossip and last-minute disinformation efforts. But they can also correct themselves almost instantaneously—in sharp contrast with CBS’s stonewalling.

http://www.opinionjournal.com/diary/?id=110005611


55 posted on 08/25/2009 9:01:41 PM PDT by STARWISE (The Art & Science Institute of Chicago Politics NE Div: now open at the White House)
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To: Bratch

I knew it. It was discussed at the time. Don’t know why Goldberg thinks it’s new info.


56 posted on 08/25/2009 9:24:53 PM PDT by Jedidah ("Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana)
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To: Bratch

God Bless President Bush Always!


57 posted on 08/25/2009 9:27:31 PM PDT by Kitty Mittens (To God Be All Excellent Praise!!)
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To: CT

Thank you for your post. I am thankful that we had W for eight years and believe that history will treat him with great respect.


58 posted on 08/25/2009 9:27:56 PM PDT by Jedidah ("Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." George Santayana)
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To: Jedidah

Ditto what Jedidah said.


59 posted on 08/25/2009 9:33:11 PM PDT by Former War Criminal (My soon-to-be senior Senator said so.)
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To: STARWISE
they are relentless to this day in their attempts to destroy him and VP Cheney.

Add Sarah Palin to that short list of unimaginable deranged hatred.

60 posted on 08/25/2009 9:34:54 PM PDT by CAluvdubya (Palin 2012...YOU BETCHA!.)
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