Posted on 01/31/2004 7:07:00 AM PST by billorites
George W. Bush lied about his military service record. The lie can be found in his own 1999 campaign autobiography (as written by Karen Hughes), where he dramatically describes his experience as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.
On page 34 of A Charge to Keep, Mr. Bush claims that, after learning to fly the F-102 fighter jet, he was turned down for Vietnam duty because "had not logged enough flight hours" to qualify for a combat assignment. Before going on to recall the "challenging moments" that involved close formation drills at night during poor weather, he adds: "I continued flying with my unit for the next several years."
In light of what journalists and other researchers have learned since the publication of Mr. Bush’s book, his account is unmistakably fraudulent.
The issue is again relevant because Michael Moore, the author and filmmaker who supports Wesley Clark’s Presidential campaign, recently impugned the President as a "deserter." During the final Democratic Presidential debate in New Hampshire, moderator Peter Jennings called Mr. Moore’s statement "a reckless charge not supported by the facts," and demanded that General Clark repudiate his celebrity backer.
As the ABC newsman may (or, more likely, may not) know, the facts about the President’s National Guard stint are complex, disputed and, in many respects, unflattering. To call him a "deserter" was wrong and inflammatory, even if Mr. Moore was joking, as he now insists. Although Mr. Bush may well have been absent without leave, he was never prosecuted for that offense, let alone desertion, and he eventually received an honorable discharge. But to suggest that the Bush record is beyond criticism, as Mr. Jennings did, is both misleading and biased. That bias reflects an enduring double standard on this topic that has protected Mr. Bush ever since he first declared his Presidential candidacy.
The facts, established by Boston Globe reporter Walter Robinson in 2000, explode the lyrical flights of fancy penned by Ms. Hughes.
George W. Bush graduated from Yale in June 1968. After his father’s influential friends contacted Texas Air National Guard officials, they awarded young George a safe berth in Houston’s famed "champagne unit," where sons of the Texas elite avoided Vietnam. His very special treatment included instant admission to flight training and an extraordinary commission as a second lieutenant. According to his former superiors, Mr. Bush performed admirably as a pilot while patrolling the coastal waters of the United States.
But in May 1972, only 22 months after he completed pilot training, he stopped flying. In August 1972, he failed to show up for his annual physical examination and was automatically grounded. According to The Times of London, a conservative newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, Mr. Bush’s campaign spokesman said he knew that he would be suspended if he missed that physical.
He never flew a military aircraft again (or not until his flight-suit photo op last spring, when he briefly took the controls of an S-3B Viking jet before landing on the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln). Instead, he left his Guard unit in Houston and went to Alabama to work in a Republican Senate campaign. He claims to have continued to serve in an Alabama Guard unit, but there is no evidence to support that assertion, and much contradictory evidence. The commanding officer of the Alabama Guard Unit told the Boston Globe that Mr. Bush never showed up for duty there. Nor is there any evidence that he sought duty in Vietnam.
In fact, there is considerable evidence that Mr. Bush skipped all duty for a full year, until April 1973. At that point, his two superior officers in Houston noted in writing in an official document: "Lt. Bush has not been observed at this unit during the period of this report." They erroneously believed that he had been completing his duty in Alabama. Yet he somehow received an honorable discharge eight months before he completed his six-year commitment so that he could begin attending Harvard Business School.
As the Globe noted, the "champagne unit" and others like it back then displayed "a tendency to excuse shirking by those with political connections."
So Mr. Bush’s claim that he "continued flying with my unit for the next several years" is an unabashed falsehood. Yet the spotty coverage of his military record in the mainstream press—aside from the Globe investigation and similar efforts in the Dallas Morning News and the Los Angeles Times—elided that lie. Compare his soft treatment with the media scourging of Bill Clinton, who was held accountable during the 1992 campaign for every word he uttered about his draft record.
What the Jennings episode validates is not Mr. Bush’s strange military career, but the Bush method of press management. Treat journalists like vassals, with nicknames, cheek-pinching and—whenever they forget their place momentarily—sneering disdain. It works brilliantly.
You may reach Joe Conason via email at: jconason@observer.com.
The second mitigating factor is George Bushs' actions since taking office. His actions of restoring our military strength and morale, both damaged under Clinton, must be taken into account.
As for the charge of it being 'unusual' for a Harvard graduate to be commissioned a 'Second Luey', that is pure BS. Second Leuy is the lowest rank he could be commissioned, there is nothing lower. Would the military like to get a Harvard grad? Well, I'll let you figure that one out.
Are we talking the 88% of registered GOP'ers or those oh so conservative indies that are breaking for the leftists ?
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American Research Group Poll. Jan. 27-29, 2004. N=768 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 3.5 (total sample). |
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"If the election for president were being held today between George W. Bush, the Republican, and the Democratic nominee for president, for whom would you vote: Bush or the Democratic nominee?" Options rotated |
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| George W. Bush |
Democrat | Unsure |
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| % | % | % |
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| ALL | 47 | 46 | 7 |
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| Republicans | 88 | 2 | 10 |
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| Democrats | 9 | 85 | 6 |
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| Independents | 46 | 49 | 5 | |||
Michael Moore is a fat a** lunatic who curiously enough most resembles what he actually is. A boil on the butt of the country. Heh, heh, take it easy. I was joking
I think he was the Pope once too.
Since John Effin mentions he served in Vietnam everytime he opens his mouth, it's kind of hard not to know.
Mister Conason, you intend to collect social security at some point, don't you?
Social security is available only to human beings.
And we know that the charge of calling you a human being is unmistakably fraudulent.
Joe has sand in his vagina.
I don't know why don't you ask him? But since his father was a pilot (mine was to by the way WW2) it is not surprising that the son wanted to follow in the father foot steps. Recent history underlining that point.
Listen, I is not my fault that Bush is not a war hero, or even a combat vet. He did what a lot of elites did. Could very well be that his family (Mom and Dad) talked him into avoiding active services in Vietnam. Lot's of Moms and Pop were doing the same. So stop giving me a hard time. I don't have a problem with Bush's service record.
Personal insult deliberately ignored this time.
Joe Conason is a complete moron.
Any ROTC grad can get "extraordinary commission as a second lieutenant."
We used to call them 90-day-wonders.
Saying again: JOE CONASON IS A COMPLETE MORON.
You guys are killing me!!! This is the first time that I've heard being commissioned a 2LT as extraordinary! I would hardly classify my two years as a butterbar as extraordinary.
I guess I better not run for public office either (not that Mrs. NHN would allow it). I evaded the draft by accepting a 4 year ROTC scholarship. However, I did serve in the Army for 8+ years. The closest I ever got to combat was when my jeep was clipped by an M-60 tank during REFORGER '77.
Based on the stance now taken by the loony left, such service does not qualify.
Just one question: why doesn't Conason spend as much time investigating BillyJeff's draft evasion, as he spends on Bush's honorable service in the National Guard?
Not that I'm qualified to ask reasonable questions. After all, I jumped out of perfectly good airplanes (C-123s, C-130s, and C-141s) while in the Army.
I'll take the First Answers to Rhetorical Questions for 500, Alex.
If you look at the next poll which outs a name to the rat candidate you can see that more GOP'ers fall into voting for Bush (perhaps they believe they are unsure because they don't know the rat candidate. Also, more rats go for Bush.
But that oh so conservative minded indie's flock for the liberal. This means the folks that say Bush is going to lose because of his liberal moves are dead wrong. In fact based on the polls, he needs to bring the liberal indies into his camp.
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What if the election for president were being held between George W. Bush, the Republican, and John Kerry, the Democrat, for whom would you vote: Bush or Kerry?" Names rotated |
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| George W. Bush |
John Kerry |
Unsure |
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| % | % | % |
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| ALL | 46 | 47 | 7 |
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| Republicans | 89 | 3 | 8 |
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| Democrats | 12 | 81 | 7 |
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| Independents | 39 | 55 | 6 |
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