September 14, 2004
IF YOU CAN'T CUT IT IN THE ALABAMA GUARD, HEAD TO HARVARD (via Kevin Whited):
Why Bush Left Texas (Russ Baker, 9/14/04, The Nation)
Growing evidence suggests that George W. Bush abruptly left his Texas Air National Guard unit in 1972 for substantive reasons pertaining to his inability to continue piloting a fighter jet.A months-long investigation, which includes examination of hundreds of government-released documents, interviews with former Guard members and officials, military experts and Bush associates, points toward the conclusion that Bush's personal behavior was causing alarm among his superior officers and would ultimately lead to his fleeing the state to avoid a physical exam he might have had difficulty passing. His failure to complete a physical exam became the official reason for his subsequent suspension from flying status.
This central issue, whether Bush did or did not complete his duty--and if not, why--has in recent days been obscured by a raging sideshow: a debate over the accuracy of documents aired on CBS's 60 Minutes. Last week CBS News reported on newly unearthed memos purportedly prepared by Bush's now-deceased commanding officer. In those documents, the officer, Lieut. Col. Jerry Killian, appeared to be establishing for the record events occurring at the time Bush abruptly left his Texas Air National Guard unit in May 1972. Among these: that Bush had failed to meet unspecified Guard standards and refused a direct order to take a physical exam, and that pressure was being applied on Killian and his superiors to whitewash whatever troubling circumstances Bush was in.
Questions have been raised about the authenticity of those memos, but the criticism of them appears at this time speculative and inconclusive, while their substance is consistent with a growing body of documentation and analysis.
If it is demonstrated that profound behavioral problems marred Bush's wartime performance and even cut short his service, it could seriously challenge Bush's essential appeal as a military steward and guardian of societal values.
Even if you could get this steaming pile of innuendo and supposition to congeal, it would tell us nothing about the man George Bush became and who we elected president. But it would do something totally worthwhile--it would demonstrate just how overrated a Harvard MBA is if the drug-addled freak they're trying to paint here could get one. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 14, 2004 7:29 PM
This obsession is bizarre. I don't recall anything similar in 1996 among Republicans, since it had already been shown in 1992 that Clinton's background wasn't a dealbreaker. Presumably this is why Clinton advised Kerry to shut the heck up about Vietnam. One has to conclude that either
a) the issue is one that Kerry and loyalists are obsessed with despite overwhelming evidence it's a loser,
or b) other Kerry advisors are pushing him to do this, in which case one has to conclude they don't want him to win.
Posted by: brian at September 14, 2004 7:40 PMCriticism of the memos appears "speculative and inconclusive" ?!?
What expert does Russ Baker know that is willing to authenticate the memos ?
Even the ones that CBS relied upon are bailing.
Oh, and, a Harvard MBA is overrated; a study was done which tracked Harvard MBA graduates, and, although the degree and name did initially help graduates find better jobs than did graduates of Cow College MBA programmes, after ten years there wasn't any difference in success between Harvard MBAs and Cow College MBAs.
Posted by: Michael Herdegen at September 14, 2004 8:00 PMMichael:
Well, a Harvard MBA did get him as far as the Eureka College grad.
Posted by: oj at September 14, 2004 8:07 PMWell put, OJ.
Posted by: Bruce Cleaver at September 14, 2004 8:50 PMNo wonder Chris Matthews despises Katrina Van Den Heuval (editor of The Nation).
Posted by: jim hamlen at September 14, 2004 9:06 PMBush could not have flown with the Alabama Air National Guard even with a perfect physical examination, because he was trained to fly F-102's; and the Alabama National Guard had none. They were not going to spend the time and money necessary to train Bush to fly a new type of plane, especially in light of his remaining reserve time.
Posted by: George at September 14, 2004 9:49 PM"Even if you could get this steaming pile of innuendo and supposition to congeal..."
It's congealing at least as well as the philanderer-Clinton stories were circa 1996. And the strident cries from the right are sounding more and more like rationalizations.
Actually, I agree with OJ, in that I don't think G.W. Bush the young hellion necessarily has anything to do with G.W. Bush, the President, but the Right needs to exit its little cycle of denial and move past this as roundly as OJ would clearly like to.
Brian:
Exactly what is Kerry doing? He hasn't mentioned Vietnam in over a week. Assuming that he or his campaign has anything to do with this latest Guard eruption, perhaps he has learned the fundamental rule of politics as practiced by the Bush family: let your proxies do the dirty work.
Should make for some interesting politics, if that's the case.
Posted by: M. Bulger at September 14, 2004 9:53 PMM:
Clinton raped Juanita Broaddrick and assaulted Paula Jones and Kathleen Willey--as all three testified.
George Bush served in Alabama.
No one on the Right wants to move past this.. As long as the election stays in the 70s John Kerry gets killed.
Posted by: oj at September 14, 2004 10:03 PMIt's congealing at least as well as the philanderer-Clinton stories were circa 1996.
Huh? It's a dead issue as far as harming Bush is concerned -- after the document forgeries, the public will immediately discard any further "revelations" as not worth the time.
Kerry's next task should be to start "defining" himself to the public since we're now only 50 days from the election. Ha. Ha, ha.
Posted by: Matt Murphy at September 14, 2004 10:08 PMBrian:
He hasn't mentioned Vietnam in over a week.
That is pretty funny. In over a whole week! Unfortunately, he spent the past year and a half exclusively running on his 4 months in Vietnam. 18+ years in the senate, nary a peep.
This entire story about Bush's Guard service was a legitimate issue in 2000. In 2004 the only important thing is his performance as President. Its shocking that Kerry or his people don't know that.
Posted by: Chris Durnell at September 15, 2004 12:35 PMM: So then your choice is b--Terry McAuliffe doesn't want Kerry to win.
Wanna bet that Kerry mentions the V-word during his speech to the National Guard Thursday?
Posted by: brian at September 15, 2004 2:13 PM