Did George Bush Desert the TANG? Post evidence here

[Stephanie]

Michael Moore is already on it.

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php

[renegade000]

1. some documents

http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/document.htm

[Stephanie]

4. Thanks! I was looking for that one

This is the article that goes with those docs:

http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/3671

FINALLY, THE TRUTH ABOUT BUSH'S MILITARY SERVICE RECORD
George W.'s Missing Year

Marty Heldt is a farmer. He told us, "I spent 17 years as a brakeman before moving back to the farm. That job had some long layovers that gave me a lot of time to read and to educate myself." He lives in Clinton, Iowa.


Nearly two hundred manila-wrapped pages of George Walker Bush's service records came to me like some sort of giant banana stuffed into my mailbox.

I had been seeking more information about his military record to find out what he did during what I think of as his "missing year," when he failed to show up for duty as a member of the Air National Guard, as the Boston Globe first reported.

The initial page I examined is a chronological listing of Bush's service record. This document charts active duty days served from the time of his enlistment. His first year, a period of extensive training, young Bush is credited with serving 226 days. In his second year in the Guard, Bush is shown to have logged a total of 313 days. After Bush got his wings in June 1970 until May 1971, he is credited with a total of 46 days of active duty. From May 1971 to May 1972, he logged 22 days of active duty.

Then something happened. From May 1, 1972 until April 30, 1973 -- a period of twelve months -- there are no days shown, though Bush should have logged at least thirty-six days service (a weekend per month in addition to two weeks at camp).

[PaDUer]

16. Tom Paine has

a great site and is someone that I trust, has everything together and enough to hang the pukes!!

[buycitgo]

19. only 54K hits on "bush+AWOL" at google.....Marty Heldt's site.........

is probably the best, and most complete.


http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/document.htm

serious about the only 54K, too...."george bush idiot" gets 167,000!!!!

he was the first one who got the FOIA docs on this (upon which he spent QUITE a bit of money). he's got quite a back story to tell, as well.

BTW, check your PMs....

[PaDUer]

22. Thanks

for the link, will check it out..
Check your pm..

[9215]

57. This is good

Then something happened. From May 1, 1972 until April 30, 1973 -- a period of twelve months -- there are no days shown, though Bush should have logged at least thirty-six days service (a weekend per month in addition to two weeks at camp).




In April 1972 the military started drug testing. He failed to take a physical in August of that year.

[buycitgo]

6. how ironic......

I just sent that Moore page to Mary Heldt, to whom the cis.net/coldfeet site belongs.

no single person has done more to get this story out than he.

can't wait to hear his response

and how DARE Jennings say what he did in that debate?

AND.......how dare Clark be such a fricking WIMP in his response

why didn't he ask Bush to COME CLEAN, and put his damn 'military' records on display, as did McCain when he was slimed out of the campaign by Bushbots in SC, claiming that he was insane?

what's the MATTER with Clark? he had no compunction in calling Bush a drunk, for christ's sake.

On the other hand, did Jennings (unknowingly, or, perhaps, cunningly....naah) let the genie out of the bottle, by merely mentioning it? I've certainly never heard any major news outlet bring up the story in such bold relief.

here's hoping the story starts getting the attention that it so richly deserves, and SHOULD have gotten five years ago.

but then, everybody knows what would have happened.....dumbo would've been in the same primary quagmire with the likes of Gary Bauer or Allan Keyes, and the media might have been concentrating on how those two WIPED the floor with him during the debates, instead of gushing over the inevitablility of his installation as 'president,' even before the general election began

[Stephanie]

8. I think Clark handled it well

Here's the transcript, from Michael Moore's page linked above:

The following is a rush transcript of the exchange between Peter Jennings (PJ) and Wesley Clark (WC) from this evening's debate in New Hampshire

PJ: General Clark, a lot of people say they don't know you well, so this is really a simple question about knowing a man by his friends. The other day you had a rally here and one of the men who stood up to endorse you was the controversial filmmaker Michael Moore. You said you were delighted with him. At one point Mr. Moore, said in front of you that President Bush, he was saying he'd like to see a debate between you the General and President Bush who he called a deserter. Now that's a reckless charge not supported by the facts so I was curious to know why you didn't contradict him and whether or not you think it would have been a better example of ethical behavior to have done so.

WC: Well I think Michael Moore has the right to say whatever he feels about this. I don't know whether this is supported by the facts or not. I've never looked at it. I've seen this charge bandied about a lot but to me it wasn't material, this election is going to be about the future, Peter, and what we have to do is pull this country together, and I'm delighted to have the support of a man like Michael Moore, of a great American leader like Senator George McGovern, and of people from Texas like Charlie Stenholm and Former Secretary of the Navy, John Dalton. We've got support from across the breadth of the Democratic Party, because I believe this party is united in wanting to change the leadership in Washington. We're going to run an election campaign that's about the future. We're going to hold the president accountable for what he did in office and failed to do, and we're going to compare who's got the best vision for America.

PJ: Let me ask you something you mentioned then because since this question and answer in which you and Mr. Moore was involved, you've had a chance to look at the facts. Do you still feel comfortable with the fact that someone should be standing up in your president, in your presence and calling the president of the United States a deserter?

WC: To be honest with you, I did not look at the facts Peter. That's Michael Moore's opinion; he's entitled to say that, I've seen, he's not the only person who's said that. I've not followed up on those facts, and frankly it's not relevant to me and why I'm in this campaign.

[ConsAreLiars]

18. strategy

I can't answer for Clark, but I think it was very helpful to keep this "AWOL Bush?" question out there. People who care to do a little reading will find the evidence pretty compelling, and the missing documentation means that countering the charge with facts is impossible. The accusation has been made by at least a few public voices over the past few years, but it has not been followed up on by the "media" until just now.

By making that charge as a part of his endorsement Moore put it back into political play. And by declaring that he did not know the facts of the matter (he denounced * for what he is doing now, instead) Clark tosses it back into the laps of those who want to use Moore against him, and makes it their responsibility to find out if the accusations are true before denouncing Moore or condemning Clark for not disassociating himself from Moore.

Regardless of intent, the way Moore endorsed and the way Clark handled Jennings have resulted in this being an unanswered question and an important issue in the campaign, even if the question was an attempt to smear.

That made this link re-compilation meaningful, and bravo.

And, on that subject Bev had a very nice PR page prepared that was shut down just after the (pre-election) press release went out, and the original site was recently killed by Diebold, if I recall correctly and so the press release no longer exists at it's original address. If anyone has a mirror, and if anyone can put together a history of the press release and counterattack, this would be very useful documentation for Mike to have.

[madrchsod]

14. clark is a general

and a rhodes scholar-he knows when to attack and with what strength. he`s a match for anyone in the whitehouse. you don`t need a hammer to kill a flea.

[buycitgo]

17. oh.......I see......like Gore did in 2000?

right

that flea......I mean, chimpanzee.......has an eight hundred pound gorilla riding shotgun

it's called the MEDIA

just wait and see what happens with that deserter mention.

Peter Jennings is on Nightline as I type this, and I'll bet you this year's deficit that it won't be brought up.

If I lose, you can put it on my credit card

[wildwww2]

46. I believe Jennings was doing what he was told. Attack Moore: A critic of

the chimp in Al Gore`s White House. When hasn`t a detractor of the usurper been ripped apart by the press? I cannot remember when they haven`t. Not once.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[0007]

32. Was junior arrested for cocaine or drunk driving or both?

"Hatfield quotes a former Yale classmate who told him: "George W. was arrested for possession of cocaine in 1972, but due to his father's connections, the entire record was expunged by a state judge whom the older Bush helped get elected. It was one of those 'behind closed doors in the judges' chambers' kind of thing between the old man and one of his Texas cronies who owed him a favor ... There's only a handful of us that know the truth."

snip....

Another source named only as "a longtime Bush friend" described the situation this way: "Say you get a D in algebra ... and now you're going to be required to repeat the class the following year, but your teacher says if you promise to be tutored during the summer by a friend of hers who's good in math, she'll change the D to a C. You spend a few hours a week during the summer vacation learning all about arithmetical operations and relationships, and then the teacher issues you a new report card, replacing the old one on file in the principal's office ... Something akin to that scenario is what happened with Bush in 1972."

http://www.salon.com/news/feature/1999/10/18/cocaine/

Lots & lots & lots of cover up and lost and missing records, 'eh?

[Stephanie]

2. Paul Krugman

http://truthout.org/docs_03/050703G.shtml

Mind you, it was funny. At first the White House claimed the dramatic tail-hook landing was necessary because the carrier was too far out to use a helicopter. In fact, the ship was so close to shore that, according to The Associated Press, administration officials "acknowledged positioning the massive ship to provide the best TV angle for Bush's speech, with the sea as his background instead of the San Diego coastline."

A U.S.-based British journalist told me that he and his colleagues had laughed through the whole scene. If Tony Blair had tried such a stunt, he said, the press would have demanded to know how many hospital beds could have been provided for the cost of the jet fuel.

But U.S. television coverage ranged from respectful to gushing. Nobody pointed out that Mr. Bush was breaking an important tradition. And nobody seemed bothered that Mr. Bush, who appears to have skipped more than a year of the National Guard service that kept him out of Vietnam, is now emphasizing his flying experience. (Spare me the hate mail. An exhaustive study by The Boston Globe found no evidence that Mr. Bush fulfilled any of his duties during that missing year. And since Mr. Bush has chosen to play up his National Guard career, this can't be shrugged off as old news.)

[Bozita]

3. start your search here

http://www.awolbush.com/

[Stephanie]

5. From that site, the famous Boston Globe article

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/campaign2000/news/One_year_gap_in_Bush_s_Guard_duty+.shtml">link

One-year gap in Bush's National Guard duty
No record of airman at drills from 1972-73

By Walter V. Robinson, Globe Staff, 5/23/2000


AUSTIN, Texas - After George W. Bush became governor in 1995, the Houston Air National Guard unit he had served with during the Vietnam War years honored him for his work, noting that he flew an F-102 fighter-interceptor until his discharge in October 1973.

And Bush himself, in his 1999 autobiography, ''A Charge to Keep,'' recounts the thrills of his pilot training, which he completed in June 1970. ''I continued flying with my unit for the next several years,'' the governor wrote.


But both accounts are contradicted by copies of Bush's military records, obtained by the Globe. In his final 18 months of military service in 1972 and 1973, Bush did not fly at all. And for much of that time, Bush was all but unaccounted for: For a full year, there is no record that he showed up for the periodic drills required of part-time guardsmen.


Bush, who declined to be interviewed on the issue, said through a spokesman that he has ''some recollection'' of attending drills that year, but maybe not consistently.


From May to November 1972, Bush was in Alabama working in a US Senate campaign, and was required to attend drills at an Air National Guard unit in Montgomery. But there is no evidence in his record that he did so. And William Turnipseed, the retired general who commanded the Alabama unit back then, said in an interview last week that Bush never appeared for duty there.

[annagull]

7. ABC is going to get bombarded with evidence

I could kiss Peter Jennings for bringing this up. Finally, we may get the truth out!

[krkaufman]

21. Email or call ABCNews and Peter Jennings

Everyone needs to email or call ABCNews and Peter Jennings to complain about his question posed to General Wesley Clark in Thursday night's Democratic Presidential Debate (link):

... President Bush who he called a deserter. Now that's a reckless charge not supported by the facts ...

Taking the middle, from what I've read/seen, there's no evidence that Bush served all his time in TANG, nor is there tangible proof that he didn't; however, given the military's penchant for documentation, the absence of proof that Shrub served all his time has me leaning to the AWOL/deserter camp.

[Stephanie]

24. We're not going to complain to Jennings

We're going to THANK Jennings. Clark escaped unscathed and the issue is now on the table and up for grabs.

[LTR]

9. Ta da!

http://bushwatch.org/bushgate2.htm

[Stephanie]

11. That's a good one

JUNIOR AWOL ON DRUGS?




"THE Republican frontrunner for the White House, George W Bush, was suspended from flying as a young pilot for failing to take a medical examination that included a drug test.
"Documents obtained by The Sunday Times reveal that in August 1972, as a 26-year-old subaltern in the Air National Guard, Bush was grounded for failing to "accomplish" an annual medical that would have indicated whether he was taking drugs....While he has consistently admitted to a "misspent youth", Bush has evaded questions about cocaine or other drug use, implying only that he has not taken illegal substances since 1974, the year after he left the Air National Guard....

"Bush was not required to face drug tests when he first entered the reserve unit as a Yale graduate in 1968. It was only at the end of 1971 that the US Air Force, facing a backlash against drug-fuelled escapades in Vietnam, introduced a screening policy. In April 1972 the Pentagon implemented a drug-abuse testing programme that required officers on "extended active duty", including reservists such as Bush, to undergo at least one random drug test every year. The annual medical exam that year included a routine analysis of urine, a close examination of the nasal cavities and specific questions about drugs....

"Bush was said to have been unable to take the medical because he was in Alabama while his doctor was in Houston. his campaign official, however, said Bush was aware that he would be suspended for missing his medical as soon as he left Houston because the air force was unable to process his new status before the August deadline for the test. "It was just a question of following the bureaucratic procedure of the time," he said. "He knew the suspension would have to take place."

"William Turnipseed, a retired general who commanded the Alabama unit at the time, said Bush never appeared for duty. Two commanders at Ellington air force base in Houston said in his record they were unable to perform his annual evaluation covering the year from May 1, 1972 to April 30, 1973. "Lt Bush has not been observed at this unit during the period of this report," they wrote.
<more>

[markus]

10. I look forwad to the special by Jennings on teh subject

He ought to have to do it as penance for such an abridgement of journalistic ethiccs.

As a former journalist, I can tell you his is a worthless sack of, well, something.

There is clear evidence Bush did not serve, and to make such a boldface lie was simply unacceptable.

[buycitgo]

12. AWOL.........from the 12 step program he never "needed?"

[PaDUer]

23. This guy ALWAYS

has a MONKEY pose in every pix..amazing..guess Babs likes apes.

[Stephanie]

13. "I can't remember what I did" - GWB

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A59151-2000Jun25¬Found=true

Records of Bush's Ala. Military Duty Can't Be Found

By Wayne Slater
Dallas Morning News
Monday, June 26, 2000; Page A06


AUSTIN –– After a thorough search of military records, George W. Bush's presidential campaign has failed to find any documents proving he reported for duty during an eight-month stint in Alabama with the Texas Air National Guard.

But a spokesman expressed confidence Saturday that inquiries will turn up former Guard members who can corroborate Bush's having been there.

"He specifically recalls pulling duty in Alabama," spokesman Dan Bartlett said of Bush. "He did his drills."

Bartlett said the Republican governor showed up "several" times while in Alabama, where he transferred from his Houston Guard unit in 1972 to work for the unsuccessful Senate campaign of Republican Winton Blount, a friend of Bush's father.

According to Bartlett, the governor could not recall specifically how many times he reported for duty during his months in Alabama.

<more>

[demgrrrll]

20. Before joining George W. Bush Dan Bartlett worked for Karl Rove and

Associates. Say no more!

[Stephanie]

15. Ted Rall

[Military Brat]

25. bush AWOL bush AWOL bush AWOL bush AWOL bush AWOL bush AWOL bush AWOL

Thanks, Peter, for bringing this up so it can cause an uproar which never happened in 2000.

Here's a link http://www.agitproperties.com/chickenhawk.html

Please read the scathing letter from Captain Maureen Griswold, (who lost her brother Scott to the Vietnam War debacle), to KB toys about their bush (non)action figure. Here's a brief excerpt:

"Note: AWOL and absent without leave' and desertion (defined as AWOL beyond 30 days), are actual crimes with NO STATUTES OF LIMITATION."

Other links to bush's (non)duty are provided on the linked web page and within the letter of Captain Griswold.
-------

Being from a military family, nothing makes me spit nails more than bush shirking his duty to his country and its citizens. Leopards don't change their spots. A coward is as a coward does.

[9215]

26. Here is a long thread I started a couple of years ago

at Smirking Chimp.com. It is about Repug Chickenhawks and near the end it gets into the Bush Awol thing in detail, with alot of good discussion

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/viewtopic.php?topic=2217&forum=13

[Stephanie]

27. Take a look at what Michael Moore has posted now

http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php

[dbt]

28. KICK!

:evilgrin:
dbt

[trof]

29. Yes, but not "AWOL". I sent this to Peter Jennings.

Dear Mr. Jennings,
Last night at the NH debate you seemed to be shocked and incredulous that George Bush could be accused of desertion from the military. Parsing facts very finely, using the strict UCMJ definitions of "desertion" and "AWOL", it's true that technically and legally he was neither. The rest of the story is another matter entirely. Documentation of Bush's military records can be found at www.awolbush.com.
Here is an exhaustively researched article I wrote for an online forum:

AWOL? Deserter? Here are the FACTS.

Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ)
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ucmj.htm#802.%20ART.%202.%20PERSONS%20SUBJECT%20TO%20THIS%20CHAPTER

802. ART. 2. PERSONS SUBJECT TO THIS CHAPTER
(3)" Members of a reserve component while on inactive-duty training, but in the case of members of the Army National Guard of the United States or the Air National Guard of the United States only when in Federal Service."

Bush was not in Federal Service, thus not subject to UCMJ, and therefore not AWOL or a deserter under UCMJ.

However, from the Texas Code of Military Justice, which Bush* "may have been" (see below) subject to says:
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 147, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1987. § 432.130. Desertion
(a) A member of the state military forces is guilty of desertion if the member:
(1) without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away permanently;
(2) quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or
(3) without being regularly separated from one of the state military forces, enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another of the state military forces, or in one of the armed forces of the United States, without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated.
(b) A commissioned officer of the state military forces who, after tender of his resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away permanently is guilty of desertion.
(c) A person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished as a court-martial directs.

Bush was certainly in violation of one or more of these sections, but notice the law was passed in 1987, well after he was out of the guard. So far, I can find no information as to what the law was when Bush was in the TANG.

I was a pilot in the ALANG 1963-1971. I can find no documentation of Alabama military regulations on the web, but here's what I know to be true from personal experience:
When I joined the guard to be trained as a pilot I signed an agreement, a "contract", if you will. Upon successful completion of USAF pilot training, I was committed for six years of service in the Alabama Air National Guard (ALANG). Pilot training lasted a little over a year, so my basic obligation was for seven years.

If I had done exactly the same thing Bush did, skipped out and not shown up for required drills and Flight Training Periods (FTPs):
1. I would have been located/contacted (if possible) by a superior officer on an "unofficial" level and asked about my absence. In reality, it would have been unthinkable for me or any of my squadron mates to just drop out of sight without any prior communication with my squadron or wing as to a reason for this.
2. If I had no satisfactory "unofficial" explanation I would be required to meet with an evaluation board of senior officers to explain my actions. If necessary, I would have been taken into custody by military police.
3. Now it gets "official" If the board found I had no acceptable excuse, they could offer three options.
a. I could make up the missed periods, possibly by extending my obligation.
b. If I was unwilling to do this, I could have been assigned to "involuntary active duty" (essentially "drafted"), in the Army, as a private, for a period not to exceed the balance of my obligation. At the time, that was a ticket straight to Viet Nam.
c. If I refused, I could be sent to jail for the balance of my obligation, probably to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary.

You can see why it was in my best interest to show up each and every time with a shine on my shoes and a smile on my face. That Bush was able to shirk his obligation with absolutely no penalty angers me. It was wrong, and he should have paid. But he didn't. He had the right connections and he got off scot free. We can bemoan the fact, and wail and gnash our teeth, but there's no way (that I know of) that this wrong can be righted.

[Stephanie]

35. thanks trof

thanks everyone - great stuff!

Peter Jennings, what do you say now?

[RapidCreek]

37. He certainly WAS AWOL

According to the Texas Code of Military Justice.

http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/go/go0043200.html#go082.432.131

For the full Texas Code of Military Justice:
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/statutes/go/go0043200toc.html

Article 130 and 131 apply. Though I believe that only 131 is proovable to any extent.

This page is a good one http://www.awolbush.com/. Of particular interest is this question....Why did Bill Clinton's "draft dodging" merit 13,641 major news stories, while GW Bush's "desertion" merit only 49?

RC

[trof]

52. Please carefully read what I posted.

The TANG Code of Military Justice is a state act passed in 1987.
I would imagine there was something of the sort in effect when bush* was in the guard, but can find no record of it on the web.

Obviously, a 1987 statute would not apply to one who had already been out of the guard for well over 10 years.

I think his shirking of duty should be brought up whenever possible, but it's too late for any kind of prosecution (IMHO).

[OneTwentyoNine]

40. When the HELL did Jennings sell out?

God,is there anyone left?

David

[wabeewoman]

47. Things are not always as they seem...

The way Jennings put the question kept him totally out of the equation. Repugs can't turn the question from AWOL bush to Jennings being an unpatriotic Canadian beccause he was very clear in the way he asked the question. And very smart if you ask me. I don't think he has sold out for a minute.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

49. "A simple question about knowing a man by his friends?"

Jennings' intentions are right there for all to see and are excruciatingly clear. He does not want to conduct a character assassination on Wesley Clark. He wants to hand Clark the rope and watch him hang himself:

1). "controversial filmmaker Michael Moore"

2). "he was saying he'd like to see a debate between you the General and President Bush who he called a deserter. Now that's a reckless charge not supported by the facts..."

3). "I was curious to know why you didn't contradict him and whether or not you think it would have been a better example of ethical behavior to have done so."

4). "you've had a chance to look at the facts. Do you still feel comfortable with the fact that someone should be standing up in your president, in your presence and calling the president of the United States a deserter?"

5). "You said you were delighted with him"

SO...one could POSSIBLY "know" Wesley Clark, the man, from his "friend" Michael Moore, by reconstructing this question which CLEARLY has no hidden agenda:

1). Clark likes to spend his quality time with controversial people

2). Clark is "delighted" with friends who make unsupported and reckless charges against our President

3). Leading the witness: Why didn't you contradict him...did it make you feel better to display your lack of ethics to the the American people? You had a chance to do the RIGHT THING and deliberately chose not to? Is that how you propose to lead your country? Just turn a blind eye at your moment of truth?

4). OK, Clark, you get points for "not looking at the facts" when this affront was made. Now you've had a chance to see the facts. And by facts I mean the fact that our President did NOT desert. So now that you KNOW that (more leading of the witness) are you COMFORTABLE (co-conspirator to overthrow out country) with your "friend?"

Yes, Mr. Jennings was pretty clear. Bordering on transparent, dontcha think?

The American people are NOT effing stupid. Clark could have sold out Moore in a heartbeat. He did not. He didn't even hint at it. "Mission Accomplished," Jennings...we CAN know a man by watching him refuse to sell out his friends. You should have asked him to explain Islam to you while you were at it. Be-yatch...

[Stephanie]

53. I was wondering the same thing

He certainly did us a huge favor.

[DoYouEverWonder]

30. There is a very simple solution to this AWOL issue

Bu$h should just go ahead and release his military records.

This is something he refused to do during the 2000 campaign but now that he is the CIC, the American people have a right to know whether or not the pResident is a desserter. If Bu$h continues to refuse to release his records, then I think we have the answer to this serious question.

[Stephanie]

38. Kerry was very interesting on Crossfire

When asked about this by Novak, he took the stance that he would rise above the question. He said that everyone at that time was making difficult choices, and he didn't judge anyone, and he was not interested in the past, he wanted to talk about the future. Very classy.

But it gave Begala the opening to ask, "What about that seminal article in your hometown paper, the Boston Globe? They established that Bush did not complete his service."

No one can dispute the facts - Bush can NOT prove that he fulfilled his obligation to the TANG. Let's see someone prove it. So far no one has.

[SoCalDem]

31. Just type awol in the google browser and hit "I feel lucky"

It brings up the awol bush site..

We have plowed that field many times over, and there is evidence , and a lot of it, but it's largely "edited" and circumstantial.. As far as I can tell, offers of rewards have never brought forth a single person who recalls serving with him.. He's not the kind of a guy you would forget.. I would guess that a lot of Bush money has been spread around to keep people quiet.. A lot of money or a lot of threats:(

[underpants]

33. Some info from www.awolbush.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A59151-2000Jun25¬Found=true

Records of Bush's Ala. Military Duty Can't Be Found

In May, retired Gen. William Turnipseed, the former commander of the Alabama Guard unit, said Bush did not report to him, although the young airman was required to do so. His orders, dated Sept. 15, 1972, said: "Lieutenant Bush should report to Lt. Col. William Turnipseed, DCO, to perform equivalent training."
"To my knowledge, he never showed up," Turnipseed said last month.
http://web.archive.org/web/20000619121358/http://www.boston.com/news/politics/campaign2000/news/One_year_gap_in_Bush_s_Guard_duty+.shtml
One-year gap in Bush's National Guard duty
No record of airman at drills from 1972-73

On the lack of coverage
http://www.uaw.org/cap/01/news/day3media.html

Let me give you some statistics," responded panelist Paul Begala, "I worked for Bill Clinton in 1992 and …in anticipation of this very question, I looked this up on Nexis. There were 13,641 stories about Bill Clinton 'dodging the draft' …and there were 49 stories about Bush and the National Guard," Begala said.

And here is a timeline.

http://uggabugga.blogspot.com/2003_01_12_uggabugga_archive.html#87590816

[anarchy1999]

34. Someone should contact Bill Burkett, Retired TANG

Posted this in the LBN thread as well.


Were George W. Bush's National Guard Records Scrubbed?

BUZZFLASH EXCLUSIVE: After Memorial Day, It's Time To Ask, Once Again, About Bush's National Guard Record and Why He Ran Away From Service in Vietnam -- Oh, By The Way, Guess Who is Running the Air National Guard Now?

May 28, 2002

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ANALYSIS

Pausing to Reflect After Memorial Day: Were George W. Bush's National Guard Records Scrubbed? Bill Burkett Should Know. The Nation Deserves the Truth.

(See http://199.96.2.183/contributors/2002/05/24_supreme.html to understand the context of this letter to BuzzFlash.com from Bill Burkett. It is also recommended that you read these two important postings from the Democrats.com archives: http://www.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=171 and
http://www.democrats.com/display.cfm?id=154)

Additional BuzzFlash Note: Major General Daniel James was head of the Texas National Guard at the time of the alleged scrubbing of George W. Bush's National Guard records. He was appointed by George W. Bush to be commander of the nation's Air National Guard -- and was confirmed by the Senate last week.

A Letter to BuzzFlash.com from Bill Burkett, formerly of the Texas National Guard:

* * *

In regards to the BuzzFlash contibutor piece, "SUPREME IRONY" (http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/2002/05/24_Supreme.html)

This BuzzFlash reader gets it closer to right than anyone has since 1998 when I broke the Bush AWOL story as a whistleblower.

I hope that more information will be coming soon as a few journalists are now asking questions that should have been asked in 1998.

http://www.buzzflash.com/analysis/2002/05/28_Scrubbed.html


Also from the Veterans for Peace website:

What do you say?

By Bill Burkett
Online Journal Contributing Writer

March 19, 2003—I've sat in total grief for the past three years, watching the institutions of America being spent as if they were lottery winnings.

I don't want to say it, "But I told you so."

In January of 1998 and what seems like a full lifetime ago, I was stricken by a deadly case of meningoencephalitis. I was returning from a short duty trip to Panama as a team chief to inspect the hand over of Ft. Clayton to the Panamanians. I had been 'loaned' from the senior staff and state planning officer of the Texas National Guard to the Department of the Army for a series of these special projects after angering George W. Bush by refusing to falsify readiness information and reports; confronting a fraudulent funding scheme which kept 'ghost' soldiers on the books for additional funding, and refusing to alter official personnel records .

http://www.veteransforpeace.org/what_do_you_say_032203.htm

Who is Bill Burkett?
Lt. Col. Bill Burkett completed 28 years of decorated service and was medically retired from the US Army National Guard in 1998 after suffering meningoencephalitis on return from an assignment in Panama. From 1995 until his illness, Burkett served as State Plans Officer for the Texas Army National Guard and Governor George W. Bush. After refusing to follow direct orders involving falsifying readiness reports, Burkett sought "whistleblower" status for reports involving anti-Semitic activity; personnel fraud; readiness fraud and the alteration of the personal military file of Governor George W. Bush. Lt. Col. Burkett is currently the plaintiff in his appeal to the US Supreme Court in the case of Burkett v. Goodwin, Taliaferro, Meador, et al, in regard to the retaliation against him following breaking the Bush records issue. Lt. Col Burkett served as a War Plans Officer during Operation Desert Storm and functioned as a senior trainer in conducting simulations exercises for deploying troops.

edited to add biography

[banana republican]

36. The definition of desertion Article 85 UCMJ

“(a) Any member of the armed forces who—

(1) without authority goes or remains absent from his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to remain away therefrom permanently;
(2) quits his unit, organization, or place of duty with intent to avoid hazardous duty or to shirk important service; or

(3) without being regularly separated from one of the armed forces enlists or accepts an appointment in the same or another one of the armed forces without fully disclosing the fact that he has not been regularly separated, or enters any foreign armed service except when authorized by the United States Note: This provision has been held not to state a separate offense by the United States Court of Military Appeals in United States v. Huff, 7 U.S.C.M.A. 247, 22 C.M.R. 37 (1956); is guilty of desertion.

[OneTwentyoNine]

39. There was a big article in Newsweek back in 2000

Wish to hell I'd saved it. I'm thinking it would be around July,Aug of 2000. My dad subscribed read it and then gave it to me--it was a pretty damning article IMO.

David

[Stephanie]

41. That should be available to anyone who has Lexis/Nexis -

shouldn't it?

[Woodstock]

42. More links

The Boston Globe article link that outlines the case very well:

http://awol.gq.nu/AWOL_Globe%20series.htm

Tom Paine article, another good one:

http://www.tompaine.com/feature.cfm/ID/3671

Scans of the National Guard documents of Bush's records:

http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/document.htm

And some interesting scans here:

http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/privilege.htm

Satisfactory participation during my membership in the Air National Guard of the United States will be attendance and satisfactory performance of assigned duties at 48 scheduled inactive duty training periods and 15 days field training annually... statement Bush had agreed to.

Bush admits his attendance was spotty. During one interval he skipped all drills between May 1,1972 and (at least) November 29, 1972. That period of time would have encompassed 24 training periods.

But Bush was serving in a champagne unit that was refuge for the area sons of privilege. Its ranks included John Conally's son, Lloyd Bentson's son, John Tower's son, SEVEN Dallas Cowboys, and two sons of the businessman who got G W Bush into the Guard ahead of hundreds of others on a waiting list.

[Paragon]

43. No wonder his wife looks frustrated.

:silly:

[Stephanie]

44. It's very curious

Not ONE person so far has posted evidence to prove that Bush DID complete his service. If that evidence exists, I'm sure someone will post it.

[oasis]

45. kick

[loudnclear]

48. Here is my "evidence"

http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2004_01_18_dneiwert_archive.html#107489673457218778

David Neiwert has much more on Bush the 'deserter', and a stumped Wolf Blitzer mumbles "i'm asking the questions here." www.cursor.com

[Octafish]

50. James R Bath was there when Bush grounded... all the way to 9-11.

Notice the fellah who was grounded alongside the Chimperor. Maj. James R Bath is the same man who acted as the official representative of the Bin Laden Group in their US endeavors. Small world.

Here's background...

The Carlyle Group, integrated by the Bush and bin Laden families awarded a billion dollar contract to "rebuild" Iraq:

US arms group heads for Lisbon

EXCERPT...

Top of the meeting’s agenda is expected to be the company’s involvement in the rebuilding of Baghdad’s infrastructure after the cessation of current hostilities. Along with several other US companies, the Carlyle Group is expected to be awarded a billion dollar contract by the US Government to help in the redevelopment of airfields and urban areas destroyed by Coalition aerial bombardments.

The Group is managed by a team of former US Government personnel including its president Frank Carlucci, former deputy director of the CIA before becoming Defence Secretary. His deputy is James Baker II, who was Secretary of State under George Bush senior. Several high profile former politicians are employed to represent the company overseas, among them John Major, former British Prime Minister, along with George Bush senior, one time CIA director before becoming US President.

The financial assets of the Saudi Binladen Corporation (SBC) are also managed by the Carlyle Group. The SBC is headed up by members of Osama bin Laden’s family, who played a principle role in helping George W. Bush win petroleum concessions from Bahrain when he was head of the Texan oil company, Harken Energy Corporation - a deal that was to make the Bush family millions of dollars. Salem, Osama bin Laden’s brother, was represented on Harken’s board of directors by his American agent, James R. Bath.

The connection between the Bush and bin Laden families can also be traced to the collapse of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) in the 1990s. Members of the Anglo Pakistani bank’s board of directors included Richard Helms and William Casey, business partners of George Bush senior and former CIA agents. During their time at BCCI both Helms and Casey worked alongside fellow director, Adnan Khasshoggi, who also represented the bin Laden family’s interests in the US.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/articles/NEW304A.html

Here's the document linking Bush and Bath:

[9215]

51. This is a great addition

to the AWOL story. Sure hope this gets into the Press.

[Stephanie]

54. Where is Bath these days?

Has he surfaced lately?

[9215]

56. In Summer of 2002 somebody here at DU

told me that (s)he was confronted by Jim Bath in Texas and he is a nasty SOB.

I sure would like to know of his whereabouts on selected dates, and if he and Marvin Bush have been in cahoots.

[Stephanie]

55. Kick for RUSSERT

Tim, do your homework BEFORE you go on the air, okay?

Is there a prohibition now on journalists determining the verity of an asertion on their own? Are they only responsible for reporting what they're told? Are they still able to read and draw conclusions of fact, or is that a skill that disappeared with the Watergate generation?