I don't think the AWOL story has any more legs...

[fujiyama]

Those that believe that Bush was a spoiled bratty punk that snorted coke, got into TANG with daddy's help, and then went AWOL while others died in his place, already figure that to be the case by now.

Those that don't care, won't at this point. I don't see how this recent news will make a difference.

I don't know about the recent documents. I do know that the media will try to spin this in favor of Bush. I also know that all the focus will be on some alleged "forgeries". I don't know enough to make my mind up about it, but I'm one that is inclined to believe the absolute worst about Bush, so nothing would surprise me at this point.

However, I doubt people like me will be the ones that will decide the election. Sure a small number may be affected, but the AWOL thing came up months ago...way back in February I think...Will any new allegations really make a difference?

I'm not blaming the Kerry campaign. In fact I think they've been smart to distance themselves with the recent stuff. I also think they were smart to not release the documents themselves. They knew that it would be spun as a "smear campaign" or "desperation".

I was very critical of Kerry for not responding quicker to the swift boat ads. I still think he needs to make his differences clearer with Bush on Iraq. Still, he's been right to focus on the issues. The media may have given Bush a pass on any connections to Swift Boat Liars but they won't give Kerry one if even the slightest allegation is a "fraud", whether or not Kerry had anything to do with anything.

[phish420]

1. Too bad....

I agree...its too bad the media didnt spend as much time looking into the Yellowcake forgery, which was used as part of the argument for war, as they inevitably will on this forgery.

[Prodemsouth]

6. Has this been declared a forgery over night?

or are you talking about "some people" are questioning the memos.

[Dookus]

2. It WILL have legs

if we can force Bush to answer questions about WHY he didn't take his physical. It will have legs if the press investigate why he stopped going. It will have legs if we can show he disobeyed a direct order.

Only half the story is known right now.

[oasis]

3. Bush didn't take his physical so he's prevented from flying.That is huge.

What good is a desk jockey during wartime?

[mahina]

7. And it WILL have legs if we keep asking CNN, FAUX, and our own

media with letters to the editors and phone calls. So politely and so plainly.
Simple as that.

[mahina]

4. Respectfully disagree, it's got legs all over the place.

Unlike you me and most of DU, the rest of the country is just starting to pay attention. A little bit. Objective proof that * went awol, deserted, and was given preferential treatment and expressed indignance that anyone would dare suggest he did should not be hidden now.
He is a bogus phony and only now most of America is beginning to notice.
So no, it's no time to hush up the truth.

That would be like showing up to the shootout with a carrot in your holster brah.

Dumb as a bag of doorknobs and we aren't buying it!
(not you of course, the tactic of tying one arm behind your back before you wrestle with a CRIMINAL!)

[fujiyama]

8. By no means

am I saying that this story should be quieted in any sense. I'm glad the truth is getting out. I do hope most people will pay attention.

I just don't think people process the details abot these stories....it's like they hear Bush...national guard....service....blah blah blah....and they figure "Oh another story about Vietnam" and tune out after that.

I'm hoping I'm wrong of course.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

5. It already has strong legs: 1400+ articles referenced by Google News

http://news.google.com/?hl=en&ncl=http://www.freep.com/news/nw/pols10e_20040910.htm

[actinide92]

9. It has to be used to attack the war in Iraq

Iraq has similarities to Vietnam. No realistically achievable goals, the enemy is in the neighbouring countries (Saudi, Syria, Yemen in place of N. Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia), it is turning into a war of attrition and sorry to say this guys but you don't look like you are winning.

You could have won Vietnam if you had taken out the North, but your government did not allow that. Bush/Cheney are repeating the mistakes of the past, because they did not serve and think that Vietnam was a failure of the military.

[Spinzonner]

10. The issue is not what Shrub did 30+ years ago

It is the inability to tell the truth about his actions both then and today and on an ongoing basis.

Secrecy and lying, then and now, all the time.

What will George hide from and lie about to the American people tomorrow ?

[actinide92]

11. Ummm

Politicians of all types, everywhere lie and keep secrets. Thats maybe why only 50% of the US will vote in this election.

[saracat]

12. Maybe the story of his being a crappy pilot along

with his avoidance of duty will punch his ticket! The pilot logs indicate something was wrong!

[Julien Sorel]

13. It had little legs until the forgery issue came along.

That gives it bigger legs, because it sucks up more time. There's only so much space for campaign related stories in the media; if a story negative about Bush is using that space, it hurts. Along the same lines, I don't think the Swift Hoax story hurt Kerry much, because it crowded out Bush's massive negative campaign buys during a period when Kerry was running no ads at all. What eventually made it damaging was the spin the media put on it. By critically focusing on Kerry's response to the Swift Hoaxers, the media managed to turn a nothing into a negative.

Here, unlike the Swift Hoaxers, the story is pretty obviously true, but the media aren't likely to be spinning it, partially because it's old, partially because it's tough to spin. But I got something in my e-mail today from the DNC; they are flogging this story as much as they can. If they can get some people out on the talking head circuit who can stay on fucking message, this story has the potential to hurt Bush's credibility, dig in to his tough guy cowboy charade.

[MichaelHarris]

14. It'll have a ton of legs if

Nat. Guardsmen past and present organize and show their distaste for this man some call president. There has to be Guardsmen or reservists here who could do that.

[smada]

15. Huh?

That seems a little contrived. You're expecting the nation to get fired up and vote against Bush because some guys in the National Guard don't like him, but want to dismiss the Navy vets who are criticizing Kerry. You can't have it both ways, I'm afraid.

And to be blunt and honest, most people in America don't even know what the Air National Guard is, don't know it's part of the U.S. military, don't really consider its members veterans, and probably care little about what former members of the ANG have to say.

Maybe you didn't want this honest critique, but it's worth pondering.

[MichaelHarris]

17. your right

organized protests never work, they can't stop wars, they can't change civil rights, and they can't get women the vote. I'm too stuck in the 60's.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

18. I expect the nation to get fired up and vote against Bush because

he's a liar and a fake, and this proves it.

[kentuck]

16. It's a diversion...

No one is going to change their mind on this issue, in my opinion. We must show that Bush does not have the leadership qualities today to lead this nation..

[ieoeja]

19. I agree

Nobody cares. People here hope it will sway some vets. But the vets don't care. It was the National Guard or "Weekend Warriors" as they are universally known. Even the Guardsmen routinely laughed at their "service" (probably less so now that W has decided to use them as cannon fodder in a police action).

Just as noone really buys the Swift Liars' crap either. They just repeat it to feel better about hating Kerry. When the Swift Liars' stories started unraveling the vets I knew who were repeating the stories just shrugged and said that still doesn't change the fact that "Kerry called the Vietnam vets a bunch of babykillers" which is all they really care about.

The fact that Kerry was quoting someone else doesn't really matter.