White House Fires Back At Kerry Over AWOL

[DrFunkenstein]

WASHINGTON - The White House and its Republican allies angrily denounced Democrats on Tuesday for suggesting President Bush had shirked Vietnam-era military service.

But the counterattacks gave fresh impetus to an issue Bush successfully fended off in the 2000 campaign, and they were unusual for a White House that tries to cast itself as being above the political fray.

Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard in 1968 and spent most of his service time based near Houston. In May 1972 he requested and received a three-month assignment with the Alabama National Guard so he could serve as political director on the Senate campaign of Winton "Red" Blount, a family friend.

Retired Gen. William Turnipseed, a commander at the base Bush was assigned to, has said he never saw Bush appear for duty. Bush, however, says he remembers meeting Turnipseed and performing drills at the base.

In 2000, The Associated Press reviewed nearly 200 pages of Bush's military records released by the National Guard Bureau in Arlington, Va. They contained no evidence that Bush reported for drills in Alabama.

Ari Fleischer, then a Bush campaign spokesman, quoted Bush as saying he did "paper shuffling" in Montgomery. "He thinks it was desk work," Fleischer said. Bush later left the Guard early to attend Harvard Business School.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=544&e=14&u=/ap/bush_military_service

[molly]

1. He can't run - he can't hide!

[funky_bug]

2. Disclaimer: Disgruntled response

How is it that Michael Moore fired the gun, Clark took the bullet, but Kerry somehow gets the medal?

Pardon me if that makes me vomit.

[girl gone mad]

6. Typical Kerry tactic.

Let someone else do the legwork, and then take credit when it becomes popular.

[Straight Shooter]

10. It's all part of Kerry's Weathervane Campaign

Whichever way the wind is blowing, that's the direction he heads.

[DrFunkenstein]

11. Typical Kerry Smear (Try Reading The Article)

Kerry said Monday he could not judge whether Bush fulfilled his military commitment.

"It's not up to me to talk about them or to question them at this point," Kerry said in Arizona. "I don't even know what the facts are. But I think it's up to the president and the military to answer those questions."

That drew a sharp response from Marc Racicot, chairman of the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.

"President Bush served honorably in the National Guard. He was honorably discharged," Racicot said. "To suggest, as Sen. Kerry has, that the military should answer questions about President Bush's honorable discharge is an outrage. The furtherance of these charges is despicable."

Some of the toughest criticism came from actor-director Michael Moore, who said Bush was "a deserter," and Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe, who said Bush was "AWOL" during the Vietnam conflict.

"Senator Kerry is supporting a slanderous attack on the President by refusing to repudiate" McAuliffe's assertion, Racicot said.

---------------------

Where does Kerry "take credit?" Why would you attack him - a Democrat - with absolutely no basis?

[ozone_man]

13. Clark missed the golden opportunity in NH.

A risk for sure, especially when it has to be spontaneous in response to a debate question, but he could have nailed Bushed then and there.

[PretzelWarrior]

8. looks like everyone is playing their role to perfection.

Kerry gets the medal because he didn't stand on stage with Michael Moore and have to deal with that political hot potato of "deserter". Clark is not polling badly because of that one stage moment. He just falls away as a viable alternative to Dean with Kerry surging. He was a DLC tool. Do you get that? Clark was there for one purpose only. To neutralize the Dean threat. He has done his job and can fade back to CNN soon.

[windansea]

14. LOL how perfectly stated

perfect!!!

[w13rd0]

15. SOP for Kerry...

...let someone else test the waters, then invite a camera crew for when you jump in...

[blm]

25. Sorry. Kerry brought it up in Nov. 2000 trying to help Gore.

Clark was noncommittal at the debate, and so was Kerry on Crossfire. They handled it right.

They let the issue brew. This was smart of both of them. The issue is still out there.

[sandnsea]

17. He did it right

He just says he really doesn't know, Bush and the military need to explain where he was. He doesn't put himself right in the middle of the fray. Wes Clark wasn't savvy enough to make sure Moore used wording that would put the charge out there without sounding like a "left wing looney". Sorry, but this is just one more of those things that makes Kerry "electable". The ability to target Bush without sounding radical.

[funky_bug]

20. Give me a break!

Clark gave the same non-commital answer and got flamed for being "passive" and "not standing up to Bush."

This identical approach by Kerry does not make him a hero. When Clark was taking the heat, Kerry said, "It was over the top." Now he's taking credit for a comment that belongs to no one but Michael Moore.

[sandnsea]

22. No Clark didn't

He said Moore had a right to say what he wanted. That's it.

Kerry said he thought the word "deserter" was over the top. Diffuse shreaking rhetoric. But he didn't stop there. He ALSO said he really "didn't know" what happened and that Bush and the military would have to answer. Keep the controversy open.

He handled it better, he just did.

[funky_bug]

24. Yeah, okay

You tell yourself that.

[blm]

27. I thought Clark handled it right.

I also think Kerry did. They let it brew and the issue is still out there. They're not stupid and they know when to let their campaign team do the stirring of the pot.

[gottaB]

3. What a joke

They're saying Kerry is "despicable" because he won't campaign for * -- they're flailing.

And that statement by McCain, all he did was say that he assumes * did his duty.

Flailing.

[oasis]

31. Surrogates will rip Bush on the AWOL issue. Kerry remains above the fray.

[jbfam4]

4. I rated it a 5

This story just won't die. The spinners will have to call coulter out to smear the dems.

[Kimber Scott]

5. What's funny is

how the right is trying to acuse the Democrats of saying that National Guard duty is not as important as regular service. They will never answer the question of his AWOL directly. I spent time in the Guard, the Reserves and Regular Army. The Guard and the Reserves are more likely to not notice if you're missing for awhile and you are still likely to get an Honorable discharge, even if you haven't been perfect. Especially, if you "know somebody." These are part-time soldiers with regular, everyday lives and it's easy for things to slip through the cracks on monthly drills. Seems Bush slipped through a crack and got away with it. Until now.

We can't let them paint the picture the Democrats are "dissing" Guard service, though. This "talking point" needs to be blunted. ASAP. Bush has spent a good many Guardsmen's lives in Iraq. That's the real "dis."

[THUNDER HANDS]

9. yes, and it's quite the pathetic spin too

I mean, don't they pay these spin doctors good money? You'd think they could come up with something better than this?

[Taeger]

7. THIS IS GREAT!!!!

The Godzilla has finally awoke. Up till Peter Jennings swipe at Clark, they COMPLETELY ignored the issue. Now they are dancing on the heads of pins saying how GW Bush

* Was honorably discharged
* Flying jets is "dangerous"
* Served his country honorably

etc...

They never address the core issue, Bush's missing time and his REFUSAL to take a physical. The issue will NOT go away as long as democrats keep firing at him.

[DrFunkenstein]

16. Actually, Bush Had Flying Privileges Revoked, So...

His aircraft carrier stunt was in total violation. Maybe he should have taken that drug test...

[For PaisAn]

12. Correction, please

I believe the person they're firing back at is Clark
After all it was Michael Moore who brought the issue up and Clark who refused to denounce Moore for doing so.

The following day Kerry called the deserter comment "over the top".

Let's be honest and give "credit" where credit is due.

[DrFunkenstein]

19. See Post #11 n/t

[jean]

18. Retired Gen. William Turnipseed - that last name always gets me!

[blm]

28. yeah...right out of Gone With the Wind or something.

heheh

[TexasSissy]

21. Apparently Bush is only good at firing back verbally...not militarily.

And even then, its his cohorts, not HIM, that are "firing back."

[Terwilliger]

33. I don't think George W. is allowed to play with guns

too many family and friends shot over the years

[ProfessorPlum]

23. Oops - bad tactic WH folks

this just gives the story more legs - better to just shut up and let it quietly fade away . . .

[DrFunkenstein]

34. My Thoughts Exactly

There seem to be cracks in the Rovian armor. I doubt it will be anything short of a dogfight, but Bush hardly seems invincible (especially against Kerry or Clark on this issue!).

[genius]

26. Good for Kerry. Let's send the deserter to a court marshall

and then televise the carrying out of the sentence.

[BruinAlum]

29. Why? They can't win this issue.

Let them keep bringing it up, they are just shooting themselves in the foot.

[oasis]

30. Assigned to Bama national guard so he could campaign for GOP? What?

[Terwilliger]

32. He THINKS it was desk work???

I think he thinks he doesn't want to answer specifically what he was doing back then.