Bush Outserves Kerry

[Kevin]

In a follow up to Paul's post last night, there was an update linking to an article in The Hill that scrutinized President Bush's National Guard Service. Contrary to Terry McAuliffe's AWOL charge or Michael Moore's charge of desertion, it turns out that not only did President Bush serve honorably, but he surpassed his requirements.

Key points:


The future president joined the Guard in May 1968. Almost immediately, he began an extended period of training. Six weeks of basic training. Fifty-three weeks of flight training. Twenty-one weeks of fighter-interceptor training.

That was 80 weeks to begin with, and there were other training periods thrown in as well. It was full-time work. By the time it was over, Bush had served nearly two years.

Not two years of weekends. Two years.


So President Bush spent nearly 2 years in intensive fighter pilot training to master his interceptor. Now, to whether he fulfilled his commitments:


At the time, guardsmen were required to accumulate a minimum of 50 points to meet their yearly obligation...

According to records released earlier this year, Bush earned 253 points in his first year, May 1968 to May 1969 (since he joined in May 1968, his service thereafter was measured on a May-to-May basis).

Bush earned 340 points in 1969-1970. He earned 137 points in 1970-1971. And he earned 112 points in 1971-1972...
From May 1972 to May 1973, he earned just 56 points � not much, but enough to meet his requirement...
In June and July of 1973, he accumulated 56 points, enough to meet the minimum requirement for the 1973-1974 year.



So President Bush earned 954 points in just over 5 years, which would have fulfilled a 19-year obligation. Even if points could not be carried over from year to year, President Bush earned more than the 50 point requirement in each of his 6 years of service.

Not only did he fully serve out his obligation, but he did so with distinction:


A 1970 evaluation said Bush "clearly stands out as a top notch fighter interceptor pilot" and was "a natural leader whom his contemporaries look to for leadership."

A 1971 evaluation called Bush �an exceptionally fine young officer and pilot" who "continually flies intercept missions with the unit to increase his proficiency even further." And a 1972 evaluation called Bush "an exceptional fighter interceptor pilot and officer."


Now to the question of whether President Bush was the recipient of special treatment:


Bush asked for permission to go to Alabama to work on a Senate campaign. His superior officers said OK. Requests like that weren't unusual, says retired Col. William Campenni, who flew with Bush in 1970 and 1971.

"In 1972, there was an enormous glut of pilots," Campenni says. "The Vietnam War was winding down, and the Air Force was putting pilots in desk jobs. In '72 or '73, if you were a pilot, active or Guard, and you had an obligation and wanted to get out, no problem. In fact, you were helping them solve their problem."


Perhaps, most importantly, is how he left the service:


Bush received an honorable discharge

What is critical for voters, though, is that while President Bush is staking his campaign on both his record and his future plans for security and the economy, Senator Kerry made the centerpiece of his campaign the 4 months he spent in Vietnam. President Bush did not re-enact scenes with a home movie camera for political use because he does not share Kerry's vanity-driven references to military service.

It is clearer than ever that Kerry wants to run on anything but his Senate record, and that his team is pursuing just such a strategy. We'll see how much time the debates spend on issues versus the back-and-forth mudslinging.

[Rudey]

I believe Kerry has lost the battle on his military service.

He kept trying to throw up 4 months of service instead of talking about his 20 years of Senate records.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kerry has backed off this tactic because he lost and isn't talking about military service as much anymore.

-Rudey

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Rudey
I believe Kerry has lost the battle on his military service.

He kept trying to throw up 4 months of service instead of talking about his 20 years of Senate records.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kerry has backed off this tactic because he lost and isn't talking about military service as much anymore.

-Rudey

Now he's using the word "Wrong" a lot.

Some alphabet soup crap where "W is for Wrong"..

I think that Kerry's campaign has lacked any kind of consistancy. His recent change in campaign advisors came with a whole new round of flip flops including his 8th position on Iraq.

He's a non-candidate.

[RACooper]

Interesting because I have picked up on some other tidbits:

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/sto...17&floc=NW_1-T

1- George W. Bush was suspended from flying for the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war because he failed to meet Guard standards and failed to take his annual flight physical as required.

2- Using only last names, one of the newly disclosed documents points to sharp disagreement among Bush's superiors in Texas over how to evaluate his performance for the period from mid-1972 through mid-1973.

``Stuart has obviously pressured Hedges more about Bush,'' Killian wrote on Aug. 18, 1973. ``I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job - Harris gave me a message today from Grip (a headquarters unit) regarding Bush's OETR (officer efficiency training report) and Stuart is pushing to sugar coat it. Bush wasn't here during rating period and I don't have any comments from 187th in Alabama. I will not rate.''

[RACooper]

Originally posted by Rudey
I believe Kerry has lost the battle on his military service.

He kept trying to throw up 4 months of service instead of talking about his 20 years of Senate records.

And correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe Kerry has backed off this tactic because he lost and isn't talking about military service as much anymore.

-Rudey

I don't understand how Kerry can lose the battle on his military service in combat to a man who didn't? I don't get it... on served one didn't - whats to debate?

[Rudey]

Well I guess contrary to what they said, this discusses the amount of time he's served.

-Rudey

Originally posted by RACooper
Interesting because I have picked up on some other tidbits:

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/sto...17&floc=NW_1-T

1- George W. Bush was suspended from flying for the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war because he failed to meet Guard standards and failed to take his annual flight physical as required.

2- Using only last names, one of the newly disclosed documents points to sharp disagreement among Bush's superiors in Texas over how to evaluate his performance for the period from mid-1972 through mid-1973.

``Stuart has obviously pressured Hedges more about Bush,'' Killian wrote on Aug. 18, 1973. ``I'm having trouble running interference and doing my job - Harris gave me a message today from Grip (a headquarters unit) regarding Bush's OETR (officer efficiency training report) and Stuart is pushing to sugar coat it. Bush wasn't here during rating period and I don't have any comments from 187th in Alabama. I will not rate.''

[Rudey]

Originally posted by RACooper
I don't understand how Kerry can lose the battle on his military service in combat to a man who didn't? I don't get it... on served one didn't - whats to debate?

He lost. Hence his strategy to stop talking about his 4 months of service in Vietnam.

You don't have any rights to make demands about debates involing American presidential candidates. Sorry.

-Rudey

[Kevin]

Originally posted by Rudey
Well I guess contrary to what they said, this discusses the amount of time he's served.

-Rudey

Which has been the entire basis for attack with the people attacking his military record unless I'm mistaken.

[WCUgirl]

I thought it had been decided that Kerry kept talking about his military service b/c the Republicans kept bringing it up.

[RACooper]

Originally posted by Rudey
Well I guess contrary to what they said, this discusses the amount of time he's served.

-Rudey

Well yeah... but if your suspended I don't believe your serving. After-all if you are a pilot who doesn't fly or parade then your technically not serving are you?

[Kevin]

Originally posted by AXiD670
I thought it had been decided that Kerry kept talking about his military service b/c the Republicans kept bringing it up.

Who showed his Vietnam "films" at his convention?

[WCUgirl]

Originally posted by ktsnake
Who showed his Vietnam "films" at his convention?

Well, I don't know, seeing I wasn't at any conventions. But I would have to assume you're talking about Kerry.

I did a search, but I can't find it. I could have sworn that someone said something around here somewhere (or maybe I'm dreaming it) about Kerry wasn't using it as a tactic - he was talking about his military service because he was having to defend himself against people attacking his service and his medals.

Doesn't matter either way, my mind's made up on who to vote for come November.

[hoosier]

1- George W. Bush was suspended from flying for the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war because he failed to meet Guard standards and failed to take his annual flight physical as required. ...

Bush was a pilot of a specific plane, the F-something. The F-something was an aging plane, and no longer used by the Air Force regular forces.

The Air Force did not want to, or need to, keep training F-something pilots, and there was no need for Bush to take a flight physical since he was leaving the TX ANG.

this effort to save the Air Force money shouldn't be bent into anti-Bush propaganda.

[Rudey]

Well Kerry has moved away from the attacks on Cheney and Bush but I believe other groups will continue them.

I would like the whole damn thing to concentrate on the 20 years of service and Kerry's actions after the military, but we'll see if the Democrats can do that.

-Rudey

[KellyB369]

Isn't Kerry the one who said many years ago that he would never use his war experience for political gain? Defending yourself is one thing but he has gone way beyond that. I honestly could care less what he did in Vietnam vs. what Bush did or didn't do in the National Guard. Bush has served this country for the last 4 years and dealt with the war of today. Kerry can't decide what he thinks about the war of today. I fear for the future of our country if the power is shifted into the hands of a man who doesn't have a clue what he believes.