Dean Says Bush's Military Records Are 'Fair Game'

[Khephra]

Dean Says Bush's Military Records Are 'Fair Game'
Wed February 4, 2004 09:07 PM ET

MADISON, Wisc. (Reuters) - Democratic White House hopeful Howard Dean, who missed service in Vietnam because of a bad back, said on Wednesday President Bush's military records were "fair game" in the election campaign.

snip............

But Dean, who has faced questions about skiing in Colorado after he received his deferment for a back problem, said Bush should not be immune from the same line of questioning.

"Certainly my military record was fair game and I think the president's is as well," the former Vermont governor told reporters. "What's fair game in this campaign is anything that was asked of me to be asked of everybody else."

more..................

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4286779

[D G]

1. Clever way of putting it

"Certainly my military record was fair game and I think the president's is as well," the former Vermont governor told reporters. "What's fair game in this campaign is anything that was asked of me to be asked of everybody else."

Good way to defuse attacks, IMO.

[noonwitch]

2. The attacks on Dean's military exemption during Vietnam are misguided

Of course the military rejected him for a fused vertabrae! I've heard of people who wanted to serve rejected for a lot less than that. My brother was denied a ROTC scholarship because he had bone spurs in his elbow. A friend of mine was rejected for visual problems-she wore really thick glasses, I don't know what exact condition she had.