NY Times: Move to Screen Bush File in 90's Is Reported / Burkett Story

[DoYouEverWonder]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/12/politics/12TEXA.html

Published: February 12, 2004

A retired lieutenant colonel in the Texas National Guard complained to a member of the Texas Senate in 1998 that aides to Gov. George W. Bush improperly screened Mr. Bush's National Guard files in a search for information that could embarrass the governor in future elections.

The retired officer, Bill Burkett, said in the letter to Senator Gonzalo Barrientos, a Democrat from Austin, that Dan Bartlett, then a senior aide to Governor Bush and now White House communications director, and Gen. Daniel James, then the head of the Texas National Guard, reviewed the file to "make sure nothing will embarrass the governor during his re-election campaign."

A copy of the letter was provided to The New York Times by a lawyer for Mr. Burkett to support statements he makes in a book to be published this month, which Mr. Burkett repeated in interviews this week, that Mr. Bush's aides ordered Guard officials to remove damaging information from Mr. Bush's military personnel files.

Mr. Bartlett denied on Wednesday that any records were altered. General James, since named head of the Air National Guard by President Bush, also denied Mr. Burkett's account. But Mr. Bartlett and another former official in Mr. Bush's administration in Texas, Joe Allbaugh, acknowledged speaking to National Guard officials about the files as Mr. Bush was preparing to seek re-election as governor.

more.... (Unfortunately, must be registered)


Finally Burkett's story is hitting the mainstream press! Too bad over 520 troops have lost their lives before the press woke up and started doing their job again.

[MIMStigator]

1. The cover up is always worse. Bush is toast.

Bush bubble is punctured

[Politicub]

2. Can it really be true?

Is the house of cards finally falling?

[NWHarkness]

3. Jackpot!

If it is in the Times, it will probably be on the networks tomorrow, and then be hashed out on the weekend talk shows, then it's at least one more week of AWOL stories on the front pages!

[calimary]

13. Paula Zahn, of all people, actually mentioned it Thursday night.

It just might be unavoidable. Especially now. THIS needs to be pressed. Because this is an absolute COVERUP. SCRUBBING files to take out potentially damaging information! SCRUBBING MILITARY FILES, no less, to take out potentially damaging information. Wouldn't that, in and of itself, be A CRIME?

[Darwin2002]

4. they were trying to help the press in thier access to Bush's records?

what a bunch of fu*(()& liars

[scottxyz]

5. Note Dan Bartlett's legalistic phrasing

"Mr. Bartlett denied on Wednesday that any records were altered."

Still leaves open the possibility that some records were simple THROWN IN THE TRASH - as Bill Burkett claims.

Of course, Dan Bartlett's not technically lying here. Depends on what the meaning of "altered" is.

[PartyPooper]

6. Finally, will this be the issue that brings Junior down?

We've all been disappointed so many times before.

What will it take to remove this clown and his charade from office?!?

[SquireJons]

14. A murder on live TV...

oh wait, we've done that already and nothing happened...

[neverforget]

7. The plot thickens! Bwaaahhaaaa! I love it!

[KoKo]

8. Burkett had a BOOK....just waiting to be PUBLISHED? Don't tell me this

The Corporate Media Publishing Whores broke this story to sell his book?

This just doesn't seem right to me. How can this be a coincidence. We all know how these book deals go. Get some publicity just in time for the release and get on all the talk shows or do C-Spans Booknotes if it will appeal to the thinking folks.

Oh no....

[fearnobush]

10. Bush bashing is big money.

I would be lying if I said I hated them, however, this kind of media exposure... for profit is one of the things I've been bashing them for years now. It's really no surprise to see such strong demand for the Bush issues we have known all along. Reason being, none of the big cable or big press media's have come even close to the real Bush Admin issues found at the local B -n- N book store or Amazon. Now, they are just realizing how a little research can confirm the info found in the Books like Al Franken's and David Corn's.

[judgegina]

9. This is getting interesting...

It appears that Burkett's story can be corroborated. Excellent!

[sonias]

11. Story moves to CNN

Guardsman: Saw Bush's Guard records in trash
http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/12/elec04.prez.bush.texas.records/index.html
""I'm not going to get in the mud. You know, this has become a political football," he told CNN. "I'm here to tell you the same facts that I said, and I reported, and I have worked through the state legislative system in the state of Texas," Burkett said.

"This is no new allegation, this is no new case, and this is no new fact. The fact is the same today as it was in 1997. And God is my pilot, and God is in my foxhole."

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

You go Burkett, don't let the bushies get away with this lie.

Sonia

[Kool Kitty]

12. This is the man that was on Chris Matthews

show tonight, right? He sounded pretty credible to me.

[DoYouEverWonder]

15. Yes, this is the same man

And he didn't all of a sudden just come yesterday. He has been writing (see Online Journal) and speaking out since at least last May. He says he has been actively trying to do something about what he saw since the day he found W's records in the garbage pail. He says first he tried to deal with the issue with the military and government but when he exhausted those routes, then he decided to go public.

I don't know Burkett personally, but he comes across as honest and credible as they come. Already the WH is doing everything they can to discredit him, which under the circumstances (IMHO) is a huge mistake.