new Conason: Bush’s War Stories Simply Don’t Fly

[Terwilliger]

http://www2.observer.com/observer/pages/conason.asp

by Joe Conason



George W. Bush lied about his military service record. The lie can be found in his own 1999 campaign autobiography (as written by Karen Hughes), where he dramatically describes his experience as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.

On page 34 of A Charge to Keep, Mr. Bush claims that, after learning to fly the F-102 fighter jet, he was turned down for Vietnam duty because "had not logged enough flight hours" to qualify for a combat assignment. Before going on to recall the "challenging moments" that involved close formation drills at night during poor weather, he adds: "I continued flying with my unit for the next several years."

In light of what journalists and other researchers have learned since the publication of Mr. Bush’s book, his account is unmistakably fraudulent.

The issue is again relevant because Michael Moore, the author and filmmaker who supports Wesley Clark’s Presidential campaign, recently impugned the President as a "deserter." During the final Democratic Presidential debate in New Hampshire, moderator Peter Jennings called Mr. Moore’s statement "a reckless charge not supported by the facts," and demanded that General Clark repudiate his celebrity backer.

<snip>

......MORE.........

[proud patriot]

1. wheeeeeeeeeeeeee !

I love reading these A.W.O.L. articles

[CatWoman]

5. LOL

That was my reaction, too :D

[rumguy]

2. I want Bush to get Gored with the truth

After spreading lies about everything under the sun...it would be sweet poetic justice if the truth finally came out about this, the most absurd lie of all...

[TacticalPeek]

3. Bush: "I flew"

BWAAHAHAHAHA!

[Old and In the Way]

7. "Bush flew, no one knew"

bwahahahahaha

Maybe he can be brought up on charges of unauthorized use of government property?

[Onward]

4. What I think is damning

..is the fact that he was able to avoid fighting because of
his family's position.  I don't know if this quote is
formatted correctly, but it's from the same article.

"After his father’s influential friends contacted Texas
Air
                              National Guard officials, they
awarded young George a safe berth in Houston’s famed
"champagne unit,"
                              where sons of the Texas elite
avoided Vietnam. His very special treatment included instant
admission to flight
                              training and an extraordinary
commission as a second lieutenant."

If this is true, and I assume it is, it might help if we, the
public knew more about the "champagne unit," and how
exactly the Texas "elite" were able to get in.

[jean]

6. Hi Onward ~ welcome!

Let's hope Joe is delving into that "champagne unit" and getting some first hand testimony. Surely there must be some other elites who would like to see him turned out with his chainsaw.

Joe Conason, Kevin Phillips, Molly Ivins, for starters, are shining a direct light beam on George Walker Bush and his derelict past. Keep it coming!

[thebaghwan]

9. I wonder how you would approach investigating something like that?

Anyone out there have any ideas?? FOIA maybe??

[starroute]

11. The "champagne unit," Sidney Adger, and more

http://quest.cjonline.com/stories/070300/gen_0703004428.shtml

"Bush was not the only son of the rich and powerful of both parties to get a spot in the Texas Guard. His unit near Houston was sometimes called the Champagne Unit because of its famous names.

"Lloyd Bentsen III, a first lieutenant and son of the future senator and Cabinet secretary, was there. So was Capt. John Connally III, son of the former governor and Cabinet secretary. "


http://www.christopherlydon.org/viewtopic.php?topic=1172&forum=4

Because an assignment to the Texas Air National Guard guaranteed never having to go to Viet Nam, or for that manner anywhere near combat, It was considered a "champagne" unit that was refuge for the area sons of privilege. Its ranks included John Conally's son, Lloyd Benston's son, John Tower's son, SEVEN Dallas Cowboys and two sons of the businessman, Sid Adger, who got George 'Dubya' Bush into the Guard ahead of hundreds of others on a waiting list."


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/wh2000/stories/barnes092199.htm

"The speaker of the Texas Legislature personally asked the top official of the Texas Air National Guard to help George W. Bush obtain a pilot's slot in a Guard fighter squadron during the war in Vietnam, according to informed sources.

"The speaker, Ben Barnes, intervened on Bush's behalf sometime in late 1967 or early 1968 at the request of a good friend of Bush's father, then a Republican congressman from Houston, the sources said. The friend, Sidney A. Adger, was a prominent Houston business executive who died in 1996."


Sidney A. Adger is a fairly interesting figure. For example, his name appears as a reference on a resume of James Bath, the friend of Bush Jr. with whom Bush ducked out on the flight physical. Bath himself eventually became the US representative of the business interests of Salem bin Laden and then of Saudi banker and BCCI-figure Khaled bin Mahfouz. He may also have served as a CIA liaison to Saudi Arabia, starting in 1976, when Bush Sr., became head of the CIA.

Adger's son, John Adger, was a partner of a man named Robert Corson, a Houston developer said to have been involved in money-laundering for the CIA. Corson got in trouble for savings-and-loan fraud and was found dead of an apparent drug overdose in 1992 -- although the circumstances were considered suspicious by some.

Adger's other son, Stephen Adger, was a fraternity brother of Houston real estate developed Walt Mischer, Jr. Mischer has admitted he knows Bath, but only "just to shake hands with him." However, a business partner of Mischer's, Jack Trotter, was also listed as a reference on that Bath resume, and supposedly was responsible for introducing Bath into leading Houston business circles.

In addition, Bath and Lan Bentsen were involved together in business dealings with Trotter. Lan Bentsen, the son of Lloyd Bentsen, is yet another real estate investor who was involved in the savings and loan scandal of the 1980's.

There is a book by Pete Brewton called "The Mafia, CIA, and George Bush," which I haven't read but which apparently makes the connections among many of these figures.

[TacticalPeek]

8. Smokin' Joe!

"What the Jennings episode validates is not Mr. Bush’s strange military career, but
the Bush method of press management. Treat journalists like vassals, with
nicknames, cheek-pinching and—whenever they forget their place
momentarily—sneering disdain. It works brilliantly."

[DieboldMustDie]

10. Bush claims to have been to war.

"I've been to war. I've raised twins.
If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war."

-- George W. Bush, Houston Chronicle, January 2002

:mad:

[donhakman]

12. A WOL

[Old and In the Way]

15. I'd love to see Kerry ask Bush about that.

Mr. Bush, please explain this statement you made to the Houston Chronicle. And not the part about raising twins either. Please do tell us what war you've been to? Don't you think you have insulted every combat vetran by insinuating that raising children is somehow harder than risking your life or suffering excruiating wounds in combat"?

[tabasco]

13. My uncle is a retired USAF Colonel

He told me F-102's were never used in Vietnam. Way too obsolete. Bush is a liar.

[wabeewoman]

14. That was part of the story...

he was trained on a plane that was obsolete at the time and there was never any intention that those planes might go to Vietnam.

[DemoTex]

18. Actually, the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing operated F-102s in Vietnam.

The 35th TFW (64th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron) flew F-102s out of Danang in 1965 and 1966. There were no remaining F-102s in Vietnam when Bu$h entered the Texas Air National Guard.


http://airwarvietnam.com/35thtfw.htm

[Lisa]

16. didn't he check off the wrong box on his application form?

That is, the one that did NOT say that he volunteered to go to Vietnam?

There have got to be pics of this somewhere online!

[pinkpops]

17. Doesn't Jennings owe Clark an apology?

He was really dissing him for no good reason, wasting debate time and trying to paint him as a fringe candidate.

[teryang]

19. Gillespie is a former Enron lobbyist?

If I were him, I'd assume a lower profile. It's another classic blunder.