Bush 'war president' brings VN-era rec to fore-MS paper-Bill Minor-xclnt

[TacticalPeek]

February 29, 2004

Bush as 'war president' brings Vietnam-era record to the fore

* Favored sons got Guard slots, Powell book says

By Bill Minor
Mississippi Political Columnist

In his 1995 autobiography, Secretary of State Colin Powell said he was angry that many sons of the "powerful and well-placed" managed to "wrangle" safe stateside slots in National Guard or Reserve units during the Vietnam War draft.

Powell had no idea then that he would be characterizing the Vietnam-era record of his future boss, President George W. Bush, in the Texas Air National Guard.

After his 1968 Yale graduation, with the draft breathing down his neck, Bush was jumped over 500 others on waiting lists and given a slot in a Houston-based "champagne unit" of the Guard.

Bush's father was then the U.S. congressman from the Houston district. A former Texas lieutenant governor has said that at the behest of a Bush friend he spoke to the head of the Texas Air National Guard on the younger Bush's behalf.

http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0402/29/lminor.html

Bill Minor has been fighting the good fight for many years, and in this op ed, he leaves the Bush/Quayle/etc 'honorable service' in shambles.

Oorah.