Joe Lockhart: AWOL's credibility may be irreparably damaged

[NNN0LHI]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=716&e=21&u=/usatoday/20040211/ts_usatoday/guardflapkeepswhitehouseondefensive

Guard flap keeps White House on defensive

<snip>The White House released payroll records Tuesday to show that Bush fulfilled his obligations as a member of the Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. Bush advisers had hoped that sharing the information would quickly end questions about Bush's military service. A tense 45-minute briefing Tuesday suggested that won't happen. Bush aides say now they hope the controversy will fade with time and not linger as a campaign issue. snip

"There is a very strong risk that this president is irreparably damaging his credibility," says Joe Lockhart, a former spokesman for President Clinton.

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[Kitsune]

1. WHAT credibility?

Ha ha, I said it first. :P

[fob]

7. DITTO!

nt

[Zero Gravitas]

10. LOL

you took the words right out of my keyboard!

[indepat]

11. Beat me to it too

[barbaraann]

2. All you have to do is observe his body language.

Smirking, blinking, looks-to-kill, etc. etc. etc. It's obvious even without listening to his words that he is lying and thinks it's fun to get away with it.

[AZCat]

How about this quote:

"Forty-five days ago, Bush ended the year as strong as an acre of garlic."
-Scott Reed, a Republican strategist.

The *Admin looking for some more down-home populisms?

[LeftCoast]

3. Don't forget to rate it a "5"

:kick:

[MoonAndSun]

4. I think that for the first time in his life, bush* is under a lot of press

and as we know, he does not do well under pressure.

He just may be a little scared of what he has gotten himself into. And KKKarl will not be able to help him out this time, maybe he will go running to mommy Karen.

[Beetwasher]

5. Their Strategy is to Now Ignore it and Hope it Goes Away!

"Bush aides say now they hope the controversy will fade with time and not linger as a campaign issue."

In other words, no more documents or explanations are forthcoming! They are going to pretend the matter is settled! Hahahahaha...

[BillZBubb]

6. Hopefully, the DNC won't let that happen.

They need to find someone with some stature--but not the party's nominee--to keep bringing it up. Keep asking all the related questions. Bush said he'd release ALL the files didn't he? Where are they?

The nominee can wait until after the Repuke convention to start firing on it again.

[placton]

8. add this tidbit

“Retired National Guard Lt. Col. Bill Burkett said Tuesday that in 1997, then-Gov. Bush's chief of staff, Joe Allbaugh, told the National Guard chief to get the Bush file and make certain "there's not anything there that will embarrass the governor."
Col. Burkett said that a few days later at Camp Mabry in Austin, he saw Mr. Bush's file and documents from it discarded in a trash can. He said he recognized the documents as retirement point summaries and pay forms.”


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/021104dnpolguard.b4fed.html

[Michael Harrington]

9. I always liked Joe Lockhart.

He was much more combative that McCurry, who always acted like he wanted to be somewhere else.