George W. Bush's Lost Year in 1972 Alabama

[JMac]

(This is a well researched piece on the history of GW Bush's time in Alabama. And also I great look into his early political beginings. It goes into great detail of some things I found very interesting to learn about GWB. Anyone who hasn't read it should take the time and visit the link.)

-snip

February 2, 2004-The result of an investigation into George W. Bush's lost year in 1972 reveals a cocky privileged son who used his family connections to avoid military service in Vietnam and spend seven months in Alabama partying. He clearly skipped out on National Guard duty and avoided a mandatory drug test, all while learning the politics of "dirty tricks," deception and coded racism in the land of George Wallace.

It was the year Wallace, the spunky Alabama governor and presidential candidate, was gunned down in a Maryland parking lot, the year of the Watergate break in and the beginning of the end for "Tricky Dick" Nixon. It was also the last year for segregationists to openly fight integration of the public schools, a time when racism went underground in American politics in the form of a "Dixie Strategy." And it was the beginning of a major political realignment that transformed the American South from a one-party Democratic stronghold into a solid block for the GOP.

Bush made the move to Alabama in May to work on Winton "Red" Blount's campaign for the U.S. Senate against Southern Democrat John Sparkman. The lessons of that year were not lost on Bush or his political adviser Karl Rove, who also cut his political teeth in 1972. Their path to electoral success is a lesson in itself about the state of American Democracy, an issue suitable for an H.L. Mencken-style analysis.

-snip

http://www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_5089.shtml

[Scaramouche]

1. Have you seen this one in the Village Voice?

Dubya in 'Bama
'God's Gift to Women'
February 11 - 17, 2004 by James Ridgeway

In Alabama, where George W. Bush supposedly was slaving away on Winton "Red" Blount's 1972 U.S. Senate campaign in lieu of National Guard duty, he is remembered by a Blount son as a smartass "cuntsman" from Texas.

Bush Junior, as he was then called, used to come into Blount's campaign office in Montgomery, prop his feet up on a desk, and blab on about how much he'd drunk the night before, according to a detailed article by New Orleans freelance journalist Glynn Wilson on his Progressive Southerner blog (southerner.net/blog/awolbush.html).

much more: http://www.villagevoice.com/issues/0406/mondo1.php

on edit: typo

[JMac]

4. I hadn't seen that one

I loved this paragraph:

Bush also made an impression on the "Blue-Haired Platoon," a group of older Republican Women working for Blount. Behind his back they called him "the Texas soufflé," Archibald said, because he was "all puffed up and full of hot air."

[RedEarth]

2. Very interesting article........thanks for the link

It appears Bush hasn't changed at all. Except maybe now more ruthless.

[grasswire]

3. it's interesting...

...that Rove met Atwater in 1972.

[RedEarth]

5. Duers.....if you haven't read this article, you should....nt

[UTUSN]

6. The Texas Souffle

great fresh description of Shrub's unguarded years.