WashPost prints 100 letters re AWOL story -- send yours!

[grasswire]

The Washington Post's Dan Froomkin asked for input from readers yesterday about the future of the AWOL story. He says the response was enormous and raw, and he posts 100 of the letters here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38926-2004Feb13.html

You can still comment. And they have a message board running, too.

Here's a chance for DU-ers to be heard.

[worldgonekrazy]

1. Bush is toast.

Please read my thread "Democrats must 'smell the blood'" for discussion on what we should do with this.

[roguevalley]

17. I read the whole

100 and it breaks down as follows:

91 against bush

7 for

2 ambiguous

[aquart]

2. The aircraft carrier photo op seems stunningly unforgiven.

Gosh, that Karl Rove is a genius.

[SpiralHawk]

6. The Omen of the Old Man - the day after the carrier stunt

I've posted my mini-essay on this before, but it's worth posting again.

The incidents happened in May, 2003, when pluto was at about 19 Sag 30 -- close, and surely within orb. Do they presage something larger? We shall see.

May 3, 2003 -- high up on the flank of Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch, NH -- the Old Man of the Mountain lost his face - literally - the day after Bush pulled his pilot-with-a-codpiece stunt on the aircraft carrier Abe Lincoln ("Mission Accomplished").

I was struck by the sequence of events. Bush prances on Abe Lincoln deck, the noble Old Man loses face immediately thereafter. WTF?

Bush Prances Carrier Deck in Flight Suit - May 2, 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/2993415.stm

Old Man story - May 3, 2003:
http://gonewengland.about.com/cs/nhhistory/l/bloldmanofmtn.htm

For NH -- and all who had ever seen him -- the collapse of the granite face was a First Class tragedy -- for the Old Man was a symbol of honesty, dignity, and honor -- and he seemed eternal.
I always thought of the Old Man's profile as embodying the same qualities as Old "Honest Abe" Lincoln, whose profile is so familiar to us from the penny. So I was deeply saddened to see him "lose face," and could not help but note that it came right after Bush pulled that bald-faced PR stunt on the deck of our nation's Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier.

After lying to America, our soldiers and the world, what right did Bush have to celebrate himself and "Declare Victory"? Hundreds of our soldiers have died and been wounded since that day, not to mention the ongoing misery for their families at home and the families in Iraq. Now we know that his service career with the Texas Air National Guard is highly suspect, and also lacking in honor.

At the time I took this monumental loss of face in the Granite State as a sign that the appointee-in-chief was disgracing himself, comporting himself without honor.

After all, as we now know the Iraq war is based completely on BushCo fabrications, and Iraq had no connection to 9/11. This is a war of aggression and conquest. That's why our young men and women are dying over there -- it has nothing to do with national defense or our true honor.

Today, now that I have read Sevethson's posting in GD about the R candidacy of John Buchanan, I see things in a different light. I see the loss of face of the Old Man of the Mountain as an Omen that G.W. Bush may well lose face before the voters of the United States this year.

Will the truth emerge? Will Bush be fully unmasked for who he really is before the election? We shall see.

Here's seventhson's thread
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic...

[Stephanie]

3. I would direct Froomkin to this thread by BOSSHOG

A Questions for my Fellow Veterans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1081070

[Terwilliger]

4. ok....who's been drinking the kool-aid again??

Bush served during a difficult time in our country's history. In these post-9/11 times the focus is to keep our people and nation safe. Bush proved himself on September 11, 2001.

In a recent interview on NBC's Meet the Press, Bush once again reminded us of his commitment and dedication as commander in chief. Today, that's what matters most.

If, God forbid, terrorists hit us again, I can guarantee you that folks won't worry about whether Bush made it to every drill over 30 years ago. Instead, they'll be looking to a steady hand in the White House. And, that's exactly what, as history tells us, Bush can ably provide.

Andy C. Szul, Alexandria, VA

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

:eyes:

:nuke: :nuke:

[Stephanie]

5. "Bush proved himself on September 11, 2001" - Bunnypants???

What on God's earth is he talking about?

Living in Manhattan, I remember being EXTRA frightened that day because the President of the United States was nowhere to be found after 3000 of my neighbors were murdered right down the street. We didn't know what happened, we didn't know what was going to happen next, if the city was still in danger, and there was NO national leadership. If it wasn't for Giuliani (I know, I know, but if you were in NYC that day you will agree with me on this) there would have been no leadership period. He was all we had.

Bush, as he has said himself, focussed all his efforts on "staying out of harm's way." Thanks for nothing, George.

[calimary]

16. Dear God, I remember that. I remember the CNN anchors saying

WHERE is the president? I will NEVER forget that. WHERE is the president? He ran and hid - AWOL AGAIN - while we were being attacked. When the going got tough, he got going, alright. WHERE is the president? For hours they wondered that. And you're quite correct. If it weren't for Rudy Giuliani (for whom I hold no great loyalty, believe me) there would have been NOBODY at the helm. WHERE is the president. What a metaphor THAT turned out to be.

[Aries]

7. Good line about the "fortunate son" (3rd from the bottom)

...And how DARE he go down to Georgia and call into question the patriotism of former Congresman Max Clelland of Georgia, a true hero who left two legs and an arm in a rice paddy, so Bush could stay home and get paid for ducking his National Guard committment for the better part of a year?

But what REALLY ticks me off is having paid for this fortunate son's dental work.

[central scrutinizer]

8. I loved this line

This subject will not make or break Mr. Bush's candidacy. It will, however, serve as a metaphor for his time in office: a glorious joyride at the public's expense.

or this one

It's about time that Bush told the tooth, the whole tooth, and nothing but the tooth.

[samsingh]

9. on 911 bush proved

himself to be useless - or worse - for allowing it to happen and clueless in his response.

[Woodstock]

10. WOW!

I'm only partway through and these are some powerful letters, many from people who served.

:kick:

[Woodstock]

11. OMG, this is the best insulting email ever

President George W. Bush was not a military deserter as some have alleged.

From my own undistinguished military stint I learned the applicable term is "goldbrick". Originally meaning an ordinary brick painted gold to look like an ingot, "goldbrick" came to mean "counterfeit" or "fake" in general. In the military a goldbrick was originally a civilian commissioned as an officer, but with no real experience or abilities, a worthless individual dressed up as a soldier. By the time I served (the same era as the President), "goldbrick" meant "shirker", a soldier who schemed to avoid real work, especially by finding easy and worthless tasks to occupy himself while the real work was performed by others. The easy job itself was also referred to as a "goldbrick".

I can't recall any specific term for a soldier who shirked a goldbrick assignment.

Paul Brown, Denver, Colorado

[Woodstock]

12. Wow, did you see this one?

John Allen Muhammad -- yes, the sniper -- received an honorable discharge from the Louisiana National Guard, despite having spent time in the brig after a court martial conviction for going AWOL and striking an officer.

J. R. Taylor, Washington DC


Many of these letters are from some very ticked off veterans.

[hlthe2b]

14. Guess our minds are working in sync!

Voila-- identical posts.

[snippy]

15. I like the last line.

[hlthe2b]

13. Here's a good one!

John Allen Muhammad -- yes, the sniper -- received an honorable discharge from the Louisiana National Guard, despite having spent time in the brig after a court martial conviction for going AWOL and striking an officer.

J. R. Taylor, Washington DC

(must remember to bookmark this one)