Isn't it interesting how the AWOL story went away?

[zanana]

Just like that--it's gone. The people who came forward to vouch for Bush were never investigated, and Bush was never called on the carpet. Just another example of confusing an issue so it loses its' momentum. No discussion about it on DU, either. What gives?

[trumad]

1. Damage was done

and it will reappear later on with even greater intensity.

[doc03]

7. If I served with the President of the US I think I would remember him

I read that Bush was so outgoing and he was the man about campus and like Clinton he had a photographic memory for names. It funny he can't name anyone in the ANG and no one remembers him. They did have that one guy that claims he was there reading training manuals. It seemed funny when they interviewed him he just happened to be at Daytona. Could it be that he got a free trip to the 500 for his fond memories of * ?

[TruthIsAll]

10. Wait till the campaign begins.....PerfectScandalStorm.

Bush will drown in scandal. AWOLWMDNINEELEVENPLAMEOUTSOURCEMEMOGATEABORTIONDUIDWIENRONECONOMYLOTTING...

[HowdyDUit]

2. At least it lasted longer than the Kerry - Intern story

Sometimes we have to take what is offered to us.

[DuctapeFatwa]

4. didn't Kerry ask his supporters not to talk about it?

Right around the same time that Drudge rumor about him and the reporter was going around?

[Q]

3. Like every other issue since 2000...

...both the Republicans AND Democrats have 'encouraged' us to move on.

- Many Democrats don't seem to understand the New American Media. They don't cover an issue regarding Bush* in order to expose the truth. They cover it just enough to give the appearance that they're not ignoring it...never intending to get to the whole truth.

- The GOP-controlled media knows that they would cause even more suspicion if they didn't cover it at all. Their goal from the very beginning was to exonerate Bush*.

[Junkdrawer]

5. Haven't you heard - just about every commentator offered up by...

the media has said: "even if it is true, it's not a real issue". AWOL, DUI, cocaine arrests, and secret abortions are just not real issues. Why, it's like some Democrats believe that a man who would lie about such things would lie about matters of war and peace. Ridiculous.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

6. Not gone, the comedians are having a great time with it and

in some ways that is even better. They reach a different audience. Did you see Bill Maher last night? He did a "Alabama Guardsman letter Home" in the style of the confederate letters from Ken Burns' series on the Civil war. It's not gone by a long shot.

[patricia92243]

8. Same ol', same ol' - if they can make a war "go away" - AWOL is easy!

[eileen from OH]

9. That's okay

It's now firmly implanted in the public's mind about Bush. When the late night comedians use it (as they have) I know it's "arrived" and nothing more needs to be done. They'll keep at the jokes about it and use it whenever possible - too easy not to. Right now it's the first thing ANYONE will think of when they hear "Bush" and "National Guard" in the same sentence.

To go after it any more will be overkill and could blow back on the Dems and get a backlash sympathy for Bush.

eileen from OH

[Jose Diablo]

11. It's not gone, just simmering on the back burner

The AWOL/Cocaine story is just a stunning left jab, the right haymaker is building now.

Patience is one of man's finest virtues.

[glarius]

12. No reporter ever asked BUSH to name someone he served with at the time

in dispute....WHY???...I always wondered about that....Wouldn't Bush be the first person you would want to ask to name someone he served with at the time in question?

[cosmicdot]

14. When Andy Hiller, the political correspondent for WHDH-TV in Boston

asked during the 2000 campaign if * could name the leaders of Chechnya, Pakistan or India ... Bush only answered one of the four questions correctly when he identified the president of Taiwan as "Lee."

and, voters nation-wide either had their voted automatically routed to the Bush column, or actually voted for the dimson

AWOL might stick around just because people have been a bit conditioned to some of the lies and are getting a better prospective of where we're going, and what's going on.

I fear the bigger the problem facing the re-selection of *, the bigger the distraction they provide.

[BeatleBoot]

13. Its in the public's conciousness now

the seed of doubt has been planted in the public's mind

With a little nurturing, that seed will grow.


on edit: spelling

[cryofan]

15. Ha! You shudda heard Leno last night!

He tore Bush a NEW ONE on AWOL, jobs, unelectability, etc etc.

Then Letterman showed a GREAT video montage of stupid Bush moments.

Right now, Bush is being SAVAGED by the TV talk show hosts.

[dusty64]

16. We can always trot

out another chimp scandal, there are PLENTY to choose from.