GOP Astroturf alert - "supporting" Bush on Guard story - call to arms

[WingNOT]

I - like many of you have been tracking the stories on the inconsistencies around Bush's Guard duties. Please bear with this thread as I think it's worth it !

I saw a piece on the Reuters website (also reproduced in various media outlets from Reuters such as WAPO). http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4340374&pageNumber=0

It referenced an alleged piece of 'Astro-turf' - probably RNC - claiming to be from someone who served with Bush in the Guard. Only yesterday Scott Mclellan was stonewalling on the question of why had no-one come forward who had claimed to serve with Bush in the Guard.

Astroturf # 1 - Observernews, May 16 2003
http://archive.observernews.com/stories/archives/viewpoints/2003view/051603/16letr7.shtml

Astroturf # 2 - Washington Times, Feb 11 2004
http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040210-082910-8424r.htm

Notice the time difference here?

Thanks to Atrios for bringing this to my attention. http://atrios.blogspot.com/2004_02_08_atrios_archive.html#107655104504156801

This is wrong on so many levels - why has this person not been put up in public to defend Bush ? Why has no-one called William Campenni on this? Why does William think that he came blame President Johnson and Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara when Richard Nixon was in power in 1970-71?

Atrios linked to this: http://www.oliverwillis.com/entries/0204/owcom_exclusive_bill_campenni_talks.html - Oliver Willis contacted this character to ask why "he chose just now to finally come forth with his story". When challenged " about being stationed in Pittsburgh, not Alabama and the fact that his story leads one to believe he was in grad school from '71-72 (the same years as the hole in Bush's record) and thus incapable of vouching for where the president was, his reply? An evasive "Nice Try"."

In response to all of this I sent a comment into the Reuters organisation complaining about publishing Astro-turf - you can reach the editorial comment box on the website via http://www.reuters.com/-helpSectionContactUs.jhtml ( CONTACT A REUTERS EDITOR )

Does anyone know the correct email format for Reuters ? Would it be Randall Mikkelsen @ Reuters.com ? I'd like to email him directly to challenge him on this.

Sir,

I was disappointed to read the story by Randall Mikkelsen (Spokesman Sees Gutter Politics in Bush Guard Flap

-http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4340374&pageNumber=0).

One part of the story that definitely shouldn't be included is the letter from William Campenni - cited as support for Bush's Guard duty. This is a not so obvious RNC attempt at "Astro-turfing" media outlets - again. (See http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2002_02_24.html#000610
for more on Astro-turf.)

For more on this letter's flaws take a look at:
http://counterspin.blogspot.com/2004_02_08_counterspin_archive.html#107653413484616038

Basically the same letter from an airman claiming to have served with Bush has cropped up in at least 2 media outlets - AFTER Scott McClellan at the White House was unable to produce any
corroborating stories for Bush's attendance. The "money shot" for me is that after doing some research on the alleged author of these letters - it turned out he served in PITTSBURGH at the time he claimed to be with Bush - not Texas or Alabama !

You only need to google the words "William Campenni Bush" to come up with another instance of this letter in print. For example -

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=William+Campenni+Bush&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&meta

This then comes up with a letter - startlingly similar - from 16th May 2003 from this same "William Campenni" in the "Observer News".

Who knows where else this letter has been published?

I suggest you research this individual more fully - and run a retraction. He could easily be contacted to confirm or deny his involvement with the letter (or what level of prompting from the
RNC caused him to write it in May 2003 and again in 2004 ?):

"http://www.vnga.org/exec_council/pastpres.htm">http://www.vnga.org/exec_council/pastpres.htm (william . campenni @ verizon.net).

Kind regards.

[DoctorMyEyes]

1. check atrios's blog

he and a few other bloggers are already all over this guy. He may not have ever served with Bush - and if he did, it wasn't during the missing time period.

[WingNOT]

2. I referenced Atrios because that's where it came from :-)

The point of the post was to encourage a bit of activism... but hey if you want the GOP to just roll all over you... <sigh>