Bush the 'Deserter'

[papau]

http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2004_01_18_dneiwert_archive.html#10748967...

Bush the 'Deserter' Friday, January 23, 2004

George W. Bush's sketchy military record has finally surfaced as a campaign issue in 2004. It came out in last night's debate in New Hampshire, http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A39875-2004Jan22?language=pri... when Peter Jennings had the following exchange with Gen. Wesley Clark:<snip>

...it has been fully substantiated... http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2003_05_04_dneiwert_archive.html#20026550... back when Bush performed his little flyboy stunt on the USS Lincoln. To recap: he reality is that what we know about his record now should be considered a scandal, and should have been since it was uncovered during the campaign.<snip>

...as Joe Conason http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2003/05/02/topgun/index.html
http://www2.observer.com/observer/pages/conason.asp
has already noted, Bush actually falsified this aspect of his service in his ghost-written autobiography, A Charge to Keep, describing his pilot's training in some detail, then concluding: ''I continued flying with my unit for the next several years." In fact, Bush was suspended from flying 22 months after he completed his training -- a period that does not even generously fit Bush's description.<snip>


...in the Boston Globe story http://web.archive.org/web/20000619121358/www.boston.com/news/politics...
that in many respects was the most serious effort by anyone in the mainstream media to examine the issue...this rationalization, of course, begs the question: What if anyone else had pulled such a stunt?<snip>

For what it's worth, Michael Moore has an extended response up today, including a specific response http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php
to Jennings...Moore also has a compendium of information http://www.michaelmoore.com/words/message/index.php#article7
on the issue.

Of course, I also strongly recommend anyone interested in the matter to review the hard information available at Martin Heldt's Web site, http://users.cis.net/coldfeet /
which includes the results of his numerous FOIA requests.

http://xnerg.blogspot.com/2004_01_01_xnerg_archive.html#10748913708304... catches Wolf Blitzer being a journalistic nitwit on this very subject.

A note: Bush's status technically was Absent Without Leave (AWOL), which is not precisely the same as desertion. Moore uses the term, as Bob Somerby notes, http://www.dailyhowler.com/dh012304.shtml
as a term of art, but it is not definitively correct. cross-posted on the american street and our kos daily diary (with a great poll, go take it!)----that skippy link Wolf/AWOL is worth a read IMHO!

:-)

[jansu]

1. AWOL or Desertion

Technically, AWOL is being Absent With Out Leave for up to 30 days. Longer than 30 days is desertion. Also, you can technically be a deserter after only 1 day, if you leave, not meaning to come back.

Bush was absent for over a year, so Deserter is the correct word, which is a felony. A convicted Felon may not serve as President or Governor.

The Republicans looked into Clinton over a sexual harassment from years before and took testimony from a sitting President which led to an impeachment trial. The least we demand is that a special prosecutor (or the Attorney General, won't hold my breath) be appointed to find the truth about this matter.

The American people have the right and the need to know! Before the next election.

[surfermaw]

2. Make Bush tell the story

I hope they start and investigation so strong, that Bush will have to tell the truth about what happened.

[BeFree]

3. World News Sunday- ABC - Feb 1

Must of said **** & Deserter/AWOL about five times in a two minute report

And the beat goes on.

[k_blagburn]

4. uniform code of military justice

bush left texas for harvard business school after applying for his discharge but before it was approved, with no intention of returning. He was not present to sign his discharge papers on 1 Oct 73. By difinition, this is DESERTION.


SUBCHAPTER X. PUNITIVE ARTICLES
885. ART. 85. DESERTION
(b) Any commissioned officer of the armed forces who, after tender of his resignation and before notice of its acceptance, quits his post or proper duties without leave and with intent to remain away therefrom permanently is guilty of desertion.
(c) Any person found guilty of desertion or attempt to desert shall be punished, if the offense is committed in time of war, by death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct, but if the desertion or attempt to desert occurs at any other time, by such punishment, other than death, as a court-martial may direct.