Buzz: "Former Gov. barnes says he helped W into TANG!"

[Lefty_the_Right]

Former TX Lt. Gov. Barnes Admits on Video That He Got George W. Bush, Son of a Rich Man, Into the TX Air Nat'l Guard While Kerry Volunteered to Face Enemy Fire in Vietnam 8/27

http://www.austin4kerry.org/Barnes/index.htm

So far the site is slammed!
Has anyone been able to see it yet?

[reprehensor]

1. This is what Hatfield claimed in Fortunate Son.

Wouldn't be suprised.

[iconoclastic cat]

2. Which of the 4 vids is it?

Here's what I see so far:

Ben Barnes Clips
Barnes on Kerry
Quicktime Windows Media
Barnes on Patriotism
Quicktime Windows Media
Barnes on Texas
Quicktime Windows Media
Barnes on Getting Involved
Quicktime Windows Media

It's still loading.

[City Lights]

3. Any luck yet?

I'm trying to load the "getting involved" clip.

[Lefty_the_Right]

4. I have the first two downloaded

Checking them now

[iconoclastic cat]

9. Nope--not loading.

Bloody hell. I wonder which one it is.

[Lefty_the_Right]

5. It's the second video!

Not news breaking maybe, but boy is he harsh in what he says.

He says he did it, and he is now ashamed.

[City Lights]

6. I'm downloading now. Thanks! n/t

[Bernardo de La Paz]

7. Transcript, please, if possible. Thanks! . . . nt

[eleny]

10. Not a transcript but here's some highlights

He says that he got George Bush into the TANG and he's not proud of it. He got a lot of sons of wealthy supporters into the TANG. Recently, he went to see the Vietnam Memorial in D.C. and read names there. He's ashamed of himself for using his position to get others in the Guard and he apologized to the crowd for his actions. Part of the video is him speaking to a crowd outdoors. Looks like he's on a platform - he has a mic in hand. He also says that John Kerry is way more the patriot than GW, Cheney and Rumsfeld.

then there's a part of this video where he looks like he must be in his office. Again he says how Kerry is much braver, how he has the shrapnel in his body and would make a better president.

Some of this is paraphrases. But his message is clearly that he used his position to get relatives of wealthy supporters into the Guard and that Kerry would make the better president.

[City Lights]

A few other highlights:

Mentions disgust with GOP smears.

Mentions courage for young man of his age to come back from the war and speak out against it. Took guts to get on Nixon's hit list.

[City Lights]

8. Seems like big news to me since the CW is that bush just got lucky in

getting into TANG. I heard one of the press whores state just the other day that "no one can prove that bush pulled strings to get in."

Can you provide direct quotes?

[eleny]

11. It's in this video

From Barnes's lips to your ears. It comes right at the top of the video, in fact. Hope you get to see it.

Edit for spelling. And woops - looks like you did get to view it. Some great snips I forgot! I liked that part about getting on Nixon's list!

[WI_DEM]

12. so when will the mainstream media report this?

or will they? when will they report on Walt Starr's find? When will they do their jobs?

[eleny]

13. Maybe wee need to do another media blitz

...via DUs media blaster.

[City Lights]

14. I just sent it to Hardball and Countdown. n/t

[HawkerHurricane]

15. Barnes is a traitor; a turncoat f*gg*t c*ck...

oops, sorry, channeled my inner freeper for a second...

[mfritz]

16. Here's a transcript - this is dynamite stuff

Transcribed myself watching the video:

Speaking to an audience:
"Let's talk a minute about John Kerry and George Bush, and I know them both. And I'm not name dropping, saying I know them both. See I got...I got a young man named George W. Bush into the National Guard when I was the Lt. Governor of Texas, and I'm not necessarily proud of that. (audience laughs) But, But I did it, and I got a lot of other people into the National Guard because I thought that's what people should do when you're in office and you helped a lot of rich people. And I walked to the Vietnam Memorial wall the other day and I looked at the names of the people that died in Vietnam, and I became more ashamed of myself than I've ever been because it's the worst thing I did was help a lot of wealthy supporters, and a lot of people who had family names of importance get into the National Guard. And I'm very sorry about that, and I'm ashamed. And I apologize to you, the voters of Texas. (Applause)"

Cut to Interview:
"John Kerry volunteered to go to Vietnam. And that was a pretty courageous thing, because John Kerry could have gone on and gotten another degree. He was in a position where he didn't have to go to Vietnam. I admired that so much, that he went. But I admired even more the fact that he came back talking about Vietnam and what a mistake it was. A matter of fact he talked about it so much that he got the FBI looking at him and got on Richard Nixon's list. And that took, that takes a lot of courage of a young man who particularly has an interest in politics and that wants to serve this county to go get on the President's black list. And I know a little bit about that because I got on Richard Nixon's black list also, and that's a story for another time. But it's, it's incredible that John Kerry, uhh, had the courage to go do that. And, you know, I think he deserves to be in Profiles of Courage for his service in Vietnam. But I also think, and I'm not upset with him at all that he came back and, and, talked about Vietnam and said that we were wrong. And I think he deserves equally as much credit for that as he does fighting. We should not look upon anyone that disagreed with our Vietnam policy as being unpatriotic. As we should not look upon anyone today that disagrees with our policy, or our lack of policy in Iraq. I am very unhappy with Republicans that want to make anyone that questions this administration's policy in Iraq is, is not being a freedom loving American."

Cut back to him speaking to the audience:
"And I tell you, for the Republicans to jump on John Kerry and say that he's not a patriot, after he went to Vietnam and was shot at and fought for our freedom and came back here and protested against the war, he's a flip flopper. Let me tell you John Kerry is a 100 times better patriot than George Bush, or Dick Cheney, or Donald Rumsfeld." (crowd cheers)

[City Lights]

17. Thanks for transcribing! n/t

[QuidditchFan]

20. Did he really say this? <nm>

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Thank you! This is hot stuff!

I'm going to let people know!

[DemMother]

18. I can't get on the site; when did he say this?

Great catch!

[girl gone mad]

19. I'm going to add this..

to the list of Bush's service record embellishments, because he and/or his campaign has always denied that he was given any preferential treatment.

Here's the list of embellishments that we have so far:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=676629

[fob]

22. Go to www.talkingpointsmemo.com it loaded right up for me

All I can say is HO-LEE SHIT!! and Please Mr. Barnes STAY OFF SMALL PLANES!!