Have you been keeping up with the debate about Bush's military record? Why this came up again is interesting. I am not one to believe that this just all of the sudden came up because of Michael Moore and Wesley Clark (ARTICLE, VIDEO). One of my favorite all time quotes if from FDR: In politics, nothing happens by accident. If it happens, you can bet it was planned that way. So I am wondering what is happening that we are not noticing. Or is this a nice diversion from the whole WMD, ahem, problem. Get the press all up in arms and then slowly trickle out documentation that he did serve. I think what the White House is trying to prove is that he fulfilled his commitment and hope that is the end of it. When this storm blows over most of the American sheeple will have forgotten about the WMD issue.

In my opinion the Vietnam war, for those of draft age in the '60's, was a Catch 22 type argument. The catch goes something like this: This catch keeps you in the war because a concern for your own life proves that you are not really crazy, and to get out of combat you have to be crazy. I will add that if you are crazy you don't have concern for you life as a result you don't want to get out of Combat. Anyone in their right mind would not want to go to the Vietnam War if given the choice. For that I do not blame Bush. But I think the bigger issue here is why he missed time during his National Guard service. I believe George W Bush liked to "party" when he was young. He was the son of privilege and knew it. He did drugs and drank like no tomorrow. This I do not fault him for either. Now being called on it he and his administration have repeatedly covered up the facts of his youth. That is what I fault him for and that is what I believe is really what the White House is worried about. It will eventually proven that he was not AWOL or a deserter only time will tell if the rest of it will stay hidden.

For all your needs on this subject this is a good place to start, Calpundit. Look through about the last week of posts and you will caught up on this subject.

The New York Times thinks this is news
Data From Iraqi Exiles Under Scrutiny
In the years before the war in Iraq, an exile group set up a team of analysts in Washington, underwritten by United States government funds, to distribute a steady stream of reports on Saddam Hussein to the government and the news media, according to government officials and a document the group submitted to Congress.

Touchy, touchy
Powell Scolds Hill Staffer At Hearing
The general chewed out the buck private yesterday.

Bush's loss of flying status should have spurred probe
President Bush's August 1972 suspension from flight status in the Texas Air National Guard -- triggered by his failure to take a required annual flight physical -- should have prompted an investigation by his commander, a written acknowledgement by Bush, and perhaps a written report to senior Air Force officials, according to Air Force regulations in effect at the time

This would be funny if it wasn't so tragic!
Pentagon eager to wash hands of Iraq mess it created
What a difference a year can make. If you don't believe it, ask Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.

A year ago, testifying before Congress, Wolfowitz predicted that securing postwar Iraq would be an easier job than the United States and its allies faced in Bosnia or Afghanistan. After all, the deputy secretary said, there's no ethnic tension in Iraq.

Kay had better stay off small aircraft
Study of Rhetoric On Iraq Is Urged
David Kay, the former chief U.S. arms inspector in Iraq, said yesterday that President Bush's new commission on intelligence should study how the president and his senior policymakers used the information they received from intelligence agencies.



- posted by Mom/Dad @ 8:39 AM