Ex-Honcho: I Got Bush Into Guard

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-07-2004
Ex-Honcho: I Got Bush Into Guard
65
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 12:52pm
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/09/politics/main628437.shtml

(CBS/AP) In a video posted on the Internet, former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, a Democrat, says he is ashamed that he helped President Bush and the sons of other wealthy families get into the Texas Air National Guard in 1968 so they could avoid serving in Vietnam.

"I got a young man named George W. Bush into the National Guard when I was lieutenant governor of Texas, and I'm not necessarily proud of that, but I did it," Barnes said in the 45-second video, which was recorded May 27 at a meeting of John Kerry supporters in Austin.

Barnes, who was House speaker when Mr. Bush entered the Guard, later became lieutenant governor.

He said he became ashamed after walking through the Vietnam Memorial and looking at the names of people who died.

"I became more ashamed of myself than I've ever been because the worst thing I did was get a lot of wealthy supporters and a lot of people who had family names of importance into the Guard and I'm very sorry about that and I apologize to you and the voters of Texas," Barnes said.

President Bush has denied that family influence got him into the Guard.

"With controversy swirling around Kerry's service as a swift boat commander in Vietnam, Barnes' latest statements renew questions about (Mr.) Bush's military record, but also about Barnes' motivation for telling his story," the Houston Chronicle says in its Saturday editions.

"It is no surprise that a partisan Democrat is making these statements," Bush spokeswoman Claire Buchan told the Chronicle. "This was addressed five years ago, and there's nothing new."

The video was posted June 25 on the Web site www.austin4kerry.org, but didn't get much attention until Friday, when Jim Moore, an Austin-based author of books about Mr. Bush, sent out e-mail messages calling attention to it, The New York Times reported in its Saturday editions.

It was the first time Barnes, a Kerry supporter, has discussed at length his role in getting Mr. Bush into the Guard. In 1999, he said he recommended Mr. Bush for a pilot's position at the request of a Bush family friend.

"I got a lot of other people in the National Guard because I thought that's what people should do when you're in office: You help a lot of rich people," Barnes said.


© MMIV, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-28-2004
Mon, 08-30-2004 - 8:00pm
Exactly - Bush has been yakking non-stop about Winning the war on terror. In fact most of his "appeal" is supposedly based on his promises that he will defeat the terrorists.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Mon, 08-30-2004 - 8:22pm
LOL....yes, have been chuckling at the damage control all afternoon. Repukes Pundits out in force trying to convince us that what we heard waa just another silly little bushism.
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Mon, 08-30-2004 - 8:24pm
EXACTLY, and now today he admits his resolve was and is all one BIG LIE....curious, any one else find it odd that SUPER REPUBLICAN AND CL Renee does not seem to have anything to say about this one?
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-07-2004
Mon, 08-30-2004 - 10:09pm
Well did you know Nixon got O'Neill started? Does that matter at all? I think it does.


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< Right, Kerry is an honorable heroic veteran and all who disagree are lying Republican pawns. I forgot.>

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Tue, 08-31-2004 - 12:14am
I am very interested in this topic, politics and this election which I think is extremely critical to the direction our country is going. I have always been interested in politics and I have found a place to voice my interest. I know you and I disagree but that's okay too. People will always disagree on things but we can still have discussions and hopefully listen and even learn something from each other.

Donna

Donna

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