From 60 Minutes
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| Thu, 09-09-2004 - 12:10am |
"It's been a long time ago, but he said basically would I help young George Bush get in the Air National Guard," says Barnes, who then contacted his longtime friend Gen. James Rose, the head of Texas' Air National Guard.
"I was a young ambitious politician doing what I thought was acceptable," says Barnes. "It was important to make friends. And I recommended a lot of people for the National Guard during the Vietnam era - as speaker of the house and as lt. governor."
George W. Bush was among those he recommended for the National Guard. Was this a case of preferential treatment?
"I would describe it as preferential treatment. There were hundreds of names on the list of people wanting to get into the Air National Guard or the Army National Guard," says Barnes. "I think that would have been a preference to anybody that didn't want to go to Vietnam or didn’t want to leave. We had a lot of young men that left and went to Canada in the '60s and fled this country. But those that could get in the Reserves, or those that could get in the National Guard - chances are they would not have to go to Vietnam."
But 60 Minutes has obtained a number of documents we are told were taken from Col. Killian's personal file. Among them, a never-before-seen memorandum from May 1972, where Killian writes that Lt. Bush called him to talk about "how he can get out of coming to drill from now through November."
Lt. Bush tells his commander "he is working on a campaign in Alabama…. and may not have time to take his physical." Killian adds that he thinks Lt. Bush has gone over his head, and is "talking to someone upstairs."
Col. Killian died in 1984. 60 Minutes consulted a handwriting analyst and document expert who believes the material is authentic.
In a memo from Aug. 18, 1973, Col. Killian says Col. Buck Staudt, the man in charge of the Texas Air National Guard, is putting on pressure to "sugar coat" the evaluation of Lt. Bush. Staudt, a longtime supporter of the Bush family, would not do an interview for this broadcast.
The memo continues, with Killian saying, "I’m having trouble running interference and doing my job."
"He was trying to deal with a volatile political situation, in dealing with the son of an ambassador and former congressman," says Strong. "He was trying to deal with at least one superior officer, Gen. Staudt, who was closely connected to the Houston political establishment. And I just see an impossible situation. I feel very, very sorry, because he was between a rock and a hard place."
One of the Killian memos is an official order to George W. Bush to report for a physical. The president never carried out the order.
On Aug. 1, 1972, Lt. Bush was suspended from flying status, due to "failure to accomplish his annual medical examination." That document was released years ago. But another document has not been seen until now. It’s a memo that Col. Jerry Killian put in his own file that same day. It says "on this date, I ordered that 1st Lt. Bush be suspended not just for failing to take a physical….but for failing to perform to U.S. Air Force/Texas Air National Guard standards."

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Democrats were "forced" to play dirty?!?!!
That's a GREAT one!!!
That would be an interesting defense:
"Your honor, I was forced to lie, cheat, and betray my country because those big mean guys were doing so, too."
Hahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!<<<<
Do you even try to get to the meaning of my post. Also the post was not directed at you. I know you have the right to respond to me but try to understand what the writer is trying to say before you laugh your head off and try to insult someone with ridiculous laughter.
"Three independent typography experts..."
I really want to know who these typography experts are.
I agree.
Time will tell.
Here's another post on the www.powerlineblog.com that jeneigh didn't print which raises doubts on the claims of forgery for at least one contributor:
"'Im afraid the Post 47 at Free Republic is not compelling. By 1969, I was using an IBM Selectric typewriter, with proportional type balls. They were widely available in the public sector-and thus readily available to the military. I do not recall having used a Palatine typeface, but Times Roman was certainly common. While I do think the entire argument about "Bush/AWOL" is bull, the raising of type faces is not useful. In fact, it's counterproductive because it's demonstrably false."
Free Republic huh?
Like I said, it's a very partisan site.
I've been away most of the day and wondered if this had gotten around yet.
Shame on you for quashing all the partisan glee. ;~)
Renee ~~~
Renee ~~~
Thanks!
Does that mean I can successfully debunk any leftist post by saying it's from a partisan source?!
Edited 9/9/2004 5:02 pm ET ET by janeigh
is blatantly and overtly partisan.
I am not saying that fact in itelf means the claims are untrue, but it does cause me to question the veracity of the information they are providing on this matter.
If what they claim is true and verifyable, independent sources will verify it.
Until then, for me personally, it's speculation, rumour and innuendo and nothing more.
Please provide any independent verification you may have.
OK, now, the reference to forgerers, if these are forgeries, we can blame the creator of the documents & 60 Minutes. You cannot validly claim in a blanket statement that Kerry supporters are forgerers.
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Bred to it more like. Now I can add 'Forgerer' to my expanding list of colorful descriptors for Kerry supporters. Yea.
Renee ~~~ >
Edited 9/9/2004 7:53 pm ET ET by liveanew
It was cnsnews.com
Their motto is "The right news. Right now."
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