More Kerry lies prove he is just like every other Politician. He will lie straight to your face to get elected.
Kerry Plays Dumb on Truth About Bush's Guard Service
Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry lent credence on Monday to the Democratic Party urban legend that President Bush went AWOL from the National Guard in the early 1970s - despite several prominently published reports showing the charge to be completely baseless.
Speaking to the Boston Globe, Kerry pretended to be completely ignorant of investigations by the New York Times and George Magazine, probes that removed all doubts that Bush's Guard service was full and complete - saying instead that the issue was "a question that I think remains open."
Though his campaign has been focusing on the bogus Bush AWOL charges since last Thursday, Kerry insisted five days later that he still hadn't been able to learn "the facts."
"I don't even know what the facts are," the top Democrat told the Globe. But in the next breath he added, "I think it's up to the president and the military to answer those questions.''
In fact, the president and the military have already answered "those questions" - as Kerry, his fellow Democrats and "journalists" currently spreading this falsehood undoubtedly know.
The New York Times, for instance, ran several reports clearing up the so-called "mystery" just before the 2000 presidential election - in each case exposing the AWOL allegation as false.
In a July 2000 report, the Times said that documents obtained from the National Guard corroborated claims by the Bush campaign that the then-candidate had taken a leave of absence in late 1972 to work on a Republican Senate campaign in Alabama - but later made up the time, as permitted under Guard regulations.
"Guard records," the Times concluded, "show [Bush} received credit for having performed all the required service."
The paper also noted that a key Bush accuser had begun to waiver on his allegation that Bush had missed service:
"Questions about Mr. Bush's military service arose in May," the paper reported, "when The Boston Globe quoted Mr. Turnipseed, who retired as a general, as saying Mr. Bush never appeared for duty (with his Alabama Guard unit, where Bush had transferred temporarily).
However, the Times said, "in a recent interview, the general took a tiny step back, saying, 'I don't think he did, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. I think I would have remembered him.'"
For those not persuaded by the Times' unequivocal exoneration, George Magazine examined the Bush Guard record in excruciating detail for an October 2000 report.
The highlights:
"Two documents obtained by Georgemag.com indicate that Bush did make up the time he missed during the summer and autumn of 1972. One is an April 23, 1973 order for Bush to report to annual active duty training the following month; the other is an Air National Guard statement of days served by Bush that is torn and undated but contains entries that correspond to the first.
"Taken together, they appear to establish that Bush reported for duty on nine occasions between November 29, 1972 - when he could have been in Alabama - and May 24, 1973."
George concluded that Bush had actually performed more Guard service during the year in question than required, reporting, "When added to the 15 so-called 'gratuitous' points that every member of the Guard got per year, Bush accumulated 56 points, more than the 50 that he needed by the end of May 1973 to maintain his standing as a Guardsman."
If John Kerry is truly unaware that the questions he so disingenuously raised yesterday have long ago been asked and answered, it's time he brought himself up to speed.
And then he can deliver a public apology to President Bush for continuing to spread this blatant falsehood.
Kerry Plays Dumb on Truth About Bush's Guard Service
Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry lent credence on Monday to the Democratic Party urban legend that President Bush went AWOL from the National Guard in the early 1970s - despite several prominently published reports showing the charge to be completely baseless.
Speaking to the Boston Globe, Kerry pretended to be completely ignorant of investigations by the New York Times and George Magazine, probes that removed all doubts that Bush's Guard service was full and complete - saying instead that the issue was "a question that I think remains open."
Though his campaign has been focusing on the bogus Bush AWOL charges since last Thursday, Kerry insisted five days later that he still hadn't been able to learn "the facts."
"I don't even know what the facts are," the top Democrat told the Globe. But in the next breath he added, "I think it's up to the president and the military to answer those questions.''
In fact, the president and the military have already answered "those questions" - as Kerry, his fellow Democrats and "journalists" currently spreading this falsehood undoubtedly know.
The New York Times, for instance, ran several reports clearing up the so-called "mystery" just before the 2000 presidential election - in each case exposing the AWOL allegation as false.
In a July 2000 report, the Times said that documents obtained from the National Guard corroborated claims by the Bush campaign that the then-candidate had taken a leave of absence in late 1972 to work on a Republican Senate campaign in Alabama - but later made up the time, as permitted under Guard regulations.
"Guard records," the Times concluded, "show [Bush} received credit for having performed all the required service."
The paper also noted that a key Bush accuser had begun to waiver on his allegation that Bush had missed service:
"Questions about Mr. Bush's military service arose in May," the paper reported, "when The Boston Globe quoted Mr. Turnipseed, who retired as a general, as saying Mr. Bush never appeared for duty (with his Alabama Guard unit, where Bush had transferred temporarily).
However, the Times said, "in a recent interview, the general took a tiny step back, saying, 'I don't think he did, but I wouldn't stake my life on it. I think I would have remembered him.'"
For those not persuaded by the Times' unequivocal exoneration, George Magazine examined the Bush Guard record in excruciating detail for an October 2000 report.
The highlights:
"Two documents obtained by Georgemag.com indicate that Bush did make up the time he missed during the summer and autumn of 1972. One is an April 23, 1973 order for Bush to report to annual active duty training the following month; the other is an Air National Guard statement of days served by Bush that is torn and undated but contains entries that correspond to the first.
"Taken together, they appear to establish that Bush reported for duty on nine occasions between November 29, 1972 - when he could have been in Alabama - and May 24, 1973."
George concluded that Bush had actually performed more Guard service during the year in question than required, reporting, "When added to the 15 so-called 'gratuitous' points that every member of the Guard got per year, Bush accumulated 56 points, more than the 50 that he needed by the end of May 1973 to maintain his standing as a Guardsman."
If John Kerry is truly unaware that the questions he so disingenuously raised yesterday have long ago been asked and answered, it's time he brought himself up to speed.
And then he can deliver a public apology to President Bush for continuing to spread this blatant falsehood.
