War Time Presidents are not allowed the luxury of publishing all their plans in advance. FDR kept Congress, the Public, and the enemy firmly in the dark about his plans for the atom bomb.

There are times when we vote for these people because we are obliged to trust them, their councellors and advisors. Because of our systemy ,democracy we get it right more often than we get it wrong.

That is a blessing we must pass on to our children. Secrecy is not always needed, but openess is not always the best advice

Posted by: max at September 22, 2004 09:32 AM

Right on,Max

One minor problem. Bush isn’t secretive about the plans that should be kept secret. He and his admin are secretive about things this country should know about. For you to equate FDR/bomb with gWb/almost everything is misguided.

But you hit the nail on the head with “we are obliged to trust them, their councellors and advisors. Bush has consistently shown that he cannot be trusted.

He and his admin misled this country into a fiasco in Iraq…just one of his big bone-headed maneuvers. It should come as no surprise for someone who pretends to be from Texas when he is as “silver spoon” as they come. Who pretended to be in business when he was taking handouts from his daddy. Pretends to be a hunka hunka man when he’s a coWard and a Wimp. Pretends to be down-home W when his middle name is Walker (sounds vaguely New England huh?) after his crooked grandpappy.

Things are coming unhinged for Mr. Godly Perfecto. Here’s a link to the Air Force Times on Wobbly. Consider the same behavior as it applies now and might apply in the future to the situation in Iraq. Not pretty. This is not coming from one of those commie lefty blogs, but rather from a source associated with Bush’s own military.

From most accounts, Bush appears to have received preferential treatment to get into the Air National Guard and avoid the draft after he graduated from Yale University in 1968. He was initially regarded as a good pilot, but his performance faded over his final two years in the Guard and he was suspended from flight status. He did not fly for the remaining 18 months he served in the Guard, though he was obligated to do so.

And for significant chunks of time, Bush did not report for duty at all. His superiors took no action, and he was honorably discharged in 1973, six months before he should have been.

In a 2002 interview with USA Today, Dean Roome, a former fighter pilot who lived with Bush in the early 1970s, said Bush was a model officer during the first part of his career. But overall, he said, Bush’s Air Guard career was erratic — the first three years solid, the last two troubled.

“You wonder if you know who George Bush is,” Roome said. “I think he digressed after a while. In the first half, he was gung-ho. Where George failed was to fulfill his obligation as a pilot. It was an irrational time in his life.”

snip

In a fitness report supplement released by the White House this year, an administrative officer wrote, “Not rated for the period 1 May 72 through 30 Apr 73. Report for this period not available for administrative reasons.”

snip

Two months earlier, on June 30, Bush signed a statement promising that if he left his Texas Ready Reserve unit, “it is my responsibility to locate and be assigned to another Reserve Forces unit or mobilization augmentation position. If I fail to do so, I am subject to involuntary order to active duty for up to 24 months.”

There is no record of Bush ever having signed on with a Massachusetts Reserve unit. In 1999, Dan Bartlett, working for the Bush campaign, told The Washington Post that Bush had completed his six-year commitment with a Boston unit. That didn’t happen, Bartlett recently told The Boston Globe. “I must have misspoke,” he said.

Posted by: dubyus at September 22, 2004 10:28 AM

Dubyus,

Your frenetic rants and lack of simple direction in your writing frightens me. Your “two minutes hate” is typical of a Gore or Dean-style breakdown. I mean, I actually had a bout of post-traumatic stress kick in while reading that garbage you just spewed forth. I couldn’t help hearing Dean’s maniacal screams over and over again, while I imagined you pointlessly cutting-and-pasting, cutting-and-pasting.

Your stream of consciousness, or should I say unconsciousness, style of communication is just plain dizzying.

This sort of retort, being so incomprehensible, does you and your liberal comrades little good. So why don’t you try and be a little more concise, and formulate some sort of point to your post. Geez.

Posted by: jackhammer at September 22, 2004 12:57 PM

JHammer I said about the same thing yesterday in response to another rant by our new voice of the left.

The biggest problem with these posts is that there is simply nothing new for them to say. We’ve heard it all before and no doubt we’ll hear it all again.

These rants do nothing to advance a conversation, nor do they provide any unique insight. This is to be expected from members of a group who’s primary motivation is hatred and who’s underlying agenda is tired, failed ideas.

Posted by: skip at September 22, 2004 01:19 PM

skip,

You know, I don’t really mind having a thoughtful debate, even a heated debate, about these very important topics of our day. I rarely agree with the left, but I must say I’m definitely an independent thinker.

Your point about the monotony in the leftist arguments, at least recently, is well put. Sadly, it is not just these recent posts that we’re discussing that are so extremely irrational and boring. The whole elitist establishment (hollywood, the fourth estate, CBS and every author interviewed on 60 minutes, most colleges, etc.) seem to be completely brainwashed.

The left sure is vigilant these days, though. I’ll give them that. I just wish there was a little more respect given to the alpha male. The jealous geeks out there can’t stand having a guy with some serious testes running the world.. er.. the country.

Now, time for the most important question of the day: BBQ, or Chinese?

Posted by: jackhammer at September 22, 2004 01:42 PM

dubyus,

Your notes about the Reserve duty “issues” are not worth mentioning. They are often repeated charges that really do not hold water. But for the sake of those who do not have any experience in military reserve or guard processes and procedures, I will take the time to correct your spins.

There are any number of reasons for not having a fit rep done for administrative reasons, especially when the reporting senior, for example, is not available or the officer being reported upon is not available or has transferred to another unit. I’ve done these before for any number of officers. Also, in my own record over 30+ years, over 15% of my fit reps have been either loss or never completed by my reporting senior and command.

As for the signing on for another unit when transferred, that is standard admin protocol and not held to strict compliance when, as in the President’s situation, he was planning to leave the Guard anyway. The penalty is losss of flight status and paychecks. Rarely if ever do they send someone onto active duty for this type of ommission.

Most reporters covering the story do not have their facts straight. The official Air Force record shows that the President had sufficient number of points from the prior years to satisfy his original committment. Normally, an admin officer or chief will review this record for any officer or service member considering leaving or retiring and so advise. There is no need to sign on with another unit if one does not need the points to post a good year, which in this case the President had and could be correctly credited to a full contract comittment. I have done similar counseling for service members in my reserve unit who for one reason or another would like to accelerate their contract committement if there are ways to appropriately do so… most of these involve family and education conflicts that have arisen in the last couple years of a reservist’s career… just as in this case.

Get your act and your facts together, if that is possible, and quit quoting the leftist half truths and spins as justifications. For the Guard story… there is just no there, there. Even Gore’s former campaign manager says the same.

SNIP… SNIP

Posted by: steve at September 22, 2004 01:47 PM

Steve:

I did AF Reserve points and pay recording for 13 years with UTAPs and it’s paper predecessor… and I agree - there’s no ‘there’ there. Most civilian reporters don’t understand the complexities of the point system that tracks AFR Time, and what makes up a good year, and a lot of them have no incentive to do so because it would render a good story useless. “Bush did his time! News at 11!” isn’t something you’re ever going to hear - because it’s true. When this came up earlier this year, I posted my take on it on CalPundit and my blog. The whole thing is here.

http://www.milblog.org/MTA/archives/000798.html

What’s amazing is that they’re grasping at ANY sort of straw here. I had folks bringing up issues it was clear they knew virtually nothing about, and expecting me to agree with them. The realities of military paperwork are lost on those who see “Full Metal Jacket” as the entirety of the military experience.

J.

Posted by: JLL3 at September 22, 2004 02:17 PM

J.

Roger that!

Take for example that whole mess about the flight physical. Anyone associated with military flight regulations and procedures know that annual flight physicals are routine scheduled events based upon a pilot’s birth month that can not in any way be ordered to be completed by anyone before the scheduled date unless directed by a flight surgeon (medical officer) authorized to review and evaluate a unit’s aviators.

As a former Ops/Admin Chief, you know all too well that you were the driver in any squadron on complying with this deadline for your pilots… not the Ops O or the CO! The penalty for failure to comply was grounding until the phsyical is completed and logged… not disciplinary action. Also, if this happened when a piloy was assigned to a non flying unit or where no certified flight surgeon is available, it is an accepted fact that the physical may not be completed until a pilot or crewman returns to his or her parent command… in other words, an accepted lapse without reprimand.

Because the MSM (and the left) does not seek expert military opinion, they are prone to condem or misuse that which they do not understand.

Posted by: steve at September 22, 2004 03:47 PM

Waa, waa, waa

It’s an Air Force Times story. Just out. Presumably these folks have access to all the sources you are quoting in order to prove me wrong. Presumably they think that it’s news. Blah, blah, blah. Are you saying that AFT is behind the times and leftist half-truths and spins? Who is out of touch here?

skip has a doozy…

The biggest problem with these posts is that there is simply nothing new for them to say.

And then proceeds to plug the drain with redundancy.

Bush…alpha male…not hardly. He’s a Wimp cheerleader. The only thing he has with testes is a bunch of soldiers who follow his orders. He just struts like he’s got a major package. jackhammer post one thing (with links) that Bush has done that demonstrates his courage. He’s (allegedly) a conservative dedicated to holding down fed spending. He hasn’t had the courage to veto ONE spending bill. He’s a Weakling. If this is your idea of a real man, Ahnuld has a term for you.

Oh, and I just caught this one in steve’s post…piloy…is that a cross between a pilot and a boy? Perfect description for What?

Posted by: dubyus at September 22, 2004 04:14 PM

You’ll notice that the reporter is covering the Navy. And also, that no mention of his attendence record is actually made, it’s just the same old stuff rehashed for a new audience.

My guess is, he saw something good and the folks in the Military Times (which isn’t military related, you know) needed some filler. I’d imagine they’re going to get a few hot letters from the Reserves.

Honestly, Reserve and ANG attendence is a lot different than Active Duty attendence. In the Reserves and ANG you’ve got a real life, and the military is a part-time job unless you get called up. You aren’t on the base 24/7 - you’re there one weekend a month and two weeks out of the year, and that time can be scheduled at your convenience with the concurrance of your supervisor. Looking at the records - Bush did his time in the ANG. If he got an early out - that was normal for surplussed people. In the drawdown following the Gulf War 1, I outprocessed a lot of people who didn’t want to go - and were nowhere near the end of their enlistments.

J.

Posted by: JLL3 at September 22, 2004 05:30 PM

Make that - “he thought he saw something good”.

At the rate things are going, ‘journalists’ are going to rate below used car salesmen for honesty and integrity.

J.

Posted by: JLL3 at September 22, 2004 05:34 PM

So that no one is taken in by dubyus and his childish responses (“Wah, wah???”), a little more thoughtful research will reveal that contrary to their newspaper titles, the Air Force, Navy and Army Times are produced by a single private, non-affiliated publisher who rightfully disclaims any offical status with the Department of Defense. They must gain access to the military establishment just like any MSM or local newspaper. They do not have special priviledge due to their banner.

If you read the article linked, you will also find that there are no sources quoted nor identified from the DOD or the services to balance against the other sources which come from the NY Times, Boston Globe and Washington Post among others. No mention is made of the apparent discrepancies between real world military reserve administration procedures and the forged documents allegations.

Most experienced reporters who cover the Pentagon will go to the various armed forces associations (Air Force Reserve Association, National Guard Association, etc.) to vet these types of details. To my knowledge, no MSM media has yet to do that.

My and J.’s facts still stand up as they are what they were presented to be… based upon real world experience and non-partisan in nature.

Anyone familiar with the military times articles know that they often reproduce or compile stories from other sources (AP, USA Today, CBS, etc.) in a synopis or summary format. This article referred is no different as it is a rehash of what the MSM has been reporting for some time now.

I deeply aplogize for my lack of a spell check process on some of my spelling errors as it has apparently offended dubyus’s elitest intellect.

Posted by: steve at September 22, 2004 05:37 PM

Steve & J.

Appreciate the insider’s view on the ANG point system and annual physical. I’m certain I’ve not read a more detailed breakdown on any tradl. news site, or in a news magazine. I had just taken for granted that the overblown nonsense over this issue was just that, overblown.

Well, now I have a deeper knowledge from the experts on the matter. Now, if we could only get the media and fanatics to quit focusing on Kennedy’s, Johnson’s, and Nixon’s War. With such well-informed fanatics like dubwuss, we’ll never get over this subject.

Posted by: jackhammer at September 22, 2004 06:32 PM

dubyus is posting on multiple sites under multiple names and is really too busy to draft coherent posts. cut and paste is all he has time for. I’ve been hanging around just outside his address space and boy is it busy. I’m not sure if he’s the only one posting or if there is a coven of of the barking moonbats at work. I’m getting bored with it so I’m thinking naughty thoughts.

MUST NOT MELT SWERVER. MUST NOT ATTACK. HULK MUST NOT……

But, it is so tempting… dubyus is so clueless about the military in general that the arcane reserve and NG stuff would just cause him to short out. Anybody want a good keystroke monitor? I’ve got a dandy and it’s easy to place.

Posted by: Hungry Valley at September 22, 2004 07:37 PM

HV LOL. Ya know… If I had a few hours to while away the time chasing MoonBat’s address space, I’d be sorely tempted. I’ve seen the patter before, and I’m thinking the guy is parked somewhere in Wyoming - This is based primarily on word patterns, and the fact his former incarnation was honest enough to own up to his physical address space. I could really give a rip, but it does make for some interesting digging in the archives here…

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at September 22, 2004 08:39 PM

To all:

I have pretty much discounted anything that the dubyus character sends or posts. But ironically, it has spurred us on to exchange some pretty interesting facts and details among each other in attempts to refute his or her manic ravings.

Thanks, Jackhammer! We at least we do communicate facts and useful insight that these knucleheads and leftists are unable to achieve. I hope that J’s and my post have proved informative. It is pretty frustrating to us in the know to watch a bunch of so called “investigative reporters” mislead and screw up what can so simply be explained if only they will objectively seek the facts instead of passing along via cut and paste each other’s half truths and out right false statements.

A simple and quick call to any military PAO would have yielded the facts to show that the so-called Bush Guard issues were no issues at all. Sometimes I believe that they (MSM) really don’t want the facts to get in the way of a good story that sells papers or advertising… hmmm, at one time I believe that was called something like “yellow journalism” right? It was made famous and profitable by the Herst publishers I think at the turn of the century.

Posted by: steve at September 22, 2004 11:27 PM

Steve Funny you should mention Yellow Journalism - The leading edge of that ‘revolution’ was an immigrant kid by the name of Mickey Dugan, and his NIC was “The Yellow Kid”. He came from the fertile mind of a guy by the name of Richard Felton Outcault, and led to among other things, moving pictures…

We just saw a major move towards the same kind of a revolution in ‘news’. Our little exchanges of ideas, where we get to test what we think against the soundboard of others tends to enrich and not degrade our lives. I may not wear pajamas whilst I’m commenting, but this business of speaking my mind has led to a number of friendships and a great deal of understanding about the world we live in. for me anyway.

CBS became the Sauronic Big Eye of my ‘middle earth’, and reinforced my rejection of MSM as a source of ‘news’.

Now, all I have to do is visit a few sites like this one, and if there’s some bit of info I can offer to the mix that comes from my past experiences, I offer it up. If it gets kicked like an empty can, so be it. If it has wings and lends credence to someone’s perspective, that’s not a bad thing.

Freedom ain’t free. AFA I can tell, Rather ain’t owned up to his little game, either. If the dubyus of the world ain’t intelligent enough to recognize the difference between conviction and blind ambition, it behooves us to remember what got us here. I don’t think there’s any of us who think we are living a lie.

Keeping myself honest is a fulltime chore.

Posted by: Cap'n DOC at September 23, 2004 08:31 AM

Excellent post, Cap’n Doc… I concur that the surest sign that the bloggers are making a new impact on journalism and truly creating the new media where interactive participation is driving the evolution is acknowledgment by the MSM that the blogosphere does exist and will be a force to be considered in any future story or newsworthy report. (I watched on Tuesday during lunch where Blitzer and Greenfield on CNN discussed for 15 min., not Kerry’s new plan for Iraq, but what the CBS outing by the bloggers means for all of the MSM. Greenfield says that the world of news reporting in all media will have to change to respect the fact that for good or bad, the bloggers will be watching and analyzing every report that is made.)

Before, we prettymuch had to take what the MSM gave us based upon their knowledge or lack there of as well as their partisan leanings. This type of dogmatic and condescending approach is what has driven of us here on the web site to seek alternative voices, facts and opinions… I am reassured that for so long I just couldn’t believe that what I know to be true was not getting any attention. Likewise, what I wasn’t sure about or even worse, being too sure about my opinions, I now can share and get mostly intelligent responses and inputs. I may not agree with everyone with whom I share my posts, but the sincere and respectful discourse I have had has made us all better citizens I do believe… even if we do wear PJs when we do this!

Posted by: steve at September 23, 2004 03:19 PM