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Press Awol Again on Bush's National Guard Service

Kevin Drum at Political Animal explains why there's still good reason to be suspicious about President Bush's National Guard Service, and why the press has been silent about it lately. Kevin reviews the documents that have been released and then addresses those that are missing. He says the two together give us plenty to be suspicious about. As to the silence of the press, Kevin says, there's just no smoking gun. We think he's probably right.

However, we did receive this email today from a retired lieutenant colonel, who's not willing to let Bush off the hook and who pleads with Kerry and the Democrats to stay on this:

When it comes to Bush's so-called "military records" my frustration with the lack of focused, purposeful, aggressive action against Bush by the Democrats ( specifically the DNC) and the John Kerry campaign is at its peak. The Chairman of the Republican Party, Ed Gillespie, is getting away with stating to the public that "Bush has made all of his military records public". This is a total lie, and the Democrats don't challenge this bald-faced lie.

Now, let me state the facts, which if used by the Democrats will "nail Bush". Bush "chose not take a flight physical"! Air Force pilots do not have the individual "choice" to take or not take flight physicals. Flight physicals are "mandatory". Air National Guard pilots are under "standing orders" to complete their flight physicals. They are informed by written directive as to "when, where and what time" they are to report to take their flight physical. Where is the copy of that written directive which informed Bush of the date, time and place for the flight physical that he "chose" not to take? In order for Bush to have been able to "legally" (under the Uniformed Code of Military Justice) not comply with the aforementioned directive for him to take his flight physical he would have had to have received written approval from higher Air National Guard authority authorizing his being exempt from taking the previously directed flight physical. Where is the written approval from higher Air National Guard authority exempting Bush from taking the flight physical he "chose" not to take?

With vigor, intensity and forcefulness at least equal to that of the Republican attack machine, the Democrats must launch a public campaign which identifies the fact that (1) the Chairman of the RNC "lied" to the American people each time he stated that "Bush has made all of his military records public". (2) that until Bush releases these two important and revealing documents he has not released all of his military records to the public and (3) that if these documents are not released, there is a cover-up being orchestrated by Bush for the purpose of not letting it become known that he violated his standing military orders/directives and therefore should have been prosecuted under the provisions of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) for "failure to obey lawful orders" and "conduct unbecoming a commissioned officer".

As just an ordinary Democrat and citizen of our great country, I am pleading: Come on DNC, come on Kerry! Go after this lying, swindling myopic narcissist. Another 4 years of Bush and this country will never be able to recover! Don't let what I have just presented slip away because of Daschle, Gephardt, Pelosi, etc., politeness and passivity that unfortunately has prevailed within the leadership of the Democrats up to now!
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