Update: Josh Marshall has more on this story, including the complete transcript of the CBS interview with White House spokesman Dan Bartlett, and Marshall cites other articles of interest
On top of the AP stories of the past couple days and the Boston Globe story this morning (see my earlier post), CBS has added new information that suggests Bush hasn’t told the truth. And after all, isn’t that was insinuated about John Kerry when Bush wouldn’t repudiate the Swift Boat Vet ads until they had done their damage. Bush, it seems, refused a direct order, according to memos CBS cited tonight on “60 minutes.”
The first memo is a direct order to take “an annual physical examination” – a requirement for all pilots
Another memo refers to a phone call from the lieutenant in which he and his commander “discussed options of how Bush can get out of coming to drill from now through November.” And that due to other commitments “he may not have time.”
On August 1, 1972, Col. Killian grounded Lt. Bush for failure to perform to U.S. Air Force/Texas Air National Guard standards and for failure to take his annual physical as ordered.
A year after Lt. Bush’s suspension from flying, Killian was asked to write another assessment.
Killian’s memo, titled ‘CYA’ reads he is being pressured by higher-ups to give the young pilot a favorable yearly evaluation; to, in effect, sugarcoat his review. He refuses, saying, “I’m having trouble running interference and doing my job.”
So W disobeyed orders and then refused to do what he promised to do.
It’s not just the newly discovered memos causing trouble. There are new questions as to why, when he moved to Massachusetts to attend Harvard Business School, Mr. Bush did not sign up with a reserve unit there, as he promised in a letter when he left the Texas National Guard
And why, with his erratic attendance record, he was subject to neither discipline nor active duty call-up as provided for in his contract with the Guard.
Larry Korb, an assistant Secretary of Defense under President Reagan has reviewed the Mr. Bush’s record and believes he did not fulfill his contract.
“Essentially, Bush gamed the system to avoid serving his country the way that most of his contemporaries had to,” Korb said.
But I like White house spokesman Dan Bartlett defense.
“I chalk it up to politics,” said White House Communications Director Dan Bartlett. “They play dirty down in Texas. I’ve been there. I see how it works. But the bottom line is that there is no truth to this.”
Asked if this is dirty politics, Bartlett replied, “Oh, I think it is.”
They play dirty politics. I am always amazed that the GOP can say such things with a straight face. The Republicans just finished a week-long convention that was one big mud bath.