Damn. Kevin Drum has an interview with Bill Burkett, the former National Guardsman who was recently quoted in the Dallas Morning News saying that then-Governor Bush’s chief of staff, Joe Allbaugh, told the National Guard chief to get the Bush file and make certain “there’s not anything there that will embarrass the governor.” Burkett provides a lot of background information to bolster his claim. Check it out.
UPDATE: Meanwhile O-Dub talks to a much more taciturn Bill Campenni, who has written two letters to the editor discussing his time in the National Guard with George Bush. Hesiod has some problems with what Campenni says.
Why are the media not DEMANDING that Kerry release ALL of his medical and military records? Even though the documents featured on 60 Minutes have generally been conceded as not authentic, Dan Rather still feels that he must ask Bush to answer questions. He had NEVER asked Kerry to answer charges that the Swift Veterans have made (Kerry campaign has merely retracted on at least four allegations and has refused to answer other charges. Also his campaign has refused to permit his Band of Brothers to be interviewed.
Why have the media ignored that Kerry tried to stop the publisher from printing “Unfit for Command” (publisher said “no” but offerred to print Kerry’s book “A Soldier’s Story” for nothing.)
Why did all copies of Kerry’s book, offered on e-Bay suddenly disappear? Why won’t Kerry let it be reprinted?
Why did Kerry try to get “Unfit for Command” banned at the major book stores but let Michael Moore have a featured place (next to Carter) at the Democratic convention? I can image the media uproar if even one Swift Vet had been at the Republican convention!
Why won’t the media show the same deference to these veterans as they did to Michael Moore? or the three-day fanfare of Kitty Kelley?
Why did the media ignore the fact that Clinton’s avoiding the draft and then protesting the war on foreign soil was far more serious than anything the media think Bush might have done.
Why doesn’t the media invite the Swift Vets and the Band of Brothers to challenge each other. Their ratings would really go up.
Why does the media believe the handful of veterans and not the more than 200? You believe in democracy where majority rules, why not investigate?
The media should obtain Kerry’s journals and diaries that David Brinkley says are under the full control of Kerry.
They sould try to get his military and medical records uner the Freedom of Information Act (which they used for Bush’s records).
The media believe that Bush received special treatment. What about Kerry? When his deferment request was turned down and he was going to be drafter into the army, he chose the Naval RESERVE where he could receive a commission as an officer. His graduation from Yale insured SPECIAL TREATMENT for HIM – an ordinary joe from off the streets would have had to enlist as an ordinary sailor. I have no objection to Kerry’s preferring to be an officer, but don’t hide your collective heads in the sand and pretend that it was somehow different from Bush’s volunteering in the National Guard. The Vietnamese had no navy and it was unlikely that the Navy would see any action. Kerry admitted as much to the Bostonm Globe.
I could go on and on about this disgusting unequal treatment.
Thank goodness for the blogers. What a treat not to be constantly exposed to the likes of Ellen Goodman, Paul Krugman etc. – AND Dan Rather!
Thank you.
Carolyn Kelly
Questions for John Kerry
1) Why will you not release ALL your Navy Service records? Perhaps there is a description of the wounds you received purple hearts for?
2) Precisely what atrocites did you commit in Viet Nam and when?
3) Have you or your staffers ever had any communication with Texas Bill Burkett or with Dan Rathers staff at 60 minutes?
Have you ever heard the saying, Feed a fish? That’s exactly what Burkett did to CBS.
Since the first two commenters on this post are apparently unable to do a Google search, or are too lazy to check out Kerry’s official webpage, let me present to you his official military records.