John Kerry happens to be pushing it. So is Terry Mac. Scott MacLellan is stonewalling (duh). It's been discussed on the networks nightly since ABC News did a story on it. Now it's in Salon in an article by By Eric Boehlert:
Feb. 5, 2004 | In 1972, George W. Bush simply walked away from his pilot duties in the Texas Air National Guard. He skipped required weekend drill sessions for many months, probably for more than a year, and did not take a mandatory annual physical exam, which resulted in his being grounded. Nonetheless, Bush, the son of a well-connected Texas congressman, received an honorable discharge.
If an Air National guardsman today vanished for a year, military attorneys say that guardsman would be transferred to active duty or, more likely, kicked out of the service, probably with a less-than-honorable discharge. They suggest the penalty would be especially swift if the absent-without-leave guardsman were a fully trained pilot, as Bush was.
Bush's National Guard record, long ignored by the media, has surfaced with a vengeance. If the topic continues to rage, and if the media presses him, Bush may finally be forced to release his full military records, which could reveal the truth. By refusing to make all those records public, Bush has until now broken with a long-standing tradition of U.S. presidential candidates.
Whether John Kerry wins the nomination or he does not (and whether you vote for him, or not), his standing as a genuine decorated war hero with anti-war credentials (and to a lesser extent Wes Clark's) is opening up a new line of attack that both resonates and will have legs.
There were over 200 stories on Google news on this topic tonight and the number seems to be growing every day.
The most telling quote was from another genuine hero:
Republicans clearly want to quarantine the issue of Bush's service and have it labeled as outside the bounds of acceptable public discourse. With good reason: If the story takes root it could do real damage to Bush's reelection run, which is anchored on his image as a trusted leader in America's war on terrorism. Trying to make the subject go away could prove difficult, though. "It's a booby trap that's out there ticking for Bush," warns retired U.S. Army Col. David Hackworth. "His opponents are going to keep turning this screw until something gives."
I don't see how Junior runs away from this one. He's hiding something, and I'll enjoy seeing it all hang out.