In other words: A discussion of The Bush Administration
This weekend, I spent two lovely nights at a fire lookout tower on the east slopes of Mt. Hood. It was an amazing location, situated approximately on the line where the Doug fir starts to blend into more Ponderosa pine and the NW wet turns into the central Oregon high dry plain. What relevance you ask? The fire lookout is maintained by the USFS, an agency and interface with the federal government that I like to bash so much lately (Usually, with good reason). For $30 a night, we had accommodations and a view that couldn't be beat. Clear weather allowed a view north of Mt. Adams, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Baker and some of the Olympics. The fire lookouts in the NW were abandoned some years ago. It's cheaper and faster to do the fire detection with satellite and spotter planes. But many of them remain and are rented out in a program that pays for itself. Going there reminded me that there are many great things about this country. The natural beauty and innovation being only two of them. Bashing the USFS for forestry practices is considered sport in the Pac NW. But you'll hear none from me today.
While there, I spent some time reading Kevin Phillips' new book, "American Dynasty." So far, not an earth shaking, revelatory book, for those who have been paying attention to the Bush family. But, as the Bush's National Guard service has been again in the news, one passage deserves repeating here:
"At Yale, both his grandfather and father were tapped by Skull and Bones, and so was George W. After graduating, he became a military pilot like his father, with some similar help from family influence. In early 1968, before his graduation, a friend of his father's [Sidney Adger] spoke to Texas lieutenant governor Ben Barnes. [Barns] in turn, contacted the commander of the Texas Air National Guard, Brig. Gen. James M. Rose, with the result that George W. jumped the several waiting lists involved. After taking five weeks of basic training, he was discharged as an enlisted man, recommended for a second lieutenancy the next day, and given pre-training permission to spend September to November working in the campaign of successful GOP Florida Senate candidate Edward J. Gurney. ... George W. did not qualify for either a direct commission or flight training. Tom Hail, the historian of the Texas National Guard, explained that direct commissions were 'for doctors only, mostly because we needed extra flight surgeons.' The air force flight-instruction program was also a favor, because such expensive training would not normally be given to a green candidate who had shown no professional commitment."
Which brings me to my thought on this. Why has the media chosen to focus, if at all, on the dust-up over the records--did he or did he not serve out his Guard commitment--rather than how Bush got into the Guard in the first place? Other than mentioning that Bush scored low on his test--25%--it is rare to hear a story about the strings that were pulled to get him in. Not only get him in, but get him into special programs, shorten his basic training, fast track him to officer status and then promote him quickly to 1st lieutenant. Clearly, there were privileges granted to the son of a Congressman and grandson of a friend of Nixon's that were not available to the rest of society.
Why does this matter? I think that it matters because it goes to the root of his basic claims--Bush has worn his Guard service on his sleeve. He has used it to defend his patriotism, courage and military gravitas. He has said that he was proud to have served. He has said that he would have gone to Vietnam if called. However, similar to the use of character witnesses in court (you can't use them to disparage a defendant unless the defendant has called character witnesses first), if Bush uses his Guard service in any manner to promote himself, then we are entitled to hear the whole truth about his service, warts and all, and then judge for ourselves whether he deserves the mantle of courageous patriot.
We should hear:
That many strings were pulled to get him in and to keep him in.
That he checked a box to specifically not volunteer for service in Vietnam.
That fewer than 1% of Guard units at the time were called to active duty.
That he was grounded for failing his physical.
That he probably didn't fulfill his obligation, even though he took an *oath* to do so.
- B 9:39 PM - [PermaLink] -
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