AP sues for access to Bush Guard records

[Judi Lynn]

Tuesday, June 22, 2004 · Last updated 2:18 p.m. PT

AP sues for access to Bush Guard records

By PETE YOST
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER



WASHINGTON -- The Associated Press sued the Pentagon and the Air Force on Tuesday, seeking access to all records of George W. Bush's military service during the Vietnam War.

Filed in federal court in New York, where The AP is headquartered, the lawsuit seeks access to a copy of Bush's microfilmed personnel file from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin.

The White House says the government has already released all the records of Bush's military service.

Controversy surrounds Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard because it is unclear from the record what duties he performed for the military when he was working on the political campaign of a U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama.
(snip/...)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/apwashington_story.asp?category=1151&slug=Bush%20National%20Guard

[saigon68]

1. Records show photo of a CHIMPANZEE eating a banana

[meow2u3]

34. Quit insulting chimps!

eom

[mom cat]

42. I agree. baby bust is much uglier and meaner than any chimp.

Chimps are a lot smarter and can learn civilized behavior.

[wicket]

2. Whoa!

What a pleasant surprise, this will definitely get the issue back into the media.

[Fridays Child]

3. If they've released all the records, why does the AP need need to sue?

They wouldn't be lying about having released all of the records, now, would they?

/sarcasm

[Tight_rope]

39. Geezz...I would think that to avoid a headache why not unass the records!

This is of course if there's nothing already publicized. In that case, I would be trying to cover the chimp's ass. And ugly ass at that.

[ewagner]

4. Interesting

Why now?

could it be that they suspect the microfilm records were made before the records were cleansed?

Could be.......could be.......

[Sagan]

7. DING DING DING!! WE HAVE A WINNER!!

That's EXACTLY what I think, too.

[SoCalDem]

16. There must also be a REASON given for the "no fly" thing

And the fact that his buddy-boy Bath also lost flying privileges at the same time is highly suspicious..

I think the two of them got caught using military aircraft to "ferry 'plants' from Fla to Tex"..Bush himself said he did this and even took Marvin with him sometimes..

I think his "buddies" (the invisible ones) dropped a dime on him to take him down a peg or two..

[Cocoa]

44. Michael Moore has a theory

I just read that in his movie's section on Bush's service, he has Eric Clapton's "Cocaine" playing on the soundtrack. :-)

[Barkley]

68. Bush was grounded b/c refused to take the drug test in 1972.

That's the first year mandatory tests were implemented.

[Carolab]

54. Yeah, and

There is a big "hole" in the paper records because they were ripped up and put in the trash.

[radfringe]

55. looks like an abcess to me

<begin sarcasm> :evilgrin:

but hey -- isn't a paystub and dental check-up enough to prove Ol'Bleeding-Gums Bush* showed up?

</end sarcasm> :evilgrin:

[Beaker]

18. and of course they'd never be able to cleanse the microfilm...

:eyes:

If there were any incriminating docs they didn't get to before the coup, they'd have made sure to get to once they had the keys in hand...

[MallRat]

5. drip... drip... Drip... Drip... DRIP... DRIP... DRIP!!! DRIP!!!

If this keeps up, it's going to start sounding like Niagara Falls in here...

-MR

[11 Bravo]

6. The next sound you hear ...

will be that of every shredder in TANG HQ and the Pentagon getting cranked up.

[mistertrickster]

8. Looks like Bush isn't the Teflon Don after all . . .

And thanks to the right-wing SCOTUS undying wish to stick it to Clinton, the AP has every right to haul GW's sorry ass into court.

Good job, Reinquist, Thomas, Scalia, et al.

[Leilani]

9. Better late than never!

They should have done this during the 2000 election...we may have had a way different result.

The press has not been there when we needed them!

[Kahuna]

10. Four years too late.

:grr:

[LynzM]

11. Agreed, but still

Better late than never. I hope they get it all and make it all public!!

[Hoping4Change]

12. THERE'S ANOTHER INTERSTING STORYLINE HERE.

Bill Moyers 2 weeks ago talked to CEO of the Associated Press Tom Curley about a new press effort, led by him and others in the media business, to push for less secrecy in government.

In a May 7th speech, Curley unveiled a plan for a "media advocacy center" to lobby for open government in Washington. "The government is pushing hard for secrecy," Curley said. "We must push back equally hard for openness."

So it sounds like AP has fired up its guns and started the assault!
:toast:

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/curley.html

[tom_paine]

20. AP is a corrupted Bushevik organization with an honest faction remaining

The question is, what percent of AP does the Honest Faction include?

70%? 50%? 30%?

Unknown, except for the fact that whichever AP Manager is "in charge" of their Unilateral Exit Polling, is without doubt a Bushevik, probably a Mockingbird rather than a direct operative of the Imperial Family (though I'll bet there are more than a few of them down in the copy and mail rooms).

Curley better watch out. He is in danger professionally and personally, especially if there is something in these papers not originally scrubbed by the Imperials.

[Hoping4Change]

22. The speech Curley made covers specific goals and he says -

"I know that some in the journalism community would strongly disapprove of a project of this kind. They believe the role of journalists is to remain strictly impartial, and that express backing for even the best intended legislation would compromise that role. I respectfully disagree.

The objection reminds me a little bit of the saying about the man who was “so broad minded that he wouldn’t take his own side in a fight.” A fight is what this is. A fight is what our system of government intends and expects it to be.


We do not sit in some impartial referee’s box where open government is concerned. Like it or not, we’re in the game for keeps, and we can either play badly or play well.

I believe we have a duty to play well, and that it’s time to learn whether some new moves will help."

http://www.ap.org/pages/about/whatsnew/hayspress.html

[tom_paine]

23. At least we know there is an honest man at AP

Now, if he could just run the Phony Exit Polling Division and make THAT honest!

[Hoping4Change]

25. That's funny. Is it naive to believe that journalists and CEOs

like Curley actually have had it up to the kazoo with buschco? That they might actually be alarmed and concerned about the direction the US is headed?

[tom_paine]

29. Soem undoubtedly have. I never said it was "funny"

I was merely pointing out that there are still Honest Men (and Women) in n organization like AP, so clearly shot through with Bushevik Psyops and Mockingbirds.

[Hoping4Change]

31. To clarify . Your reference to the"Phony Exit Polling Division " is

what I found humourous:)

[tom_paine]

48. Thanks. I wish it was a joke.

I sometimes remind myself of the "gallows humor" of the long-oppressed Soviets.

Of course (and thankfully) I have not been long oppressed. Hell, I've not yet been oppressed really at all, yet.

Of course, I'd be a fool if I waited until the changes to Imperial Amerika affected me personally. By then, as it was before, it will be too late.

As I said, I wish it was a joke.

[KoKo]

60. Curley's Speech is a Must Read! It's so hopeful that a change is in the

wind. Fighting back, finally! Thanks so much for posting this.

[Politicub]

45. I read about the Curley speech

Maybe the tide is truly turning.

Speakers like the CEO of AP carry a lot of influence and can create trends in how news is gathered and presented.

Another heartening event recently was the large number of democrats who were speakers at the American Society of Newspaper Editors. The GOP speakers didn't make the news with their addresses, but the democrats did. Here's a link http://www.asne.org/index.cfm?id=5052

I also love how the publishing industry is holding strong on another flank against the Bush machine with the barrage of Bush truth telling books coming out.

[calimary]

47. Yes indeedy. Tom Curley is on this campaign to go on the offensive

against what he sees as WAY too much secrecy in government. It's about time.

[Bluebear]

13. Do rate the Yahoo story....

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040622/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_national_guard_1

Get some attention going.

[Judi Lynn]

17. Thanks for the Yahoo link!

"Its current average rating is 4.75 with 51 vote(s)."

EXCELLENT!

[Rebellious Republican]

33. Its current average rating is 4.46 with 164 vote(s).

[SpiralHawk]

14. AWOL + MIHOP

Bush and Co. -- so way corrupt

But -- alas -- won't be surprised to learn that the microfiche has "deteriorated so badly it can't be read anymore."

Those things happen, you know (when trying to learn the truth about Bush and Co.

[Trajan]

15. I take back ALL the bad things I said about the AP ...

NOT ! ....

But hey: we take'm when we can gets'm ....

DO they need any help ? ...

[CatWoman]

19. aahhhhhhhh, sookie, sooke now

:D

[Geo55]

21. And what "unbiased" judge is to hear this ? n/t

[NashVegas]

24. My What a Delectable Tidbit

..

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. Could this have been what Josh Marshall was working on?

He said he was doing something with other people. Working on a way to demand the full record?

[olddem43]

32. not likely - they will drag it out until after Nov.

The JM story is supposed to hit big, and soon.

[Redleg]

27. I fear it will be tied up in court until well after the election.

But not too late to impeach that deceitful SOB.

[struggle4progress]

28. Oooh la la! eom

[UTUSN]

30. Uh, Good. But Wish They Had Done It in 1999, 2000, 2001... n/t

[Corkey Mineola]

36. That's why I love DU

People are balanced a lot of the time...
It's good that this is coming out
But it's bad that it will take a long time to untangle AND the WH will obstruct the investigation.
STILL I think any negative press on Bush is fabulous. He can use all we can get!
PHN

[Hoping4Change]

61. Tom Curley who is leading this charge became CEO of AP

just last June. It just goes to show how much power is in the hands of a press head honcho.

[ThomWV]

35. This Is Very Good News

It has just been eating at me that this story had seemed to have died. I have never believed that that son of a bitch showed up at all uring the questionable year, I do not thing the spineless son of a bitch had a single whitt more concern for his country during that drunken year than he does today either. Let them see the records, and let the world know what a mindless, spineless, piece of shit we have in the White House.

[TankLV]

40. But we also miss another fact THAT THEY THEMSELVES ADMIT!

bunkerboy volunteers that HE WAS ALLOWED TO LEAVE THE SERVICE TO GO CAMPAIGN FOR ANOTHER SLIMY PUKE!

How many GI's during Vietnam would have given their arms and legs to be able to just decide - "Hey, I think I'll leave this hellhole and go campaign stateside for some politico."

I am truly amazed that NOONE has jumped on that excuse THAT THEY FREELY AND LIBERALLY ADMIT - as if it was an equivalent way of serving!

[AlCzervik]

37. Just when The Chimperior thought it was safe

to go back in the water again!!!

[pa28]

38. The White House says all records are already out.

These documents should just be duplicates of what we already have if Bush and his surrogates are telling the truth. If they invent a "principled argument" against release new questions would rise and we would have to ask yet again: "what are you hiding?" During Monica the Republicans always used the line about getting the facts out and letting the cards fall where they may. Just another drop in an ocean of right-wing hypocrisy.

[struggle4progress]

63. If all the records were out, they'd ignore the whole thing. eom

[Politicub]

41. There must be something to those records

I wonder what?

If Bush has nothing to hide, why on earth wouldn't he let the AP see the microfilm?

I thought for sure that the AWOL story was dead, but thank you AP for giving it a nice, shiny new pair of legs.

:bounce:

[NJmaverick]

43. Could this be the minor story of a break in?

Could this be the start of something big? 1996 when it was last checked. In theory this should have minimal tampering and could shed a whole new light on this story.

[MasonJar]

46. They are already sanitized--remember Stump took care of that

before he ran for governor. This idiot has been lying for so long.

[shanti]

49. woo hoo!

is the media on the warpath or what?!

[dusty64]

50. I don't trust ap,

they will probably spin them to appear that the chimp is a "hero" and served with "honor and integrity". :puke:

[calimary]

51. I dunno. I used to work there. There were people of integrity on staff.

And in management. I mainly saw the insides of the L.A. bureau, but had some experience with the Broadcast News Center in Washington. Tom Curley is new as CEO since I left there. The top guy while I was there was a man named Lou Boccardi. Very strict and old-fashioned. His name was held over our heads in all kinds of ways - from how a story would be covered to various kinds of conduct and informalities in the newsroom and in strict adherence to writing style for the a-wire. We were allowed to slang it up more on the radio, since our mandate was to write FOR AIR - as it would be read aloud by some news person. Tom Curley came aboard after I left.

I saw this story in early May. Got all fired up and called the AP World Headquarters (50 Rockefeller Plaza, right down the sidewalk from NBC) to get his email address. Then I wrote to him, thanking him for taking this initiative which had been so sorely needed for so long. A few days later, here comes this response from him:

"Thank you for your support and taking the time to share your well thought out position. I appreciate it. In preparing for the speech last week, we took the approach that measured steps would be the most successful. We’ll pull together a meeting and based on the level of consensus try to drive an agenda. The end result is what matters. It took a while to get into this position and may take time to get out. The early reaction has been quite supportive."


So that tells me several things, on the heels of this lawsuit. First, there has been reaction, from the get-go, in fact. And it's been positive. That means many more than just us have been complaining about government secrecy and deliberate impediments to the free, unhindered and uncowed coverage of the news. Furthermore, positive reaction, like all that nagging and yelling and screaming and threatening and bombast from the right wing with its mobilized hoards of letter writers and email senders and angry phone callers to newsrooms and talk radio shows, is noticed and has an impact.

The loudest screams have come from the enemy camp - until lately. They were successful and resolute in drowning us out - until lately. Just as - if they hear more or mostly from one side, they're going to be WAY more mindful of the people voicing opinions from that side than they are to the opposing side, or sides. If indeed they even realize, to begin with, that there IS another side, at all. If they don't hear from us on that other side, they won't know we're even there. No less that we're there to be catered to, and yes, even pandered to, as a viable chunk of audience. For this guy to get more than just my "atta-boy" then leads him to conclude that he's doing the right thing. That positive reinforcement only encourages him to do more of the same thing that got him those favorable responses and other "atta-boys" in the first place.

It also tells me that they are good to their word, about going in slow and measured steps after thinking things out. This is evidently one of those first steps - one of those long and carefully considered first steps. The concensus Curley referred to obviously comes from other members of either the AP Board (made up of executives from member stations, networks, and print outlets) or a separate group established for this specific purpose, possibly comprised of different people altogether. Still news and broadcasting executives and other professionals, though. Perhaps one or more academics in the mix, in this particular case, too. I'm not sure. But it's clear that this guy is receptive, and is well aware that this garbage has been building for a LONG time, thus his reference to a position that it will take time to get out of.

Just food for thought.

WHAT THAT MEANS, IN PRACTICAL PURPOSES:

If even a few of us, or others of like mind took just maybe three or four minutes and wrote a letter to the editor reacting positively to this step and urging more; or one or two of us wrote, phoned, or emailed our local newspaper's offices or ombudsman favorably about this and asking to see it pursued, if anyone in one of the big metro areas that would probably have its own AP bureau in the downtown area near the city hall or main government center, felt like calling that same AP bureau, or emailing, or dropping one of those positive-reinforcement notes or postcards, THAT WOULD YELL LOUDER THAN ALL THE DITTOHEADS AND FREEPERS IN THE KINGDOM.

They're not used to hearing from our side in numbers anyway, so the novelty alone will grab their attention. Plus, any concrete and/or sensible-sounding or properly written and spelled, with specific references to the lawsuit or the new sense of resonsible reporting and efforts to hold government accountable tells them that they have an educated, concerned, involved, and informed viewer/reader/listener who gives a damn, knows the score whether they're doing their jobs or not, and is holding them accountable, accordingly. That tends to get a reaction, too, and makes 'em sit up straight and get serious again. Shakes off a little of the Kool-aid.

But it's only happening because, apparently, people are complaining a little too frequently and forcefully and in large-enough numbers to be difficult to ignore anymore. That gorilla in the room that used to weigh 300 pounds now looks more like a couple of thousand pounds, and simply has to be recognized and attended to. Or, it's because this damned secrecy shit has just gone too far, even for them, and they're starting to notice what huge impediments are now in place to prevent their reporters from doing their jobs. If the staffers can't do their jobs, the AP in general can't serve its members, and/or remain competitive, so that means the AP could wind up losing membership and the clout and revenue that membership brings with it. Perhaps it's not necessarily a gorilla but rather an extremely fishy smell that's just grown too strong and horrendous to ignore anymore. Or both.

Sorry this is long - don't mean to bore you, but it's IMPORTANT!!!

YOU have to be their consciences. For far too long, they've demonstrated that theirs are all AWOL. Every bit as AWOL as george.

[Hekate]

53. Ve-e-e-e-r-ry interesting indeed, Calimary

Not a bit too long, definitely not boring.

The lawsuit is encouraging in its own right, but the reply you got just kind of took my breath away. Someone at AP is listening to us? Someone there is paying attention to the most corrupt government in US history? Someone there is actually working on it?

...So this is what hope feels like.

Hekate

[dusty64]

56. Didn't bore me at all,

I appreciate the info.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

57. Nice to hear AP is not "a corrupted Bushevik organization"

as some here believe.

[TLDHOME99]

58. calimary -- have you got an email address for this guy?

Or another email address we can all write to?

Even a snail mail address? I'll pass it along to all my democratic friends -- let's have at it.

[calimary]

64. The Associated Press Worldwide Headquarters is located at

50 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10020.

ADDRESS IT TO Ms. Kathleen Carroll, Senior VP Managing Editor

The general switchboard number is (212) 621 - 1500. Online comments can be sent to [e-mail].

They hesitate to give out any individual staffers' email addresses because their inboxes get clogged up immediately. Knowing my experience working at the AP for nine years, they probably failed to invest enough to provide all the necessary space - or much else. They do tend to lowball it, investment-wise.

Interesting side note: When I spoke to the switchboard operator (and she was quite friendly and receptive, especially when I told her a bunch of us were cheering this LOUDLY, she transfered me to the newsroom, where the reaction was one of pleasant surprise. The woman who answered, at the national desk, indicated they hadn't had reaction like THIS from the lawsuit.

WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS:

They evidently ARE getting reaction - primarily NEGATIVE reaction. Therefore, it is all the MORE critical that we, who have POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AND APPRECIATIONS AND "ATTABOYS" AND "ATTAGIRLS" to send in, should do so ASAP, and EN MASSE. They need to know that what they're (FINALLY) doing to hold the government accountable - IS GOOD, APPRECIATED, HAILED, SALUTED, ENCOURAGED, and GREATLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTED. Otherwise they're gonna run out of steam, or not fight as vigorously as they might have, because they're hearing nothing but bad reaction and other forms of discouragement and, for all we know considering the way the White House operates, probably threats to Terrence Hunt and other folks on the front lines in Washington. The desk person also said the suit was being handled out of Washington. EVEN SO, THE AP BRASS IS IN NEW YORK. THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS AND INSTIGATORS OF THIS ARE IN NEW YORK. THAT'S where we should send our kudos.

PLEASE, guys, do this!!!! The bad guys will be applying sticks. We need to furnish LOTS of counter-active carrots.

Thanks for your interest! It's SO important!

AND, remember THIS also: Every one letter or comment (paper letters are best, because they can be posted on bulliten boards in the coffee room where EVERYBODY goes, they can be xeroxed and sent around, they can be waved around in the middle of the newsroom where everybody can see it, and they are there as tangible evidence that you can literally lay your hands on) are ALWAYS believed to represent many more. In this case, with a world-wide operation where comments can come from anywhere on the planet, one letter might be regarded as representative of THOUSANDS. If not maybe TENS of thousands. It's assumed that if one person actually bothers to write something and send it in, that speaks for many many more who don't bother, or can't, or think they shouldn't, or think there's no use. It's your chance to speak for many multitudes. Those in the (not entirely) Silenced Majority.

[TLDHOME99]

69. Hey, I'm on it! Thanks for the info

:hi:

[olddem43]

65. Maybe he was a hero of sorts -

by serving (at least taking up a spot) in the TANG, he made it possible for someone else to go to Nam.

[DemonFighterLives]

52. I hope the little Chickenhawk freak

gets revealed. Once one story breaks, they all will. Damn Barbarian!

[Kahuna]

59. The odd thing is that this isn't being played up in the news..

If this were a big story, it would put the pressure on * to release them.

[Judi Lynn]

62. Hey, he's king of the world. He can do anything!

Hope the media will lower themselves and pay some attention to what the AP is doing. He needs to be forced to confront this issue before leaving office.

GREAT TOAST PHOTO! Woo hooooooo! :bounce:

[Kimber Scott]

66. This is IT. THE smoking gun.

Pentagon couldn't release the records in 20 days? Right. Party's over.

[struggle4progress]

67. kick for "missing" records

:kick:

[0007]

70. Getting access to James R. Bath and his military records would tell

us a lot about junior and his creepy old man.

Also I would like to see Robin Lowmen step forward and tell her abortion story.