Officer from his TANG unit defends Bush (LTTE Washington Times)

[librechik]

http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/20040210-082910-8424r.htm
very long and detailed

excerpt:

"Another frequent charge is that, as a member of the Texas ANG, Lt. Bush twice ignored or disobeyed lawful orders, first by refusing to report for a required physical in the year when drug testing first became part of the exam, and second by failing to report for duty at the disciplinary unit in Colorado to which he had been ordered. Well, here are the facts:
First, there is no instance of Lt. Bush disobeying lawful orders in reporting for a physical, as none would be given. Pilots are scheduled for their annual flight physicals in their birth month during that month's weekend drill assembly — the only time the clinic is open. In the Reserves, it is not uncommon to miss this deadline by a month or so for a variety of reasons: The clinic is closed that month for special training; the individual is out of town on civilian business; etc.
If so, the pilot is grounded temporarily until he completes the physical. Also, the formal drug testing program was not instituted by the Air Force until the 1980s and is done randomly by lot, not as a special part of a flight physical, when one easily could abstain from drug use because of its date certain. Blood work is done, but to ensure a healthy pilot, not confront a drug user"

***
He actually served with Bush only during pilot training -71-72, not during the absentee period. He speaks very persuasively about how W's misbehavior can be legitimately explained or excused.

[madrchsod]

1. a healthy pilot..

not to "confront" a drug user. i guess it was alright to fly impaired back then. i hate to think how many pilots who flew over Vietnam were on drugs. these guys will do anything,even question other pilots drug use,to save their boy king. sorry ,he was a coward.

[Robb]

2. (clears throat)

BWA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!!!! :D

(straightens tie)

A LTTE in the Moonie Times? That's not supect. If his story's so good, why didn't he write to a real newspaper? :)

[GOPisEvil]

3. Check this guy's bank account for recent, large deposits...

Also, he did not serve with Shrubbie at the time in question, so his opinion is really not that relevant, is it?

[zbird]

4. So he missed his deadline for physical, huh?

In the Reserves, it is not uncommon to miss this deadline by a month or so for a variety of reasons:

Interesting, but as far as the evidence shows, he has NEVER had this physical, he didn't just "miss the deadline". I'm still waiting for someone to come forward that actually SERVED with and remembers seeing the boy king during the disputed period.

[RapidCreek]

5. and there you go

He didn't just miss the deadline for his physical...he failed to take it AT ALL! Wouldn't it be interesting if this excuse could be applied to all ANG pilots? We'd have ANG units filled with pilots who could not fly. I guess what this guy is saying is that taking ones flight physical was a matter of choice....and subsequently flying the plane the tax payers paid a million or so dollars to teach you to fly was as well.

RC

[librechik]

6. Brian Lamb mentioned this letter on Washington Journal this am

so thought it might come up in the discussion--this guy summarizes the talking points really well--

Does it really come down to a matter of opinion about whether the missed physical was important or not? IMO it was important, and inexcusable. Bushbots say have pity on the poor guy--yet these were the a-holes who were dragging hippies into alleys and shaving their heads for letting their freak flag fly--meanwhile secret Cokeheads like Shrubbie get a pass--I swear to god, that is the real rift among us--cokeheads vs potsmokers, the rich vs the poor.

[cryofan]

8. this guy Campenni is a hardcore GOPer.

If you search google, you can see that he published this letter in other newspapers, and engaged in a reply-response dialogue in which he revealed his hatred of "liberals".

Still, it is a fairly effective letter.

The fact is, as we see from columnist Stein's column yesterday, that the Guard was a very loosely run outfit in those days, and apparently many took advantage of the "relocation" loophole to get out of drills.

The main thing is to push the idea that Bush used his privilege to abuse the system.

[UTUSN]

7. His Record Same as Shrub, EXCEPT FOR 33 Years! Hah!

One of the most despicable things during the Selection 2000 period was to see six or so Medal of Honor medal holders standing on the PARTISAN REPUKE stage, with their medals on, proclaiming their allegiance to Shrub----a blatant abuse of the military role for partisan political purposes. This dude is doing the same thing.

So. His record is the same as Shrub's EXCEPT FOR 33 years.

So. He himself would not be aware of temporarily-assigned dudes, but pretends to represent that "there is no instance of (Shrub) disobeying lawful orders."

So. Record of court martial or whatever:: There was nothing--------nothing as in "NO RECORD" ("disappeared"?) or there was no disciplinary action.

Methinks that if the entire personnel record magically appears---POOOF!---we gotta one pResidential resignation on our hands, and it's pResident CHEENEE for the next few months.

[UTUSN]

9. Same Letter Dated May, 2003

*******QUOTE*******

May 16, 2003 http://archive.observernews.com/stories/archives/viewpoints/2003view/051603/16letr7.shtml

Posted May 30, 2003 http://archive.observernews.com/stories/archives/viewpoints/2003view/053003/30letr5.shtml

Writer Should Not Attack Patriots
To the editor:
William Campenni, in his letter in The Observer on May 23, states "While our wonderful freedoms, won and protected by the military that liberals (a.k.a. Democrats) ... abhor ..."
Well, I am proudly a lifelong liberal, a Democrat, a veteran of World War II (while I served my outfit was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation and nine Campaign Stars). How dare this "weekend warrior" who took refuge in the Texas Air National Guard, who was never in a war zone, charge me in public with abhoring the military in which I enlisted and served with honor for three years?
I don't really care what kind of spin Mr. Campenni puts on President Bush's controversial military career, but he ought not to go after real patriots and shame himself by so blatantly showing his right-wing Republican zealotry.
Edgar A. Glick
Reston


http://www.virginiadot.org/vtrc/main/online_reports/pdf/02-r11.pdf

William M. Campenni
Stuart AVL Technologies LLC



Posted June 6, 2003 http://archive.observernews.com/stories/archives/viewpoints/2003view/060603/6letr4.shtml

Bush Avoided Combat
To the editor:
I am responding to comments by L. Boyd and William Campenni regarding George W. Bush's prior military service. It is no surprise they would jump to the defense of their Caesar in the making.
The Republicans are a cult of believers that they can do no wrong. Whatever they say or do is right, and everyone else must march in step with them or be the bad guys.
The reality of the matter is that President Bush used his family's influence to avoid combat duty in Vietnam, no matter how you twig it.
Albert L. Stewart
Reston

********UNQUOTE*******