Bush's performance on Meet the Press

[BADGER]

The pres came off as a stumbling bumbling fool with lots to hide and more concerned on BSing his way out of answering direct questions.

A noted columnists comments:

The president seemed tired, unsure and often bumbling. His answers were repetitive, and when he tried to clarify them he tended to make them worse. He did not seem prepared. He seemed in some way disconnected from the event. When he was thrown the semisoftball question on his National Guard experience--he's been thrown this question for 10 years now--he spoke in a way that seemed detached. "It's politics." Well yes, we know that. Tell us more.

I'm not sure the National Guard question was a softball, but most of the opinion above I agreed with. The funny thing about the national guard question, he answered all sorts of meaningless stuff that no one disputes, but as far as saying he served his full duty, he came up a little short

The person you named had no relevance to the topic. Please provide a link to your quote or this thread is done

http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/pnoonan/

[SoDak_IndyFan]

Since the thread I wrote this to be posted in has mysteriously disappeared and this one appears to be just another bash thread with the ANG stuff predictably thrown in, I will post what I had to say here:

Here's a question that occurs to me. WHY does Bush decide not to show so late in his ANG hitch? Huh, answer me that one!! What's he afraid of? Vietnam is done, finis , kaput, nada!! What you guys are leaving out there to dangle, unsaid, is that some how GWB was a coward. Well, guess what, it doesn't wash, no matter how you wanna spin it. He went through his pilot training during one of the most deadly times of the war for U.S. pilots. He had ZERO way of knowing, FOR SURE, he wasn't gonna be called up. What was the statistic I saw recently, 80% (?) of the ENTIRE production run for F105 Thuds were lost in the skies over Vietnam. YES, we all know he was flying 102s at the time...you repeat it ad infinitum . That don't mean squat. Desperate times, and there were periods of the war where the Air force wasn't that far from desperation.

It doesn't wash, it never will wash....as much as you guys wish it to be so. You haven't turned anyone here one iota. I know the mantra is to repeat the lie often enough and people will start to believe it. Too bad (for you) in this case there are waaay more people out there talking about how it really was than how you want it to be, but just go ahead and keep on ignoring everyone from his flight school commander on down cuz we believe you, we really do

[Lucky161]

One way Bush could make that go away and actually come out ahead on the ANG business is to provide some proof that he was there. He could use the whole thing as proof that the other side was out to get him. Might not be true, but he could still use it that way if only he would provide some proof that he actually served out his tour like he was supposed to do.

As far as him being a coward, I am not sure. Joining the Guard was a well known way to avoid service in Vietnam. But for some it was not a matter of being brave or not, but wanting to avoid a war that they saw as either immoral or futile and not blemish their record. I would not be in position to judge what anyone's particular feelings were during that time. Yes, a lot of planes were lost over Vietnam during that time, but I don't recall any planes being shot down over Texas.

[SoDak_IndyFan]

One way Bush could make that go away and actually come out ahead on the ANG business is to provide some proof that he was there. He could use the whole thing as proof that the other side was out to get him. Might not be true, but he could still use it that way if only he would provide some proof that he actually served out his tour like he was supposed to do.

In addition to my post above, may I refer you to other posts I've made about some of my own military records being lost. He was in the ANG! Even when I was in the NG in the lates 80s (after active duty), sometimes the record keeping wasn't all that hot.

As far as him being a coward, I am not sure. Joining the Guard was a well known way to avoid service in Vietnam. But for some it was not a matter of being brave or not, but wanting to avoid a war that they saw as either immoral or futile and not blemish their record. I would not be in position to judge what anyone's particular feelings were during that time.

So, you'r saying you're no longer going to "judge" George W. Bush's service record? I applaude that!

Yes, a lot of planes were lost over Vietnam during that time, but I don't recall any planes being shot down over Texas.

And...here I thought we were doing so well based upon your previous couple of sentences. See my post above regarding the near-desperate situation the Air Force found itself in at different stages of the war. No, he never went over there. Could he have been called up, potentially. Could William Jefferson Clinton have served his country AT LEAST to the extent that George Walker Bush did? Absolutely, but he chose a third course entirely.

[mds24]

Let them come out and claim he is a coward

The retort will be about several times the SS right after 9/11 recommended he leave the White House for a secure location due to what were considered substantial threats against the WH

His response as documented by Bob Woodward was that he would not allow the terrorists to believe they had him on the run - that if they wanted him they could come and get him at the WH. And that despite being told that with the amount of time it would take a plane to hit the WH there would not be time to evacuate to the underground bunker before it hit.

Also there was a time a couple of days after 9/11 when he was returning from seeing injured in the hospital and an aide came out to the limo before he could get out to enter the WH and said there was credible report that the WH was about to be attacked and they wanted him to leave. His reply was why tell him that there where all the media could see if he did not get out of the limo

Try using the coward card, its well documented there were multiple times he stood up to what were claimed to be eminent threats against him and disregarded the threats to his life.

[IndyJim]

I was taught to support your President, whether you voted for him or not.

I was taught to pray for the President, whether you voted for him or not.

As I have gotten older, the more I realize that no person is perfect, but that when we focus on our good qualities and those of others that bridges are built and more good comes out of it.

I highly recommend Mitch Alboms new book, The Five People you Meet In Heaven. I don't want to give it away, but lets just say that sometimes we live an entire life so that we can be in a position to do something important in our life, even if it is for a fleeting moment.

The trend in American Politics is a sad one. Long gone are the days of discussing real issues, real solutions, and why you should vote for me.

It is the 10 second sound bite, why you should not vote for the other guy, and the ones who lose are the people.

Don't be part of the dumbing down process. We were attacked just a few years ago. Don't forget the feelings you had that day. We had a president who had to make some tough decisions, but ones he though were right. If you want to be ignorant and ignore the effect our war in Iraq has had on the behavior of some key other nations in that part of the world, go ahead. But tell us why we should vote for your guy, instead of just slamming the man who goes to bed with the weight of a nation on his shoulders.

[akimbo]

Originally posted by SoDak_IndyFan

Here's a question that occurs to me. WHY does Bush decide not to show so late in his ANG hitch? Huh, answer me that one!! What's he afraid of? Vietnam is done, finis , kaput, nada!! What you guys are leaving out there to dangle, unsaid, is that some how GWB was a coward.

Hey that goes without saying, but that not's why he didn't show. It's the same reason that he chose not to take his flight physical after the US military required drug testing. You fill in the blanks. I' sure you can and I'm sure you can understnad why Bush can't come clean.

This is not a minor issue and it won't go away. As the Republicans like to say this gets to the core of the character of Bush and character counts.

We've had that driven into our heads by the right and now it's payback time.

[akimbo]

Originally posted by Matt-OTN

Try using the coward card, its well documented there were multiple times he stood up to what were claimed to be eminent threats against him and disregarded the threats to his life.

So has royalty now threatened Bush?

Eminent threats indeed.