[Vision2020] Fw: Bush's flight from the Guard
Joan Opyr
auntiestablishment@hotmail.com
Tue, 27 Apr 2004 10:04:32 -0700
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And now for something completely different, the story of a man with neith=
er ribbons nor medals, just a gaping hole in his service records. --Joan=
Opyr =20
Forwarding from http://www.salon.com
Bush's flight from the Guard
Why was he abruptly grounded from flying? Why did he leave the Texas Guar=
d two years early? A key report answering those questions is still missin=
g from George W. Bush's records.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By James C. Moore
April 27, 2004 | The story keeps changing. And regardless of what the W=
hite House says about George W. Bush and his time in the Texas Air Nation=
al Guard, journalists tend to accept the explanation. I can't. The presid=
ent of the United States is lying to hide his behavior while he was a you=
ng pilot during the Vietnam War, and he has almost taken away reporters' =
ability to get the whole story. Unfortunately, the national media have ot=
her distractions, and they apparently don't think the Guard story is impo=
rtant enough to warrant additional effort. I think they are wrong. =20
The president's behavior while under oath to serve in the military is an =
important matter. By George W. Bush's own admission, there were at least =
eight months in 1972 when he was not performing assigned Guard duty. What=
if today's Guard members behaved as irresponsibly as Bush did during his=
hitch? Where would our war on terrorism be if they all acted as capricio=
usly as he did and they took off to go do something else while they were =
still under oath to serve? That's what the records prove George W. Bush d=
id. Aren't there young Americans in Iraq, who have been called to active =
duty in a war zone, who would rather be in Alabama? =20
The president and his staff are doing a very good job of convincing the p=
ublic he has released all of his National Guard records and that they pro=
ve he was responsible during his time in Alabama and Texas. But the criti=
cal documents have still not been seen. The mandatory written report abou=
t Bush's grounding is mysteriously not in the released file, nor is any o=
ther disciplinary evidence. A document showing a "roll-up," or the accumu=
lation of his total retirement points, is also absent, and so are his act=
ual pay stubs. If the president truly wanted to end the conjecture about =
his time in the Guard, he would allow an examination of his pay stubs and=
any IRS W-2 forms from his Guard years. These can be pieced together to =
determine when he was paid and whether he earned enough to have met his s=
worn obligations. =20
The narrative trail of the president's time in the Guard isn't easy to fo=
llow, and I have been pursuing it since Bush ran for governor of Texas in=
1994. When he began planning his race for the presidency, a few journali=
sts filed Freedom of Information requests for Bush's retained records at =
the Texas National Guard Headquarters at Camp Mabry in Austin. The file t=
hey received contained 160 pages. Dan Bartlett, now the White House commu=
nications director, who was working for the campaign at that time, said t=
hat represented the entirety of the record. However, when the Bush admini=
stration provided White House reporters with the "complete" file in the d=
ead-news zone of a Friday night in early February, there were about 400 p=
ages. Two hundred forty pages, unavailable to us during the presidential =
campaign, had suddenly been discovered. Nonetheless, the most important d=
ocuments were still missing. Reporters just didn't know what was absent. =20
In April of 1972, the young lieutenant made a unilateral decision that he=
was no longer going to fly. Although he had taken an oath to serve for s=
ix years in his privileged position in the Texas Air Guard, George W. Bus=
h left for Alabama two years before his hitch was up. Taxpayers had spent=
close to a million dollars training him to fly a fighter jet, but he was=
intent on working in a U.S. senate campaign. Bush's Guard file shows tha=
t he did not request a transfer until a few months later, and it was turn=
ed down. Bush, who was due to report to his Houston air base for a physic=
al on or before his July 6 birthday, failed to return from Alabama. He wa=
s subsequently grounded on orders from Maj. Gen. Francis Greenlief. And t=
his is where the mystery begins. =20
Taking away a pilot's wings was not a minor decision. During the course o=
f investigating this matter over the past decade, I was told by numerous =
Guard sources that pilots simply did not skip their physicals for any rea=
son. Bush may have thought this was a good strategy for getting out of hi=
s obligation to the Guard. However, there had to be an investigation into=
his grounding. Normally, a formal board of inquiry would have been conve=
ned to examine the pilot's failure to keep his physical status current. A=
t a minimum, a commanding officer would have been expected to write a nar=
rative report on why one of his pilots had been taken off the flight duty=
roster. Either that report, or the findings of the board of inquiry, wou=
ld then be sent to the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver and to the =
Texas Guard headquarters in Austin. A pilot simply did not walk away from=
all of that training with two years remaining on his tour of duty withou=
t a formal explanation as to what happened and why. This narrative report=
is the document the public has never seen and the Bush White House is un=
likely to ever release. Disciplinary action taken against Bush ought to b=
e a part of his personnel record. No such files have ever been disclosed.=
=20
When the Bush campaign began pressuring Sen. John Kerry to release his co=
mplete military file, Bartlett spoke as though Bush were occupying the mo=
ral high ground on the issue. "The president made a pledge before the Ame=
rican people, and he made his complete file available to the media and th=
e public," Bartlett told the Boston Globe. "They were able to review all =
of his medical records." Bartlett, who acted as liaison between Gov. Bush=
's administration and the Texas Guard, has insisted all of the president'=
s service points documents, performance sheets, and any existing records =
have been made public. This is, of course, patently not true. There is no=
thing that offers a report of disciplinary action against the young pilot=
, nor has anyone seen pay stubs or a total retirement-points sheet. =20
And there are simple explanations as to why those documents disappeared. =
If the materials were ever provided to reporters, it would be an uncompli=
cated exercise to determine whether Bush served enough time to have met h=
is legal obligation. We would also learn if his grounding was a product o=
f inappropriate behavior for an officer, and if, in fact, the rumors of e=
xcessive use of alcohol and drugs played a role in his loss of flight sta=
tus. =20
Unlike lawyers, journalists pay little attention to concepts like chain o=
f custody for evidence. In the case of the president's Guard records, who=
ever possessed them and had the motive and opportunity to clean them up i=
s a critical question. When Bush left the Guard about a half year early t=
o attend Harvard Business School, his hard-copy record was retained in a =
military personnel records jacket at the Austin offices of the Texas Guar=
d. Eventually, those documents were committed to microfiche. A copy of th=
e microfiche was then sent to the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver =
and the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Those records are=
considered private, and they cannot be released to anyone without the si=
gnature of the serviceman or woman. The White House has never indicated t=
hat Bush has signed the authorization form. And this is what prompts unen=
ding suspicion. =20
The documents given to Washington reporters were printed from one of thos=
e two microfiches. According to two separate sources within the Guard who=
saw the printout and spoke with me, the microfiche was shipped to the of=
fice of Maj. Gen. Danny James, commander of the Air National Guard Bureau=
in Arlington, Va. James' staff printed out all of the documents on the f=
ilm and then, according to those same sources, James vetted the material.=
Subsequent to being scrutinized by James (who commanded the Texas Guard =
and was promoted to Washington by Bush,) the records were then sent to th=
e White House for further scrutiny prior to release to the news media. =20
This is a considerably different process from what was practiced by Sen. =
John McCain during the 2000 presidential campaign. McCain, who spent seve=
ral years in solitary confinement during the Vietnam War, was the target =
of a whispering campaign during the South Carolina primary. Political rep=
orters, who suspected the story originated with Bush political strategist=
Karl Rove, were being told by third parties that McCain had mental probl=
ems that made him a presidential risk. McCain signed a release form, and =
his entire record, a stack of papers more than a foot tall, was made avai=
lable to reporters without being vetted by the campaign. The allegations =
about his mental health died shortly after McCain authorized full disclos=
ure. =20
The Bush administration is playing semantic games with the public regardi=
ng the president's Guard files. While Bartlett insists they have been rel=
eased, there is no proof that Bush has even signed a release-authorizatio=
n form. The limited release of those 400 pages may have been over his sig=
nature. However, the White House is clearly deciding what papers to share=
and what to keep private. No one has ever seen proof that the president =
did sign the necessary release forms, and officials at the Denver and St.=
Louis records centers are no longer commenting. If the president did wri=
te his name on the necessary forms, why not share that with the public? I=
t would be a positive indication that he was in favor of the flow of info=
rmation about his Guard years, and it could be expected to have a positiv=
e political effect. =20
Even if Bush had cleared the public viewing of his entire file, he ought =
not to have shipped it to James for printing and examination. According t=
o Lt. Col. Bill Burkett, who was a strategic planning officer for the Tex=
as National Guard during Bush's gubernatorial administration, James order=
ed a cleanup of the Bush Guard files in 1997. Burkett said he was waiting=
outside James' office when he heard a speakerphone conversation between =
the commander of the Texas Guard and Joe Allbaugh, Bush's chief of staff =
in Texas. Recounting the conversation, Burkett said he heard Allbaugh tel=
l James to "clean up the governor's files and remove any embarrassments i=
n case he wants to run for reelection or something higher." =20
"Karen [Hughes] and Danny [Bartlett] are going to be coming out to take a=
look at this file," Allbaugh said. "They're going to write a book." =20
In a telephone conversation with me late last year, James denied the conv=
ersation ever occurred. Burkett, nonetheless, said James repeated the ord=
ers the next morning around the coffee machine while Burkett, James and t=
wo other officers were having a conversation. I leaked Burkett's story to=
the national media shortly after filmmaker Michael Moore described the p=
resident as a "deserter" and set off a furor. White House reporters sudde=
nly began asking questions and the Bush administration was compelled to r=
espond. Allbaugh went on NBC News with correspondent Norah O'Donnell and =
called Burkett "some goober from West Texas." =20
But Burkett's story fits with what we know. =20
About 10 days after he overheard the conversation, Burkett said he was le=
d to the museum on Camp Mabry by an old friend, Chief Warrant Officer Geo=
rge Conn. According to Burkett, he and Conn came upon Gen. John Scribner,=
who was standing next to a 10-gallon gun-metal-gray wastebasket. Scribne=
r had the military personnel records jacket of George W. Bush open in fro=
nt of him and was sorting through papers it contained. =20
"What are you doing?" Conn is said to have asked. =20
"Just going through this," Burkett recalled Scribner answering. "It looks=
like they are going to have to reconstruct this out of Denver." =20
In Burkett's recollection of this meeting, Conn took Scribner aside to ta=
lk and Burkett went through papers that had been placed in the trash. He =
said he saw critical documents, such as retirement and cumulative-points =
records, being discarded. He was unable to determine if the report on Bus=
h's grounding was in the trash. =20
Scribner, who is now retired, refused to take questions from me. However,=
when the story broke nationally, he denied the incident. =20
"I have no memory of anything like that taking place," he said. =20
Burkett, though, had already taken up his claims about the Bush file clea=
nsing in official channels, and there was earlier evidence to corroborate=
his claims. He had written a letter to Texas State Sen. Gonzalo Barrient=
os, and, in testimony before legislators, spoke of numerous irregularitie=
s in the Texas National Guard. But no one wanted to hear it. The hometown=
boy, George W. Bush, was running for president, and everyone was getting=
on the bus. =20
A few years later, Dave Moniz of USA Today spoke with Burkett about alleg=
ations that the lieutenant colonel had witnessed a senior official at the=
Guard removing documents from Bush's military personnel records jacket. =
Burkett again said the papers bearing Bush's name were being dropped into=
a wastebasket. Conn, in interviews with Moniz, confirmed Burkett's descr=
iption of events for the paper. For whatever reason, Moniz's editors chos=
e not to run the story. =20
The key to proving Burkett's allegations was Conn. I contacted him in Eur=
ope via e-mail. He was nonresponsive to my inquiries. Conn did, however, =
offer a character reference on Burkett to Ralph Blumenthal of the New Yor=
k Times, which described Burkett as truthful and honorable. Conn wasn't t=
he only one who felt that way. Harvey Gough, another Texas Guard officer,=
recalled being told about the Bush file incident by Burkett right after =
it happened, and several others within the Guard attested to Burkett's in=
tegrity. Conn, in fact, had stuck by Burkett throughout his Texas senate =
testimony on Guard malfeasance, in his letter to the state senator, and w=
hile serving as a source for USA Today's eventual report. In seven years,=
Burkett's story has never changed. The only thing new is Conn's failure =
to support his friend. Why? =20
Conn is a civilian employee of the U.S. Army in Germany. The White House =
can pull any number of levers to influence his comments. Conn, undoubtedl=
y, had reason to worry about his employment if he stuck by Burkett. Burke=
tt, however, understands what he is confronting. He still considers Conn =
a friend. "But I can't expect him to give up his life for me over this," =
Burkett told me. =20
In an interview with the Boston Globe, Conn said Burkett's memory was ina=
ccurate and no such encounter had ever happened. Reporter Michael Rezende=
s failed to explore why Conn may have decided not to back up Burkett. In =
a half hour conversation with me, Rezendes ended up using one terse quote=
in his piece where I described the standoff as a classic "he said, she s=
aid." He did not tell his readers all of the people I interviewed about B=
urkett's claims. Rezendes' piece was ultimately posted on the Bush/Cheney=
campaign Web site because it did such an effective job of discrediting B=
urkett. =20
A writer's job includes connecting the pieces. I told Rezendes that a com=
bination of facts made Burkett's story believable. Reporters had discover=
ed there were documents missing from the Bush file in Austin. Combine tha=
t fact with Karl Rove's history of deceptive political tactics, Burkett's=
impeccable reputation as an officer and a man, and his story is worth te=
lling, even after Conn withdrew his affirmation of events. The informatio=
n speaks for itself, and rather loudly. Burkett is in poor health, living=
on the edge of the desert in West Texas, and trying to enjoy his retirem=
ent after 28 years of service in the National Guard. His wife was an orga=
nizer in the state for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Bur=
kett is uncomfortable on camera, and, as a result of a virus contracted w=
hile on duty in Panama, is subject to physical collapse. This is hardly t=
he profile of a man who would choose to make up a story and take on the W=
hite House. =20
Burkett's story about the manipulation of Bush's "retained record" has ne=
ver changed nor has he ever wavered in its retelling. And the "retained r=
ecord" of Bush's time in the Texas National Guard is what reporters were =
using to write their first stories on the presidential candidate. If it h=
ad been cleaned up, as Burkett alleged, the only place to find the comple=
te file would be on the microfiche. This is undoubtedly why the president=
has not simply ordered the entire file printed out and released without =
restriction to news media outlets. The paper records, which may explain t=
he grounding and prove the president did not serve sufficient time to mee=
t his legal obligation to the Guard, have likely been removed from the Au=
stin files. But the microfiche has the whole truth, and that's why its di=
ssemination is being controlled. =20
The irony in all of this is that I am largely responsible for reducing ac=
cess to those records. During the 1994 Texas gubernatorial race between A=
nn Richards and George W. Bush, I was a panelist on the only televised de=
bate between the two candidates. The question I chose to ask Bush first w=
as about the National Guard. I had lost friends in Vietnam, and many of t=
hem had tried to get into the Guard. We were all told that there was a wa=
iting list of up to five years. The Guard was the best method for getting=
out of combat in Vietnam. You needed connections. George W. Bush had the=
m. =20
"Mr. Bush," I said. "How did you get into the Guard so easily? One hundre=
d thousand guys our age were on the waiting list, and you say you walked =
in and signed up to become a pilot. Did your congressman father exercise =
any influence on your behalf?" =20
"Not that I know of, Jim," the future president told me. "I certainly did=
n't ask for any. And I'm sure my father didn't either. They just had an o=
pening for a pilot and I was there at the right time." =20
Maybe. But it's more likely he was there at the right time with the right=
name. Col. Buck Staudt, who ran the air wing in which Bush served, had f=
illed his "champagne unit" with the politically connected and wealthy. Th=
e sons of U.S. Sens. Lloyd Bentsen and John Tower of Texas were in that u=
nit, along with the son of Texas Gov. John Connally and the two sons of S=
idney Adger, George H.W. Bush's closest friend in Houston. I should have =
let that speak for itself. =20
"As soon as you asked that question," one Guard officer told me, "they we=
nt about the business of building their alternative story. They contacted=
all of Bush's commanders and friends from that time to make sure they wo=
uld all stand by Bush." =20
And, undoubtedly, Rove and company went to work on cleaning up the files.=
The stonewalling on this is still succeeding. Reporters calling the Nati=
onal Guard offices in Arlington and the Pentagon are being told the staff=
is no longer authorized to speak about the president and his time in the=
Guard. One national reporter, who is still trying to get to the bottom o=
f the controversy, told me the White House said they were not going to ta=
lk about the Guard matter any further. =20
And, sadly, the questions have stopped. =20
- - - - - - - - - - - -
About the writer
James C. Moore, a long-time journalist in Texas, is the co-author of "Bus=
h=E2=80=99s Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential" and au=
thor of the recently published "Bush=E2=80=99s War for Reelection: Iraq, =
the White House and the People." Get more from the Web. FREE MSN Explore=
r download : http://explorer.msn.com
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<HTML><BODY STYLE=3D"font:10pt verdana; border:none;"><DIV> <DIV><SPAN st=
yle=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso=
-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fa=
reast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT size=3D3>And now f=
or something completely different, the story of a man with neither ribbon=
s nor medals, just a gaping hole in his service records. --Joan Opy=
r </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: =
black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times Ne=
w Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi=
-language: AR-SA"><FONT size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN st=
yle=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso=
-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fa=
reast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT size=3D3>Forwardin=
g from <A href=3D"http://www.salon.com">http://www.salon.com</A></FONT></=
SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMIL=
Y: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ans=
i-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"=
></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; F=
ONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'=
; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-languag=
e: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR:=
black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times N=
ew Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bid=
i-language: AR-SA"></SPAN><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; F=
ONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'=
; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-languag=
e: AR-SA"><FONT size=3D5>Bush's flight from the Guard<BR><!-- Deck --></F=
ONT><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Why was he abru=
ptly grounded from flying? Why did he leave the Texas Guard two years ear=
ly? A key report answering those questions is still missing from George W=
Bush's records.</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt=
; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: =
'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;=
mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-S=
IZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font=
-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-languag=
e: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times,=
serif" color=3D#999999 size=3D-1>- - - - - - - - - - - -</FONT><BR><!-- =
Byline --><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2><=
B>By James C. Moore</B></FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE=
: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-fa=
mily: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: =
EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"=
FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareas=
t-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-l=
anguage: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"Verdana, Arial, H=
elvetica, sans-serif" size=3D2>April 27, 2004 | </FONT> <!-- e=
nd default pre content --><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" s=
ize=3D3>The story keeps changing. And regardless of what the White House =
says about George W. Bush and his time in the Texas Air National Guard, j=
ournalists tend to accept the explanation. I can't. The president of the =
United States is lying to hide his behavior while he was a young pilot du=
ring the Vietnam War, and he has almost taken away reporters' ability to =
get the whole story. Unfortunately, the national media have other distrac=
tions, and they apparently don't think the Guard story is important enoug=
h to warrant additional effort. I think they are wrong. </FONT></SPAN></D=
IV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Time=
s New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-langua=
ge: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT f=
ace=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>=
<DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times N=
ew Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language:=
EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=
=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The president's behavior whil=
e under oath to serve in the military is an important matter. By George W=
Bush's own admission, there were at least eight months in 1972 when he =
was not performing assigned Guard duty. What if today's Guard members beh=
aved as irresponsibly as Bush did during his hitch? Where would our war o=
n terrorism be if they all acted as capriciously as he did and they took =
off to go do something else while they were still under oath to serve? Th=
at's what the records prove George W. Bush did. Aren't there young Americ=
ans in Iraq, who have been called to active duty in a war zone, who would=
rather be in Alabama? </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE=
: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-fa=
mily: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: =
EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, se=
rif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 1=
2pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-famil=
y: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-=
US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif=
" size=3D3>The president and his staff are doing a very good job of convi=
ncing the public he has released all of his National Guard records and th=
at they prove he was responsible during his time in Alabama and Texas. Bu=
t the critical documents have still not been seen. The mandatory written =
report about Bush's grounding is mysteriously not in the released file, n=
or is any other disciplinary evidence. A document showing a "roll-up," or=
the accumulation of his total retirement points, is also absent, and so =
are his actual pay stubs. If the president truly wanted to end the conjec=
ture about his time in the Guard, he would allow an examination of his pa=
y stubs and any IRS W-2 forms from his Guard years. These can be pieced t=
ogether to determine when he was paid and whether he earned enough to hav=
e met his sworn obligations. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FON=
T-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-f=
ont-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-lang=
uage: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, tim=
es, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-S=
IZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font=
-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-languag=
e: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times,=
serif" size=3D3>The narrative trail of the president's time in the Guard=
isn't easy to follow, and I have been pursuing it since Bush ran for gov=
ernor of Texas in 1994. When he began planning his race for the presidenc=
y, a few journalists filed Freedom of Information requests for Bush's ret=
ained records at the Texas National Guard Headquarters at Camp Mabry in A=
ustin. The file they received contained 160 pages. Dan Bartlett, now the =
White House communications director, who was working for the campaign at =
that time, said that represented the entirety of the record. However, whe=
n the Bush administration provided White House reporters with the "comple=
te" file in the dead-news zone of a Friday night in early February, there=
were about 400 pages. Two hundred forty pages, unavailable to us during =
the presidential campaign, had suddenly been discovered. Nonetheless, the=
most important documents were still missing. Reporters just didn't know =
what was absent. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt=
; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: =
'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;=
mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" s=
ize=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; C=
OLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Ti=
mes New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; ms=
o-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=
=3D3>In April of 1972, the young lieutenant made a unilateral decision th=
at he was no longer going to fly. Although he had taken an oath to serve =
for six years in his privileged position in the Texas Air Guard, George W=
Bush left for Alabama two years before his hitch was up. Taxpayers had =
spent close to a million dollars training him to fly a fighter jet, but h=
e was intent on working in a U.S. senate campaign. Bush's Guard file show=
s that he did not request a transfer until a few months later, and it was=
turned down. Bush, who was due to report to his Houston air base for a p=
hysical on or before his July 6 birthday, failed to return from Alabama. =
He was subsequently grounded on orders from Maj. Gen. Francis Greenlief. =
And this is where the mystery begins. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN sty=
le=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-=
fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-far=
east-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new r=
oman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D=
"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-farea=
st-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-=
language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman,=
times, serif" size=3D3>Taking away a pilot's wings was not a minor decis=
ion. During the course of investigating this matter over the past decade,=
I was told by numerous Guard sources that pilots simply did not skip the=
ir physicals for any reason. Bush may have thought this was a good strate=
gy for getting out of his obligation to the Guard. However, there had to =
be an investigation into his grounding. Normally, a formal board of inqui=
ry would have been convened to examine the pilot's failure to keep his ph=
ysical status current. At a minimum, a commanding officer would have been=
expected to write a narrative report on why one of his pilots had been t=
aken off the flight duty roster. Either that report, or the findings of t=
he board of inquiry, would then be sent to the Air Reserve Personnel Cent=
er in Denver and to the Texas Guard headquarters in Austin. A pilot simpl=
y did not walk away from all of that training with two years remaining on=
his tour of duty without a formal explanation as to what happened and wh=
y. This narrative report is the document the public has never seen and th=
e Bush White House is unlikely to ever release. Disciplinary action taken=
against Bush ought to be a part of his personnel record. No such files h=
ave ever been disclosed. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SI=
ZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-=
family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language=
: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, =
serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE:=
12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-fam=
ily: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: E=
N-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, ser=
if" size=3D3>When the Bush campaign began pressuring Sen. John Kerry to r=
elease his complete military file, Bartlett spoke as though Bush were occ=
upying the moral high ground on the issue. "The president made a pledge b=
efore the American people, and he made his complete file available to the=
media and the public," Bartlett told the Boston Globe. "They were able t=
o review all of his medical records." Bartlett, who acted as liaison betw=
een Gov. Bush's administration and the Texas Guard, has insisted all of t=
he president's service points documents, performance sheets, and any exis=
ting records have been made public. This is, of course, patently not true=
There is nothing that offers a report of disciplinary action against th=
e young pilot, nor has anyone seen pay stubs or a total retirement-points=
sheet. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: =
black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times Ne=
w Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi=
-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3><=
/FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: bla=
ck; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New R=
oman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-la=
nguage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>And =
there are simple explanations as to why those documents disappeared. If t=
he materials were ever provided to reporters, it would be an uncomplicate=
d exercise to determine whether Bush served enough time to have met his l=
egal obligation. We would also learn if his grounding was a product of in=
appropriate behavior for an officer, and if, in fact, the rumors of exces=
sive use of alcohol and drugs played a role in his loss of flight status.=
</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; =
FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman=
'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-langua=
ge: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT><=
/SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FON=
T-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language:=
AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Unlike lawy=
ers, journalists pay little attention to concepts like chain of custody f=
or evidence. In the case of the president's Guard records, whoever posses=
sed them and had the motive and opportunity to clean them up is a critica=
l question. When Bush left the Guard about a half year early to attend Ha=
rvard Business School, his hard-copy record was retained in a military pe=
rsonnel records jacket at the Austin offices of the Texas Guard. Eventual=
ly, those documents were committed to microfiche. A copy of the microfich=
e was then sent to the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver and the Nat=
ional Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. Those records are considered=
private, and they cannot be released to anyone without the signature of =
the serviceman or woman. The White House has never indicated that Bush ha=
s signed the authorization form. And this is what prompts unending suspic=
ion. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: bla=
ck; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New R=
oman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-la=
nguage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FO=
NT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black;=
FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roma=
n'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-langu=
age: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The doc=
uments given to Washington reporters were printed from one of those two m=
icrofiches. According to two separate sources within the Guard who saw th=
e printout and spoke with me, the microfiche was shipped to the office of=
Maj. Gen. Danny James, commander of the Air National Guard Bureau in Arl=
ington, Va. James' staff printed out all of the documents on the film and=
then, according to those same sources, James vetted the material. Subseq=
uent to being scrutinized by James (who commanded the Texas Guard and was=
promoted to Washington by Bush,) the records were then sent to the White=
House for further scrutiny prior to release to the news media. </FONT></=
SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMIL=
Y: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ans=
i-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"=
><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN>&nbs=
p;</DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: =
'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-l=
anguage: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><F=
ONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>This is a considerabl=
y different process from what was practiced by Sen. John McCain during th=
e 2000 presidential campaign. McCain, who spent several years in solitary=
confinement during the Vietnam War, was the target of a whispering campa=
ign during the South Carolina primary. Political reporters, who suspected=
the story originated with Bush political strategist Karl Rove, were bein=
g told by third parties that McCain had mental problems that made him a p=
residential risk. McCain signed a release form, and his entire record, a =
stack of papers more than a foot tall, was made available to reporters wi=
thout being vetted by the campaign. The allegations about his mental heal=
th died shortly after McCain authorized full disclosure. </FONT></SPAN></=
DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tim=
es New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-langu=
age: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT =
face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV=
> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times =
New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language=
: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT fac=
e=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The Bush administration is p=
laying semantic games with the public regarding the president's Guard fil=
es. While Bartlett insists they have been released, there is no proof tha=
t Bush has even signed a release-authorization form. The limited release =
of those 400 pages may have been over his signature. However, the White H=
ouse is clearly deciding what papers to share and what to keep private. N=
o one has ever seen proof that the president did sign the necessary relea=
se forms, and officials at the Denver and St. Louis records centers are n=
o longer commenting. If the president did write his name on the necessary=
forms, why not share that with the public? It would be a positive indica=
tion that he was in favor of the flow of information about his Guard year=
s, and it could be expected to have a positive political effect. </FONT><=
/SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMI=
LY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-an=
si-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA=
"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN>&nb=
sp;</DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY:=
'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-=
language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><=
FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Even if Bush had cle=
ared the public viewing of his entire file, he ought not to have shipped =
it to James for printing and examination. <A href=3D"http://salon.com/new=
s/feature/2004/02/14/burkett/index.html">According to Lt. Col. Bill Burke=
tt,</A> who was a strategic planning officer for the Texas National Guard=
during Bush's gubernatorial administration, James ordered a cleanup of t=
he Bush Guard files in 1997. Burkett said he was waiting outside James' o=
ffice when he heard a speakerphone conversation between the commander of =
the Texas Guard and Joe Allbaugh, Bush's chief of staff in Texas. Recount=
ing the conversation, Burkett said he heard Allbaugh tell James to "clean=
up the governor's files and remove any embarrassments in case he wants t=
o run for reelection or something higher." </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPA=
N style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman';=
mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; ms=
o-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times =
new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN s=
tyle=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; ms=
o-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-f=
areast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new=
roman, times, serif" size=3D3>"Karen [Hughes] and Danny [Bartlett] are g=
oing to be coming out to take a look at this file," Allbaugh said. "They'=
re going to write a book." </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-=
SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-fon=
t-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-langua=
ge: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times=
, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZ=
E: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-f=
amily: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language:=
EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, s=
erif" size=3D3>In a telephone conversation with me late last year, James =
denied the conversation ever occurred. Burkett, nonetheless, said James r=
epeated the orders the next morning around the coffee machine while Burke=
tt, James and two other officers were having a conversation. I leaked Bur=
kett's story to the national media shortly after filmmaker Michael Moore =
described the president as a "deserter" and set off a furor. White House =
reporters suddenly began asking questions and the Bush administration was=
compelled to respond. Allbaugh went on NBC News with correspondent Norah=
O'Donnell and called Burkett "some goober from West Texas." </FONT></SPA=
N></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: =
'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-l=
anguage: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><F=
ONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> <=
/DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Ti=
mes New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-lang=
uage: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT=
face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>But Burkett's story fits=
with what we know. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 1=
2pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-famil=
y: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-=
US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif=
" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt=
; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: =
'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;=
mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" s=
ize=3D3>About 10 days after he overheard the conversation, Burkett said h=
e was led to the museum on Camp Mabry by an old friend, Chief Warrant Off=
icer George Conn. According to Burkett, he and Conn came upon Gen. John S=
cribner, who was standing next to a 10-gallon gun-metal-gray wastebasket.=
Scribner had the military personnel records jacket of George W. Bush ope=
n in front of him and was sorting through papers it contained. </FONT></S=
PAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY=
: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi=
-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">=
<FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> =
;</DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: '=
Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-la=
nguage: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FO=
NT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>"What are you doing?" =
Conn is said to have asked. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT=
-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-fo=
nt-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-langu=
age: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, time=
s, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SI=
ZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-=
family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language=
: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, =
serif" size=3D3>"Just going through this," Burkett recalled Scribner answ=
ering. "It looks like they are going to have to reconstruct this out of D=
enver." </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: =
black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times Ne=
w Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi=
-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3><=
/FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: bla=
ck; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New R=
oman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-la=
nguage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>In B=
urkett's recollection of this meeting, Conn took Scribner aside to talk a=
nd Burkett went through papers that had been placed in the trash. He said=
he saw critical documents, such as retirement and cumulative-points reco=
rds, being discarded. He was unable to determine if the report on Bush's =
grounding was in the trash. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT=
-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-fo=
nt-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-langu=
age: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, time=
s, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SI=
ZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-=
family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language=
: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, =
serif" size=3D3>Scribner, who is now retired, refused to take questions f=
rom me. However, when the story broke nationally, he denied the incident.=
</FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; =
FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman=
'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-langua=
ge: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT><=
/SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FON=
T-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; =
mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language:=
AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>"I have no =
memory of anything like that taking place," he said. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>=
<DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times N=
ew Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language:=
EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=
=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <D=
IV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New =
Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN=
-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D=
"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Burkett, though, had already tak=
en up his claims about the Bush file cleansing in official channels, and =
there was earlier evidence to corroborate his claims. He had written a le=
tter to Texas State Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, and, in testimony before leg=
islators, spoke of numerous irregularities in the Texas National Guard. B=
ut no one wanted to hear it. The hometown boy, George W. Bush, was runnin=
g for president, and everyone was getting on the bus. </FONT></SPAN></DIV=
> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times =
New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language=
: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT fac=
e=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <=
DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New=
Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: E=
N-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D=
"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>A few years later, Dave Moniz of=
USA Today spoke with Burkett about allegations that the lieutenant colon=
el had witnessed a senior official at the Guard removing documents from B=
ush's military personnel records jacket. Burkett again said the papers be=
aring Bush's name were being dropped into a wastebasket. Conn, in intervi=
ews with Moniz, confirmed Burkett's description of events for the paper. =
For whatever reason, Moniz's editors chose not to run the story. </FONT><=
/SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMI=
LY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-an=
si-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA=
"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN>&nb=
sp;</DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY:=
'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-=
language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><=
FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>The key to proving B=
urkett's allegations was Conn. I contacted him in Europe via e-mail. He w=
as nonresponsive to my inquiries. Conn did, however, offer a character re=
ference on Burkett to Ralph Blumenthal of the New York Times, which descr=
ibed Burkett as truthful and honorable. Conn wasn't the only one who felt=
that way. Harvey Gough, another Texas Guard officer, recalled being told=
about the Bush file incident by Burkett right after it happened, and sev=
eral others within the Guard attested to Burkett's integrity. Conn, in fa=
ct, had stuck by Burkett throughout his Texas senate testimony on Guard m=
alfeasance, in his letter to the state senator, and while serving as a so=
urce for USA Today's eventual report. In seven years, Burkett's story has=
never changed. The only thing new is Conn's failure to support his frien=
d. Why? </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: =
black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times Ne=
w Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi=
-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3><=
/FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: bla=
ck; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New R=
oman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-la=
nguage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Conn=
is a civilian employee of the U.S. Army in Germany. The White House can =
pull any number of levers to influence his comments. Conn, undoubtedly, h=
ad reason to worry about his employment if he stuck by Burkett. Burkett, =
however, understands what he is confronting. He still considers Conn a fr=
iend. "But I can't expect him to give up his life for me over this," Burk=
ett told me. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; CO=
LOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Tim=
es New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso=
-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D=
3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: =
black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times Ne=
w Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi=
-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>I=
n an interview with the Boston Globe, Conn said Burkett's memory was inac=
curate and no such encounter had ever happened. Reporter Michael Rezendes=
failed to explore why Conn may have decided not to back up Burkett. In a=
half hour conversation with me, Rezendes ended up using one terse quote =
in his piece where I described the standoff as a classic "he said, she sa=
id." He did not tell his readers all of the people I interviewed about Bu=
rkett's claims. Rezendes' piece was ultimately posted on the Bush/Cheney =
campaign Web site because it did such an effective job of discrediting Bu=
rkett. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: b=
lack; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New=
Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-=
language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></=
FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blac=
k; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Ro=
man'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-lan=
guage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>A wri=
ter's job includes connecting the pieces. I told Rezendes that a combinat=
ion of facts made Burkett's story believable. Reporters had discovered th=
ere were documents missing from the Bush file in Austin. Combine that fac=
t with Karl Rove's history of deceptive political tactics, Burkett's impe=
ccable reputation as an officer and a man, and his story is worth telling=
, even after Conn withdrew his affirmation of events. The information spe=
aks for itself, and rather loudly. Burkett is in poor health, living on t=
he edge of the desert in West Texas, and trying to enjoy his retirement a=
fter 28 years of service in the National Guard. His wife was an organizer=
in the state for Republican presidential candidate John McCain. Burkett =
is uncomfortable on camera, and, as a result of a virus contracted while =
on duty in Panama, is subject to physical collapse. This is hardly the pr=
ofile of a man who would choose to make up a story and take on the White =
House. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: b=
lack; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New=
Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-=
language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></=
FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: blac=
k; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Ro=
man'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-lan=
guage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Burke=
tt's story about the manipulation of Bush's "retained record" has never c=
hanged nor has he ever wavered in its retelling. And the "retained record=
" of Bush's time in the Texas National Guard is what reporters were using=
to write their first stories on the presidential candidate. If it had be=
en cleaned up, as Burkett alleged, the only place to find the complete fi=
le would be on the microfiche. This is undoubtedly why the president has =
not simply ordered the entire file printed out and released without restr=
iction to news media outlets. The paper records, which may explain the gr=
ounding and prove the president did not serve sufficient time to meet his=
legal obligation to the Guard, have likely been removed from the Austin =
files. But the microfiche has the whole truth, and that's why its dissemi=
nation is being controlled. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT=
-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-fo=
nt-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-langu=
age: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, time=
s, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SI=
ZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-=
family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language=
: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, =
serif" size=3D3>The irony in all of this is that I am largely responsible=
for reducing access to those records. During the 1994 Texas gubernatoria=
l race between Ann Richards and George W. Bush, I was a panelist on the o=
nly televised debate between the two candidates. The question I chose to =
ask Bush first was about the National Guard. I had lost friends in Vietna=
m, and many of them had tried to get into the Guard. We were all told tha=
t there was a waiting list of up to five years. The Guard was the best me=
thod for getting out of combat in Vietnam. You needed connections. George=
W. Bush had them. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12=
pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family=
: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-U=
S; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif"=
size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt;=
COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: '=
Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; =
mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" si=
ze=3D3>"Mr. Bush," I said. "How did you get into the Guard so easily? One=
hundred thousand guys our age were on the waiting list, and you say you =
walked in and signed up to become a pilot. Did your congressman father ex=
ercise any influence on your behalf?" </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN sty=
le=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-=
fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-far=
east-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new r=
oman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D=
"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-farea=
st-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-=
language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman,=
times, serif" size=3D3>"Not that I know of, Jim," the future president t=
old me. "I certainly didn't ask for any. And I'm sure my father didn't ei=
ther. They just had an opening for a pilot and I was there at the right t=
ime." </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: bl=
ack; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New =
Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-l=
anguage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></F=
ONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black=
; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Rom=
an'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-lang=
uage: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>Maybe.=
But it's more likely he was there at the right time with the right name.=
Col. Buck Staudt, who ran the air wing in which Bush served, had filled =
his "champagne unit" with the politically connected and wealthy. The sons=
of U.S. Sens. Lloyd Bentsen and John Tower of Texas were in that unit, a=
long with the son of Texas Gov. John Connally and the two sons of Sidney =
Adger, George H.W. Bush's closest friend in Houston. I should have let th=
at speak for itself. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: =
12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-fami=
ly: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN=
-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, seri=
f" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12p=
t; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family:=
'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US=
; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" =
size=3D3>"As soon as you asked that question," one Guard officer told me,=
"they went about the business of building their alternative story. They =
contacted all of Bush's commanders and friends from that time to make sur=
e they would all stand by Bush." </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D=
"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-farea=
st-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-=
language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman,=
times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FO=
NT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-=
font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-lan=
guage: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, ti=
mes, serif" size=3D3>And, undoubtedly, Rove and company went to work on c=
leaning up the files. The stonewalling on this is still succeeding. Repor=
ters calling the National Guard offices in Arlington and the Pentagon are=
being told the staff is no longer authorized to speak about the presiden=
t and his time in the Guard. One national reporter, who is still trying t=
o get to the bottom of the controversy, told me the White House said they=
were not going to talk about the Guard matter any further. </FONT></SPAN=
></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: '=
Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-la=
nguage: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FO=
NT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3></FONT></SPAN> </=
DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Tim=
es New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-langu=
age: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT =
face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3>And, sadly, the questions=
have stopped. </FONT></SPAN></DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; =
COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'T=
imes New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; m=
so-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV> <DIV><SPAN style=3D"FONT-SIZ=
E: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-f=
amily: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language:=
EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, s=
erif" size=3D-1>- - - - - - - - - - - -</FONT></SPAN></DIV></DIV> <DIV><S=
PAN style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman=
'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; =
mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"> <TABLE cellSpacin=
g=3D0 cellPadding=3D0 width=3D250 border=3D0> <TBODY> <TR> <TD vAlign=3Dt=
op align=3Dleft><FONT face=3D"times new roman, times, serif" size=3D3> <P=
><B>About the writer</B><BR>James C. Moore, a long-time journalist in Tex=
as, is the co-author of "Bush=E2=80=99s Brain: How Karl Rove Made George =
W. Bush Presidential" and author of the recently published "Bush=E2=80=99=
s War for Reelection: Iraq, the White House and the People." </P></FONT><=
/TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></SPAN></DIV></BODY></HTML><br clear=3Dall><hr>G=
et more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : <a href=3D'http://exp=
lorer.msn.com'>http://explorer.msn.com</a><br></p>
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