David Corn 8/24/04: Bush claims "I was in the Air Force for over 600 days"

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

DU has a copy of the flyer, but Corn reported the story on August 24th:

W. Overstated His Military Record: David Corn, The Nation 8/24/04

http://www.thenation.com/capitalgames/index.mhtml?bid=3&pid=1704

Putting aside the controversy over Bush's Air National Guard service (or dereliction of duty), there was another instance when Bush clearly did not speak truthfully about his military record. In 1978, Bush, while running for Congress in West Texas, produced campaign literature that claimed he had served in the US Air Force. According to a 1999 Associated Press report, Bush's congressional campaign ran a pullout ad in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal that declared he had served "in the US Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard where he piloted the F-102 aircraft."

Bush lost that congressional race, but twenty-one years later, the AP questioned him about the ad. The news outlet had a good reason to do so. Bush had never served in the Air Force. He had only been in the Air National Guard. But when AP asked Bush if he had been justified in claiming service in the Air Force, Bush, then the governor of Texas and a presidential candidate, said, "I think so, yes. I was in the Air Force for over 600 days." Karen Hughes, his spokeswoman, maintained that when Bush attended flight school for the Air National Guard from 1968 to 1969 he was considered to be on active duty for the Air Force and that several times afterward he had been placed on alert, which also qualified as active duty for the Air Force. All told, she said, Bush had logged 607 days of training and alerts. "As an officer (in the Air National Guard)," she told the AP, "he was serving on active duty in the Air Force."

But this explanation was wrong. Says who? The Air Force. As the Associated Press reported, "The Air Force says that Air National Guard members are considered 'guardsmen on active duty' while receiving pilot training. They are not, however, counted as members of the overall active-duty Air Force. Anyone in the Air National Guard is always considered a guardsmen and not a member of the active-duty Air Force, according to an Air Force spokeswoman in the Pentagon. A National Guard member may be called to active duty for pilot training or another temporary assignment and receive active-duty pay at the time, but they remain Guard members."

[Tummler]

1. Here are links to the 7/14/1999 AP article

I collected these links for an 8/23/04 post here at DU, in the midst of the Swift Liars craze, but the post dropped like a rock. I'm glad to see that this story is in the news again.

The old AP story:

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- In 1978 campaign literature, George W. Bush said he served in the Air Force, a claim his presidential campaign says is legitimate based on time he spent training and on alert while a member of the Texas Air National Guard.

**snip**

A pullout ad from The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on May 4, 1978 shows a huge picture of Bush with a ''Bush for Congress'' logo on the front. On the back, a synopsis of his career says he served ''in the U.S. Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard where he piloted the F-102 aircraft.''

**snip**

Asked about the statement that the Texas governor served in the Air Force, spokeswoman Karen Hughes said Tuesday that it was all "accurate." She said that while Bush was attending flight school from November 1968 to November 1969, he was considered to be on active duty for the U.S. Air Force. Also, at several times when he was serving in the Guard, he was placed on alert and considered to be on active duty as well, she said. He worked 607 days of active duty service during the training and alerts, according to the campaign. "As an officer, he was serving on active duty in the Air Force," she said.

**snip**

Anyone in the Air National Guard is always considered a guardsmen and not a member of the active-duty Air Force, according to an Air Force spokeswoman in the Pentagon. A National Guard member may be called to active duty for pilot training or another temporary assignment and receive active-duty pay at the time, but they remain Guard members.

More at these sources for the old AP article:
http://www.dodgeglobe.com/stories/071499/new_bush.shtml
http://www.caller2.com/1999/july/14/today/texas_me/3182.html
http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/071499/tex_LD0664.001.shtml

On edit: the three links seem to have three different versions of the 7/14/1999 article. The Amarillo Globe-News link seems to be the most thorough.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

2. So apparently this story has no legs

...even though Bush and Hughes claimed he was in the National Guard, and the National Guard says he wasn't. Just a simple mistake on Bush's part, not a misrepresentation of his military history in order to win votes. Is there anything Bush CAN'T get away with?

[Tummler]

4. It will only have legs if we GIVE IT legs

People have known about this story for years, but it's never seemed to get any attention even at places like DU.

The newly uncovered scan of the 1978 ad could provide the "visual" we need to break through into the mainstream (whore) press.

[mckara]

3. Bush Isn't a Veteran

Check the VA eligibility website and you will see bush doesn't qualify. So, why was he wearing that American Legion hat a few years ago?

[Tummler]

5. Kick

... from the depths of GD:2004, page 2.

[Tummler]

6. Kick

This info (Corn's article as well as its basis, the original AP piece) provides important context to the scan of Bush's 1978 ad.

[Tummler]

7. Kick

:kick: