This AP story just backs up Bush's Claims...

But it is a little disingenous.



The story says, "The records show his last flight was in April 1972, which is consistent with pay records indicating Bush had a large lapse of duty between April and October of that year. Bush has said he went to Alabama in 1972 to work on an unsuccessful Republican Senate campaign. Bush skipped a required medical exam that cost him his pilot's status in August of that year."



But then goes on to say, and uses the word "significantly" that "Significantly, it showed the unit joined a "24-hour active alert mission to safeguard against surprise attack" in the southern United State beginning on Oct. 6, 1972, a time when Bush did not report for duty, according to his pay records."



But the story JUST SAID 3 PARAGRAPHS BEFORE that Bush was in Alabama. So why would he be expected to be in Texas when he had received permission to be in Alabama Plus, isn't election day in NOVEMBER? So logic would suggest that Bush was in Alabama until at least November.



None of this is really that new. Yeah, some new records were released , but they really don't do anything other than corroborate Bush's story. FURTHERMORE, this is just another attempt to "smear" Bush on something he has not made an issue of: his Vietnam service. The Pres has gone out of his way to praise Flipper's Vietnam service, even calling it more admirable than his own. AND, unlike Flipper, Bush has not made his service in the Guard a reason to vote for him. That's just what he did during Vietnam, like a lot of people, who SERVED ADMIRABLY!



People who served in the Guard during Vietnam aren't draft dodgers. Neither are people who got deferrments. Draft dodgers are those who got drafted, but didn't go. They went to Canada or London.



There is one candidate who is making a big deal about who did what during Vietnam. This candidate seems to have forgotten what he said when it was Clinton's lack of service being examined.



But, when all you have to run on is your 4 months in 'Nam, and nothing but a liberal Senate record, you need all the smear help you can get.