It just never stops....Bush has CLEARLY lied to the American people.
What really gets me, is that average Joe Republican thinks it's quite
all right...

Memos state Bush failed to meet standards, refused direct order

PETE YOST, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, September 9, 2004


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(09-09) 08:05 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) --

Addressing questions that have lingered for years, newly unearthed
memos state that George W. Bush failed to meet standards of the Texas
Air National Guard during the Vietnam war, that he refused a direct
order and that his superiors were in a state of turmoil over how to
evaluate his performance after he was suspended from flying.

One military official "is pushing to sugar coat it," one memo says of
a proposed evaluation of Bush.

"On this date I ordered that 1st Lt. Bush be suspended from flight
status due to failure to perform to USAF/TexANG standards and failure
to meet annual physical examination ... as ordered," says an Aug. 1,
1972 memo by a superior officer, Lt. Col. Jerry Killian, who is now
dead. Killian said in the memo that he wanted a formal inquiry into
the circumstances surrounding the flight suspension. No records have
surfaced that one was ever conducted.

"I conveyed my verbal orders to commander," Killian's memo stated.

The same memo notes that Bush was trying to transfer to non-flying
status out of state and recommends that the Texas unit fill his flying
slot "with a more seasoned pilot from the list of qualified Vietnam
pilots that have rotated."

The Vietnam-era documents add details to the bare-bones explanation of
Bush's aides over the years that he was suspended simply because he
decided to skip his flight physical.

The White House said in February that it had released all records of
Bush's service, but one of Killian's memos stated it was "for record"
and another directing Bush to take the physical exam stated that it
was "for 1st Lt. George W. Bush."

"I can't explain why that wouldn't be in his record, but they were
found in Jerry Killian's personal records," White House communications
director Dan Bartlett told CBS's "60 Minutes II," which first obtained
the memos.

Bartlett said Bush's superiors granted permission to train in Alabama
in a non-flying status and that "many of the documents you have here
affirm just that."

A memo dated May 19, 1972, five days after Bush was supposed to have
completed his physical, summarizes a telephone discussion with Bush
about how he "can get out of coming to drill from now through
November." It says Bush was "told he could do ET for three months or
transfer." ET referred to equivalent training, a procedure for meeting
training requirements without attending regularly scheduled drills.

The same memo says "we talked abut him getting his flight physical
situation fixed" and quotes Bush as saying he would "do that in
Alabama if he stays in a flight status." It also says, "I advised him
of our investment in him and his commitment."

Democratic Party chairman Terry McAuliffe said, "George W. Bush's
cover story on his National Guard service is rapidly unraveling. ...
George W. Bush needs to answer why he regularly misled the American
people about his time in the Guard and who applied political pressure
on his behalf to have his performance reviews 'sugarcoated"'

Bartlett told CBS, "As it says in your own documents, President Bush
talked to the commanders about the fact that he'd be transferring to a
unit ... in Alabama that didn't fly that plane," the F-102, the type
Bush was trained in.

Using only last names, one of the newly disclosed documents points to
sharp disagreement among Bush's superiors in Texas over how to
evaluate his performance for the period from mid-1972 through
mid-1973.

"Staudt has obviously pressured Hodges more about Bush," Killian wrote
on Aug. 18, 1973. "I'm having trouble running interference and doing
my job -- Harris gave me a message today from Grp regarding Bush's
OETR and Staudt is pushing to sugar coat it. Bush wasn't here during
rating period and I don't have any comments from 187th in Alabama. I
will not rate." Grp refers to a military unit and OETR stands for
officer efficiency training report.

The memo concludes: "Harris took the call from Grp today. I'll
backdate but won't rate. Harris agrees."

At the time, Walter B. Staudt was commander of the Texas National
Guard; Lt. Col. Bobby Hodges was one of Bush's superiors in Texas who
two years earlier had rated Bush an outstanding young pilot; and Lt.
Col. William D. Harris Jr. was another superior of Bush's.

Records released this year when Bush's military service re-emerged as
a campaign issue contain no evidence that he showed up for duty at all
for five months in mid-1972 and document only a few occasions later
that year.