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Why Wasn't George Flying?

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
by Bill Coady

Hey Y'all,

This whole story of Bush's National Guard Service or lack of same is very interesting and does seem to have the President (and his credibility) on the run. But I am afraid that both Russert and Moore are missing the important question. The question is not "Where was George?" as Sen. Edward Kennedy so famously asked. Unfortunately the President and minions have that one covered. You have to admit that a charge of desertion is not going to stick to someone who got an honorable discharge. Trying to piece together the part time service of a Guardsman is probably difficult at best.

But there is a question that is unanswered and frankly more important. Perhaps we can get Ted to ask "Why didn't George fly again?" The fact of the matter is no matter how many hours George put in after 1972 none of them were as a pilot. Apparently he refused to take his flight physical. He has come up with some Bushwa about his personal physician being in Houston while he was in Georgia, yadda, yadda, yadda, but he didn't get a physical when he got back to Texas either. Apparently he never did. It would seem that Yossarian in "Catch 22" had it all wrong. If he wanted to stop flying he should have been avoiding the doctor -- not bugging him all the time.

The real question is why George pissed away a million dollars of taxpayer money by his refusal to take his physical. This is the real "desertion." We should ask the President every day until we get an answer "What **does** a self-grounded pilot do for 2 years in the National Guard." Did he peel potatoes? Pick up cigarette butts? Make plans to cut the kind of waste, fraud and abuse he was participating in from some future budget?

If Ted can do it so can we -- try it -- "Why didn't George fly?" It seems relevant to our current situation on many levels to me. "Why didn't George fly??"

Bill Coady
Wausau, WI

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY