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Drudge Reports Lame Stink Bomb

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY
by Todd Smyth

Hey, look over there, it's another intern scandal. As retired National Guard members surface to confirm Bush was AWOL during the Vietnam war, a scandalous rumor appears to divert attention and smear a Vietnam war hero.

Gossip maven Matt Drudge has slapped together several different hair thin rumors that have been around for months to make one seemingly plausible thread. Alleging Senator John Kerry may be under suspicion by other news sources to have had a conversation with a woman that is not his wife. When the woman in question, Alex Polier, a Journalist (not an intern) traveled on assignment to Kenya, Matt Drudge reported that the mystery woman has fled the country. A key part of the report that is easily overlooked is this statement: "There is no evidence the pair had an affair." John Kerry has flatly denied the rumor on the Don Imus show, Friday morning.

With a 200 million dollar stink bomb factory and the dark wizard of misinformation, Karl Rove in charge, we can expect the Republicans to pull a lot worse than this. The smear mongers are regurgitating shades of Clinton in a lame attempt to change the subject from the feeding frenzy over Bush's lying about his Vietnam military service and then covering it up while he was Governor.

Retired National Guard Lt. Col. Bill Burkett has come forward to say that Bush and his aides "ordered Guard officials to remove damaging information from Mr. Bush's military personnel files." In 1997, Joe Allbaugh (chief of staff for then-Governor Bush) told the National Guard chief to get the Bush file and make certain "there's not anything there that will embarrass the governor." Burkett said that a few days later at Camp Mabry in Austin, he "saw Mr. Bush's file and documents from it discarded in a trash can." In 1998, Burkett sent a letter explaining the events to a member of the Texas State Senate with no response.

http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df02122004.html

Bob Mintz and Paul Bishop former members of the Air National Guard unit that President George Bush claims to have served with in 1972 had been told to expect him and were on the lookout for him. He never showed up.

http://www.memphisflyer.com/content.asp?ID=5480&ArticleID=2

Retired Lt. Col. Reese Bricken, former commander of the 9921st Air Reserve Squadron reviewed documents Tuesday showing Bush's transfer request to his squadron and his response to the request. He said he remembered sending approval back for him to serve in the small unit. "He never did come to my squad," "He was never at my unit." Bricken said.

Bush's assignment to the 9921st was withdrawn months later because it did not perform work equivalent to Bush's requirements. So in September, Bush applied to the 187th Tactical Recon Group, also in Montgomery, according to a Sept. 5, 1972, letter. The three-month transfer was approved.

http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/

Although the payroll records show Bush getting paid for service in Alabama in October and November, former commander retired Brigadier General William Turnipseed of the 187th said Tuesday that he didn't remember the young Texas pilot. "I just don't think he came to the base," ... "I would have remembered him” ... “But actually, I don't think he made an appearance."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml

Todd Smyth
Alexandria, VA

A BUZZFLASH READER COMMENTARY