Response to 2nd Week of DNC Smears

According to Drudge, the DNC is readying Round Two of "Smear Bush" with revelations that Bush conflated his service in the Air National Guard with service in the Air Force...

"Flyers distributed to Texas voters during Bush's failed Congressional race say 'he served in the U.S. Air Force and the Texas Air National guard.'"

Let's take a look at that:

First, big deal...I mean, really, who the frig cares? He made a claim back in 1978 in an unsuccessful run for Congress that even if it were a lie of substance like say, claiming you committed war crimes, it was still made back in 1978. It was an unsuccessful run at that, so it's not like he benefitted from it.

Second, President Bush - unlike his opponent - isn't running on his service from 35 years ago. He's running on his record as Commander-in-Chief. When he ran in 2000 he didn't run on his record as an Air National Guardsman, he ran as a successful and popular Governor of Texas. So this whole discussion is a non-issue for anyone beside the inhabitants of DemocraticUnderground anyway...

Third, the Air National Guard is a "component of the U.S. Air Force", so what the flyers said is technically true. It's not like he claimed to be in Cambodia at a crucial turning point in his life or anything...

Fourth, it appears that he's not the only one who conflates service in the Air National Guard with service in the Air Force. It turns out that quite a few other folks do too:

From the Constitution of the Air National Guard NCO Academy Graduate Association:

Desiring to perpetuate the best tradition of the Noncommissioned Officer Corps of the United States Air Force; (Active, Reserve, and Air National Guard); to promote and maintain morale, discipline, and espirit de corps; and to encourage a feeling of goodwill and mutual understanding among Noncommissioned Officers, the Constitution of the Air National Guard Noncommissioned Officer Academy Graduate Association is hereby published.

From the USAF's "Your Guardians of Freedom" Program:

"As America’s Airmen -- active, Guard, and Reserve - face the great challenges of the war on terrorism, our success will depend on the support of the American people."

Again from the USAF's "Your Guardians of Freedom" Program:

Parent Pin Program - For all Active, Guard and Reserve members in the United States Air Force

Note that the pin reads: "US Air Force"

And someone needs to tell the Air National Guard that they got it all wrong when they named this unit - "First Air Force"....

It doesn't understand that its organization is all wrong too:

"First Air Force has been an Air Combat Command organization since June 1, 1992. Its subordinate units are located throughout the continental United States. Since October 1997, all combat and support elements have come from the Air National Guard."

How could the First Air Force be in existence since 1992 if the Air National Guard didn't start contributing elements until 1997? They must be confused thinking they're not completely separate from the Air Force...There's clearly some muddled thinking going on here - they even kept the same name! Someone at the DNC better notify them quick...thank God we have Democrats who understand the military to straighten out these poor incompetents...

And how wrongheaded are those recruiters at the Air National Guard? They seem to think:

"The Air National Guard is a vital part of the US Air Force."

As if it weren't bad enough that the Air National Guard confuses itself with the Air Force, it turns out that the Air Force itself seems to be under the mistaken impression that general officers of the Air National Guard are actually "Air Force leaders"...

What a mess! Thank God that the DNC is here to clear up all this case of confused and mistaken identity between the Air National Guard and the Air Force...


The point of all this is to show that it is not inconsistent for a Guardsman to conflate his service with that of the Air Force since the Air Force itself makes little distinction between the two. Reasonable people can disagree with his characterization of his service, but it's hardly the stuff of scandal material since "Active Duty" and "Guardsman" are, in fact, two parts of the same whole...

Was there some exaggeration in what Bush said? I think in fairness it should be said that there probably was. It was technically true, but may have implied more service than he actually had. But it wasn't anything atypical for someone making a first run for a local congressional seat. I mean, it wasn't like he claimed in 2004 that he volunteered for "one of the most dangerous assignments in the war", or anything...

President Bush has made it clear he feels that Senator Kerry's service was more heroic than his own...and this attack which attempts to parse words in order to generate a phony "scandal" is how Senator Kerry and the DNC respond...

The difference between the two men couldn't be more stark...


[Note to Kerry supporters: This is a self-defeating line of attack for your candidate and your party...In the space of a single post, you have provided five (5) - count 'em - opportunities to remind voters of Kerry's not-exactly-flattering history on this subject. It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure out that a 5-to-1 return ratio isn't exactly what you're looking for from the investment of your campaign's time, effort and money.]


UPDATE: Beldar has another take on the subject. He cites a 1999 article that not only puts the lie to Ben Barnes' claim, but also points to Bush being in the rather unique position of flying with active duty Air Force pilots in Georgia. This may or may not qualify as "active duty" Air Force in the most technical sense, but it's a distinction without a difference: if everyone around you is "Active Duty" and you're doing the same tasks at the same time with the same requirements, then for all intents and purposes that is what you are.

UPDATED UPDATE: See my latest post on the topic. Bush served in the "active duty" Air Force and there's a signed document that proves it. End of story....