My, John, what a charming faith you have in our press! Are you new to this country? Not from around here?
As to Peter Jennings…well, what of it? Am I to take him as some sort of expert pundit, rather than an overpaid and pampered talking head? What significance does he have that should give me pause? He does bring up a semantic issue worthy of some small attention: “desertion” as compared with “AWOL”. “Desertion” is clearly an inflammatory word, which is precisely why Mike “The Mouth” Moore used it. For my two bits, it only should apply to situations of hauling ass to save ass while under direct threat. GeeDubya was under no more threat of enemy action than the average Eagle Scout, there was no combat to shrink from. “AWOL”, however, does seem entirely applicable, given the information at hand. Note in the documents cited above a warning sent to young Lt. Bush of the possible consequences:
http://users.cis.net/coldfeet/doc23.gif “Penalty for Bad Attendance”
Note that it is signed by Lt. Bush as an acknowledgement that he has been so advised, hence we may fairly assume that Lt. Bush was entirely cognizant of his poor attendance performance. If we accept the further documentation herein noted, to the effect that Lt. Bush’s performance and attendance did not markedly improve, we are on pretty safe grounds to avert that a) he knew that, at least technically, the term “AWOL” applied to him and b) he did not regard it as much of a threat. I am, of course, open to other interpretations, if you have such.
Note, as well, that applying the documentation that we have at hand, a charge of “desertion” might have been applied if they wanted to be pricks about it, technicly, there is some basis for it.
To sum up: that label “deserter” is inflammatory, and uncalled for, but legally applicable. “AWOL”, however, is well documented and unanswered.
The White House’s counter, as noted by friend Vanilla, is to release a document already entirely in public view, that is, GeeDubya’s honorable discharge. This is offered with the assertion that it would never have been issued unless GeeDubya were a splendid credit to the Texas ANG. I hold this to be approximately as valid as the suggestion that he was rushed to the top of the eligibility list, despite his ghastly performance on qualifying tests, due to some unrevealed excellence of character or ability.
GeeDubya got out the same way he got in: patronage, privilege, and Poppa. I take him at his word when he suggests he wanted to be a pilot as well, but it appears he found the ordinary facts of service tiresome once that was accomplished, and simply wandered off.
“Desertion under fire”? Of course not, there was no threat of hostile fire, save for a possible bar-b-que mishap. But a military obligation cheerfully met and honorably discharged? Just about as ridiculous.
