deserter in chief

[rone]

(via ratphooey) I'm not Michael Moore's biggest fan, but you should read this. Money quote (from MoveOn.org):

Bush was apparently absent without official leave from his assigned military service for as little as seven months (New York Times) or as much as 17 months (Boston Globe) during a time when 500,000 American troops were fighting the Vietnam War. The Army defines a "deserter" — also known as a DFR, for "dropped from rolls" — as one who is AWOL 31 days or more.

I don't see how anyone can vote, in good conscience, for George W. Bush given this information, added to all of the things he's done. If he's done such a good thing for Iraq, he can go run for president there. We don't want him here anymore.

Comments

[lots42.livejournal.com]

His willingness to actually DO things concerning the problems facing the country.

[ex-askesis860.livejournal.com]

What's his plan for the deficit? Or unemployment? How does he plan to handle this country we're suddenly in possession of? Those are real problems. All I've seen so far is catastrophically stupid action taken against imaginary problems (Iraq, the fourth amendment, the plight of the rich, the Clean Air Act, excess benefits for soldiers, etc.). Yeah, he's DOING things, but do any of them really need doing?

Also, Bush's absenteeism during his service in the Texas Air Guard is much better documented than one Moore quote at a partisan site. The President has even addressed it himself - apparently he had to go work on a political campaign. Much like his crimes at Harken Oil and his drunk driving arrest, these things are a matter of public record.

[(Anonymous)]

The things that worry me most about him aren't his service absenteeism. It's the deficit, unemployment, future likely bankrupting of the Social Security System by his policies, and the questionable practice of refunding taxes while expanding the budget. I would rather pay my taxes and not let the economy fall apart.

I am also really aggravated about the exporting of jobs out of this country; however, I think that if that is caused by NAFTA, both the Democrats and the Republicans are to blame. Is anyone in either party going to reverse that? Isn't half of Silicon Valley unemployed now because of that? Many of the largest American companies' tech support phone lines are located now overseas. I miss the lower unemployment rate we had before Bush came into office but I'm not sure if it's his fault or would have happened the same under Gore. I'm not sure how far 9/11 impacted the things I tend to blame on Bush, which might have happened to any president. -lisa

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

It's hard to blame NAFTA for the tech job exodus, since the jobs are going to India and other Asian countries, not Canada and Mexico.

[lots42.livejournal.com]

That's the first I heard about Harken Oil and Bushie actually giving an explanation for his absence.

For this I blame Communists. Damn Reds

[pootrootbeer.livejournal.com]

Anyone can DO things. It's ESSENTIAL to make sure they're the RIGHT things before doing them.

Bush has a mixed record on "thinking before acting".

[lots42.livejournal.com]

I agree with you fully

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Like, what, an imminent invasion by Iraq?

Or do you mean a willingness to actually DO things concerning the problems facing the country... things that don't help or actually harm?

[lots42.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure what you're getting at. By 'willingness to do things' I mean unlike Clinton who just mouthed empty platitudes whenever more American soldiers died and then fired off a few missiles when things got heated

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

Uhh. Do you wanna run a count of how many American soldiers died during 8 years of Clinton versus 3 years of Bush? You can also look up anti-terrorism efforts during Clinton's second term versus the first year and a half of Bush.

you mean like

[vardissakheli.livejournal.com]

DOing things about, say, the specific warnings from Clinton's security advisers about Bin Laden and airplanes back when he first took office?