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Bush releases National Guard files
Washington, Feb 14: US President George W. Bush, trying to stamp out a political firestorm, released all his National Guard files during the Vietnam war to answer election-year charges from Democrats that he shirked his duty.
Washington, Feb 14: US President George W. Bush, trying to stamp out a political firestorm, released all his National Guard files during the Vietnam war to answer election-year charges from
Democrats that he shirked his duty.
The documents offered no new evidence to place Bush in Alabama
during the latter part of 1972, the period when Democrats claim he
was basically absent without leave.
The White House had earlier this week said it would only hand
out relevant documents after bush said all papers would be released.
But the clamour for the documents only increased.
White House officials handed out thick packets containing hundreds of pages of documents retrieved from a National Guard records center in Denver. A group of reporters was given 20 minutes to review dozens of pages detailing bush`s medical exams during his service. ``We received the entire file this afternoon and the President felt everything should be made public,`` spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday, ``There were some who sought to leave a wrong impression that there was something to hide when there is not.``
The White House hoped to put an end for good to accusations from Democrats that the Republican resident shirked Vietnam war-era military duties. Republicans are worried about Bush`s recently falling job approval ratings.
There was no new evidence, however, to show that Bush spent a lot of time on duty for the national guard in Alabama during the latter part of 1972, the murky period democrats have seized on to describe him as Awol.
Bush had transferred to the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, in Montgomery, Alabama, in order to be in the state to help the senate campaign of Republican Red Blount.
Records released by the White House earlier in the week showed Bush had a dental exam there and was paid for some stints of duty but also had long absences from service.
Bureau Report
White House officials handed out thick packets containing hundreds of pages of documents retrieved from a National Guard records center in Denver. A group of reporters was given 20 minutes to review dozens of pages detailing bush`s medical exams during his service. ``We received the entire file this afternoon and the President felt everything should be made public,`` spokesman Scott McClellan said yesterday, ``There were some who sought to leave a wrong impression that there was something to hide when there is not.``
The White House hoped to put an end for good to accusations from Democrats that the Republican resident shirked Vietnam war-era military duties. Republicans are worried about Bush`s recently falling job approval ratings.
There was no new evidence, however, to show that Bush spent a lot of time on duty for the national guard in Alabama during the latter part of 1972, the murky period democrats have seized on to describe him as Awol.
Bush had transferred to the 187th Tactical Reconnaissance Group, in Montgomery, Alabama, in order to be in the state to help the senate campaign of Republican Red Blount.
Records released by the White House earlier in the week showed Bush had a dental exam there and was paid for some stints of duty but also had long absences from service.
Bureau Report