Cy Guy's Journal: Today's WH Press Gaggle

I was waiting to at first hear this (I missed it), then read it, all day. Normally I just skim whatever Josh Marshall excerpts posts on TPM, but today he just paraphrased so I went to the source. So here are the relavant parts of today's gaggle RE: W's Guard service -

Q Why did the President defy a direct order to get a physical in 1972?

MR. McCLELLAN: Scott, these are the same old recycled attacks that we see every time the President is up for election. It's not surprising that you see a coordinated effort by Democrats to attack the President when Senator Kerry is falling behind in the polls. And we had a very successful convention, and that's what this is about. It was well known that the President was going to work in Alabama and seeking a transfer to perform equivalent duty in a non-flying status. And that's what he was doing.

Q Did he decline to take it because he was moving to Alabama?

MR. McCLELLAN: He was transferring to a unit in Alabama to perform equivalent duty in a non-flying status. That is nothing new.

Q This was a direct order he defied, right? I mean, he did have a direct order that he defied?*

MR. McCLELLAN: John, these issues have come up every year. This was all part of the records -- that he was seeking to transfer to a unit in Alabama because he was going there to work in a civilian capacity. And he was granted permission to do so. And he was proud of his service and he was honorably discharged in October '73, after meeting his obligations.

*The memos that were released, in fact, show the President was working with his commanders to comply with the order.

Q Do you think that the Kerry campaign was behind these allegations surfacing again now?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think you absolutely are seeing a coordinated attack by John Kerry and his surrogates on the President. The polls show Senator Kerry falling behind, and it's the same old recycled attacks that we've seen every time the President has been up for election.

Q Do you think it's retaliation for the Swift Boats attacks on Kerry?

MR. McCLELLAN: I think it's -- I think it's in response to Senator Kerry falling behind in the polls and a successful convention that we had last week in New York.

Q Scott, even if these are old and recycled, and he was --

MR. McCLELLAN: This -- there --

Q I'd like to ask --

MR. McCLELLAN: I would like to finish my answer.

Q But I didn't ask my question yet.

MR. McCLELLAN: But I haven't finished my answer to Steve. This race is about the future and the choices that the American people face. And there are clear differences on the issues. And I don't -- Senator Kerry will do anything he can to avoid defending his record and talking about the clear choices that the American people face. And this President -- the President will continue to focus on his agenda for the future. And that's what the American people want this election to be focused on. And that's where our focus has been and where it -- well, where it will continue to be.

Q Scott, I'm just wondering, even if these were old charges, and even if the President was honorably discharged, did he or did he not defy an order to get that physical?

MR. McCLELLAN: Holly, again, these are the same kind of recycled attacks that the Democrats are trying to engage in. The President fulfilled all his obligations, and that is why he was honorably discharged from the National Guard in October, 1973. He was given permission to perform equivalent duty in Alabama, and he met his obligations, and he met his obligations when he returned to Texas. And he met his obligations when he was in Texas, prior to going to Alabama.

So there you have it - the WH was asked a direct question - did the president violate military law while serving during the Viet Nam War - the WH reponse: No Comment. I'll take that as a yes.

UPDATE: Quick sidebar - why is /. posting a whole NEW version of the Guard Memo's story while the other is still quite active and has pretty much already addressed the new issues raised in the new version?

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Belated MemoGate postscript 10/4/04: It seems the WH has had a 1971 Texas ANG document (Bush's promotion) in its possession since at least 2000, but withheld it until well after the MemoGate scandal had broken and been burned into the collective concious - it's doubtful this new info on the story will get any play unless Dan Rather himself presents it in his own defense on the CBS Evening News or 60 Minutes.

Re:

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Re:it's a big 'who cares'

[buffer-overflowed]

Eh, I think Bush landing on the plane was probably the most Dukakis moment in recent memory.

Maybe Mondale, but Bush isn't near as well liked as Reagan.

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Re:it's a big 'who cares'

[Cy Guy]

they've already trotted out Barnes' own daughter to refute him, stating flatly that he had confided with her in June that he was going to flip his sworn 1999 testimony re: Bush's national guard service.

When is he supposed to do that since he didn't while on 60 Minutes II [talkingpointsmemo.com]? Last night he said a mutual friend of his and the Bush family asked him to get W into the TEXANG. It's believed his sworn testimony (its not public, so I don't know why so many ppl know what he said) was that no Bush family member dire

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Re:it's a big 'who cares'

[Lumpish Scholar]

This crap was raised in 2000 without success, I don't see the point of rehashing old failed arguments again. First it was his dental records and now it's a physical. What a compelling topic (not).

HBI, these are the same old recycled defenses that we see every time the President is up for election....

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Re:another thing I forgot

[PreviouslySeen]

I can't see Moore giving up a chance at another Oscar podium moment. I think that is another publicity stunt and it will never wind up on tv this year.

As for the whole Bush guard thing-you are correct-- a non-issue and a rather lame/late response to the swift boat attack strategy.

Both those types of attacks have help decide my vote anyway---Nader :)