The reason why the Bush AWOL issue is registering. [View All]

[Brotherjohn]

It's not because he dodged the draft. Of course, many young men did then, and who could blame them. Clinton was accused of doing so, and we defended him.

It's not because he's a self-proclaimed "War President" and struts around on an aircraft carrier in flight gear, yet his actual career in the military is drastically at odds with that depiction. That may get under some of our skins, and even disgust us, given that he is sending men off to die in a war of choice. But that's not really what makes it register and what's making it stick.

What is making the AWOL issue stick is it that it is "Exhibit B" in the case against his credibility. More to the point, the questions about his credibility have arisen not based on personal issues from years ago, but on issues of life and death, issues that have cost the lives of hundreds of Americans, thousands of Iraqis, and could directly affect the lives of millions of Americans.

Bush has been accused of at best exaggerating, and at worst outright lying, to gain support for the Iraq War. "Exhibit A" is the fact that no WMDs have been found in Iraq, and many of the statements Bush and his staff had made leading up to the war are now known to be in direct contradiction to what was known at the time by the U.N., our own intelligence, and others.

This has opened up a very large hole in Bush's credibility in general. Now that Bush's credibility is the issue, his depiction of his military record, and failure to come clean about it, is "Exhibit B" in the case against his credibility. Yes, the fact that he now parades around in combat gear, calls himself a "war president", and says "bring'em on", makes the contradictions all the more stark. Perhaps these things are the reasons why this issue is raising more attention than some rather glaring credibility questions regarding Bush budget deficits, for instance.

But the reason it registers beyond just the AWOL issue is because now, his very credibility is at stake. ANYTHING reflecting upon Bush's credibility is now fair game, and it is because of his own actions as president.