In 1978, did Bush lie about being in the Air Force?

[Tummler]

This story's old news; here's the gist of it to refresh your memory:

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In his 1978 congressional campaign Bush claimed that he had served in the Air Force. "A pullout ad from the Lubbock Advance-Journal on May 4, 1978, showed a huge photo of George W. with a 'Bush for Congress' logo on the front. On the back, a synopsis of his career stated he had served in the U.S. Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard where he piloted the F-102 aircraft.' When confronted about the misleading ad years later, Bush claimed that while he was attending flight school from November 1968 to December 1969, he was considered to be on active duty for the U.S. Air Force. The military branch denied his assertion by stating that Air National Guard members were considered 'guardsmen on active duty' while receiving pilot training. They were not, however, counted as members of the overall active-duty Air Force."

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My question for the experts among us: does the conclusion that Bush LIED still hold up? If so, shouldn't we be hammering Bush over this major falsehood?

[grasswire]

1. yes

He lied about it.

[fishface]

2. Sure he lied..he was juicing his resume to make himself look

like something other than a chickenhawk pansy.

[opihimoimoi]

3. Yse and it continues till the present, SAY, DO, ANYTHING TO WIN

The Bush guys will do anything to keep their cushy jobs, The whole lot of them. They want the POWER, THE EGO, They want to be SOMEBIDY, even if its working for the ASSHOLEs.

And Bush himself, by APPROVING of the false ads, just shows his credibility.....none to be found..... so sad in a President...worse.. its OUR PRESIDENT...Damn.

[displacedtexan]

4. I have been searching for the newspaper photo from that story...

for ages! I had forgotten which paper it was from.

Thanks!

[Tummler]

7. The paper's correct name is the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

http://www.lubbockonline.com
http://www.avalanchejournal.com

If only some brave soul could travel to Lubbock and make a copy of the Chimp's fraudulent ad ...

[Tummler]

5. Here's a related AP story from 7/14/1999

In case anyone needs a more mainstream source than the one linked in the original post -- note that the AP story has a different name for the Lubbock newspaper:

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FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- In 1978 campaign literature, George W. Bush said he served in the Air Force, a claim his presidential campaign says is legitimate based on time he spent training and on alert while a member of the Texas Air National Guard.

**snip**

A pullout ad from The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on May 4, 1978 shows a huge picture of Bush with a ''Bush for Congress'' logo on the front. On the back, a synopsis of his career says he served ''in the U.S. Air Force and the Texas Air National Guard where he piloted the F-102 aircraft.''

**snip**

Asked about the statement that the Texas governor served in the Air Force, spokeswoman Karen Hughes said Tuesday that it was all ''accurate.'' She said that while Bush was attending flight school from November 1968 to November 1969, he was considered to be on active duty for the U.S. Air Force. Also, at several times when he was serving in the Guard, he was placed on alert and considered to be on active duty as well, she said.

**snip**

Anyone in the Air National Guard is always considered a guardsmen and not a member of the active-duty Air Force, according to an Air Force spokeswoman in the Pentagon. A National Guard member may be called to active duty for pilot training or another temporary assignment and receive active-duty pay at the time, but they remain Guard members.

More at the link ...

[Tummler]

6. Here are additional links to the AP story

Because these things have a habit of mysteriously disappearing:

http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/071499/tex_LD0664.001.shtml

http://www.caller2.com/1999/july/14/today/texas_me/3182.html

[David Zephyr]

8. We've Already Had People Trying to Get The Ad.

From what I've been told, the newspaper is perpetually "checked out" at the libraries.

Where is the ad?

[Tummler]

9. Kick

In light of recent events, this story needs lots of attention. It's an important element in Bush's endless litany of lies.

[trof]

10. I know he lied.

I was in the guard and went to pilot training.
No way was I 'in' the air force.
I was still a national guardsman, "attached" to the air force on "active duty for training".

[buycitgo]

11. this would make a NICE companion piece at MSNBC

for the missing ribbon story