Former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes: "I'm very ashamed"

[no name no slogan]

I'm very ashamed

(at Salon.com-- may require subscription or day pass, but worth the read)

The former Texas official who got George Bush into the National Guard apologizes for making sure that young men with important "family names" did not have to fight in Vietnam.

Aug. 27, 2004 | Another bombshell in the battle over Vietnam service that has been raging in the 2004 presidential race exploded on the Web Friday. In a video originally posted on the Web by a pro-Kerry organization in Austin, Texas, Ben Barnes, a former lieutenant governor of Texas, apologized for his role in getting a young George W. Bush into the Texas Air National Guard while young men who were not from prominent or wealthy families "died in Vietnam."

"Let's talk a minute about John Kerry and George Bush, and I know them both," said Barnes in the video, which was filmed at a gathering of about 200 Kerry supporters in Austin on May 27. "I got a young man named George W. Bush into the Texas National Guard when I was lieutenant governor, and I'm not necessarily proud of that. But I did it. I got a lot of other people in the National Guard because I thought that was what people should do when you're in office, and you help a lot of rich people."

"And I walked to the Vietnam Memorial the other day," Barnes continued, "and I looked at the names of the people that died in Vietnam, and I became more ashamed of myself than I have ever been, because it was the worst thing I ever did, was help a lot of wealthy supporters and a lot of people who had family names of importance get into the National Guard. And I'm very sorry about that, and I'm very ashamed, and I apologize to you as voters of Texas."

A pretty amazing revelation, IMHO. Read the whole story for full details on this interview, and how it was filmed.

[WI_DEM]

1. but the mainstream media isn't touching it apparently

[shaolinmonkey]

2. why would they? it's not like he's an intern or something.

sheesh! </sarcasm>

[Rambis]

4. This is well known and has been

Not getting on you at all but it is just like the swift boar liars. They can't prove that (incert bush) was directly involved but everyone knows that bush sr asked Sidney Adger texas oil man to ask Barnes to get him into the NG.

[Rambis]

5. dup

[rastignac5]

3. There's only one problem with this...

"I got a young man named George W. Bush into the Texas National Guard when I was lieutenant governor."

Bush joined the guard in 1968. Barnes didn't become Lt. Governor unitl 1969.

[no name no slogan]

7. But

Junior may have enlisted in 1968, but not actually gotten his assignment until 1969-- especially if they were busy drafting poor kids to become cannon fodder in SE Asia.

Read the whole story, and visit the Austin4Kerry site. They've got the best info on it.

[whistle]

6. This is fantastic, the ground swell against George W Bush...

...Dick Cheney and all of the GOP liars is taking hold and gathers momentum.:kick:

[TheDonkey]

8. Don't count of the media giving a damn