AP sues for Bush's military records

[qwerty]

 AP SUES FOR ACCESS TO BUSH GUARD RECORDS

By PETE YOST
Associated Press Writer
Jun 22, 5:31 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Associated Press sued the Pentagon and the Air Force on Tuesday, seeking access to all records of George W. Bush's military service during the Vietnam War.

Filed in federal court in New York, where The AP is headquartered, the lawsuit seeks access to a copy of Bush's microfilmed personnel file from the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin.

The White House says the government has already released all the records of Bush's military service.

Controversy surrounds Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard because it is unclear from the record what duties he performed for the military when he was working on the political campaign of a U.S. Senate candidate in Alabama.

There are questions as to whether the file provided to the news media earlier this year is complete, says the lawsuit, adding that these questions could possibly be answered by reviewing a copy of the microfilm of Bush's personnel file in the Texas archives.

The Air National Guard of the United States, a federal entity, has control of the microfilm, which should be disclosed in its entirety under the Freedom of Information Act, the lawsuit says.

The White House has yet to respond to a request by the AP in April asking the president to sign a written waiver of his right to keep records of his military service confidential. Bush gave an oral waiver in a TV appearance that preceded the White House's release this year of materials concerning his National Guard service.

The government "did not expedite their response ... they did not produce the file within the time required by law, and they will not now estimate when the file might be produced or even confirm that an effort has been initiated to retrieve a copy from the microfilm at the Texas archives," the lawsuit says.

In the absence of any privacy objection by the president and in light of the importance of the file's release in advance of the November election, says the lawsuit, AP seeks a court order to compel the release of records "that are being unlawfully withheld from the public."

The released records were from the Texas Air National Guard at Camp Mabry and the Defense Financing Accounting Service in Denver.

Under Texas law, a copy of military personnel files of those serving in the Texas Air National Guard must be retained on microfilm at the Texas archives.

The lawsuit says that no one has looked at any of the Texas Air National Guard records maintained at the state archives since 1996.

Responding to AP's request, the Texas Air National Guard concluded that Bush's file was a federal record under control of the U.S. Air National Guard.

When the government did not produce the documents, AP appealed to the Pentagon, saying that by law, the microfilm copy should have been produced within 20 days. The Pentagon said it could not respond within the legally required period.

© 2004 The Associated Press

[Lunar]

Good.  I like it when stuff like this gets stuck in the media from a Kerry-supporter point of view.

[agcatter]

What a complete load of crap.

[MODU]

This whole "Freedom of Information Act" stuff is a load of crap.  The purpose originally was to gain access for historical purposes.  But now it seems that it can be used for any purpose what-so-ever.  I hope there is a judge out there that will tell the AP "no," and state something to the fact that it is an invasion of privacy, or something along those lines.  

Or, even better... "if we let you have access to Bush's records, you have to give Bush access to yours.  After all, it would only be fair.  And then, if you disclose anything about his life in the media, he has full right to do the same to you as well."  hahaha . . . the fact that Bush even released as much data as he has (much more than Kerry has, whom he said he would . . . but why would we have expected Kerry to actually DO something), is far beyond what is required.  

This is why people don't like running for public office anymore.  Back in the old days, people actually had some level of respect and restraint when it came to discussing politicians.  You could disagree with their actions and decisions while sitting in the political seat, but no one really ever resorted to slander on the scale it has been over the last 16 years.

Ok, enough of my soapbox.

[John Dibble]

You know, it infuriates me why anyone cares about Bush or Kerry's military records. Why? It was 30 frikkin years ago! Both of them were completely different people then. I care about what they are like now. If Bush was a boozer and a draft dodger when he was younger, then so what, he obviously wouldn't make the same choices today, whether you like him or not he presents himself respectably. So Kerry willingly went to Vietnam, wo what? Would he make the same choice today is what I want to know. To be honest, I don't really like Bush, and I don't like Kerry either, and I'd probably kill myself if I said this six months ago - I'd probably vote for Bush over Kerry if I had to choose between them(good thing I discovered I could be an insane third party voter). But that's besides the point - let's get our minds out of the past and concentrate on the here and now.

"Wizard’s Seventh Rule: Life is the future, not the past. The past can teach us, through experience, how to accomplish things in the future, comfort us with cherished memories, and provide the foundation of what has already been accomplished. But only the future holds life. To live in the past is to embrace what is dead. To live life to its fullest, each day must be created anew. As rational, thinking beings we must use our intellect, not a blind devotion to what has come before, to make rational choices." - Terry Goodkind, 'Pillars of Creation'

[© tweed]

What a complete load of crap.

Agreed.  But no more a load of crap as was the miniscandal about Kerry tossing his medals.

I think Senator McCain speaks for all of us when he says he is tired of the Vietnam crap criculating in this campaign.

[classical liberal]

You know, it infuriates me why anyone cares about Bush or Kerry's military records. Why? It was 30 frikkin years ago! Both of them were completely different people then. I care about what they are like now. If Bush was a boozer and a draft dodger when he was younger, then so what, he obviously wouldn't make the same choices today, whether you like him or not he presents himself respectably. So Kerry willingly went to Vietnam, wo what? Would he make the same choice today is what I want to know. To be honest, I don't really like Bush, and I don't like Kerry either, and I'd probably kill myself if I said this six months ago - I'd probably vote for Bush over Kerry if I had to choose between them(good thing I discovered I could be an insane third party voter). But that's besides the point - let's get our minds out of the past and concentrate on the here and now.

"Wizard’s Seventh Rule: Life is the future, not the past. The past can teach us, through experience, how to accomplish things in the future, comfort us with cherished memories, and provide the foundation of what has already been accomplished. But only the future holds life. To live in the past is to embrace what is dead. To live life to its fullest, each day must be created anew. As rational, thinking beings we must use our intellect, not a blind devotion to what has come before, to make rational choices." - Terry Goodkind, 'Pillars of Creation'

This is significant because it is proof that Kerry has killed a man personally and Bush has not.

[Storebought]

"...I always knew you were a wuss"

"But Mother, I served in 'Nam"

"And you've been bitching about it ever since."