The Records Aren't The Story
This Bush AWOL thing is getting messed up, similar to what's happening with the WMD and Osama issues. It won't be hard for Bush to provide documentation showing he was paid, and there seems to be at least some arguable proof that he was given active duty points.
Moreover, stories from other guard members of Bush's era who got paid and were honorably discharged despite not showing up are a dime a dozen these days. It's highly doubtful to me that there will be any conclusive proof that Bush was AWOL, and Bush will be able to produce enough documentation and testimonials from willing sources to indicate he served.
This isn't about Bush being AWOL. It's about one of two things.
First, why was Bush sent to a disciplinary unit in Alabama, why did he miss his physical, and what did that have to do with him letting his flight authorization expire? Those drug test and rehab whispers should rightfully get a lot louder.
Which leads to the second, and largest issue involved in Bush's National Guard record: The coverup. The problem for Bush isn't that he was a wild young kid who joined the Guard to get out of going to Viet Nam. The problem is the shenanigans in allowing his records to be revealed, and the inconsistencies of his statements in his late political life.
It's sort of like the Martha Stewart trial-Martha's not on trial for insider trading. She's on trial for obstruction of justice, for obscuring the investigation into her alleged insider trading. Same with Watergate, or Monicagate. It's never the actual act that gets people, it's the coverup.
If Dems want to make political hay out of this (and they should), they need to avoid the AWOL angle, and focus on why Bush lost his flight status and how his campaign has presented the information to the public.
11:24:39 AM 
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