President Bush, accused by Democrats of joining the National Guard to avoid going to Vietnam and then shirking his duty, told Guard members Tuesday that he was proud of his service but did not address lingering questions about his record.
Bush sought to shift the focus to his Democratic presidential rival, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, a decorated Vietnam War veteran. He accused Kerry of wavering on funding for the war in Iraq and warned against choosing a commander-in-chief who would shift positions “because of expediency or pressure” at a time of war.
With Guard members facing extended deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush promised more generous benefits and said he would try to give them more time to prepare for future mobilizations.
Bush did not directly address the controversy surrounding gaps in his service in the Texas Air National Guard in the early 1970s. But he said: “Nineteen individuals have served both in the National Guard and as president of the United States, and I am proud to be one of them.”
That brought cheers and a standing ovation from the National Guard crowd.
White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush did not address the charges by Democrats because they had already been addressed. “He met his obligations, and he was honorably discharged,” McClellan said, repeating the White House’s standard response to such questions.
Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe derided Bush as “a fortunate son who has spent his whole life receiving special favors and having strings pulled for him” and accused the president of refusing to “come clean” about the Guard.
Families protest
A group of National Guard families protested the war in Iraq during Bush’s address in Las Vegas.
“I know this time of call-ups, alerts, mobilizations and deployments has been difficult,” Bush said.
He said he was trying to provide Guard members with at least 30 days’ notice for future mobilizations and provide “as much certainty as possible” about the duration of mobilizations. He said efforts were also under way to minimize the number of extensions and repeat mobilizations.
In Las Vegas and at an earlier rally in the swing state of Colorado, Bush sought to undercut Kerry’s standing with fellow veterans, a key voting bloc in the election.
He criticized Kerry for voting against funding for operations in Iraq, when last year “he had a completely different view” and advocated an increase in funding.
“What’s critical is that the president of the United States speak clearly and consistently at this time of great threat in our world and not change positions because of expediency or pressure,” Bush said. “We cannot waver, because our enemies will not waver.”
Kerry, who will address the same National Guard conference Thursday, accused Bush of distorting the deteriorating situation in Iraq. “So I’ll be straight with you: Things are getting worse,” Kerry said in a statement.
With national security issues figuring prominently in the campaign, the military records of both Bush and Kerry have come under intense scrutiny.
Kerry has been pummeled for weeks by Republican-backed charges that he lied about his war record in Vietnam, contributing to his slide in the polls.
Democrats have sought to turn the tables on Bush in recent days by pointing to gaps in his Guard service and a CBS report on memos from a deceased Guard officer. They questioned whether Bush received preferential treatment and asserted that Bush lost his status as a pilot because he failed to meet performance standards.
Laura Bush said the documents were “probably” forgeries, although she did not explain why she thought so.
Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, more than 225,000 Guard members have been activated for full-time duty. Nearly 40 percent of the U.S. troops deployed for service in Iraq and Afghanistan are from the National Guard and the Reserve.
