The Democratic National Committee released a new video today that implies President Bush has lied about his National Guard duty and therefore is not a trustworthy leader.
The video, entitled “Fortunate Son,” begins with footage of troops in Vietnam, saying some people “chose war, others chose different paths” – an obvious reference to John Kerry’s service in Southeast Asia.
Next the three-minute ad suggests Bush “pulled strings” to get into the Guard, thus avoiding Vietnam service.
As evidence, the video features part of an interview by CBS News’ Dan Rather with former Texas Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, in which the Kerry fund-raiser claims to have helped Bush get into the Guard – “preferential treatment,” he calls it.
As WorldNetDaily reported, however, Barnes’ daughter, Amy Barnes Stites, described her father as a political opportunist who lied about Bush’s National Guard record in the CBS interview to help promote his upcoming book, elect John Kerry and “make Bush look like the bad person.”
“George Bush leapfrogged a long waiting list” to get in the Guard, the video announcer says.
“He didn’t take the required physical; he was grounded.”
The ad shows an image of the president’s father, George H.W. Bush, pinning something on his Guard uniform while the announcer mockingly calls the younger Bush “this son of privilege, this fortunate son.”
“It’s time for George Bush to come clean,” the ad asserts.
The ad is part of a new offensive by Kerry and the Democrats as a reaction to slipping poll numbers and the effectiveness of ads by Kerry critics such as the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
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John Stossel