Atrios points to a video clip of former Texas Speaker of the House and Lieutenant Governor Ben Barnes that’s worth seeing — or if you can’t see it, the transcript is worth reading.
Josh Marshall reports that this is in fact Barnes in the video. The beginning and end show Barnes speaking at a rally, Marshall says this was recorded 6/8/04. The middle portion has Barnes seated, speaking as though in an interview.
Transcribed myself watching the video: Speaking to an audience: “Let’s talk a minute about John Kerry and George Bush, and I know them both. And I’m not name dropping, saying I know them both. See I got…I got a young man named George W. Bush into the National Guard when I was the Lt. Governor of Texas, and I’m not necessarily proud of that. (audience laughs) But, But I did it, and I got a lot of other people into the National Guard because I thought that’s what people should do when you’re in office and you helped a lot of rich people. And I walked to the Vietnam Memorial wall the other day and I looked at the names of the people that died in Vietnam, and I became more ashamed of myself than I’ve ever been because it’s the worst thing I 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 ashamed. And I apologize to you, the voters of Texas. (Applause)” Cut to Interview: “John Kerry volunteered to go to Vietnam. And that was a pretty courageous thing, because John Kerry could have gone on and gotten another degree. He was in a position where he didn’t have to go to Vietnam. I admired that so much, that he went. But I admired even more the fact that he came back talking about Vietnam and what a mistake it was. A matter of fact he talked about it so much that he got the FBI looking at him and got on Richard Nixon’s list. And that took, that takes a lot of courage of a young man who particularly has an interest in politics and that wants to serve this county to go get on the President’s black list. And I know a little bit about that because I got on Richard Nixon’s black list also, and that’s a story for another time. But it’s, it’s incredible that John Kerry, uhh, had the courage to go do that. And, you know, I think he deserves to be in Profiles of Courage for his service in Vietnam. But I also think, and I’m not upset with him at all that he came back and, and, talked about Vietnam and said that we were wrong. And I think he deserves equally as much credit for that as he does fighting. We should not look upon anyone that disagreed with our Vietnam policy as being unpatriotic. As we should not look upon anyone today that disagrees with our policy, or our lack of policy in Iraq. I am very unhappy with Republicans that want to make anyone that questions this administration’s policy in Iraq is, is not being a freedom loving American.” Cut back to him speaking to the audience: “And I tell you, for the Republicans to jump on John Kerry and say that he’s not a patriot, after he went to Vietnam and was shot at and fought for our freedom and came back here and protested against the war - “he’s a flip flopper.” Let me tell you, John Kerry is 100 times a better patriot than George Bush or Dick Cheney or Donald Rumsfeld.”
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Thanks for transcribing that!
I hope this gets around. Unfortunately, if it does, Barnes will probably be put on another blacklist.
I just wrote a 2-piece article about the claims Ben Barnes is making that he got Bush into the Air National Guard and now wants to apologize for it (boo hoo), which is now receiving wide press coverage.
Essentially - Ben Barnes is one of Kerry’s top 8 fundraisers, having raised over $500,000 Barnes is considered a “gatekeeper” for access to a potential Kerry administration Barnes has a very shady past in Texas politics, and has been involved in various fraudulent schemes. Barnes says he did it when he was Lt. Governor, but he didn’t become Lt. Gov until a year after Bush was already in the guard. The video is being hosted by a blog site, one of whose bloggers was a DNC accredited blogger This story was well covered in 1999 and Bush addressed it then, but the very media that covered it back then seem to have forgotten the details they previously printed.
Here are the stories
The Dirt on Ben Barnes Claims about Bush and the Air National Guard http://blogspirator.blogspot.com/2004/08/exclusive-dirt-on-ben-barnes-claims.html
The Dirt on Ben Barnes Claims about Bush and the Air National Guard (Part 2) http://blogspirator.blogspot.com/2004/08/exclusive-dirt-on-ben-barnes-claims_29.html
Interesting stuff, Adam. Definitely makes Barnes’ claims more than a little less credible. Thanks much.
I love to see Republicans like “Adam” squirm. It is so amazing to me that he sees nothing wrong with the proven lies of the so-called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth against Kerry and yet when someone comes out against “W” it is tragic and un-American. By the way “Adam” Ben Barnes was indeed Lt. Governor of Texas when “W” got his gutless free ride in the Texas Air National Guard while others were forced to risk their lives in Vietnam. Over 50,000 dead in that war for nothing!
Name one lie the swift vets told about Kerry that john o’neil hasnt responded to and corrected on his web sight . http://swift2.he.net/~swift2/index.php
The vets are angry at Kerry more for what he did after the war than anything he did during .
He is fair game as far as im concerned . He lied heinously about war crimes committed by american soldiers , while our pows were beaten and tortured and forced to Listen to news reports of his propaganda . You think im lieing , read this .
http://swift4.he.net/~swift4/article.php?story=20040828115354258
I hope America wakes up and keeps John Kerry as far away from the Title of Comander and chief as possible .
He should be tried for the war crimes he commited, he aided and abedded the comunist regime of North Korea while still an officer in the Navy reserves . His Dutys to our country where not fully paid till 1976 .
Its disgraceful to see him before our congress in his uniform blantantly lieing about our soldiers for nothing more than his own selfish political gain .
It’s much better to vote for a person who used daddies friends to get him out of going to Vietnam. Enlisted in the National Guard and then just disappeared for a couple of months… Those “dutys” still aren’t paid either.
This was funny.
do any of you read history?the last combat troops pulled out of vietnam aug.23,1972.the last troops left march 29,1973.the last american killed was Lt.Col. william b nolde,jan. 27,1973.just remember these dates.when some one tells you they were in combat in 74 in plieku think of this one word.LIAR !always research info before you repeat it.keep em’ honest tom
I don’t understand what you are trying to say. I looked at Kerry’s site… He enlisted in 1966 and started his second tour in 68 and finished in 1970. Was awarded second Purple Heart, Bronze star & the Silver Star in ‘69. Bush enlisted in the national guard in 68. Both are well before the dates you mention so I don’t understand what you are trying to say…
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