Rathergate isn't the first time 60 Minutes covered the Bush Air National Guard story.
In February 2000 Leslie Stahl interviewed J. H. Hatfield, the author of "Fortunate Son," (inspiration for Michael Moore and the DNC's Operation Fortunate Son) who made the same type of allegations against Bush - cocaine use made him miss his physical, special treatment getting in the Guard. The only problem, aside from the fact that he had zero eveidence to back up his claims, was that J. H. Hatfield was a convicted felon - he was convicted for hiring a hit man in a failed attempt to kill his employer with a car bomb in 1987.
On the lack of verifiable sources upon which his story was based, Stahl asks:
STAHL: You know, if I came in with a story to my bosses at 60 MINUTES with anonymous sources, they'd want to know who the sources were; we'd have to triple-check, quadruple-check.Priceless...
Read a transcript of the whole 60 Minutes interview
Thanks to reader Katherine Lambert for bring this to our attention earlier.
Postscript: Hatfield committed suicide in July 2001.
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Comments (9)
Postscript: Hatfield com... (Below threshold)1. Posted by George | September 21, 2004 6:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Postscript: Hatfield committed suicide shortly after his interview with Leslie Stahl.
If this is in fact the case, I hope the Lord will be merciful to poor Hatfield.
1. Posted by George | September 21, 2004 6:25 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 21, 2004 18:25
2. Posted by Jim Kouri | September 21, 2004 6:55 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
I've heard the same accusation floated by the Liberals about Bush not taking a physical in order to avoid being found a cocaine user. The fact is that in the 1960s and 1970s, the military did not conduct drug testing. Drug testing throughout the federal government began in the 1980s.
2. Posted by Jim Kouri | September 21, 2004 6:55 PM |
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Posted on September 21, 2004 18:55
3. Posted by George | September 21, 2004 7:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
The fact is that in the 1960s and 1970s, the military did not conduct drug testing.
That's not entirely correct. We conducted drug-testing in my Army battalion in Germany in the late-1970s.
3. Posted by George | September 21, 2004 7:14 PM |
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Posted on September 21, 2004 19:14
4. Posted by Hunter | September 21, 2004 8:07 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
- Ahh proffessor....the Wayback Machine..."Fractured Kerry tails"....Yes Nephew
...Now set the wayback to 1972 and we'll visit Kerry's brain...Hey wait....He's not here in Bainbridge....He must be....must be....Hmmmmm...AWOL?
4. Posted by Hunter | September 21, 2004 8:07 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 21, 2004 20:07
5. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:12 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Yeah, like Hunter writes (^^), I'm curious as to Kerry's AWOL status from the Naval Reserves.
Something that Kerry and the DNC...n.e.v.e.r...m.e.n.t.i.o.n....
I've always assumed it was because they were too busy mentioning his "war hero" status, based upon his commisseration with the enemy, errr, something like that.
Fact is, Kerry WAS AWOL from Naval Reserves but has tried to rework his "status" inorder to avoid the obvious: that he was AWOL from Naval Reserves for a portion of his service record.
5. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:12 PM |
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Posted on September 21, 2004 21:12
6. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:14 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Aack. AWOL status also shared by Dan Rather.
Does anyone else think that there's more than a little effort here by disgruntled and to my read, resentful individuals, to just "get" Bush about this issue? And avoid examining their own records?
6. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:14 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 21, 2004 21:14
7. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:17 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Someone will misinterpret what I just wrote. So, to clarify, I do not comprehend George Bush as being AWOL status in his service record, after reading the facts. I DO perceive John Kerry and Dan Rather as being AWOL after reading about their service records. If what is available to the public about the Kerry and Rather records isn't accurate, then they should both release their military service records...all of them, not just certain, select portions published to campaign sites as has Kerry.
7. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:17 PM |
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Posted on September 21, 2004 21:17
8. Posted by Norman | September 21, 2004 9:25 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Isn't it ironic that the left wants to equate Bush with Hitler, yet, these are the same people who want to convict on the "seriousness" of a charge despite the evidence? They are the real "Digital Brownshirts" full of yellow journalism.
8. Posted by Norman | September 21, 2004 9:25 PM |
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Posted on September 21, 2004 21:25
9. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:52 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Norman: yes, it is and I agree that the actual "digital brownshirts" are the left who wage these issue wars against Americans, based upon nothing other or more than someone's paranoid, emotional ranting, ala Al Gore's, Dean's, Kerry's...the list of those responsible is a long one. No facts, nothing real, just trendy memes or at least, memes that are later made trendy by certain efforts using media.
9. Posted by -S- | September 21, 2004 9:52 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 21, 2004 21:52