Nbadan
10-01-2004, 02:00 AM
OK, not the Presidency, but new documents that the W.H. says appeared from thin air show that W. resigned from the Air National Guard citing 'inadequate time' as the reason for leaving? the service...
DENVER (AP) - Air Force Reserve officials here, as well as staffers at the White House, were struggling to explain the sudden appearance of a 1974 document in which George W. Bush submitted his resignation from the Reserve, saying he had "inadequate time" to fulfill his duty obligations.
The White House found the document yesterday and contacted the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver, where Bush was serving at the time he wrote the letter.
Bush had ordered the release of all of his service records in February.
Reserve Center public affairs spokesman Lt. Col. Tom Deall said he sent Bush's Guard records to the White House two weeks ago, but the resignation letter wasn't in that file.
"We can't explain it and don't know where it came from," Deall said, adding that officials from his agency spent most of Wednesday afternoon on the phone with the White House trying to figure out what happened.
Defense Department officials denied knowledge of the document's existence early Wednesday. A spokesman at Denver's Air Reserve Personnel Center later confirmed that the letter did exist, followed by the White House.
Bush's service in the Guard became a major campaign issue when detractors alleged he received preferential treatment. Administration officials have denied the allegation.
A spokesman at the White House said the Department of Defense apparently had the letter since it was written, but somehow failed to produce it earlier this year when Bush ordered the records released.
Bush was transferred to Denver's Air Reserve Center for an inactive assignment as an executive support officer, but just a few months later -- in November 1974 -- wrote that he wanted out.
"We've continually asked DOD to make the president's records available, and obviously it would've been preferable if this had been released at the same time as the others," said White House spokesman Jim Morrell.9News (http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=4fce0cb2-0abe-421a-017f-39b11a59af8b&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf)
DENVER (AP) - Air Force Reserve officials here, as well as staffers at the White House, were struggling to explain the sudden appearance of a 1974 document in which George W. Bush submitted his resignation from the Reserve, saying he had "inadequate time" to fulfill his duty obligations.
The White House found the document yesterday and contacted the Air Reserve Personnel Center in Denver, where Bush was serving at the time he wrote the letter.
Bush had ordered the release of all of his service records in February.
Reserve Center public affairs spokesman Lt. Col. Tom Deall said he sent Bush's Guard records to the White House two weeks ago, but the resignation letter wasn't in that file.
"We can't explain it and don't know where it came from," Deall said, adding that officials from his agency spent most of Wednesday afternoon on the phone with the White House trying to figure out what happened.
Defense Department officials denied knowledge of the document's existence early Wednesday. A spokesman at Denver's Air Reserve Personnel Center later confirmed that the letter did exist, followed by the White House.
Bush's service in the Guard became a major campaign issue when detractors alleged he received preferential treatment. Administration officials have denied the allegation.
A spokesman at the White House said the Department of Defense apparently had the letter since it was written, but somehow failed to produce it earlier this year when Bush ordered the records released.
Bush was transferred to Denver's Air Reserve Center for an inactive assignment as an executive support officer, but just a few months later -- in November 1974 -- wrote that he wanted out.
"We've continually asked DOD to make the president's records available, and obviously it would've been preferable if this had been released at the same time as the others," said White House spokesman Jim Morrell.9News (http://9news.com/acm_news.aspx?OSGNAME=KUSA&IKOBJECTID=4fce0cb2-0abe-421a-017f-39b11a59af8b&TEMPLATEID=0c76dce6-ac1f-02d8-0047-c589c01ca7bf)