Staudt slams the lid shut

Brig. Gen Staudt finally broke his recent silence and granted an interview to ABC. Staudt told the same story he's been telling for years, the same story that the old media has been ignoring for years. Hopefully this will finally put to rest the idea that Bush received special treatment to get in the Air National Guard.

As I wrote before when CBS first aired their fraudulent story, the Dallas Morning News revealed back in 1999 that there were "two or three" openings for pilots in the Guard when Bush applied. There was no waiting line that Bush had to jump over. Now Staudt responds

"He didn't use political influence to get into the Air National Guard," Staudt said, adding, "I don't know how they would know that, because I was the one who did it and I was the one who was there and I didn't talk to any of them."

During his time in charge of the unit, Staudt decided whether to accept those who applied for pilot training. He recalled Bush as a standout candidate.

"He was highly qualified," he said. "He passed all the scrutiny and tests he was given."........"No one called me about taking George Bush into the Air National Guard," he said. "It was my decision. I swore him in. I never heard anything from anybody."

When he interviewed for the job, Bush was eager to join the pilot program, which Staudt said often was a hard sell. "I asked him, 'Why do you want to be a fighter pilot?' " Staudt recalled. "He said, 'Because my daddy was one.' He was a well-educated, bright-eyed young man, just the kind of guy we were looking for."

He added that Bush more than met the requirements for pilot training. "He presented himself well. I'd say he was in the upper 10 percent or 5 percent or whatever we ever talked to about going to pilot training. We were pretty particular because when he came back [from training], we had to fly with him."

The other issue that Staudt addressed is the claim (based upon forged documents and Mary Knox's supposed recollections) that he pressured Lt. Col. Killian to "sugar coat" Bush's record.

Staudt told ABC

Staudt said he never tried to influence Killian or other Guardsmen........Records show Bush stopped flying F-102As in April 1972. He has said he moved to Alabama to work on the Senate campaign of a family friend. Staudt retired from the Guard in March of that year and said he was never contacted about Bush's performance.

"There was no contact between me and George Bush … he certainly never asked for help," Staudt said. "He didn't need any help as far as I knew."

He added that after retiring he was not involved in Air National Guard affairs. "I didn't check in with anybody — I had no reason to," he said. "I was busy with my civilian endeavors, and they were busy with their military options. I had no reason to talk to them, and I didn't."

The two issues that were raised by CBS are that Bush received special treatment to get in the Guard and that Bush received special treatment to ignore his defiance of a direct order to take a physical.

Staudt once again has refuted these charges. The documents are forgeries. Killian is dead and cannot testify. Marian Knox's memory of events is polluted by her hatred of Bush, and officers who served with Bush have refuted her. Let's Fly Under the Bridge demonstrates that no matter how you count Bush's credits, he earned more than enough credits each year to fulfill his obligation.

The only issue that remains in question is the six month period that is "unaccounted for" because so far no records proving his presence in Alabama and the press refuses to believe the memory of Lt. Calhoun who says he saw him there. Those may yet turn up.