George W. Bush military service controversy

The George W. Bush military service controversy is an ongoing American political controversy regarding U.S. President George W. Bush and the differing contentions about his service with the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War. The controversy was discussed in the mass media during the 2000 presidential campaign and again in the 2004 presidential campaign. Prior to his presidential campaigns, opponents of Bush invoked various contentions about his service during his successful Texas Gubernatorial campaigns in 1994 and 1998. In 1998, Harriet Miers, then the president of a prominent Dallas law firm, and Bush's personal attorney, was paid $19,000 by the Bush gubernatorial re-election campaign to examine rumors questioning Bush's service in the National Guard.

Memos allegedly from Jerry Killian

Main article: Killian documents

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Coincident with CBS News's September 8 2004, interview with Ben Barnes was the release of another set of documents relating to preferential treatment during Bush's National Guard service. The documents, allegedly from the personal files of the late Jerry Killian, added new allegations against Bush, but their authenticity was immediately attacked by bloggers. CBS and Dan Rather initially defended the documents and the report but, on September 20, CBS News stated that it had been "misled" and that it should not have used the documents. The documents are widely considered to be recent forgeries, however the independent commission established to investigate the incident concluded it was impossible to determine the authenticy, or lack thereof, of the Killian memos. Futhermore, the commission also concluded, though the documents were potentially false, evidence indicates they still accurately reflected Lt. Col. Killian's opinion of Bush's quality of service (per the testimony of Killian's secretary - Marion Carr Knox). The validity of Rather's original story (and its accuracy irrespective of the Killian memos) have largely been under-reported by the media, having been eclipsed by the controversy surrounding the memos themselves.

Related Topics:
September 8 - 2004 - Dan Rather - September 20

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