Bush ‘denunciation’ of ads wasn’t much

I have to respond to Michael Wood’s letter (“Political spats: Kerry’s turn to denounce nasty talk,” Sept. 17).

Wood asserts that President Bush, being the honorable guy he is, denounced the swift boat ads smearing John Kerry. Really? I guess I missed that. What I heard was the president responding to demands to quell his unofficial attack dogs by making some disparaging statement about 527s in general, without specifically mentioning the Swifties at all. Never mind that the prez had signed the campaign legislation which allows such activity by 527s – but then we all know that Bush never “flip-flops,” right?

I am also amused by the mention of the president’s “wartime service.” Gee, if the Viet Cong ever made it to Texas, I guess they must have been much closer than we ever knew. What really speaks loud and clear is that none of the members of the unit Bush transferred to in Alabama recall having ever even seeing him there. If he was where he was supposed to be, one would think that at least one person would remember.

I have read about the high percentage of our military personnel currently in Iraq who are National Guard and reserve personnel. Wouldn’t that have been something if those kinds of percentages had been deployed in Vietnam during the early 1970s? If they had, then perhaps Bush would really have some “wartime service” worth talking about.

Gina Parry

Snohomish