Unfit Commander: Texans for Truth Take on George W. Bush

Rating:
Summary: Another Texan for Truth
Review: As a Texan, I've taken a lot of good-natured ribbing from activist friends around the world.

They have told me that the best way to save the country would be to send Bush back to Texas. Because it ultimately implies that I and other Texans unanimously had supported Bush, this statement is a gross generalization. We actually had more reason to oppose his ascension than people from other states.

Plus, already knowing what Bush would do to America and the world if he (unlike the figurehead Texas Governor position) actually had power, provided all the incentive which I needed to vote against him in 2000 and 2004.

I and other alert Texans COULD NOT reside under the illusion that George W. Bush was somehow 'moderate'. We also knew that it did matter who actually won the presidential elections.

Mounting casualties in Iraq coupled with a skyrocketing federal deficit are affirming just how bad a Bush administration really is for the world. Amidst a growing number of 'Bush' supporter head-scratching and (actually) genuine bewilderment, we say "I told you so".

Continuing a pattern begun in early adulthood (to escape the Vietnam War he allegedly supported) Bush is a good-ole boy who depends on his family name and the monetary connections to avoid the situations which other Texans had to deal with.

Borrowing an `image' page from Ronald Reagan and his father's playbook, Bush intentionally cultivates an image of the 'rugged cowboy' who has made it on his own without any assistance.

In addition to downplaying the importance of government, the `cowboy' also is supposed to suggest that the president is a John-Wayne figure who will of course be able to protect the country against whatever is considered a threat.

Yet, the truth is that Bush is a naive and sheltered person who has never had to take responsibility for his actions.

This is why the Bush administration honestly is not bothered that they have lied to the American people, or are slaughtering American troops (who already face enough danger) with that same fabricated evidence about Iraq WMD's. As long as somebody else can go to war in their place, these people sincerely do not see a contradiction in their own actions.

Even if I have personally read the general gist of this book elsewhere, I was pleased to see it again. The truth always bears repeating.

The American people (and those in Texas) want to easily be comforted by 'security' images. Constant repetition of the real facts may thus be the very tool which encourages these swing voters to stop voting for the GOP---and/or recognize they are not the only Texans who hate Bush's war against the world. There are far more of us out here than the so-called liberal mass media has recognized.

Don't send Bush back to Texas, lock him up far, far away where he will never be able to hurt anybody again.


Rating:
Summary: More Unflattering Facts About Bush
Review: Enlightening, well-organized book concerning George W's (lack of) service in the National Guard. Documention included to prove that George W. did whatever he wanted to do, and was allowed to get away with it. And then this shirker was elected president! There are those who just refuse to see the truth right in front of them.

Rating:
Summary: What everyone expected in the first place
Review: Given that this book upsets extreme right wingers as much as this one does (see prvious 2 reviews)I'll give it 5 stars and believe every word of it. The only problem that I had with the book is that most of it has been said before. Bush, since he won the office under dubious circumstances, has always seemed like a self-serving (to the point of going to war and having so many people killed, which is okay as long as it's not him,right)lier. Which is the point of this book, to yet flesh out more lies that he's foisted upon the american public. It would make sense to me, that if Martha Stewert is in prison for lying about her portfolio, both Bush and Clinton should be accorded the same honor for lies of much greater magnitude.

This is a well written and well referenced book, that every american, either repulican or democrat should read.If you are a Bush supporter then go for it. Please don't take this as a Kerry endorsement, believe me it's not. But, in the upcoming election We as a country need to be as informed as possible.

Rating:
Summary: Such a very inventive, creative title & jacket ...NOT!!!
Review: Glenn Smith is a repulsive, swarmy, crappy LITTLE man! There is not ONE iota of originality, creativity in this trash-piece!

Why would anyone give some slimeball that STEALS the book title, the jacket cover, the entire concept of the book a second thought...let alone a dime of reward for his deceptive thievery?!?

Appears no one except the desperate of the left wing loonies that do absolutely nothing more than sit on their butts all day throwing mud from any source, hoping some might stick, do! They certainly never read, let alone purchase a book...need more proof? This latest cesspool sets at #7555 on Amazon's book list! ROFLMAO!!!

Oh, and I told you so, Amazon...these liberals you've curled up with, cozied up to...don't/won't keep your bills paid!!! ;-)

Excuse me, I now must go make another donation to the Swift Vets!!! <G>

Rating:
Summary: Unfit to Read!!!!
Review: I "read" this excuse for a book, which was already marked down to half price tonight, in about 30 minutes. I am glad, however, that I had a chance to see the documents myself. I am a drilling reservist and Iraqi Freedom veteran. I reviewed the voluminous documents of his military records that make up over half the book. Bush served his then 6 years statutory service obligation. He commissioned in 1968 and resigned his commission in 1974. I looked at his retirement points. He had the minimum 50 points/year while actively drilling to have the year count toward retirement. In the reserve component, you don't have to go to drill every month to have a good year. You get 4 points/ weekend drill and 15 point for annual training. You even get 15 points/year just for being in the guard/reserve. You can do make up training as well, if you want to, otherwise you can request and receive an excused absence without making up the drill. So you can miss several months/year, have up to 9 unexcused absences, and still be a satisfactory participant. People in the guard/reserve have full-time civilian jobs that at times may conflict with drill, hence the liberal makeup/absence policy. When he went to Harvard in 1973 he went into the inactive reserve but was still subject to involuntary recall until he resigned his commission in 1974 at the end of his service obligation. I read his officer evaluation reports. They were excellent! His commission was in the Reserve of the Air Force in the Air National Guard. When he served on active duty while federally recognized, he was in the Air Force. He had several DD214s with honorable active duty service and was honorably discharged from the service in 1974. He flew fighter jets as part of homeland defense during a time when we were also involved in a Cold War with the Soviet Union. He failed to take a physical and was removed from flying status when the Air Force was downsizing from Vietnam and his jet was becoming obsolete. It is curious the memo removing him from flight status shows another pilot from his unit also removed for not taking a physical but the name is redacted. It would be interesting to interview that person to see why they did not take the physical as well. Maybe they were told not to. I just don't understand how these facts render him "unfit." You can't be AWOL unless you are on active duty. He did his duty and served honorably.

Rating:
Summary: This is a McBook save your money.
Review: I almost bought this book just to see what the other side of the swift boat controversy was saying. Luckily I browsed through a copy at a major discount store. The book is made up of a couple press conference transcripts, Double spaced with the the big margins and over half of the book is copies of Bushes military records that have been released by the Pentagon. Think of what a PDF file looks like when you shrink to fit two pages on a single sheet of paper and you get the idea. The copies are direct copies made up of 8x10 letters shrunk to fit on a standard hardcover book with 1" margins. Needless to say some are impossible to read and do not transfer well at all.If you are reading this review then you have access to this info on the net for free. Look for a copy to scan before you buy it.

Rating:
Summary: Ignoring politics, this is not a good book.
Review: I don't have any great love for George W. Bush. I bought this book expecting a appraisal of the president with reflection on his service record, and so on.
What it turned out to be was about 50 pages explaining the origins of the Texans For Truth, with some background on the subject and references to other recent political events. The next 50 pages or so are transcripts of interviews and press conferences about the service record, then the remaining 50% of the book is just reproductions of Bush's service records.
There is very little analysis, identification of key points, possible sources of error, anything. The information contained in the book I already knew, and even if I didn't I can think of several magazine sources that carried the information in a much more satisfactory manner and with more true analysis.
The only thing that prevents this from being a one star turkey is that it could potentially be used as a source for anyone wanting to build a case for themselves. For anyone else, forget it.

Rating:
Summary: Ignoring evidence, this book stands by the CBS forgeries!
Review: It looks to me like Michael Moore and Terry McCauliffe co-wrote this piece of innuendo-filled scribble. I predict there will be no movie version!

Rating:
Summary: Clarification
Review: Mr. Tom Shepherd of El Monte,CA should remember that Mr. Clinton lied about sex. This is hardly up there with lying about war and peace or phony-baloney drug benefits for seniors. As the bumper sticker says, "When Clinton lied, nobody died."

Rating:
Summary: Knee-jerk reaction to the past while overlooking the future
Review: The book consists of 40 pages containing newspapers' stories about the president's military records, 53 pages containing White House's press briefings, and 250 pages of poorly reproduced military records.

All the information in the book is old and well known. Although the author concludes that there are strong similarities, in behavior, between the dishonest young man and the current Commander in Chief, he fails to see other facts that contradict his prejudiced opinion, as follows:

(1) George W. Bush did not choose to be born rich to an influential father. Thus, his preferential treatment was not deliberately sought, but offered to him as a pay back for his father's connections. In addition, the war in Vietnam was of questionable purpose.

(2) In 1968, when young Bush was preferentially accepted in the National Guard, the entire country was plagued by racist and discriminatory culture. The whites discriminated against blacks, the rich discriminated against the poor, the Baptist discriminated against the Jews and Catholics. Thus, preferential treatment in that era and that young age (21-year old) could not justify the charge of "unfit commander". At least, the young Bush eliminated Saddam and the Talliban, in one term.

(3) From 1968 through 1971, young Bush proved responsible, as his records show. That proves that he was able to accomplish when he was interested. His declined performance from 1972 and his discharge in 1973 is not an extreme conduct for a young man forced to comply with rigid military obligations.

However, the inclusion of the president records in the book renders it a handy reference in studying other aspects of his achievements. For example, his Yale's major in History and Harvard's major in business administration shows his mediocre academic preparation, compared to others presidents, who studied Law that requires extensive reading and analytical skills far complicated that those needed in history and business.

Although, Bush's run-ins with the law that included speeding, negligent accidents, and disorderly conduct are not extreme, since they occurred prior to the age of 21. The author may be correct that the president has still maintained impatience, poor judgment, and sense of entitlement above the norms of those of reasonable men. However, these charges could be refuted by the fact that without invading Iraq there was no mean to prove that the country did not have weapons of mass destruction. In addition, Saddam was a maniac whose address was known, while Bin Laden was elusive.