NEW: Source says president's father directly requested Guard posting

[rndmprsn]

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/nation/stories/MYSA20040909barnes_online_0909.68738f19.html

AUSTIN — The Bush family and a prominent Texas Democrat who says he helped George W. Bush avoid Vietnam by entering the Texas Air National Guard have long insisted there never was a direct request from the family for the favor.

Ben Barnes, speaker of the Texas House when George W. Bush entered the Guard in May 1968, reaffirmed there was no direct contact from the Bush family during an interview with CBS-TV's "60 Minutes" this week, a Barnes spokeswoman said Thursday.

"Categorically, that did not happen," Karen Hinton said.

Yet a source in a knowledgeable position disagreed, saying that a direct request did come from then-U.S. Rep. George Bush to Barnes.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Bush, who represented a Houston district, visited with Barnes outside a Capitol Hill hearing room in Washington and "was unequivocally talking about getting his son into the Guard" as a pilot.

"I just don't see why they don't admit it," the source said.

The source's allegation, if true, adds to an intense campaign uproar over the credibility of both presidential candidates on their roles as young men of privilege making personal choices as the Vietnam conflict played out more than three decades ago.

[HFishbine]

1. Hmmm. An unnamed source.

There's enough of that going around. I'll get excited when there's somebody on the record.

[Myrina]

2. "Some people have said" ...

Hell, the Pugs do it us often enough, it's time we turn their tired-ass old trick back on 'em, IMO.

True or not, start spreadin' !!

[Skip Intro]

3. rove trying to "get in front of the story?"

Put out an unsubstantiated charge, hoping the "enemy" will bite, then expose it as a lie, thereby casting doubt on the real story of george w. bush's cowardice - ?

"an un-named source" - - - not good enough.