It Depends What the Definition of "Volunteer" Is

You know, if the Republicans didn't tell such blatant lies, I might say that they were comically inept in, to paraphrase, "truth-telling program activities". But the lies are so blatant that I can't help but think that the Republicans have tipped over into venality.

This time around, in case anyone missed it, Talking Points Memo caught Marc Racicot, chairman of Bush-Cheney '04, lying on NPR this morning. [link] Specifically, in an interview with Juan Williams, Racicot said that President Bush had volunteered to go to Vietnam, but wasn't selected. [link]

Racicot actually used the word "volunteer", which, as we'll see in a moment, is a blatant fabrication. He didn't say "Bush joined the Guard and took the risk he'd be called up" or anything like that. He said "volunteered." Which implies that our President, noble soul that he is, asked to be sent into battle. Get ready the B-roll of heroic action clips.

But here's the thing (and these days, it always seems like there's a thing, doesn't it?): the actual, documentable facts say otherwise. To wit, on his application to join the National Guard, President Bush was asked whether he wanted to go overseas, and he checked the box marked "Do not volunteer". [link]

So there you have it. Bush specifically states "do not volunteer" and now his campaign chairman would like us to believe that the President actually did volunteer. Anyone who can spot the lie, give yourself 5 points.

Look, I'm just going to say this once. I really couldn't care less whether President Bush avoided the draft or not -- lots of honorable people avoided the war, some for very good, and others for not so good, reasons. Whatever; it was 35 years ago, they were all young, and I don't think that it is an automatically disqualifying character flaw in politics now to say that you didn't want to go to Vietnam then. But if you avoided the draft, however you did it, BE A MAN AND ADMIT YOU DID IT.

I am tired of being lied to, and I am tired of being gamed by smarmy surrogates. But for God's sake, if you're going to lie to me, (and this is the kicker), is it too much to ask that you not lie about things that are instantly and easily verifiable? I mean, really, if you're going to lie to me, at least do so in a way that respects my intelligence.

"Volunteer" and "Do not volunteer" mean different things; even my two-year-old knows the difference between "do" and "don't". Is it too much to expect that the chairman of the committee to re-elect a sitting President should know the same?