Campaign 2004: Bush releases records but questions linger

SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER NEWS SERVICES

WASHINGTON -- President Bush, trying to calm a political storm, released his Vietnam-era military records yesterday to counter Democrats' suggestions that he shirked his duty in the Texas Air National Guard.

But there was no new evidence that he was in Alabama during a period when Democrats have questioned whether he showed up for service.

Hundreds of pages of documents -- many of them duplicates -- detailed Bush's service in the Guard from 1968 until 1973.

Bush's medical records, dozens of pages in all, were opened for examination by reporters in the Roosevelt Room, but those documents were not allowed to leave the room.

The records showed that Bush, a pilot, was suspended from flying status beginning Aug. 1, 1972, because of his failure to have an annual medical examination. His last flight exam was on May 15, 1971.

Democrats have questioned whether Bush showed up for temporary duty in Alabama while working on a political campaign during a one-year period from May 1972 to May 1973.

Reports differ on which months Bush was in Alabama, but generally, it's believed that he asked for permission to continue his duties at the 187th TAC Recon Group, Montgomery, in May 1972 and returned to his Texas unit after the November election.

The White House says Bush went back to Alabama again after that.

There were no new documents yesterday about Bush's serving in Alabama.

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