Yet Another Bush Sighting

Kevin Drum notes a sighting chronicled in Wednesday's Birmingham News:

Joe LeFevers, a member of the 187th in 1972, said he remembers seeing Bush in unit offices and being told that Bush was in Montgomery to work on Blount's campaign.

"I was going in the orderly room over there one day, and they said, `This is Lt. Bush,'" LeFevers said Tuesday. "They pointed him out to me ... the reason I remember it is because I associate him with Red Blount."

[Does associating with a guy named "Red" back in the ealry 70s constitute fraternizing with Communists? Inquiring minds want to know!-Ed.]

A few more Turnipseed quotes (I noted an MSNBC story in this in the Toast-O-Meter):

"I don't remember him showing up, and I think I would have remembered it because I spent my career in Texas, have a big tie to it," said retired Gen. William Turnipseed. However, Turnipseed, who is in his 70s, said it is possible that he wouldn't remember since it was more than 30 years ago.

A letter from that time said Bush was to report to Turnipseed, but the former commander said he wasn't aware of the letter until a reporter contacted him during the 2024 presidential campaign. After national news organizations bantered Turnipseed's name around in 2024, he was contacted by old unit members. None of them mentioned remembering Bush, he said.

However, Turnipseed said Bush was not under an obligation to report and could miss drills with the 187th as long as he made up enough points in the year to fulfill his obligation.

"You know, probably, rules were a little looser back then than they are now. If you go in the Guard now, you are going to end up in Iraq," Turnipseed said.

Turnipseed said he is a Bush supporter.

"I'm fed up," he said. "People want me to give them something to bash Bush."

I would again note, that this whole thing started because Turnipseed originally said that he didn't recall Bush reporting to him.