Texan says he's ashamed he got Bush into Guard

By Bobby Ross Jr
The Associated Press

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DALLAS — Former Texas House Speaker Ben Barnes said he is "more ashamed at myself than I've ever been" because he helped President Bush and the sons of other wealthy families get into the Texas National Guard so they could avoid serving in Vietnam.

"I got a young man named George W. Bush into the National Guard ... and I'm not necessarily proud of that, but I did it," Barnes, a Democrat, said in an Internet video clip recorded May 27.

Barnes, who was House speaker when Bush entered the Guard, later was lieutenant governor.

The video was posted June 25 at www.austin4kerry.org, but didn't get much attention until Friday, when Jim Moore, an Austin-based author of books critical of Bush, sent e-mails calling attention to it.

Bush joined the National Guard in 1968, at the height of the Vietnam War, and served until 1973. He has said he received no special treatment.

Barnes said he became ashamed after walking through the Vietnam Memorial and looking at the names of the dead.

"I became more ashamed of myself than I've ever been because it was the worst thing I did — help a lot of wealthy supporters and a lot of people who had family names of importance get in the National Guard," he said. "I'm very sorry of that and I'm very ashamed of it and I apologize to the voters of Texas for that."

Barnes said yesterday the video "speaks for itself." He said he may have more to say next week.

Bush and his father, the former president, have said they did not ask for help.
 
Bush said yesterday in Lima, Ohio, that he is "proud of my service." He made the comment after a questioner in a friendly audience said, "I'm feeling sorry on your behalf the fact that they are trying to bring this issue up about the National Guard. I have many, many good friends that served in the Guard during the ... Vietnam War."

Earlier yesterday, White House press secretary Scott McClellan said of Barnes' comments: "It is not surprising coming from a longtime partisan Democrat. The allegation was discredited by the commanding officer. This was fully covered and addressed five years ago. It is nothing new."

Barnes five years ago found himself at the center of questions about Bush's Vietnam-era service when the then-Texas governor emerged as the Republican presidential front-runner.

Barnes' lawyer at that time issued a statement saying Barnes had been contacted by the now-deceased Sidney Adger, a Houston oilman and friend of Bush's father, then a congressman. Adger asked Barnes to recommend Bush for a pilot position with the Air National Guard and he did, that statement said.

"Neither Congressman Bush nor any other member of the Bush family asked Barnes' help," according to the 1999 statement.