From the New York Times via Wizbang:
In the 10 months after his graduation from Yale, time he might otherwise have spent in uniform, Dr. Dean lived the life of a ski bum in Aspen, Colo. His back condition did not affect his skiing the way the rigors of military service would have, he said, nor did it prevent him from supplementing a trust fund with odd jobs like pouring concrete in the warm months and washing dishes when it got cold.Even the candidate's mother, Andree Maitland Dean, said in a recent interview about his skiing after receiving a medical deferment, "Yeah, that looks bad."
But, she said, that is the nature of his condition. It is aggravated by certain kinds of physical activity but not all kinds, she said. The condition is called spondylolysis, a low-back pain that sometimes radiates into the legs, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' online information site.
Hey, I've got the same condition. It usually crops up when its time to wash the dishes or mow the lawn.
It sounds like Dean just wanted to get this issue out in the open before it was picked up and exposed by the media. Its hard to respect somebody who would shy away from their civic duty like this, but a lot of privileged kids got to stay home from Vietnam after they had some strings pulled for them. Its not right but it was certainly fairly common. At least he came out and acknowledged that it was probably a mistake. It won't atone for him staying home while his countrymen were wounded and killed over there, but its a start.
Politically the brand of "draft dodger" really doesn't matter any more since we elected Bill Clinton, an expert draft dodger, in 1992. The thought of anyone dodging the draft doesn't sit well with me, but the fact is that a lot of people who could find a loophole out of the draft in the 60's and 70's did exactly that, including our current President and Vice President. It was an ugly era and it seems like a lot of people made a lot of mistakes back then.
So this revelation is kind of pointless. Since I was voting Republican anyway in the upcoming election this certainly doesn't sway my vote at all, and I doubt it will sway many who had already planned on voting Democrat.
Article comments
1 - sallie
This could be a potential weakness in the primaries against Kerry and Clarke. Clinton wasn't running actually during a war when voters are more aware of a soldier's sacrifice. If Dean manages to get the nomination though the Bush campaign wouldn't want to make an issue of it because it would be the pot calling the kettle black. I doubt they would want to bring this topic up at any time.
2 - Hal Pawluk
"So this revelation is kind of pointless."
Which begs the question: why propagate it by posting here?
Perhaps the answer is in your next sentence: "Since I was voting Republican anyway..."?
3 - Rob
I post it here in an effort to say that this revelation by Dean is kind of pointless. Some Republicans are going to pick up on it and take of running, and that isn't right.
I'm not voting Republican based on Bush's military service, I'm voting Republican because Bush is getting things done, despite obstruction from Democrats.
4 - Hal Pawluk
"I'm voting Republican because Bush is getting things done"
Yeah, as Richard Perle said the day after the Bush "Mission Accomplished" visit to the carrier (source: US State Department site):
5 - JR
Don't forget rolling back environmental protections, easing media ownership rules, chipping away at the separation of church and state, and stacking the courts with conservative judges in preparation for outlawing abortion. Bush "getting things done" is not necessarily a good thing.
6 - Hal Pawluk
But besides those and his abandoning Afghanistan, increasing the threat of terrorism worldwide, and shooting holes in domestic constitutional rights and freedoms, what's your problem? Geez, JR.