Interview · moment 3 of 23
Chasing Bush's Military Service Story
from Incompetence and Ruthlessness · #8
Audio-only archive episode — no video to seek.
3 minGuest
Baker describes watching the Iraq War buildup from Belgrade with more skepticism, deciding to investigate George W. Bush's Vietnam-era National Guard record, and being told by editors that nothing he found would matter because Bush was unbeatable.
- 5:26Investigative journalism is the most expensive kind and the first thing news organizations cut, despite it being their most distinctive and proprietary material.
- 6:14Tim decided to investigate how George W. Bush became president after watching European news channels from Belgrade that were more skeptical of the Iraq War buildup.
- 6:59Bush was running for reelection after weapons of mass destruction were already discovered not to exist, facing John Kerry, a war veteran and anti-war candidate while Bush himself skipped Vietnam.
- 7:33Publications told Tim that anything he found wouldn't matter because Bush was going to win anyway, comparing it to Edwin Edwards' quote about only losing if found with a live boy or dead girl.
George W. BushJohn Kerryinvestigative journalismEdwin Edwards