Daughter of Ben Barnes Disputes Father's Claims as Political

The Former Texas House Speaker Ben Barnes' recollections over how he helped
President Bush get into the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War
have evolved over the years from fuzzy to distinct.
Barnes, who once claimed he did not help Bush enter the National Guard,
reversed his story and told CBS News 60 Minutes that he in fact did help
Bush.
Mr. Barnes daughter, Amy Barnes called the Mark Davis Show and spoke with
guest host Monica Crowley on WBAP September 9th dismissing Barnes' claims as
political and opportunistic.

Click here for audio (Windows Media)
<http://rope.wbap.com/audio/barnes.wma>.

Excerpt of Call:

BARNES: I love my father very much, but he's doing this for purely political
reasons. He is a big Kerry fund-raiser and he is writing a book also. And
[the Bush story] is what he's leading the book off with. ... He denied this
to me in 2000 that he did get Bush out [of Vietnam service]. Now he's saying
he did.

CROWLEY: Did he tell you, Amy - and I'm glad I have you on the line with me
- did your father tell you that he was prepared to do this on behalf of John
Kerry - go after President Bush like this?

BARNES: He told me he was going to do it. In fact, I talked to him a couple
of months ago. He told me he was writing the book. He told me that he was
going to be talking about this. And he knows that I - we have very diverse
political opinions. He knows my opinions and we get into this debate every
time I see him. But, you know, he said that he was going to be talking about
it.

CROWLEY: Now you're saying, Amy, that he has had two separate stories on
President Bush's Guard duty during the Vietnam era?

BARNES: Yes, yes. This came out in 2000 and I asked him then, at the time,
if he [helped get Bush into the Guard]. He said: "No, absolutely not. I did
not do that." -

CROWLEY: So, I hate to put you in this position, but I will ask you, do you
think your father, Ben Barnes who was on "60 Minutes II" with Dan Rather
last night - do you believe that he lied on the air to the American people
last night about President Bush?

BARNES; Yes, I do. I absolutely do. And I think he's doing he's doing it for
purely political, opportunistic reasons - trying to get John Kerry elected
and trying to make Bush look like the bad person. ... Like I said, he's
going to be trying to promote his book that he's got coming out.