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    links for 2010-05-21

    • DeVore stood by his account at an appearance before a group of Republican women in Riverside. He played portions of the tape that he recorded during the 1984 episode. It included sounds of gunfire, narration from DeVore and discussion with the men he describes as the Israeli soldiers who accompanied the group.

      DeVore provided his own narration during the Riverside event. After listening to one of the popping rounds of gunfire, he told the audience: “Hear how quiet everything got after that? It’s because they were whistling over heads at that point.” “Hear that? That’s the Israeli officer going: OK, we’re through. You’re all off the hill.”

      The officer’s words are difficult to decipher on the tape, which DeVore has posted on his website. Though DeVore’s transcript says the officers “were clearly concerned for our safety,” on the tape it sounds like the officer could have said, “OK, are we all through?”
      ++++++
      Good grief. Is DeVore really serious?

      (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
    • It is true that DeVore has been in the Army Reserve and the California Army National Guard (and now the Army Reserve again) for 24 years. He's also basically a career politician.

      Chuck DeVore worked in the Reagan administration, then for Chris Cox's campaign, and in Cox's congressional office. He ran for office multiple times. While in the private sector, working for an aerospace consulting firm, he was also an Irvine city commissioner and on the Irvine Community Services Commission.

      But "military reservist" just reads way better, doesn't it? It also sounds awesome to say, as DeVore did in a debate, that you were "shot at in Lebanon." What DeVore meant, though, was that he was shot near in Lebanon, while he was a college student on a media tour.
      ++++++
      But Chuck has sound of the shots….while he was a college student.

      (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
    • Chuck DeVore, the conservative candidate in California's U.S. Senate election, has apparently embellished an incident in which he says he was "shot at in Lebanon."

      As the L.A. Times reports today, part of DeVore's personal mythology is that he was "shot at in Lebanon." He said it in a recent debate, in interviews, in a Facebook post about whether the Council for American-Islamic Relations is really a "terror-loving group."

      He often mentions the 1984 incident in the same breath as his service in the Army reserves, although he wasn't in Lebanon as part of his military duty, but as a student on a media tour.
      ++++++
      Press conference Chuck – not lame audio recordings and favorable blog posts from political hacks

      (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
    • Republican Senate candidate Chuck DeVore, currently trailing third in the California polls behind Carly Fiorina and Tom Campbell, has been caught overstating and misrepresenting his military record. According to the Los Angeles Times:..
      It seems like this story is one-part Dick Blumenthal serving in Vietnam, one-part Hillary Clinton facing sniper fire in Bosnia. And it can't help that DeVore has made his service a cornerstone of his campaign. The Times reports: "Chuck DeVore made sure that the June 8 ballot described him as 'Assemblyman/Military Reservist' because, the Irvine lawmaker said, he didn't want to be mistaken for just another politician."
      ++++++
      Chuck DeVore needs to have a press conference to clear the air.
      (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
    • Folks – this is not one of my sarchastic swipes at DeVore. This one hits at the core – My grandfather, 94 installed Radar on Navy ships in WWII as a Civillian Contractor. My other Grandfater (Father’s Side) was a Master Sargeant in the Army (why I cherish my title as CRA Sgt at Arms).

      Great Uncle – Air Force Officer, Father Navy, Brother Army Guard, Uncle reitred Colonel, Green Beret in Vietnam (Silver Star, Congressional Medal of Merit) and I was a Sailor.

      … and Chuck DeVore is a fraud. Again. This time it is not political – it is on a personal level. Those that support Chuck DeVore should take a long look.

      Chuck DeVore has had his Dick Blumenthal moment. He has been caught in three and maybe more misrepentations (see also lies) about his military service.
      ++++++
      A rRchard Blumenthal moment

      (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
    • It's hard not to get caught up in Carly Fiorina's passion and charisma, hard not to be impressed with her personal business achievement and acumen. She's smart, feisty and energetic.

      But California's Republican nominee for U.S. Senate ought to be thoughtful, soft-spoken Tom Campbell, the candidate most ready to step right into the job — and the one best able to get there by first defeating three-term incumbent Barbara Boxer in November.

      Campbell will hit the ground running because, as a former state legislator and five-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he understands how the game is played.
      ++++++
      So, you elect a career politician?

      Uh NO!

    • Both DeVore and his press aide contacted me, quite exercised about my post regarding his military service. I imagine the Los Angeles Times is getting the same treatment. DeVore e-mails:

      I actually have the micro-cassette recording of Lebanon. You can hear multiple bursts of automatic weapons fire with the Israeli officer finally saying “OK, we are done” and then ordering the press off the hill. Zelnick stayed to complete his report, BTW, much to the discomfort of his cameraman.

      But the issue of proximity, of course, is what is in question….

      Well, you have the account of the candidate and of a well-respected (by liberals and conservative alike) press reporter. And there is a transcript of the debate. Voters will have to decide whether DeVore was exaggerating his service. Maybe he should hold a press conference and let the media ask all the questions they like.
      ++++++
      Read it all

      (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
    • Now we’re into the territory of Hillary Clinton’s Bosnian gunfire fantasy. The Times tracks down former ABC News correspondent Bob Zelnick (not a partisan liberal by any means) to debunk DeVore’s story.

      This is not as damning as Blumenthal’s repeated and direct lies, but it doesn’t help his cause. DeVore is a solid conservative with a firm pro-Israel position who hasn’t gotten much traction in the race. He shouldn’t have puffed up his military background to try to distinguish himself. Conservatives often surge late in Republican primaries, but this may well hold down his level of support among conservatives who have spent the better part of a week pointing out that there are few things lower than misleading voters about your military record.
      ++++++
      Read it all

      (tags: Chuck_DeVore)
  • Roy Shelburne

    Update on the Case of Dr. Roy S. Shelburne

    Dental Economics managing editor Kevin Henry speaks with the Virginia dentist about his arrest, time in prison, recent release, and advice to his peers.

    Here is a follow-up on the Dr. Roy Shelburne story I covered a couple of years ago.

    I agree about record keeping but, we in the dental profession, are taught this at an early age in dental school and is reinforced throughout our careers via continuing education.

    Strange, but it seems to me that Dr. Shelburne is not the least bit contrite or remorseful about his dental activity that led to his conviction. Perhaps this is why the Feds pushed so hard for punishment in this case.

    Just saying…….

    Update:

    Here is the Virginia Department of Health Professions adjudication of Dr. Shelburn’s dental license and Consent Order of July 15, 2008

    The link above requires a search so here are the documents:

    First, the Notice:

    Shelburne 2 0401005798Notice05202008(2)

    And, then the Consent Order:

    Shelburne 1 0401005798Order07152008

    Previous:

    The Case of Dr. Roy S. Shelburne – Convicted and Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison But U.S. Attorney Wants More

    The Case of Dr. Roy S. Shelburne – Convicted and Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison

    The Case of Dr. Roy S. Shelburne – 7 of 10 Counts Thrown Out of Court – Part Two

    The Case of Dr. Roy S. Shelburne – 7 of 10 Counts Thrown Out of Court

    The Case of Dentist Dr. Roy S. Shelburne – Sentencing Postponed

    The Case of Dentist Roy S. Shelburne


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  • Chuck DeVore

    CA-Sen: Did Chuck DeVore Exaggerate His Military Service?

    +++++Update+++++

    This is an updated post from last night: CA-Sen: Chuck DeVore Having a Republican Richard Blumenthal Moment?

    Now, Jennifer Rubin has picked up the story and written two posts about Chuck DeVore’s exaggeration of his military service.

    Read them both.

    On the radio appearance, his aide says that he introduced himself as a reservist. Yes, but the statement was about his present status. In the debate, he also says things like: “Well, as I mentioned before, I am the sole candidate on either side of the aisle with military experience. I’m a lieutenant colonel of military intelligence within the U.S. army.” Hmm. Wouldn’t the average person think he meant “regular Army” in that capacity? And in a response to a question on Mirandizing terrorists, DeVore says: “Well, this is a very critical question. I am looking at my U.S. Army Military I.D. card and at the bottom it says Geneva Conventions I.D. Card. On the back it indicates that I am Geneva Conventions Category Four. Which is a field grade officer out of anything that means that if I am captured by Geneva Conventions signatory, I can’t be forced to do physical work and of course Enlisted people will laugh at that. The point though is that I am the only candidate out of both my Republican opponents and Barbara Boxer whose actually studied the law of war and knows the Geneva Convention because we have to study it as someone going though the Command General Staff College in the U.S. Army.” I think the average listener would conclude this is evidence of service in the regular Army.

    Well, you have the account of the candidate and of a well-respected (by liberals and conservative alike) press reporter. And there is a transcript of the debate. Voters will have to decide whether DeVore was exaggerating his service. Maybe he should hold a press conference and let the media ask all the questions they like.

    Chuck DeVore needs to clear the air here and answer the questions about his military status, ballot designation, and military service “under fire.”

    The uniform California Assemblyman Chuck DeVore was NOT wearing when he WASNT shot at in Lebanon

    Looks like California U.S. Senate candidate Chuck Devore is having a Richard Blumenthal type moment: the candidate’s words on military service differ from history.

    Read it all over at the Los Angeles Times.

    Republican U.S. Senate candidate Chuck DeVore made sure that the June 8 ballot described him as “Assemblyman/Military Reservist” because, the Irvine lawmaker said, he didn’t want to be mistaken for just another politician.

    The remark reflected his effort to portray himself as an outsider in California politics  albeit one in sync with both the Republican faithful and the “tea party” protesters who have fanned voter disdain for officials in Washington and Sacramento.

    “What I have is a solid public record of conservative credentials, whether in office, in the community, or in the uniform of the United States Army,” DeVore, 48, said during a recent debate with his opponents or the GOP nomination to challenge incumbent Democrat Barbara Boxer in the fall.

    But, I thought California ballot designations were to be of current occupations and Chuck DeVore is retired military reservist, no?

    Throughout the campaign, DeVore has emphasized his service as a military officer and a young Reagan White House appointee at the Pentagon as experiences that helped make him the most qualified candidate. But at times he appears to have overstated those accomplishments, particularly his experience under fire and his role in the development of a U.S.-Israeli anti-ballistic-missile defense program.

    And, what about the BS of him being shot at in Lebanon, when he wasn’t even in the U.S. Army but a college student.

    He spoke during the debate of being “shot at in Lebanon” but did not make clear that the shooting occurred in the 1980s while DeVore was a college student studying Arabic and other subjects in the Middle East. Nor did he note that while the shooting was in his vicinity, there was no indication he was a target or was in actual danger.

    DeVore said in a later interview that he was a credentialed reporter for the Orange County Register when the shooting occurred. He said he had called the Israeli military requesting to see the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon  identifying himself as an American student studying in Egypt, a reporter and member of the U.S. Army Reserve  and was included in a media tour.

    “The Syrians shot at us and kind of drove us off the hill, because they didn’t want press over there. It was like warning shots,” said DeVore, adding that he and the Israeli soldiers immediately took cover.

    DeVore mentioned that former ABC News correspondent Bob Zelnick was among the journalists on the tour. Zelnick said the group climbed an observation tower in Israeli-occupied Lebanese territory, from which the Bekaa Valley could be seen. He recalls the Israeli troops taunting the Syrians, who fired shots in response. But Zelnick said they were out of range and that Israeli journalists present had publicly teased him for reacting to the gunshots. “Nothing I saw or experienced could reasonably be interpreted as our having been driven off the hill by Syrian fire,” he said.

    Frank Dowse, a Fiorina supporter and a retired 20-year Marine veteran from San Diego who served as a top advisor to NATO, said any attempt by DeVore  subtle or not  to imply that the Lebanon incident was related to his military service “is a bad move.”

    Then, there is DeVore’s claim that he was instrumental in the successful funding of the Israeli Arrow anti-ballistic missile system in a Reagan Administration job his mother and father helped him obtain.

    “So in his office, I dictated to him a “Dear Colleague” letter that he personally typed up on his Selectric typewriter,” DeVore said. “Within a week, Duncan Hunter had 40-plus signatures  House and Senate, Republican and Democrats, that went to Reagan and [then-Defense Secretary Caspar] Weinberger & the idea was born.”

    Hunter was then a Republican on the House Armed Services Committee. In a recent interview, he recalled DeVore as a staunch advocate of the Arrow program on behalf of the Reagan administration  but Hunter said he wrote the letter, and pursued the idea, on his own.

    “I drafted the letter that was signed by members of the Armed Services Committee, recommending that Israel embark on the missile defense program,” said Hunter, whose son now represents that congressional district.

    Hunter said that he and members of the Reagan administration were working on ways to develop defenses to medium-range missiles at that time, so it would be difficult to credit any one person for the successful funding of the Arrow missile.

    “No one in the administration said, ‘It was my idea’  DeVore included,” Hunter said.

    Good grief what embellishments and half truths. I guess that is something you have to expect from someone who has made a career in running for public office.

    Read the rest here.


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