Following Dear Leader's Example

I found this story at DailyKos, and immediately recognized the irony--Bush set a wonderful example for the roughly one third of soldiers who've taken issue with being called up from IRR.

Of the 1,662 ready reservists ordered to report to Fort Jackson, S.C., by Sept. 22, only 1,038 had done so, the Army said Monday. About 500 of those who failed to report have requested exemptions on health or personal grounds.

"The numbers did not look good," said Lt. Col. Burton Masters, a spokesman for the Army's Human Resources Command. "We are tightening the system, reaching the people and bringing them in."

Masters said most of the requests for exemptions are likely to be denied: "To get an exemption, it has to be a very compelling case, such as a severe medical condition."

I wonder if "staying out late and pretending to work on a political campaign" qualifies as a "severe medical condition."

Oh, and one other thing--these folks are being called up to serve in Iraq. Bush skipped out on serving STATESIDE.