Is George Bush a Deserter?

This is getting ugly. Peter Jennings took Wesley Clark to task for not repudiating Clark supporter Michael Moore's claim that Bush went AWOL while in the National Guard. The rumors have floated around for quite a while, but there never seemed to be enough pieces of the puzzle.

Does it even matter?
- If the claim is accurate, it lets Clark off the hook. It also casts doubts on young George W. Bush's integrity. How it affects the public's perception of President George W. Bush is another matter.
- If the claim is inaccurate, then Clark may have to disavow Michael Moore's conduct (like no one has ever done THAT before). The longer he waits to do that, the more it may hurt him.
It looks like everyone has to stop pretending that the 3000# rhinoceros is hanging out in the room.

Now there's more to back the claim. Read the article, view the linked evidence, and see what you think.

Also check out these sources:
An index of websites with "evidence" on this issue
The Boston Globe papers