corrente

But when Bush says this, supporters cheer. Why is that?

Bush talks the talk:

[BUSH] "Nineteen individuals have served both in the Guard and as president of the United States," he said, naming Abraham Lincoln and Harry Truman, among others, "and I am proud to be one of them."
(via Kansas City Stat)

But he doesn't walk the walk:

For example, Air National Guard regulations at the time required commanders to write an investigative report for the Air Force when Bush missed his annual medical exam in 1972. The regulations also required commanders to confirm in writing that Bush received counseling after missing five months of drills.

The AP talked to experts unaffiliated with either campaign who have reviewed Bush's files for missing documents. They said it was not unusual for guard commanders to ignore deficiencies by junior officers such as Bush. But they said missing a physical exam, which caused him to be grounded, was not common.

"It's sort of like a code of honor that you didn't go DNF (duty not including flying)," said retired Air Force Col. Leonard Walls, who flew 181 combat missions over Vietnam. "There was a lot of pride in keeping combat-ready status."
(via the increasingly serious USA Today)

So, what the heck has Bush got to be proud of?

Why is He proud of being grounded? Fer gawdsake.

And what could Bush possibly know of honor or pride? To be honorable, and to know true pride, you've got to walk the walk.