SwiftVets.com

[integritycounts]

A heckler, shouting at John Kerry about Vietnam war atrocities, was manhandled by sheetmetal workers sitting nearby and escorted from the building. (Photo by Michael E. Keating/The Enquirer)

Protester gets few words in during speech
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By Gregory Korte Enquirer staff writer
http://www.enquirer.com/midday/09/09092004_News_mday_kerryprotest09.html
A 48-year-old Kentucky delivery driver who ran an unsuccessful campaign as a Republican for Bracken County judge-executive in 2002 interrupted Sen. John Kerry's speech in Cincinnati on Wednesday.

"You said you committed atrocities!" shouted Michael L. Russell of Foster, Ky., at the beginning of Kerry's speech.

That was about all he got to say before a union sheet metal worker sitting next to him got him in a headlock. Russell, a Teamster member who got an invitation through his union, tried to continue his speech, but 600 Kerry supporters shouted, "Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry!" to drown him out.

Cincinnati police and U.S. Secret Service officers escorted Russell from the building. He was not arrested.

"He was a plant, obviously," said David Mann, the former Cincinnati mayor and congressman, who was sitting immediately behind Russell. "He would have kept on talking."

The outburst led Kerry to depart briefly from his prepared remarks.

"I have nothing but the greatest respect for people's right to express their opinion," Kerry said. "I might add, it's a terrific tactic of the Bush team. They love to disrupt. They love to interrupt. They don't want America to hear the truth."

In an interview afterward, Russell said he wanted to ask Kerry about his 1971 interview on Meet the Press, when he said, "There are all kinds of atrocities and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free-fire zones.... I took part in search-and-destroy missions, in the burning of villages."

Kerry has since said he regrets using the word "atrocity."

Outside the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, the GOP protest was a fraction of the 2,000-plus who protested Bush's speech there two years ago.

"He's so indecisive - I don't think he's going to be a strong leader," Bush supporter Glen Comstock of Burlington, Ky. said of Kerry.

Afterward, a lone GOP operative, Alex Triantafilou of Green Township, handed out DVD copies of a Republican-produced film on Kerry's evolving position on Iraq to reporters covering the speech.

Reporter Cindi Andrews contributed. E-mail gkorte@enquirer.com

[coldwarvet]

Were is the assult charge on the sheet metal worker? Any one know this guy? My ears still ring from the 1971 VVAW "Free Speech" "Free Speech" chants. Perhaps it is our turn to raise our voices.

CWV
_________________
Defender of the honor of those in harms way keeping us out of harms way.

"Peace is our Profession"
Strategic Air Command - Motto

USAF 75-79 Security Police

[jataylor11]

I'd file a personal injury lawsuit against the guy. Looks like severe whip-lash to me--- where was Edwards? He could make an extra buck --- ooops wrong side -- but does that really matter to an attorney.

Lawyer -- profession where your responsibility is to protect your client from other members of your profession.

[BrianC]

Yeah, Kerry claims to want Americans to hear the truth, but of course when was the last time he was asked this question - or ANY question, for that matter?

WHAT ARE YOU HIDING, JOHNNY BOY?

[just_linda]

I thought this was interesting.
http://www.wkrn.com/Global/story.asp?S=2274529

From the story: Kerry spokesman David Wade told reporters that the heckler was Mike Russell, who is listed as a spokesman for the anti-Kerry group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group has accused Kerry of lying about military heroism for which he received medals.



If I didn't see with my very eyes the way John Kerry is treating American citizens, I wouldn't believe it. Who "listed" him in the Kerry campaign as your spokesman? Un..........believable.

[Navymomx2]

[You GottaBeKidding]

FWIW, there is no one with the last name Russell listed in the book. Could have joined after the book. Quick search of the site didn't turn up a list.

Maybe he is a Swiftvet, or maybe Wade just claimed he is.

[RobD]

Where did this come from "Kerry has since said he regrets using the word "atrocity."" First time I've hered that one. I know he said that he regreted some of the "languge" on Tim Russert's show but I've never hered the above statment before.
_________________
6 Year Navy

[integritycounts]

Link It would appear that Michael Russell is a spokeman for Swift Vets....

and this link as second confirmation

I do find it illustrative that instead of Kerry using the opportunity to clear up the questions, to be frank, to discuss his record.....that his chose not to....and to have the questioner thumped and removed. He just blames Bush for the questions, instead of addressing the concerns of Veterans.

It shows that Kerry is a wind up mouth piece of his new handlers, you know that Clinton would have at least addressed it. Kerry will fail in any true Town Hall meeting. IMO Bush should take that middle debate.

[Indianbaboon]

[msindependent]

He is probably a SwiftVet wannabe.


(I stand corrected, he was a SwiftVet and good for him).

[integritycounts]

You said you committed atrocities!" shouted Michael L. Russell of Foster, Ky., at the beginning of Kerry's speech.

That was about all he got to say before a union sheet metal worker sitting next to him got him in a headlock. Russell, a Teamster member who got an invitation through his union, tried to continue his speech, but 600 Kerry supporters shouted, "Ker-ry! Ker-ry! Ker-ry!" to drown him out.

I have to wonder how loud he was...before he got mugged....Sounds like a one liner comment to me

[ASPB]

[vietnamvet173]

[You GottaBeKidding]

If he's 48, he's my age. Would have graduated from high school in 1974. Seems a bit young to be a Swift vet in Vietnam.