SwiftVets.com

[JK]

Kerry's next offensive move instead of defending his military service...

JK

Kerry Criticizes Cheney for Avoiding Vietnam War
By Patricia Wilson

NANTUCKET, Mass. (Reuters) - Democrat John Kerry hit back at Dick Cheney on Thursday by raising the Republican's failure to serve in the Vietnam War and asking voters to weigh his two tours of duty against the vice president's five deferments.

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, bristled at Cheney's attack on his patriotism during the Republican National Convention in New York and his ability to serve as U.S. commander-in-chief.

"Here's my answer," the Massachusetts senator said in excerpts of remarks he will make at a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio, shortly after President Bush delivers his acceptance speech at the Republican convention.

"I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq," he said.

Neither Bush, who served in the Texas Air national Guard, nor Cheney went to Vietnam. The vice president obtained five deferments and has since said he had "other priorities" at the time.

Kerry volunteered for two tours of duty and won three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star while serving on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta.

Kerry's political campaign has heavily emphasized his Vietnam record, but his critics say he served only four months in the country. They say he hardly discusses his record during 20 years in the U.S. Senate.

Kerry's decorations -- and his subsequent activism against the Vietnam war -- have been questioned in television ads by a group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The Bush campaign has denied any connection with the organization.

Cheney launched a withering attack on Kerry on Wednesday night at the convention, saying he had a "habit of indecision" that would jeopardize national security, that he failed to grasp the dangers of terrorism, refused to support U.S. troops on the battlefield in Iraq and voted outside the mainstream during his 20 years in the Senate.

"John Kerry says he sees two Americas," Cheney said, playing off the Democrat's contention that there is one America for the rich and another for everybody else. "It makes the whole thing mutual: America sees two John Kerrys."

Advisers have been urging Kerry, who has lost ground against Bush in recent polls, to show a more combative side.

"We all saw the anger and distortion of the Republican Convention," Kerry said. "The vice president even called me unfit for office last night. I guess I'll leave it up to the voters whether five deferments makes someone more qualified to defend this nation than two tours of duty."

Kerry and his vice presidential running mate John Edwards will kick off the final two months before the Nov. 2 election in the critical battleground state of Ohio where recent polls give Bush a narrow lead. No Republican has ever won the White House without a victory in Ohio.


09/02/04 20:30

[Nomorelies]

Who cares what John Kerry says. Dick Cheney is not running for president. Kerry is constantly confused about things. First, he blames President Bush for the Swiftvet ads. Now he's after Dick Chency. He needs a civics lesson and fast. What a joke. Displaced anger is a sure sign of serious psychological issues. Combined with sleepwalking and bedwetting Kerry is in deep trouble.
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[Polaris]

AFAIK, Cheney's deferments were legal and approved....and was covered four years ago. Kerry just looks like a whiner and will lose votes for certain. He'd better hope Calif doesn't see this....
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-Polaris

Truth is Beauty

[LewWaters]

Perhaps, Kerry/Edwards should be careful pointing fingers?

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/8/24/130440.shtml
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Clark County Conservative

[llano]

Kerry's service has never been questioned by Cheney, it was Kerry's judgement that was in question.
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Home in Lubbock Texas, home of the Vietnam Project at Texas Tech University. A place visited frequently by Navy Chief.

[Nomorelies]

Kerry's "blast" is NOT being broadcast on Fox. MSNBC will be forced to give equal time (now) to the RNC to rebut John Kerry's stupid antic. I think campaign laws will require them to give equal time now.
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[Tony]

The dems criticized Karl Rove last night as well for having the nerve to speak about Kerry's service having not served himself. Clearly - it is not okay to question Kerry's military service if you are not a veteran (at least according to the Kerry camp). On the other hand...if you are a veteran (you know - maybe like another member of the same Swift Boat unit who actually served a full tour) you're not allowed to criticize Kerry's military service either because you are a front for a shadowy Republican conspiracy. If you're a fellow democrat who gives a speech a the GOP convention criticizing Kerry - you must be a madman and if you're just a veteran who frowns upon Kerry's actions and wishes to criticize him ......well - you get the picture. What a slime ball.......

One thing is for sure....Kerry and his people spend a lot of time defending themselves against criticism from all sorts of places.
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http://tonyk.smugmug.com/photos/1822816-L-1.jpg
USN 1983-1992

[the0point]

I think this is Kerry's undoing. He's now down in the mud, slinging away. So un-Presidential...

[LewWaters]

Pure desparation
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Clark County Conservative

[rparrott21]

These guys are no class, at least wait until tomorrow to open lying mouths..

[the0point]

This is stream of consciousness craziness... He's just throwing out every policy scheme and the kitchen sink! So ridiculous.

[Beatrice1000]

Well, I'm suffering thru this Kerry speech on C-Span, and took as many notes as I could but I don't think I can go on. Here's what I have so far (notes & paraphrase):

EDWARDS: Kerry had heroic service in Viet Nam - but maybe wasn’t wounded enough, is that it? Repubs. do personal attacks, because they have nothing else to talk about. We’ve had 4 yrs of domestic disaster. They say we have a safer world, but we have a mess in Iraq. We are proud of our military. No one is prouder or will stand stronger with our troops than Kerry who wore the uniform of the USA. We, John and I, are honest. Kerry is a man who served this country all his life -- has led with strength, courage & convictions and will make an extraordinary CiC. Kerry loves his country - served all his life - carries schrapnel in his body. The men on his boat in Nam stand with him today because they know what he has inside - strength & courage. He worked with McCain to find missing men in Nam. Was champion in Senate for vets -- won’t make fun of other politicians. This man is a fighter -- he will fight for you. He is a fighter.

KERRY: Edwards is a fighter - son of a mill worker - understands the common man. He represents the working people, and will replace a VP who represents Halliburton.

I have 5 words for America: “This is your wake up call.”

My response to the Pres’s speech tonight: “All hat no cattle.”

The “RNC” really stands for “Really Not Compassionate.”

The choice in this election: If you think the country is going in the right direction and you are doing better, then vote for Bush. But if you believe we are headed in the wrong direction -- we can change the direction of our country, then vote for us.

We’ve had insults/anger from the republicans. They won’t talk about health care, jobs, etc. They can’t talk about their record of failure, so all they do is attack.

They have attacked my patriotism & fitness to serve as CiC -- here is my answer to them: I will not have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and misled America into Iraq. VP called me unfit for office last night. Well, I’m going to leave it up to the voters to decide whether 5 deferments makes someone more qualified than two tours of duty. We’ll decide about that. Let me tell you what makes someone unfit for office & unfit to lead: Misleading our country into Iraq makes you unfit to lead our country. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this country. Letting 45 million Americans go without health care makes you unfit to lead this country. Letting the Saudi royal family control the price of oil for America makes you unfit to lead. Handing out billions to dollars in contracts without a bid to Halliburton while you are still on the payroll makes you unfit to lead this country. That is the record of George Bush & Dick Cheney.

It’s time for us to have a different kind of conversation in this nation. This president has misled the American people. All of you out there, you watched our convention,- I want you to just think about what Obama said about our country when he spoke about one nation & our positive ideas.
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I pledge to you, I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as president of the USA. Our soldiers are doing an extraordinary job. The best and the brightest. I visited a hospital & they deserve leadership that helps them to do the job right - that helps America to reduce taxpayer costs -- that helps America to have Allies at our side -- we need to get the target off the front & back of the American soldier, and I will do that.


(notice his fixation on the phrase "unfit to lead" ...... )

[Beatrice1000]

Now he's yelling for "one America, red, white & blue" ---


(where'd the two Americas go to???)

[Polaris]

I thought Edwards was all about two Americas? Did I miss something?
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-Polaris

Truth is Beauty

[RMalloy]

The Swiftvets have put Kerry on the run.
Bush spends his time defending America.
Kerry spends all his time defending himself.