SwiftVets.com

[Guest]

SEN. JOHN KERRY: "I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Democrat National Convention, Boston, MA, 7/29/04)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEN. JOHN KERRY: "It is something that we know-for instance, Saddam Hussein has used weapons of mass destruction against his own people, and there is some evidence of their efforts to try to secure these kinds of weapons and even test them." (CBS’ "Face The Nation," 9/23/01)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the year leading up to the Iraq war, Senator Kerry consistently viewed Saddam Hussein as a threat to the United States and "one who is and has acted like a terrorist."

KERRY: "He is and has acted like a terrorist, and he has engaged in activities that are unacceptable." (Fox News’ "The O’Reilly Factor," 12/11/01)

KERRY: "I think we ought to put the heat on Saddam Hussein. I’ve said that for a number of years, Bill. I criticized the Clinton administration for backing off of the inspections, when Ambassador Butler was giving us strong evidence that we needed to continue. I think we need to put the pressure on, no matter what the evidence is about September 11 ..." (Fox News’ "The O’Reilly Factor," 12/11/01)

KERRY: "I think we clearly have to keep the pressure on terrorism globally. This doesn’t end with Afghanistan by any imagination. And I think the president has made that clear. I think we have made that clear. Terrorism is a global menace. It’s a scourge. And it is absolutely vital that we continue, for instance, Saddam Hussein." (CNN’s "Larry King Live," 12/14/01)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MSNBC’S CHRIS MATTHEWS: "Do you think that the problem we have with Iraq is real and it can be reduced to a diplomatic problem? Can-can we get this guy to accept inspections of those weapons of mass destruction potentially and get past a possible war with him?" (MSNBC’s "Hardball," 2/5/02)

KERRY: "Outside chance, Chris. Could it be done? The answer is yes. But he would view himself only as buying time and playing a game, in my judgment. Do we have to go through that process? The answer is yes. We’re precisely doing that. And I think that’s what Colin Powell did today." (MSNBC’s "Hardball," 2/5/02)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"I agree completely with this Administration’s goal of a regime change in Iraq ..." - John Kerry, 7/29/02 Remarks at the 2002 DLC National Conversation, NY (Senator John Kerry, Speech To The 2002 DLC National Conversation, New York, NY, 7/29/02)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"If Saddam Hussein is unwilling to bend to the international community's already existing order, then he will have invited enforcement ...even if that enforcement is mostly at the hands of the United States, a right we retain even if the Security Council fails to act." " - Sen. John Kerry, Op-Ed The New York Times 9/6/02 (Sen. John Kerry, Op-Ed, "We Still Have A Choice On Iraq," The New York Times, 9/6/02)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KERRY: "I would disagree with John McCain that it’s the actual weapons of mass destruction he may use against us, it’s what he may do in another invasion of Kuwait or in a miscalculation about the Kurds or a miscalculation about Iran or particularly Israel. Those are the things that - that I think present the greatest danger. He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups to invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It’s the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat." (CBS’ "Face The Nation," 9/15/02)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KERRY: "But the president, as I also wrote in that article, always reserves the right to act unilaterally protect [sic] the interests of our country." (MSNBC’s "Hardball," 9/17/02)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Iraq War Resolution 10/11/02 (H.J. Res. 114, CQ Vote #237: Passed 77-23: R 48-1; D 29-21; I 0-1, 10/11/02, Kerry Voted Yea)

............................

Democrats Look for a Candidate

May 2003 - March 2004 Democratic Presidential Nominating Contest. Senator Kerry sees energy among anti-Iraq war democrats, Meets Howard Dean and begins to flip and flop.

KERRY: "George, I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." (ABC News Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

Democratic Debate 5/3/03

ABC NEWS’ GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "Now, Governor Dean, you’ve criticized Senator Kerry on the campaign trail saying he’s tried to have it both ways on the issue of Iraq. Was that answer clear enough for you?" (ABC News Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

Democratic Debate 5/3/03

FORMER GOV. HOWARD DEAN (D-VT): "[I] think this was the wrong war at the wrong time ..." (ABC News Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

Democratic Debate 5/3/03

STEPHANOPOULOS: "But do you believe Senator Kerry is still trying to have it both ways?" (ABC News Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

SEN. JOE LIEBERMAN (D-CT): "Both have sent an uncertain message, one in principled opposition to the war, Governor Dean. The other an ambivalence about the war, which does not - will not give the people confidence about our party’s willingness to make the tough decisions to protect their security in a world after September 11." (ABC News Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/3/03)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CNN’S CANDY CROWLEY: "Dean’s asterisk has turned into a star. He leads in Iowa polls, where next-door neighbor Richard Gephardt must win. And he leads in New Hampshire, where John Kerry must stake claim. ... Asked about the kind of candidate they’re looking for, a majority of Democrats said they want someone who opposed the war. Strike Lieberman, Gephardt, Edwards and Kerry, all of whom voted for the war, most of whom have been, if not exactly backtracking, certainly revamping." (CNN’s "Crossfire Goes Inside Politics," 9/1/03)

KERRY: "I voted to threaten the use of force to make Saddam Hussein comply with the resolutions of the United Nations." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Announcement Of Candidacy, Patriot’s Point, SC, 9/2/03)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KERRY: "But the president and his advisors did not do almost anything correctly in the walk-up to the war. They rushed to war. They were intent on going to war. They did not give legitimacy to the inspections. We could have still been doing inspections even today, George." (ABC’s "This Week," 10/12/03)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MSNBC’S CHRIS MATTHEWS: "Are you one of the anti-war candidates?" (MSNBC’s "Hardball," 1/6/04)

KERRY: "I am - Yeah." (MSNBC’s "Hardball," 1/6/04)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KERRY: "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it ..." (Glen Johnson, "Kerry Blasts Bush On Protecting Troops," The Boston Globe, 3/17/04)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KERRY: "So clearly the allies may not like it, and I think that’s our great concern - where’s the backbone of Russia, where’s the backbone of France, where are they in expressing their condemnation of such clearly illegal activity, but in a sense, they’re now climbing into a box and they will have enormous difficulty not following up on this if there is not compliance by Iraq." (CNN’s "Crossfire," 11/12/97)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KERRY: "I think there is a disconnect between the depth of the threat that Saddam Hussein presents to the world and what we are at the moment talking about doing. ... Then we have to be prepared to go the full distance, which is to do everything possible to disrupt his regime and to encourage the forces of democracy." (ABC’s "This Week," 2/22/9

ABC’S COKIE ROBERTS: "And does that mean ground troops in Iraq?" (ABC’s "This Week," 2/22/9

KERRY: "I am personally prepared, if that’s what it meant." (ABC’s "This Week," 2/22/9

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KERRY: "[H]e can rebuild both chemical and biological. And every indication is, because of his deception and duplicity in the past, he will seek to do that. So we will not eliminate the problem for ourselves or for the rest of the world with a bombing attack." (ABC’s "This Week," 2/22/9

KERRY: "[I] believe he is the kind of threat that has been described. I believe that in the post-Cold War period this issue of proliferation, particularly in the hands of Saddam Hussein, is critical. It has implications for a Qaddafi, for a Sudan, for other countries in the world in the future." (ABC’s "This Week," 2/22/9

GEORGE WILL: "Senator Kerry, you’re way ahead of the commander in chief in this regard." (ABC’s "This Week," 2/22/9

KERRY: "I am way ahead of the commander in chief, and I’m probably way ahead of my colleagues and certainly of much of the country. But I believe this. I believe that he has used these weapons before. He has invaded another country. He views himself as a modern-day Nebuchadnezzar. He wants to continue to play the uniting critical role in that part of the world. And I think we have to stand up to that." (ABC’s "This Week," 2/22/9


JOHN KERRY...... Voted against the Iraq war ...

Before he was for the Iraq war ...

Before he voted for the Iraq war ...

Before he was against the Iraq war ...

Before he voted for funding the Iraq war ...

before he voted against funding.

And today, if you ask him if he supports the war?

CBS’ LESLIE STAHL: "You voted for this war. Was that vote, given what you know now, a mistake?" (CBS’ "60 Minutes," 7/11/04)

KERRY: "What - what - what I voted for - Lesley, you - you - you see, you’re playing here. What - what I voted for was a - an authority for the president to go to war as a last resort if Saddam Hussein did not disarm and we needed to go to war." (CBS’ "60 Minutes," 7/11/04)

STAHL: "But I’m trying to find out if you today, now that you know about that report, think the war was a mistake? And I ..." (CBS’ "60 Minutes," 7/11/04)

KERRY: "I think I answered your question. I think the way he went to war was a mistake." (CBS’ "60 Minutes," 7/11/04)

CBS’ DAN RATHER: "You voted for the war, but now didn’t vote for the money to finance the war." (CBS’ "Evening News," 7/21/04)

KERRY: "That’s not a flip-flop. That’s not a flip-flop." (CBS’ "Evening News," 7/21/04)

Dan Rather: "Voted for the war, but now didn’t vote for the money to finance the war ..."

KERRY: "Yes, I would have voted for the authority. I believe it's the right authority for a president to have." (CNN "Inside Politics," 8/9/04)