Every Single Commanding Officer of Kerry Says He is UNFIT TO LEAD

I support this completely if Bush will do the exact same thing. Do you agree that Bush should be held to the same standard?

 

This "letter" has so far been a massive NON-EVENT. I haven't seen a single news source discuss it yet. Why is that? Is it because everybody recognizes it is political posturing rather than a genuine effort to help the country...which is how the letter attempts to portray itself?

Obviously this is a partisian stunt.

 

interesting that so many of you are quick to deride the comments of these men, many of whom actually served with Kerry, yet you accept absolute gospel the story in GQ on powell. of course, in the latter case it's hearsay, and in this case the men themselves have stepped to the mic. tell me again, exactly why isn't this a big deal?

...speaking of alligators, andy, thought yuou might be interested in a new book Can't Find My Way Home by Martin Torgoff on the history of drugs in america. i know the author's wife, but don't know much about the book or if there's a particular political slant. in any case, looks like it's right up your alley.

 

Actually, many of them, like O'Neill, the prime mover...served AFTER Kerry, and didn't serve "with" him at all, but anyway, I have taken their contemporaneous evaluations of Kerry's leadership (this is prior to any political concerns entering the equation) to heart:

http://www.johnkerry.com/about/Fitness_Reports.pdf

It's all there in black and white.

 

I haven't heard of a single source, outside of this BBS, to substantiate any of this. I'd like to hear more about it. It just might cause me to be slightly more regretful when I vote for Kerry, if it isn't purely a partisian manuever.

 

I didn't deride their comments, merely made the statement that there weren't any national guardsmen that even SAW GWB during the time he was supposed to be there.

I don't have any idea what you are talking about with GQ on powell.

Thank you. If you can procure a copy for me, I would love to read it. Unfortunately, I work at a community college, have a new baby, and as such have VERY little "spare" cash.

 

Again...

1) It would be quite reasonable to assume that these men were displeased with Kerry's activities after he returned home (from a war that the then Secrtary of Defense, McNamara, now describes as 'a mistake');

2) They provide no rationale for their opinion (beyond the disagreement over how serious one of his purple-heart wounds was).

At the present time, it's all just opinion from a group that could very well be disgruntled.

Not much to hang your hat on, eh?

 

Another Fact VS. Fiction adventure in T_J's messages.

 

Here are some FACTS:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/05/03/kerry.medals.tm/index.html


How Kerry earned his decorations
By MITCH FRANK
Monday, May 3, 2004 Posted: 6:41 PM EDT (2241 GMT)

John Kerry is one of the Senate's most decorated veterans -- though he has far fewer medals than friend John McCain -- and his record is impressive for an officer who spent just 10 months in Vietnam.

Each of the medals below came with a matching ribbon. Kerry wore his ribbons when he testified before a Senate committee in 1971; the next day, joining hundreds of other vets, he lobbed them at the Capitol.

Silver Star
What is it for? Gallantry in action

Why did Kerry get it? Kerry led three swift boats up a canal on Feb. 28, 1969, and ordered a daring attack on Viet Cong positions. When his boat took rocket fire, Kerry directed his crew to head straight for the beach, taking the guerrilla with the rocket launcher by surprise. Kerry jumped ashore and killed him

Bronze Star
What is it for? Heroic or meritorious service

Why did Kerry get it? On the Bay Hap River on March 13, 1969, a mine exploded under Kerry's boat, driving shrapnel into his arm and knocking Green Beret Jim Rassmann overboard. Despite heavy fire, Kerry turned the boat around and pulled Rassmann back on board with his good arm

Purple Heart
What is it for? Being wounded in action

Why did Kerry get it? He earned three Purple Hearts (the second and third are represented by gold stars), all for shrapnel wounds. His arm was scratched during a night patrol in December 1968. His left thigh was hit during a V.C. attack in February 1969. The March 13 injury, his third, entitled him to return home, and he did

Combat Action Ribbon
What is it for? Ground combat while serving in the Navy

Why did Kerry get it? As the commander of a Navy swift boat, he went ashore several times in pursuit of Viet Cong

Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon
What is it for? Heroism of a unit in combat

Why did Kerry get it? For participating in Operation Swift Raider, a campaign of boat attacks on enemy strongholds and sanctuaries

Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon
What is it for? Heroism of a unit

Why did Kerry get it? For participating in the Rach Gia interdiction, river patrols aimed at stopping Viet Cong infiltration from Cambodia

National Defense Service Medal
What is it for? Honorable active-duty service

Why did Kerry get it? For his service on the U.S.S. Gridley, a guided-missile frigate, from 1967 to 1968

Vietnam Service Medal
What is it for? Six months service in the Vietnam conflict

Why did Kerry get it? For his tour on the Gridley, which supported an aircraft carrier in the Gulf of Tonkin

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross
What is it for? Awarded by South Vietnam to U.S. units for valorous combat achievements

Why did Kerry get it? For service on the swift boats

Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions
What is it for? Awarded by South Vietnam to U.S. units for meritorious civil-action service

Why did Kerry get it? For service on the swift boats

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
What is it for? Awarded by South Vietnam for six-months service in Vietnam

Why did Kerry get it? For his tour of duty aboard the Gridley






Someone want to post Bush's list?

 

Here's a letter for Bush:

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/040504/325/esov5.html


Former U.S. diplomats slam Mideast policy
By Alan Elsner


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - More than 50 former U.S. diplomats say President George W. Bush's Middle East policy is costing the United States credibility, prestige and friends, in an open letter to be made public on Tuesday.

The letter, which was obtained by Reuters, expresses the signatories' support for 52 retired British diplomats who also sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair last week.

"We former diplomats applaud our 52 British colleagues who recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair criticising his Middle East policy and calling on Britain to exert more influence over the United States," the U.S. letter begins.

Harshly criticising Bush for his support for Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the letter said:

"Your unabashed support of Sharon's extra-judicial assassinations, Israel's Berlin-Wall-like barrier, its harsh military measures in occupied territories and now your endorsement of Sharon's unilateral plans are costing our country its credibility, prestige and friends."

According to Andrew Killgore, who served as U.S. ambassador to Qatar from 1977 to 1980 and was coordinating the effort, the letter has been signed by several former ambassadors, including James Akins, who was U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1973 to 1976; Robert Keeley who was assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 1978 to 1980 and later ambassador to Zimbabwe and Greece; and John Gunther Dean, ambassador to India from 1985 to 1988.

...

 

Oh, I don't know, perhaps because it is the contemporaneous account of the men who you now cite . I'll ask you for the n-th time. Were they lying or incompetent judges of character then or are they lying now?

Kerry has signed over his full military service record, if you closely read the letter of O'Neill and his fellow Milhous Nixonites, what they are clamoring for now is the release of his "military medical records", which have already been disclosed to reporters.

 

I wonder if we'll ever find out why Jr was grounded and didn't show up for a physical?

 

Kerry didn't *make* the Purple Heart. He was *awarded* the Purple Heart. By a Republican administration.

Was it deserved? Who knows? But the administration at the time thought it was.

 

You been charging any Viet Cong positions lately?

Guess you would have considered him more qualified if he had been killed in action fighting for his country? Then at least, Bush would have an intellectual match.

 

my point about all of this is that kerry has made his service in Vietnam the main focus of his campaign, in fact, the very reason his campaign exists. he's attempted to contrast his service with that of GWB, and to use the contrast to suggest he's more fit to lead. so when a group of veterans, who served with kerry, or in the same branch of the service, speak up against him, it's news.

if kerry concentrated on other issues, unemployment, the economy, healthcare, even the war in iraq, it'd be a different story. it's kerry himself who has hade vietnam an issue, both his service and his anti-war activities, and how they reflect on his ability to lead the US during a time of war is a very relevent issue.

 

ROFLMAO! Cohen, ouch.

So at least Kerry looks the part of killed in combat. What a match.

Looks dead versus brain dead.

 

I assume you never served in a war. Strong words from somebody he never had to face a life/death situation.

Who is somebody else that never served in a war? W.