I think I could actually vote for this guy, that is, if he existed... http://instapundit.com/ -- EAST HAMPTON, NY (IP) -- Democratic Presidential nomineee John Kerry laughs when told that most voters don't realize that he served in Vietnam, winning three purple hearts, a bronze star, and a silver star. "Why should they? That's several wars ago," Kerry laughs. "Old stuff. I'd much rather people be talking about my detailed plan to rebuild Iraq, using an oil trust mechanism that would give the Iraqi people a stake in reconstruction. That's why I focused on that in my acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention. What was I going to do, rehash events from 35 years ago?" Kerry's friends say that, like other veterans, he's been known to tell a few tall tales about his service over beers with others who served, but that he seldom talks about his combat experience otherwise. "He's put that behind him," says his wife Teresa. "And he thinks it would be unbecoming to make a big deal about his service when others, like [Senator] John McCain or [former P.O.W.] Paul Galanti went through so much more." "I would have invaded Iraq regardless of the WMD issue," Kerry observes. "Saddam Hussein was a threat, and a menace to his own people. And a free, democratic Iraq will be the first step toward addressing the 'root cause' of terrorism -- despotic Arab regimes that spew hatred to distract their people from their own tyranny. But as I said last year, the reconstruction needed more resources. That was why I voted for the $87 billion in reconstruction money, but urged the Bush Administration to ask for more, to do it right." Kerry also takes a dim view of leftist filmmaker Michael Moore. "I think that his film 'Fahrenheit 9/11' was scurrilous and dangerous to the morale of our troops. That's why I asked that he be excluded from the Democratic Convention, despite Jimmy Carter's wishes. And that's why he wasn't seen there. In a time of war, we don't need guys like that. We can win this campaign based on our ideas, not propaganda films. That's also why I told Chris Matthews to 'stuff it' when he tried to make an issue out of President Bush's National Guard service." Kerry's detailed plans for Iraq, and for carrying the war on terror to Al Qaeda and its backers elsewhere, seem to have left the Bush Administration floundering. Sources close to the Bush campaign say that some Bush operatives are considering an attack on Kerry's Vietnam record, but many are skeptical. "I don't think that'll work," says cyber-pundit Glenn Reynolds, who calls Kerry's Iraq plan promising. "Most voters have no idea Kerry was even in Vietnam. He never talks about it, so where's the traction? It's ancient history." Others are even harsher. "They can't attack the message," says Matthew Yglesias of The American Prospect, a liberal publication. "So they're attacking the messenger. That's because they don't want to talk about Kerry's real accomplishments, the ones Kerry touted at the Convention, like his role in busting BCCI, the terrorists' money laundry. Kerry's talking about that, and his plans for Iraq, and they're talking about Vietnam? Who cares about that? Pathetic."
It's completely and utterly baffling to me that Kerry has allowed his honorable service in Vietnam to be used against him. Of course, if he utters these words, all the attacks end: "If my opponent wants to have an additional debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: 'Bring it on.'" He does that, and we won't hear the word "Vietnam" the rest of the year.
To me, the only reason it is being used against him is for what he did once he got home. Organizing Viet Vets Against The War put him on a whole lot of people's sh*t list. IMHO, it makes him more admirable....to have fought in a war and come out against that same war once he got home. Rather than flip flopping, it shows that he can admit he is wrong...something definitely lacking in the White House today.
Kerry will be a guest on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart on Tuesday night. wonder if W will do the same?
Taken in a vacuum, I can understand your admiration. It is somewhat tough to publicly change your mind. Two howevers however: 1. Kerry was just a young man with no responsibility and no accountability for changing his mind. In fact, it was kind of popular. What's the big deal. Lots of people in those kind of curcumstances were doing it. 2. How do you reconcile the harm that Kerry's (and others like) own words did against our own soldiers both in the Hanoi Hilton and in the field fighting against an enemy emboldened by anti-American propoganda authored by Americans?
Also, if Kerry releases all 200+ pages of his military record ( not just 20 choice pages of it, which were posted on his website but since have been removed) then it would stop as long as he is proved to be correct and the Swiftboat Vets are proved wrong....unless the records show something else....Hmmmmm I wonder why Kerry doesn't release the complete records? If the swiftboat vets are lying then Kerry's records should prove it ...right?
I think every record of every endeavor of every presidential candidate should be in the public domain. We don't want a president with skeletons in his closet -- if he screwed up, let the voters decide if the screwup disqualifies him for the highest office in the world.
W goes on more main stream shows like Larry King. It is fitting IMO that Kerry goes on a political satire and comedy show, while Bush goes on a legitimately respected talk show.
