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White House Strikes Back at Critics (over slurs re: military service record by Kerry&gang))
Yahoo! News ^
| 2/3/04
| Terence Hunt - AP
Posted on 02/03/2004 9:55:23 AM PST by NormsRevenge
WASHINGTON -
The White House struck back Tuesday at Democratic critics questioning President Bush (news - web sites)'s record of military service, saying the issue "represents the worst of election-year politics."
"It is outrageous and baseless," presidential spokesman Scott McClellan said in response to suggestions that Bush shirked his military duties when he was in the Texas Air National Guard in 1972.
Military service has emerged as an issue in the campaign for the White House. Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), the front-runner in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, and retired Army Gen. Wesley Clark (news - web sites) are decorated veterans and remind campaign audiences of their service.
Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) Chairman Terry McAuliffe said Bush was "AWOL" during the Vietnam conflict, while former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia has criticized Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard. Clark has criticized Bush for his remark challenging enemy forces to "bring 'em on" earlier in postwar Iraq (news - web sites).
Bush was a pilot in the Texas guard during Vietnam but never flew in battle. "Only someone who hasn't seen war firsthand would ever say anything as fatuous as 'bring 'em on,'" Clark said earlier in the campaign.
Responding to Bush's critics, McClellan said: "The president fulfilled his duties. That's why he was honorably discharged."
"These kinds of attacks have no place in politics, and everyone should condemn them," McClellan said.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: awol; critics; democrats; deserter; electionpresident; gwb2004; kerry; military; servicerecord; strikesback; whitehouse
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To: PJ-Comix; Poohbah; section9
And the F-102 was, IIRC, a tricky plane to fly.
21
posted on
02/03/2004 10:39:05 AM PST
by
hchutch
("I never get involved with my own life. It's too much trouble." - Michael Garibaldi)
To: NormsRevenge
The Dems are telling BLATANT LIES and running the foundation of your election on lies will make them lose even bigger than they would have otherwise.
22
posted on
02/03/2004 10:40:58 AM PST
by
1Old Pro
To: N. Theknow
"John Kerry is nothing more than Ted Kennedy without a dead girl in the car."
Beautiful!!! I love it!! The only thing I could add is "and without a blood alcohol content of 1.2 or above." By the looks of his bloated carcass, he must be back on the wagon. Wish I knew his favorite liquor. I'd mail him several hundred bottles - free. If he drinks anymore, he might just blow up like that whale in Taiwan. Imagine that!! What would all his Boston buddies think with Teddy here, and there and there and everywhere else. Ahh what a dream!!
23
posted on
02/03/2004 10:41:45 AM PST
by
ZULU
(GOD BLESS SENATOR JOE MCCARTHY!!!)
To: CyberAnt
W. was temporarily AWOL back then, because he wanted to work on a political campaign. It's no slur on the National Guard, a phenomenal organization, who have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our country! W. was a well-connected young man who eventually pulled it back together and was honorably discharged, but he did disobey orders and he did go AWOL from the Guard for a time. Part of running for office is facing up to the consequences of your actions--let W. stand up for himself and do that (if he can ever get past Karl Rove long enough to speak for himself).
24
posted on
02/03/2004 10:49:16 AM PST
by
SVLew
(All American, all the time)
To: N. Theknow
John Kerry is nothing more than Ted Kennedy without a dead girl in the car. Now THAT is funny. Make a great tag line.
To: BushisTheMan
John Kerry is nothing more than Ted Kennedy without a dead girl in the car. Now THAT is funny. Make a great tag line.
Yep. I thought it would look good there too.
26
posted on
02/03/2004 10:55:57 AM PST
by
N. Theknow
(John Kerry is nothing more than Ted Kennedy without a dead girl in the car.)
To: MPJackal
Clark wouldn't know Gen. Patton if he came up and slapped him. Clark is a self-serving POS. Yeah, but Patton would know Clark... he served with Monty, another perfumed prince-like general.
27
posted on
02/03/2004 11:01:49 AM PST
by
WOSG
(I don't want the GOP to become a circular firing squad and the Socialist Democrats a majority.)
To: SVLew
Kerry left his tour in Vietnam early, after only 4 months, because he wanted to work on a political campaign. Kerry was well-connected and got special treatment in this regard.
He repaid that special treatment by publicly throwing his medals (later he says it was someone else medals - nice way to scam your rabble-rousing co-conspirators, John!), but calling vietnam soldiers "war criminals" who were guilty of atrocities, and by associating with extreme left-wing organizations fighting for victory for Ho Chi Minh.
Now really .... WHO REALLY WENT AWOL HERE ???
28
posted on
02/03/2004 11:07:41 AM PST
by
WOSG
(I don't want the GOP to become a circular firing squad and the Socialist Democrats a majority.)
To: CyberAnt
CyberAnt, let em raise it, and then we can talk about the truth of Kerry's "service" in the anti-war movement and his abuse of vietnam vets, and how he used privilege to get his way. See my previous post.
Kerry has used his 4 months in Vietnam as a prop for 35 years of trying to undermine our military strength, our intelligence services, and our defenses.
Kerry needs to be called on his hypocrisy.
29
posted on
02/03/2004 11:10:32 AM PST
by
WOSG
(I don't want the GOP to become a circular firing squad and the Socialist Democrats a majority.)
To: N. Theknow
Saving that guys life in Vietnam was the last time Kerry showed any loyalty to anyone or anything in his whole life.
30
posted on
02/03/2004 11:12:16 AM PST
by
Eva
To: N. Theknow
Saving that guys life in Vietnam was the last time Kerry showed any loyalty to anyone or anything in his whole life.
31
posted on
02/03/2004 11:12:16 AM PST
by
Eva
To: WOSG
Fair enough--and a good point about Kerry. Thanks!
32
posted on
02/03/2004 11:23:10 AM PST
by
SVLew
(All American, all the time)
To: mattdono
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.org/ he quit the Navy early and
On February 28, 1969:
When Kerry's Patrol Craft Fast 94 received a B-40 rocket shot from shore, he hot dogged his craft beaching it in the center of the enemy position. To his surprise, an enemy soldier sprang up from a hole not ten feet from Patrol Craft 94 and fled.
The boat's machine gunner hit and wounded the fleeing Viet Cong as he darted behind a hootch. The twin .50s gunner fired at the Viet Cong. He said he "laid 50 rounds" into the hootch before Kerry leaped from the boat and dashed in to administer a "coup de grace" to the wounded Viet Cong. Kerry returned with the B-40 rocket and launcher.
Kerry was given a Silver Star for his actions.
Kerry commanded his first swift boat, No. 44, from December 1968 through January 1969. He received no medals while serving on this craft.
While in command of Swift Boat 44, Kerry and crew operated without prudence in a Free Fire Zone, carelessly firing at targets of opportunity racking up a number of enemy kills and some civilians. His body count included-- a woman, her baby, a 12 year-old boy, an elderly man and several South Vietnamese soldiers.
"It is one of those terrible things, and I'll never forget, ever, the sight of that child," Kerry later said about the dead baby. "But there was nothing that anybody could have done about it. It was the only instance of that happening."
Kerry said he was appalled that the Navy's ''free fire zone'' policy in Vietnam put civilians at such high risk.
looks like hanoit john is a baby killer, he committed the same atrocities he said our troops did!
33
posted on
02/03/2004 11:28:09 AM PST
by
GailA
(Millington Rally for America after action http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/872519/posts)
Comment #34 Removed by Moderator
To: NormsRevenge
"Can you imagine what Patton would say about Kerry?"
You don't have to imagine, Norm. It was General George Patton Jr. who had some very unflattering things to say about this treasonous piece of crap.
35
posted on
02/03/2004 11:34:54 AM PST
by
cwb
(Dean = Dr. Jeckyll exposing his Hyde)
To: SVLew
W. was temporarily AWOL back then, because he wanted to work on a political campaign. It's no slur on the National Guard, a phenomenal organization, who have made tremendous sacrifices to protect our country! W. was a well-connected young man who eventually pulled it back together and was honorably discharged, but he did disobey orders and he did go AWOL from the Guard for a time. Part of running for office is facing up to the consequences of your actions--let W. stand up for himself and do that (if he can ever get past Karl Rove long enough to speak for himself).
You might wish to take a look at this complete thread, a Free Republic Thread on Bush(43) Service Record which will answer not only the charges that he got into the Texas Air National Guard by pulling strings with an extremely low test score, and that he was "AWOL" from duty. The information on the thread even has photocopies of the Bush(43) service records, dates, times etc so that you can form your OWN opinion by reading the liberal 'charges' and dates, and then matching them up with his government service record. Why not trust you OWN eyes rather than having to find a 'story' which might support Bush(43)? I can not see where he was 'AWOL' from the photostats of his records, can you?
Best of luck,
dvwjr
36
posted on
02/03/2004 11:42:18 AM PST
by
dvwjr
Comment #37 Removed by Moderator
To: WOSG
4 MONTHS IN VIETNAM! I'm shocked .. I got the impression that he was there for over a year or more. Wow! 4 months, and he's an authority on Vietnam ..??
And .. did I read somewhere that Kerry got out early from the military ..??
38
posted on
02/03/2004 11:59:17 AM PST
by
CyberAnt
("America is the GREATEST NATION on the face of the earth")
To: GailA; NormsRevenge
To: SVLew
Excuse me .. even temporary AWOL does not get you an "Honory Discharge". Puhleeeeeeze! And .. Bush did not DISOBEY ORDERS. You're too ignorant about this subject to even argue about it.
And .. you have exposed yourself as a liberal troll because of your smarmy statement about Karl Rove .. a statement which is so 180 degrees from the truth.
Go peddle your junk at DU .. where lies are appreciated.
40
posted on
02/03/2004 12:04:33 PM PST
by
CyberAnt
("America is the GREATEST NATION on the face of the earth")
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