John Kerry on Bill Clinton's Vietnam Record -- Kerry Defends Draft Dodger Clinton

The Congressional Record - Public Domain | February 27, 1992

[jmstein7]

138 Cong Rec S 2479, *

Congressional Record -- Senate

Thursday, February 27, 1992;
(Legislative day of Thursday, January 30, 1992)

102nd Cong. 2nd Sess.

138 Cong Rec S 2479

Vol. 138 No. 25

VIETNAM INSERTED INTO CAMPAIGN

SPEAKER: Mr. KERRY

[*S2479]  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I also rise today -- and I want to say that I rise reluctantly, but I rise feeling driven by personal reasons of necessity -- to express my very deep disappointment over yesterday's turn of events in the Democratic primary in Georgia.

I am saddened by the fact that Vietnam has yet again been inserted into the campaign, and that it has been inserted in what I feel to be the worst possible way. By that I mean that yesterday, during this Presidential campaign, and even throughout recent times, Vietnam has been discussed and written about without an adequate statement of its full meaning.

What is ignored is the way in which our experience during that period reflected in part a positive affirmation of American values and history, not simply the more obvious negatives of loss and confusion.

What is missing is a recognition that there exists today a generation that has come into its own with powerful lessons learned, with a voice that has been grounded in experiences both of those who went to Vietnam and those who did not.

What is missing and what cries out to be said is that neither one group nor the other from that difficult period of time has cornered the market on virtue or rectitude or love of country.

What saddens me most is that Democrats, above all those who shared the agonies of that generation, should now be refighting the many conflicts of Vietnam in order to win the current political conflict of a Presidential primary.

The race for the White House should be about leadership, and leadership requires that one help heal the wounds of Vietnam, not reopen them; that one help identify the positive things that we learned about ourselves and about our Nation, not play to the divisions and differences of that crucible of our generation.

We do not need to divide America over who served and how. I have personally always believed that many served in many different ways. Someone who was deeply against the war in 1969 or 1970 may well have served their country with equal passion and patriotism by opposing the war as by fighting in it. Are we now, 20 years or 30 years later, to forget the difficulties of that time, of families that were literally torn apart, of brothers who ceased to talk to brothers, of fathers who disowned their sons, of people who felt compelled to leave the country and forget their own future and turn against the will of their own aspirations?

Are we now to descend, like latter-day Spiro Agnews, and play, as he did, to the worst instincts of divisiveness and reaction that still haunt America? Are we now going to create a new scarlet letter in the context of Vietnam?

Certainly, those who went to Vietnam suffered greatly. I have argued for years, since I returned myself in 1969, that they do deserve special affection and gratitude for service. And, indeed, I think everything I have tried to do since then has been to fight for their rights and recognition.

But while those who served are owed special recognition, that recognition should not come at the expense of others; nor does it require that others be victimized or criticized or said to have settled for a lesser standard. To divide our party or our country over this issue today, in 1992, simply does not do justice to what all of us went through during that tragic and turbulent time.

I would like to make a simple and straightforward appeal, an appeal from my heart, as well as from my head. To all those currently pursuing the Presidency in both parties, I would plead that they simply look at America. We are a nation crying out for leadership, for someone who will bring us together and raise our sights. We are a nation looking for someone who will lift our spirits and give us confidence that together we can grow out of this recession and conquer the myriad of social ills we have at home.

We do not need more division. We certainly do not need something as complex and emotional as Vietnam reduced to simple campaign rhetoric. What has been said has been said, Mr. President, but I hope and pray we will put it behind us and go forward in a constructive spirit for the good of our party and the good of our country.

I thank our distinguished manager of the bill and the Senator from Delaware.
 

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[psugrad98]

I wrote an article at blogcritics.org, and it was also on my my blog. I was accused of smearing John Kerry by some Muckadoos, but I simply brought up his war record because they brought up Bush's first.

I don't really think protesting the war was anti-American as it was an unpopular war unlike more popular wars like WW 2 and even Korea. (Even though I think the whole hippy onslaught was a communist conspiracy to take our attention from Vietnam so the reds would eventuall win)

But if McAwful wants to bring up Bush's record. BRING IT ON!!

[JOE6PAK]

..."leadership requires that one help heal the wounds of Vietnam, not reopen them"..

TOO LATE LURCH. You already did!

[psugrad98]

I think he looks more like Herman Munster

[jmstein7]

Lol!

[BigSkyFreeper]

Democrats have never been consistent on any issue.

[ambrose]

Democrats have never been consistent on any issue.

Wrong. They have been quite consistent in their hatred of America and contempt for the American people.

[JOE6PAK]

[VadeRetro]

Kerry_92: I have personally always believed that many served in many different ways.

Kerry_04: "...many Democrats," I meant.

Kerry_92: Someone who was deeply against the war in 1969 or 1970 may well have served their country with equal passion and patriotism by opposing the war as by fighting in it.

Kerry_04: Which would obviously refer to Democrats like Clinton. Democrats are good no matter what they actually do. Republicans are evil no matter what they actually do.

[JOE6PAK]

You are right!

[BluSky]

Great pics. Too funny!

[psugrad98]

[BigSkyFreeper]

Wrong. They have been quite consistent in their hatred of America and contempt for the American people.

Touché!

[chainsaw]

I think Kerry's Botox is starting to wear off.

[Dante3]

BUMP

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.


'JOHN KERRY = Enemy of Vietnam Vets'


http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1320

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[Constitutionalist Conservative]

I am saddened by the fact that Vietnam has yet again been inserted into the campaign

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

[Jackson Brown]

John Kerry is a big part of why the troops who served in Viet Nam were met with extreme hostility...often being spat upon.

THAT is the reason he deserves the "un-American" criticism.

His 4 months on a patrol boat did NOT give him the "perspective" to attack the American troops about things he NEVER witnessed. Like in all wars, some troops do horrible things...but Kerry and the VVAW created a BROAD hatred for ALL soldiers of that era.

I was there, demonstrating against the war like a lot of kids in college. However, many who saw the war as wrong had the common sense to see that the troops -- nearly a million that served -- were being attacked and treated in a vile manner for years, in large part because of Kerry and his group -- and his book that became a bible for the leftist anti-war crowd.

I remember that time well. If you wore a uniform, you were likely to be verbally assaulted. We knew the difference between the policy makers and the troops who had no choice but to go or become a criminal.

Kerry's actions and speeches attacking the troops were UN-AMERICAN...period!

[BushCountry]