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Speech of John F. Kerry - Page S2479 Congressional Record
Rush Limbaugh ^ | February 27, 1992 | John Forbes Kerry

Posted on 02/04/2004 5:05:39 PM PST by windchime

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.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 1992; 2004; election; kerry; politics; rush; senate
This speech is best read from Rush's site with his emphasis. Can Kerry say...... hypocrite?

Thanks to Rush for digging this up!

1 posted on 02/04/2004 5:05:41 PM PST by windchime
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To: windchime
What a bunch of attorney double-speeking trash! We don't need to double-speeeeking trash man!!
2 posted on 02/04/2004 5:28:01 PM PST by Indie (Duh,,,,I want my MTV man! Duh.....)
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To: Indie
What a bunch of attorney double-speeking trash! We don't need to double-speeeeking trash man!!
Whoa... Isn't it Kerry's trade so far on every issue? He has NOT changed a bit.
3 posted on 02/04/2004 6:09:11 PM PST by Toidylop
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To: Toidylop
"Sure, I mocked the flag raising on Iwo Jima with the flag upside down on my book cover,but lets forget all that and talk about my medals."
4 posted on 02/04/2004 6:30:58 PM PST by MEG33 (BUSH/CHENEY '04)
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To: windchime
What a first class jerk! He should have this speech of his rammed down his throat every time he opens his botoxed mouth!
5 posted on 02/04/2004 6:59:54 PM PST by beckysueb (Lady Liberty is in danger! Bush/Cheney 04.)
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To: b4its2late; Recovering_Democrat; Alissa; Pan_Yans Wife; LADY J; mathluv; browardchad; cardinal4; ...

6 posted on 02/04/2004 7:17:17 PM PST by Born Conservative ("Forgive your enemies, but never forget their names" - John F. Kennedy)
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To: MEG33; Grampa Dave; MeekOneGOP; autoresponder

Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry

7 posted on 02/04/2004 8:11:43 PM PST by PhilDragoo (Hitlery: das Butch von Buchenvald)
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To: windchime
bttt
8 posted on 02/04/2004 8:14:50 PM PST by TheEaglehasLanded
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To: beckysueb
Hannity quoted a portion of it to a dem, Weiner, and asked him to guess who said it. Wrong answer, but I've forgotten who he guessed.

I like your idea, ram it down his throat every time he says VietNam.
9 posted on 02/04/2004 8:22:54 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: Indie
He needs to practice what he preaches. Guess he thought no one would see this.
10 posted on 02/04/2004 8:29:36 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: windchime
PASTE THESE DUO QUOTES EVERYWHERE:

"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."
-- Senator Lurch, 1992

"We may be a little older and we may be a little grayer, but, I tell you, we still know how to fight for our country. This is the same band of brothers I relied upon 35 years ago. I'm here personally to express my anger, as a veteran...Bush's National Guard service is a question that I think remains open...there is an issue about what [Bush's] service was - and I don't know the answers. I don't even know what the facts are. I think it's up to the president and the military to answer those questions. It is a sad day [for] the President of the United States."
-- Senator Lurch, 2004

11 posted on 02/04/2004 10:21:22 PM PST by BillyBoy (George Ryan deserves a long term...without parole.)
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To: BillyBoy; PhiKapMom
Perfectly juxtaposed excerpts, BillyBoy!

PKM, ping to post #11.

12 posted on 02/05/2004 12:32:10 AM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: windchime
Are we now to descend, like latter-day Spiro Agnews, and play, as he did, to the worst instincts of divisiveness

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you SPIRO T. KERRY!

13 posted on 02/09/2004 1:33:07 PM PST by My2Cents ("Well...there you go again.")
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To: windchime
Bump for later. Thanks for posting.
14 posted on 02/09/2004 5:57:02 PM PST by Ragirl (Vote in '04 ! Those who sit on their hands end up with poop on them. johnfkerrysucks.com coming soon)
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To: My2Cents
"Ladies and gentlemen, I give you SPIRO T. KERRY!"

LOL! You've added ANOTHER name that fits.
15 posted on 02/09/2004 9:22:01 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: Ragirl
You're welcome!
16 posted on 02/09/2004 10:43:53 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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To: windchime
"We do not need to divide America over who served and how." - John Kerry

Unless you think it's going to benefit you in a presidential run, eh, Senator Kerry? You make Clinton look like a good guy.

17 posted on 02/09/2004 10:50:13 PM PST by DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet (BUSH IN '04: Because we want to outlive Osama Bin Laden.)
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To: DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet
"You make Clinton look like a good guy."

I'm not ready to go THAT far yet, but they certainly share that me..me..me..me..me..me quality.
18 posted on 02/09/2004 11:27:09 PM PST by windchime (Podesta about Bush: "He's got four years to try to undo all the stuff we've done." (TIME-1/22/01))
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