Cleland Drops Political Grenade... On Himself [Did you know He Blew Himself Up In Vietnam?]

Townhall ^ | 2/12/04 | Ann Coulter

[11th Earl of Mar]

Cleland drops a political grenade

February 12, 2004

Former Sen. Max Cleland is the Democrats' designated hysteric about George Bush's National Guard service. A triple amputee and Vietnam veteran, Cleland is making the rounds on talk TV, basking in the affection of liberals who have suddenly become jock-sniffers for war veterans and working himself into a lather about President Bush's military service. Citing such renowned military experts as Molly Ivins, Cleland indignantly demands further investigation into Bush's service with the Texas Air National Guard.

Bush's National Guard service is the most thoroughly investigated event since the Kennedy assassination. But the Democrats will accept only two possible conclusions to their baseless accusations: (1) Bush was "AWOL," or (2) the matter needs further investigation.

Thirty years ago, Bush was granted an honorable discharge from the National Guard, which would seem to put the matter to rest. But liberals want proof that Bush actually deserved his honorable discharge. (Since when did the party of Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy and Robert Byrd get so obsessed with honor?)

On "Hardball" Monday night, Cleland demanded to see Bush's pay stubs for the disputed period of time, May 1972 to May 1973. "If he was getting paid for his weekend warrior work," Cleland said, "he should have some pay stubs to show it."

The next day, the White House produced the pay stubs. This confirmed what has been confirmed 1 million times before: After taking the summer off, Bush reported for duty nine times between Nov. 29, 1972, and May 24, 1973 – more than enough times to fulfill his Guard duties. (And nine times more than Bill Clinton, Barney Frank or Chuck Schumer did during the same period.)

All this has been reported – with documentation – many times by many news organizations. George magazine had Bush's National Guard records 3 1/2 years ago.

All available evidence keeps confirming Bush's honorable service with the Guard, which leads liberals to conclude ... further investigation is needed! No evidence will ever be enough evidence. That Bush skipped out on his National Guard service is one of liberals' many nondisprovable beliefs, like global warming.

Cleland also expressed outrage that Bush left the National Guard nine months early in 1973 to go to Harvard Business School. On "Hardball," Cleland testily remarked: "I just know a whole lot of veterans who would have loved to have worked things out with the military and adjusted their tour of duty." (Cleland already knows one – Al Gore!)

When Bush left the National Guard in 1973 to go to business school, the war was over. It might as well have been 1986. Presidents Kennedy and Johnson had already lost the war, and President Nixon had ended it with the Paris peace accords in January. If Bush had demanded active combat, there was no war to send him to.

To put this in perspective, by 1973, John Kerry had already accused American soldiers of committing war crimes in Vietnam, thrown someone else's medals to the ground in an anti-war demonstration, and married his first heiress. Bill Clinton had just finished three years of law school and was about to embark upon a political career – which would include campaign events with Max Cleland.

Moreover, if we're going to start delving into exactly who did what back then, maybe Max Cleland should stop allowing Democrats to portray him as a war hero who lost his limbs taking enemy fire on the battlefields of Vietnam.

Cleland lost three limbs in an accident during a routine noncombat mission where he was about to drink beer with friends. He saw a grenade on the ground and picked it up. He could have done that at Fort Dix. In fact, Cleland could have dropped a grenade on his foot as a National Guardsman – or what Cleland sneeringly calls "weekend warriors." Luckily for Cleland's political career and current pomposity about Bush, he happened to do it while in Vietnam.

There is more than a whiff of dishonesty in how Cleland is presented to the American people. Terry McAuliffe goes around saying, "Max Cleland, a triple amputee who left three limbs on the battlefield of Vietnam," was thrown out of office because Republicans "had the audacity to call Max Cleland unpatriotic." Mr. Cleland, a word of advice: When a slimy weasel like Terry McAuliffe is vouching for your combat record, it's time to sound "retreat" on that subject.

Needless to say, no one ever challenged Cleland's "patriotism." His performance in the Senate was the issue, which should not have come as a bolt out of the blue inasmuch as he was running for re-election to the Senate. Sen. Cleland had refused to vote for the Homeland Security bill unless it was chock-full of pro-union perks that would have jeopardized national security. ("OH, MY GOD! A HIJACKED PLANE IS HEADED FOR THE WHITE HOUSE!" "Sorry, I'm on my break. Please call back in two hours.")

The good people of Georgia – who do not need lectures on admiring military service – gave Cleland one pass for being a Vietnam veteran. He didn't get a lifetime pass.

Indeed, if Cleland had dropped a grenade on himself at Fort Dix rather than in Vietnam, he would never have been a U.S. senator in the first place. Maybe he'd be the best pharmacist in Atlanta, but not a U.S. senator. He got into office on the basis of serving in Vietnam and was thrown out for his performance as a senator.

Cleland wore the uniform, he was in Vietnam, and he has shown courage by going on to lead a productive life. But he didn't "give his limbs for his country," or leave them "on the battlefield." There was no bravery involved in dropping a grenade on himself with no enemy troops in sight. That could have happened in the Texas National Guard – which Cleland denigrates while demanding his own sanctification.

Ann Coulter is host of AnnCoulter.org, a Townhall.com member group.

©2003 Universal Press Syndicate

[ClintonBeGone]

The soldier told Lloyd that he had straightened the pins so it would be easier to pull them when he had to throw a grenade.

Not the brightest bunch in history.

[Dante3]

BUMP

[Rummyfan]

Of course, he is still the father of her children and she will not publicly criticize him.

[BFM]

By Cleland's distain for Bush's military service in the Guard and his early out, I guess we can assume that Cleland voted for Bob Dole (a true war hero) over Bill Clinton (a draft dodging, lying weasel)... NOT.

I geatly respect the service of Max Cleland, but when he uses it for cheap political purposes, he cheapen's it and himself and loses all credability. At this point he's seems to be just another cheap politician who will say anything.

Cheap politician! I meant to say Democrat. But then, I repeat myself.

[Stewart_B]

Not the brightest bunch in history. LOL...too true.

How could you even carry a grenade with the pins strightened out? If you hooked them on your flack jacket the slightest bump could push the pin out.

[ClintonBeGone]

How could you even carry a grenade with the pins strightened out? If you hooked them on your flack jacket the slightest bump could push the pin out.

Maybe the recruiting standards were very low at that point of the war. Kinda like jury duty - only those not clever enough to get an excuse to get out end up serving.

[daybreakcoming]

Word was in my part of Texas that his Dad turned her down..

[Guenevere]

#22..You're not suppose to ask questions like this!!
(didn't you get the memo)

[daybreakcoming]

Just bring forth the facts ~ such as how he divorced her because of her depression because she wasn't a good "political wife", how he tried to get an annulment making his kids ba*tards but she refused. She wrote a book that contains some of this....does EVERYbody write a book for gawd's sake????

[Let's Roll]

LOL!

[RonDog]

See also:

Cleland Drops Political Grenade... On Himself [Did you know He Blew Himself Up In Vietnam?]
			Posted by 11th Earl of Mar On News/Activism 02/12/2004 5:31:52 AM PST with 49 comments Townhall ^ | 2/12/04 | Ann Coulter
Ann Coulter: Cleland drops a political grenade
			Posted by alloysteel On News/Activism 02/11/2004 11:11:19 PM PST with 171 comments Universal Press Syndicate ^ | February 12, 2004 | Ann Coulter
Cleland drops a political grenade
			Posted by perfect stranger On News/Activism 02/11/2004 4:48:18 PM PST with 218 comments WND.com ^ | February 11, 2004 | Ann Coulter

[Bob Eimiller]

bump to save

[daybreakcoming]

:o)

[perfect stranger]

"We all know Dick Cheney, Bush and Rush Limbaugh didn't serve in Vietnam. Max Cleland did."

And so did John Kerry.

[GretchenEE]

liberals who have suddenly become jock-sniffers for war veterans

I publicly plead ignorance of what that job description involves. Would someone either FReepmail me a polite description, or post it on the thread if it's publicly consumable?

[Political Junkie Too]

Of course, they would have Molly Ivins to suggest that he was "too stupid to fly."

No, Ivins wouldn't suggest that he was too stupid to fly because the 9/11 hijackers weren't too stupid to fly. She would suggest that Bush was too stupid to land.

-PJ

[ontos-on]

don't you think that preparing to run for president included spreading some Heinz money [and the promise of more later ---provided there is "good" behavior] around to such obvious sources of bad information as the fromer Mrs. Kerry.

[mattdono]

Look, DU Troll.

I don't doubt that Senator Cleland performed gallantly.

The article was about the imagery that Senator Cleland's limbs were caused SPECIFICALLY by injuries suffered at enemy hands. And while it might be fact that indeed his limbs were left on a "battlfield" in Vietnam, it is not true to say that his limbs were left there as a result of gallant fighting.

That somehow serving in the National Guard, as President Bush did (and if you say he was AWOL after the at least dozen eyewitnesses that say he was there, the dental records, the OFFICIAL assessments of Lt. Bush IN ALABAMA, etc., you will just show yourself to be a DU turd), is dishonorable. Then, contrasting the President's service to John Kerry's service (which there isn't much of a comparison), but not his actions of selling out the POW/MIAs on his return and support for the People's Peace Treaty, which necessarily perpetuated the torture and killing of Kerry's so-called "brothers in arms"?

Come on, the media are willing hacks for the democrat party, in general, and whoever the front-running democrat candidate is, specifically.

Get a grip. Get back on the meds.