Coulter Attacks Cleland's War Record (ann coulter)

11Alive web site ^ | February 13, 2004 | John Shirek

[anncoulteriscool]

Coulter Attacks Cleland's War Record

Columnist and television commentator Ann Coulter, in a column published this week, said former Senator Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm in Vietnam, is no war hero.

Cleland, as he campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry, is saying President Bush’s military record is inferior to Kerry’s service in Vietnam.

“The question should be: Where were you in the war of your generation? Did you take your place in the line? Or did you escape and avoid, by political means, and then cut short your tour of duty to go to Harvard Business School? I mean, John Kerry volunteered,” Cleland recently said on “Hardball With Chris Matthews.”

Coulter countered that Cleland is no Vietnam war hero, just a victim of a tragic, accidental grenade explosion who plays up his amputations for political gain.

“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,” Coulter said in her column, published on February 11.

“He didn't ‘give his limbs for his country,’ or leave them ‘on the battlefield,’” Coulter said. “There was no bravery involved in dropping a grenade on himself with no enemy troops in sight.”

Cleland was wounded picking up a grenade that someone else had dropped.

Rusty Paul, a Georgia Republican Party strategist, said Coulter crossed the line with her comments.

“You can't take away from Max Cleland his record of service to this country and the sacrifice that he's made, regardless of the circumstances. To me, that's out of bounds to talk about that,” he said.

Paul, however, said attacking the politics of Cleland and Kerry was well within those bounds. “I think the voters would much prefer to talk about what George Bush’s view for the future is versus John Kerry’s rather than what happened 30 years ago,” he said.

Cleland was on his way back to Atlanta Friday night and was not available for comment. He is scheduled to spend Saturday in Georgia and then rejoin the Kerry campaign on Sunday.

[strongbow]

"I have never faked my credentials for personal gain"

You are a real hero in my book, I have the greatest respect for men of your military character. However your work since then explains your perspective and commends you even more. Visited your website and have saved it for further study. I never new about reformed Episcopal as most of the Episcopal church of today is so apostate. I visited one in California once while trying to find a reformed church there.

[Bluntpoint]

I was a navy corpsman. I once was in a very bad hospital bed incident. I promise you today I will not use my injury to propel me to political office.

[hgro]

Is there any basis in fact about Cleland's medal? Lets have a thorough investigation including interviews of those that were there and any and all doocumentation for awarding a medal. The same questions need to be answered by the self endowed "hero" Kerry. Both of these guys are standing astraddle the bodies of a lot of guys who died in Nam.

[oldironsides]

I did not like what the Democrats did to Bob Dole. I watched them make fun of his pencil, falls and way of walking. It made me sick to look at it. We were treated to SNL making jokes of the WW2 veteran week after week. This was OK during election season? This was OK because Dole was a Republican? Dole never whined at all.

[g35x]

I would wager you couldn't hold a candle to her sense of integrity.

I'd wager that you haven't a clue what you are talking about. Usually when someone can't make an intelligent point without resorting to personal attacks against someone they disagree with, it says boatloads about "their" integrity.

[g35x]

This was OK because Dole was a Republican? Dole never whined at all. I've never once criticized Dole's military service, but his social welfare support was fair game. Dole was a liberal (the "chief architect of the welfare state")

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

I appreciate knowing that Cleland is nothing more than a butterfingered REMF buffoon. I appreciate his service, and he has my sympathy because of his wounds; however, I don't appreciate him or any other 'Rats or media 'Rat butt lickers painting him as a war hero and victim of dirty Republican politics. The only dirty trick the Republicans are guilty of is having the gall to run someone against Max.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Absolutely! Ann is just giving them what they deserve. I feel bad for Cleland with his physical challenges and I thank him for his service but if he is going to put it out there he deserves what he gets and Ann is just the one who can do it.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Since Ann didn't serve in the military that means she cannot voice her opinion or defend the President? Gee, I guess I need to stop logging on to this website since I have not served. I didn't know free speach was just for those who served in the military. I know my place now.

[edsheppa]

In short, it was a stupid mistake and yielded tragic results.

Wasn't that the Cleland campaign motto?

[Hostage]

Looks like you can't take it. Sounds wimpish to most. Have a nice wimpy life and enjoy your self-promoted intelligence.

[Jagman]

I totally disagree. If Clelland was not leveraging his supposed "body parts left on the battlefield" for all it was worth, I would say you have a point. But he is being wheeled out as the saint of democrat battlefield legitimacy as he attacks Bush. He wasn't in any battle, he was in the equivalent of an industrial accident. Ask yourself: how many people in industrial accidents are given medals? I say, Go Coulter!

[g35x]

ince Ann didn't serve in the military that means she cannot voice her opinion or defend the President?

Show me where I said that? Most times I agree with Ann, this time I don't.

[Melas]

Coulter screwed the pooch on this one. I'm rarely this offended. Ann needs to make a public apology for this one.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

Your statement that if Ann had served in the military you would not be bothered by her comments-Ann's comments bother a great many people because Ann gets to the raw truth of the matter. She does not sugar coat things. I guess I am just as "inappropriate" as she because I agree with her. There are guys who are killed while training here on U.S. soil. God bless them for their service to this country but they will not be called heroes because it happened state-side. Had their Blackhawks crashed over Iraq because of a mechanical malfunction their status would be different. I think this is what Ann is trying to say. She is not putting the man down for being a triple amputee and she actually gives him kudos for being a productive individual inspite of his physical challenges. By the way, I thank you for your service to this country.

[cookcounty]

" I never realized Cleland was wounded in an accident. I thought it was in the thick of battle. And I lived in Georgia for some time. "

Yup. Playing with fire. Just like no "reporter" in America is courageous enough to wonder out loud why Kerry got 3 Purple Hearts --but for what? Kerry won't release the records. None of the people with him on the boat remember him getting wounded. Nobody dares to ask.

[MEG33]

g35x is posting his glee at fooling the bushbots ,finally getting banned, and already re registered on FR,in the Biker bar at LP..GO65 I think is the name there.We are being inundated with stealth trolls.

[johnb838]

disagree: 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.

And...

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....(snip) He got into office on the basis of serving in Vietnam and was thrown out for his performance as a senator. "

[Apu Nahasapeemapetilon]

The U.S. Department of Defense has a description of Max Cleland's war service and his wounding, posted at this address: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jan2000/n01272000_20001274.html

The article doesn't go into detail about how Cleland earned his Silver Star as "a captain with the 1st Air Cav." while "his unit helped lift the 76-day long enemy siege of 5,000 Marines at Khe Sanh during the 1968 Tet Offensive."

But it does offer a graphic description of his wounding-by-grenade while unloading a helicopter three days later. (In addition to losing both legs and an arm; his teeth were knocked out & his windpipe was cut.)

The article mentions his 10-year long recovery & his reform of the VA hospital system. But it does not mention that he served as technical consultant to Jon Voight; who played a disabled vet in the Jane Fonda movie "Coming Home". (This according to commentary on the DVD by co-star Bruce Dern.)

Maybe no one has yet noticed this connection between Cleland and Fonda. It seems more noteworthy than the photo of Kerry with Fonda taken 2 years before she went to Vietnam & became 'Hanoi Jane'. After all, Cleland's interaction occurred -after- that event.

My biggest objection to Ann Coulter's mocking of Cleland, is that the circumstances of Cleland's wounding aren't much different than the explosion that killed Lt. Seth Dvorin; this month in Iraq:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.asp?brd=1091&dept_id=425744&newsid=10958951&pag

In spitting on Cleland, Ann Coulter spatters many other vets.

[johnb838]

If you're going to use the s-called chickenhawk argument that only one that was there can talk about it, I submit you're on the wrong forum.