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.

[mathluv]

Bringing up the truth is not mocking.

[FreeReign]

Max Clelland may be an obnoxious prick who lost his limbs in a foolish incident. For Ms. Coulter to mock him is just shallow and wrong.

Clelland's critique of the Bush war record makes the analysis of Clelland's war record fair game.

Was Ann accurate?

[blam]

"I don't give a flying crap about their medals. They've used their service as a means to legitimize attacks during a time of war. They're both worthless pigs."

I agree with you and these pigs ought to be laughed off the political stage. Damn scumbags!

[Alter Kaker]

Bringing up the truth is not mocking.

No but it is half truth that does not mention that Cleland was also hero in battle and won Silver Star.

[optik_b]

Wow politics is getting nasty. You know people are getting nasty when they start making fun of amputees. This is why most Americans are disgusted with both parties.

[Lucy Lake]

I'm so sorry for the death of your brother. Your brother had no choice in the matter. Cleland did.

[blam]

"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, these phony pukes would have you believe he was an Audy Murphy

[templar]

. “There was no bravery involved in dropping a grenade on himself with no enemy troops in sight.”

But there just might have been some bravery and heroism involved in getting that that Silver Star for gallantry.

I'm getting real DAMN tired of people who weren't there criticizing and diminishing the service of those that were. You can criticize their records as much as you want for anything they've done or stood for since then, but don't diminish their (our) service .

And this comment is meant for all the flippin holes and all the flippin' children of those holes that played conservative 'my country right or wrong' during the war and then just flatly turned your backs on us (the ones who fought it) as soon as we got back. Anyone that wasn't there can just keep their damn mouths shut about the service of those of us who were.

[technomage]

Folks, beware of FINO's in our midst.

FINO = Freeper in name only.

Another name for these people: Moby's

[NewMac]

In olden days (they) were known as Benedict Arnold! Not much difference - all began with service to our country and then ended running it down. Shameless boobs.
When Kerry was prancing all over Washington and other parts demeaning our military I had three brothers in Nam, and a godson killed there in 1970. Pukes both!

[optik_b]

National Review was right about Ann Coulter.

[vetvetdoug]

Bush served, Kerry served, Cleland served, and Dole served. Bill and Hillary loathed the military and neither served and used the military as their chalets. I do not condone anyone attacking someones' military service, its what they do after the military service is what is important.

[PhilipFreneau]

>> "When the battalion command post came under a heavy enemy rocket and mortar attack, Capt. Cleland, disregarding his own safety, exposed himself to the rocket barrage as he left his covered position to administer first aid to his wounded comrades. He then assisted in moving the injured personnel to covered positions. Continuing to expose himself, Capt. Cleland organized his men into a work party to repair the battalion communications equipment which had been damaged by enemy fire."

I had no idea they gave the Silver Star away for merely doing one's job. Cleland did nothing significant. Receiving a Bronze Star for those actions would be questionable. Cleland was awarded the Silver Star because he was an officer, just like Kerry.

[sinkspur]

Anyone who serves, then uses his service as an excuse to run down somebody else's service (as Cleland has been doing incessantly against George W. Bush and his National Guard Service) deserves whatever he gets.

I'm not a big Coulter fan, but she's put this smart-aleck in his place. He's never made it clear that his amputations were due to an accident.

If Cleland wants to play dirty, he should expect dirt in return.

[FreeReign]

No but it is half truth that does not mention that Cleland was also hero in battle and won Silver Star.

President Bush is currently the commander in chief of U.S. forces fighting a war against terrorism. There is no greater terrorist target than the president himself during this war. The presidents family is also a target and the abnormal life that they must now lead is a sacrifice for this country and a service to this country that is hard not to appreciate.

Against that backdrop, Clelland goes on Hardball and questions the presidents service to this country by using a half truth

Clelland is a bitter POS and deserves Ann's criticism.

[An American In Dairyland]

Thank you for serving. Men like you are the real heroes.

[dts32041]

They way I read the Citation for that silver star, it was an I was there award for being at Khe Shan, I would be more interested in the soldier's medal, those are awarded for saving someones life in a non combat situation.

But what the heck, Ann brought a gun to a knife fight, and know everybody is crying foul.

Compared to hatch or spector, she has a bigger set of cajones than those to wimps combined.

As far as politics getting dirty, hasn't risen to the level of the 1864 campaign.

Our political discourse today is gentile compared to the the 18th and 19th century.

Problem is there is no historical prospective in existence today.

Just another example of the dumbing down of America.

[AmericanVictory]

Does it bother you that we had the war in Vietnam won and Kerry and his like then pulled the rug out from under our victory, so that those whose names are on the wall died in vain, not to mention hundreds of thousands of South Vietnamese who had believed in us and done a credible job of fighting with us, cleaning the Viet Cong out of the country and bringing in the North Vietnamese army, which we then would not only not fight, but wouldn't let them have the supplies and weapons to fight? Can we afford to do this again in Iraq?