We had virtually to straight-jacket [Kerry] to keep him under control (Admiral Zumwalt on Kerry)

taipeitimes ^ | Feb 11, 2004 | W. Scott Thompson

[jmstein7]

Harold Wilson, that British politician more canny than admired, usefully reminded his audience that things can change very quickly in politics.

"A week is a long time," he said, in politics, and we have seen this over and over in the American scene these past months.

After all, only nine weeks ago former vice president Al Gore blessed the insurgent campaign of Howard Dean and most pundits thought the race was over. All that was needed was the anointing of the former Vermont governor as Democratic party standard-bearer to take on US President George W. Bush in November.

Overnight Senator John Kerry, whose campaign had almost imploded late last year, turned the race upside down by winning big in Iowa's caucuses and then the weeks following in New Hampshire, Missouri and other primaries -- not only showing he has the "Big Mo" (or momentum) essential for winning in America, but a hammerlock on the nomination.

Or so it looks. After all, Senator Joe Lieberman has withdrawn, Wesley Clark's hopes are forlorn and John Edwards is resting his case on a single win, in the state of his birth.

But can it happen again? Dean's hold looked airtight until folks actually went to the polls. He had money to burn and endorsements from across the country, and now he is barely maintaining viability as a serious candidate. What could go wrong with Kerry's campaign at this point, and are there any implications for Asia?

Not a lot, but no one yet considers it over. The lanky and experienced Massachusetts senator has money to burn. No one wants to say it, but his wife's near billion-dollar fortune at the very least permits him to spend all his own, more modest, fortune to smooth his way. She can't shovel money directly into his campaign, but the mere fact of her fortune gives confidence to other contributors or lenders that they're backing a winner. He has seemingly unlimited self-confidence, despite many trip-ups in his long career.

But no senator has won the keys to the White House since John F. Kennedy.

There's a reason why senators don't tend to win. They've been on the record for too long on too many issues. There are too many interest groups they have had to cultivate and satiate to stay in politics. Sam Nunn, a powerful senator from Georgia who didn't even have to face serious re-election opposition, left the Senate in 1996 because he tired of spending his evenings entertaining his major supporters and running over to the Senate to vote. At the prime of life, he wanted to rediscover his family.

The real issue that Kerry must resolve is, however, character. Now that he is the front-runner, he must not only answer to all the charges of serving special interests that have risen and will still rise, he has to satisfy the public that he is, not to put too fine a point on it, an honorable man. There are questions.

Kerry has managed to straddle many issues and so it is difficult to discern his real beliefs -- other than in himself. He votes for the war in Iraq so he doesn't look "wet" and then votes against Pentagon budget rises, so he can please the liberal Democrats, who give him one of their highest ratings. When he looks at an acquaintance, he always seems to be looking just past, to see if someone more important lurks behind his interlocutor. Of course that's just standard politics. But people want something more.

He now makes much of his decorations from the war in Vietnam, to appeal to centrists and conservatives, without reminding those audiences that he for long was a leader of Vietnam veterans against the war. Indeed, assiduous searchers, looking for his vulnerabilities, will find much of interest in that period of his life. For example, the fabled and distinguished chief of naval operations (CNO), Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, told me -- 30 years ago when he was still CNO -- that during his own command of US naval forces in Vietnam, just prior to his anointment as CNO, young Kerry had created great problems for him and the other top brass, by killing so many non-combatant civilians and going after other non-military targets.

"We had virtually to straight-jacket him to keep him under control," the admiral said. "Bud" Zumwalt got it right when he assessed Kerry as having large ambitions -- but promised that his career in Vietnam would haunt him if he were ever on the national stage.

It is that sort of thing that senators don't have to worry about. But if they become a front-runner for president, the whole ball-game changes. Their past is scrutinized with a fine-tooth comb. In Kerry's case, for example, he has shown precious little interest in Asia since his tour in Vietnam, and there is little doubt that he will follow the standard Democratic party, pro-Beijing, line. But every word he's ever spoken on it will be scrutinized.

That is why it is not only true that a week is a long time in politics. But, as they say in American politics, "It ain't over until the fat lady sings."

W. Scott Thompson is an adjunct professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Boston, and a former assistant secretary of state in the Reagan administration. He has visited Taipei eight times and now lives in Bali.

[sultan88]

"What year was that? Musta been before I was really paying attention...MUD"

OOOPS. Zumwalt(D) lost to Harry Byrd, Jr. (Ind) in 1976. I stand corrected.

[Ciexyz]

What is Kerry's kill count in Nam, does anybody know.

[Matthew James]

My guess is that the admiral was speaking of the other guy: Kerrey. The one involved in killing villagers.

[jmstein7]

Can't repost this one enough, eh?

[maro]

How about an out-of-control lieutenant with important politicians looking out for him in Washington? What do you do with that guy? Answer: give him a few medals and get his a** stateside.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Bookmarked!

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

It certainly isn't over...
till its over,
especially in a time of...
proliferating Suitcase NUKES...
from the former Soviet Union...
and from the...
CLINTON-Induced...
Fires of the Los Alamos NUKE Lab:


HILLARY & TERRORISM's plan to regain the White House

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1022571/posts

.

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[FireTrack]

I'm almost certain that Kerry and Zumwalt's son were friends or at least associates.

[rwfromkansas]

going to bump this old thread again...note to self: look into this...

[Rastus]

I just thought of something, maybe Kerry was sent home early because they wanted to get rid of him. Give him his 3 purple hearts and send him home. In other words he was fired. Maybe thats why he took up his anti war stance, to get back at them.

I believe the Swift Boat Veterans have said that's exactly why he was made aware of the "three hearts and your out" rule. But, I believe I have read that he was anti-war before he even enlisted.

[Rastus]

Sorry, didn't see this was a bumped thread. Six months has given us a lot more information.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Was Kerry anti-war before he enlisted?

Nothing extreme, if he was.

BUT, while in Vietnam for his 120-day-tour, Kerry found time to attend at least three "protest/complaint meetings" in Saigon with Adm Zumwalt and General Abrams where he DID protest the war to the commanders, and complain about how it was being run!

The seeds (lies) and propaganda of Winter Soldier were, no doubt, begun between these people who were gathered protesting in Saigon.

[Robert A Cook PE]

This from another thread on Swift boats ...

In Wright’s view, it was important that the enemy understood that Swift boats were a competent, effective force that could dominate his location. To do that, you also had to control the people and their actions; to have them accept Swift boat crews and their authority. You couldn’t achieve that by indiscriminate use of weapons in free fire zones.

It got to a point where Wright told his divisional commander he no longer wanted Kerry in his boat group, so he was re-assigned to another one. “I had an idea of his actions but didn’t have to be responsible for him.” Then Wright and like-minded boat officers took matters into their own hands. “When he got his third Purple Heart, three of us told him to leave. We knew how the system worked and we didn’t want him in Coastal Division 11. Kerry didn’t manipulate the system, we did.”

As for medals, Commander Wright holds strong views: “No one was recognized for completely overwhelming the enemy with skill, courage and bravery. No one wanted a Purple Heart because it meant we had made a mistake. We made sure our crews were recognized, but no one took pride in a Purple Heart. Everyone who served is equally important, regardless of rank or awards.

John B. Dwyer is a military historian, and Vietnam veteran, who served in the Fourth Infantry Division

John B. Dwyer

Your reference, "I just thought of something, maybe Kerry was sent home early because they wanted to get rid of him. ... is certainly true, according to this author.

[Mudboy Slim]

"He now makes much of his decorations from the war in Vietnam, to appeal to centrists and conservatives, without reminding those audiences that he for long was a leader of Vietnam veterans against the war. Indeed, assiduous searchers, looking for his vulnerabilities, will find much of interest in that period of his life. For example, the fabled and distinguished chief of naval operations (CNO), Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, told me -- 30 years ago when he was still CNO -- that during his own command of US naval forces in Vietnam, just prior to his anointment as CNO, young Kerry had created great problems for him and the other top brass, by killing so many non-combatant civilians and going after other non-military targets.

"We had virtually to straight-jacket him to keep him under control," the admiral said. "Bud" Zumwalt got it right when he assessed Kerry as having large ambitions -- but promised that his career in Vietnam would haunt him if he were ever on the national stage."

Yep...the TRUTH about Kerry's Military Record needs to be beat into the heads of the electorate, and Dubyuh cannot do it...it's up to the Vast, RightWing Conspiracy to spread the word!!

FReegards...MUD

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks for pinging me Ronnie. If Hillary is going to run, it's going to be in this election. She'll be too old 4 and 8 years from now. She did say that there would be a surprise coming up.

Just because we know that the Clintons and Kerry are traitors, doesn't mean that the millions of sheep know.

[MeekOneGOP]

Yep...the TRUTH about Kerry's Military Record needs to be beat into the heads of the electorate, and Dubyuh cannot do it...it's up to the Vast, RightWing Conspiracy to spread the word!!

It's a happenin' !! .....

DRUDGE:ANTI-KERRY VETS GATHER FOR ASSAULT;
BOOK CLAIMS KERRY WAR 'FABRICATIONS'

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Excellent anti-Kerry video laying out the VietNam case against him...

Great to forward and spread to the public.

http://www.stopjohn.com/movies/hanoi-john.htm

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Kerry Fitness Reports in Vietnam Show Him Unfit for Command
(Explodes Central Kerry Campaign Lie)

Kerry’s FITREPs are awash in dings, and some of the reports border on the adverse, particularly his combat FITREPs. The FITREPs convey significant performance problems and suggest problems in conduct, so much so that it is surprising that the campaign chose to release them. This may suggest that the FITREPs held from public view are even more adverse.

In what would customarily be an opportunity for a glowing “swan song” FITREP, the Commanding Officer of USS Gridley (DLG-21) tacitly blasts Kerry on his departure for Swift Boat duty by ranking him significantly below the norm in desirability for virtually every Navy assignment possible -– command, staff, whatever. He is a ship handler who is dinged in ship handling. He is in line for command, but his CO doesn’t want him near the bridge. He is slammed in all performance areas –- most notably and significantly in initiative and reliability. The “nice” narrative emphasizes performance in collateral duties, but in the grades and marks, the CO is telling the selection board and detailer loud and clear that this officer is lazy, unreliable and not suited for command. 3 SEP 68 (W.E. HARPER).

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WinterSoldier.com

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[Mudboy Slim]

Great links, my FRiend...someone needs to get ahold of "Skip Barker" and give him a talkin' to...MUD

[pax_et_bonum]

sKerry pingggggggggg

[MeekOneGOP]

Great links, my FRiend...someone needs to get ahold of "Skip Barker" and give him a talkin' to...MUD

Oh, yeah! I'm sure they HAVE been talkin' to him !