Cleland: Ex-Senator Rejoins a Battle as He Campaigns for Kerry

NYTIMES ^ | 02/25/04 | SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

[Pikamax]

February 26, 2004 Ex-Senator Rejoins a Battle as He Campaigns for Kerry By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

ASHINGTON, Feb. 25 — Before he lost his Senate seat, before his entire world seemed to collapse around him, Max Cleland would have had little reason to go to a forlorn union hall, way out in Wisconsin's dairy country.

Yet there he was last week, a biography of John Kerry tucked under his arm and a "Veterans for Kerry" bumper sticker on his wheelchair, talking to a room that had more folding chairs than people.

Mr. Cleland, a former Georgia senator who lost both legs and an arm in the Vietnam War, was hustling votes for Mr. Kerry, his fellow Vietnam veteran and the man he calls "my brother." Suddenly, a young man in blue jeans and a purple shirt burst into the conversation, spilling forth a tale of rage and suffering after the Persian Gulf war of 1991.

"I just want to give you a hug," Mr. Cleland said, reaching his stubby right arm and his intact left one around the man's neck. "I love you, brother."

Still bitter over what he regards as Republican attacks on his patriotism in the 2002 Senate race, Mr. Cleland is apparently on a mission, collecting what he calls a "band of brothers" along the way to help Senator Kerry of Massachusetts defeat President Bush. Now on the rebound from his loss to Saxby Chambliss, Mr. Cleland, 62, is emerging as a powerful symbol for both veterans and Democrats — and becoming nettlesome for Republicans, some of whom complain he is exploiting his war wounds for Mr. Kerry's benefit.

[SpinyNorman]

Mr. Cleland, a former Georgia senator who lost both legs and an arm in the Vietnam War, mistaking a grenade for a beer bottle, not in battle as the Dems would have you believe.

[SubMareener]

and becoming nettlesome for Republicans, some of whom complain he is exploiting his war wounds

I don't know of anyone who knows the story of the fateful day when young Max thought he would have a beer with his buddies, who calls them "war wounds."

[Williams]

The more important point is that Max Cleland lost an ELECTION. He got voted out of office because his constituents did not like his liberal voting record. The democrats would morph this into an anti veteran attack by republicans. I have a suggestion. If Max Cleland was sucha great SENATOR why doesn't he return to his own state and run for election again? Answer I assume is because he would LOSE.

[xrp]

Ah, the baby boomers...the generation that NEVER can let Vietnam die.

I certainly can't wait until all of them die.

[Just mythoughts]

Title says it all about liberals. Cleland: Ex-Senator Rejoins a Battle as He Campaigns for Kerry.

America at war with liberals and terrorists.

[smoothsailing]

I actually feel sorry for Max.

He apparently doesn't realise that he is being used by Kerry as a stage prop.

Whether you like Max's politics (I don't) or not, he shouldn't be treated this way.

[dayton law dude]

Ah, the baby boomers...the generation that NEVER can let Vietnam die. I certainly can't wait until all of them die.

Wow...I'm sure the millions of CONSERVATIVE REPUBLICAN Vietnam era vets like my father would be glad to know my generation still supports heros like him.

[NYCVirago]

Before he lost his Senate seat, before his entire world seemed to collapse around him, Max Cleland would have had little reason to go to a forlorn union hall, way out in Wisconsin's dairy country....But Mr. Cleland, who said his 2002 loss was so devastating he was undergoing treatment for depression, insisted that he is not seeking retribution. He is, he said, seeking only healing....In defeat, Mr. Cleland lost not only his job, but also his sense of purpose, spiraling into a depression he called "too deep and too hurtful to describe."

Geez, he's a one-term senator who lost his seat. The fact that he "spiraled into depression" because of it says something about him, and it isn't good. Boo bleeding hoo.

He signed on as a motivational speaker, but found that, outside of veterans, he could not connect with the audiences. For Mr. Cleland, the political world is divided into two types of people: those who served in combat, and those who did not.

I guess that's why he endorsed Bush and Dole in 1996, right? No, he didn't -- he supported Clinton! So much for his vaunted principles!

The other interesting thing about this article is that it confirms Ann Coulter's explanation of Cleland's war wounds.

[NYCVirago]

I meant to say Bush in 1992 and Dole in 1996. Anyhow, the last time I checked, this country wasn't Argentina; why should military service be required for public office? Cleland doesn't really believe that, or he wouldn't have endorsed Clinton twice!

[Finalapproach29er]

Ditto.

[Finalapproach29er]

He reminds me of Ned Beatty in "Deliverence". Poor Max.

[rebel_yell2]

Yeah, this has not hit the radar screen. GHWB was shot down during WWII while in combat, and had led the nation to war against Saddam. WJC had dodged the draft, but this was never an issue during 1992; I wonder why? Bob Dole was maimed during WWII and ran against WJC draft-dodger, but once again, this was not raised as an issue; I wonder why? Now, we have John ef Kerry, who volunteered for a sinecure that turned out to be far more hazardous than he had expected, so he managed to worm his way home in record time, complete with three purple hearts, and a silver star for killing a VC who already had been mortally wounded by a .50 calibre and thus "saving" a comrade. This sounds more like a war crime, shooting the wounded, rather than saving a comrade, and stinks to high, high heaven! This doesn't pass the 'laugh test' let alone the 'smell test'. These medals were politically motivated, as was Kerry's early return to he U.S.

RELEASE YOUR WAR RECORDS, SEN. KERRY!!!

RELEASE THEM NOW!!!

[river rat]

The more I hear about the behavior and statements by Cleland.... The more I'm willing to believe it WASN'T his grenade that he picked up...

It's becoming more and more plausible that the grenade did indeed belong to someone else ---- someone who rolled the grenade toward Cleland...

I believe this practice in the Army was called - Fragging.

Semper Fi

[xrp]

My post, was of course, an unintended blanket statement. However, as the baby boomers BOOM into their retirement years, I fear their voting power and what their voting power will do to my ability to provide a high quality of life for my children as they attempt to stave off the inevitable: death.

Old people should face it, they are going to die one day. Is it really worth taxing my family and me an extra $10,000 a year so they can live an extra 2-3 years beyond 79 while it becomes more and more difficult for me to put food on the table for a wife and 2-3 children?

[Moby Grape]

Let's see....Cleland LOST his last election...now Cleland ENDORSES Kerry and Kerry loses 10 points in one day....Yeah, old Max is a REAL influence broker!!!!

..another NYT unreality moment.

[SeeRushToldU_So]

Smoke his @ss!.....dims are horrible for our well being.

[Spotsy]

Poor Max. I think we oughta give him his Senate seat back and make it a lifetime appointment because of his sacrifices. (sarcasm)

No one "deserves" public office. Those who think they do are the least deserving (Al Gore, Wes Clark, and John Kerry).

[GWB00]

Max Cleland is an example of how one man's war record does not add to the candidate's strength when he plays politics with country's security and tries to coddle the Federal employees union over passing a Homeland Security Bill.

The same arguments will be made with Kerrey and he will suffer despite his war record in Vietman, where I think he served(Sarcasm/off)

[bondjamesbond]

By the time the election rolls around, John F. Kerry will still have four months military experience as a LT, thirty years removed, but George W. Bush will have three years military experience as Commander in Chief. Who's military experience is more relevant to this election?

John F. Kerry fought the Communists thirty years ago. A different Republican President finally won that war. Today we are fighting a different enemy in a different war, and this Republican President seems to have a pretty good handle on what needs to be done. But for the last thirty years, John F. Kerry has proved over and over again that he is not up to the job, in every way imaginable. So who's military experience is more relevant to this election?