Posted on 04/16/2004 3:24:12 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
PITTSBURGH (Reuters) -
Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry (news - web sites), lashing out at the White House's "twisted sense of ethics and morality," accused Republicans on Friday of distorting his record and attacking his patriotism.
Kerry, at an outdoor rally on the University of Pittsburgh campus, used an American flag and the national anthem to fire back at Republicans who charge he is weak on defense for voting against some weapons systems and an $87 billion bill to pay for operations in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites).
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, pointed out Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) and political adviser Karl Rove did not serve in the military.
"I'm tired of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and a bunch of people who went out of their way to avoid their chance to serve when they had the chance," the Massachusetts senator said. "I'm not going to listen to them talk to me about patriotism."
"I've seen how these people in the White House today, in their twisted sense of ethics and morality, don't think twice about challenging John McCain and what happened to him as a prisoner of war," he said in reference to attacks by President Bush (news - web sites) in 2000 on his Republican primary rival McCain, an Arizona senator.
Kerry, who has tried to make his military experience a centerpiece of his campaign, is in a tight battle with Bush for the White House more than seven months before the November election.
Steve Schmidt, a Bush campaign spokesman, said Kerry's judgment in his voting record on defense and security was in question, not his patriotism.
"The fundamental difference in this election will be between President Bush's steady leadership in the war on terror and John Kerry's consistent political opportunism on the war on terror," Schmidt said.
Kerry has come under heavy attack from Bush and Republicans, who have launched tens of millions of dollars of advertising trying to paint him as a waffling, traditional tax-and-spend Democrat.
QUOTES STAR SPANGLED BANNER
"They don't think twice about trying to pretend to America that I somehow don't care about the defense of our nation," Kerry said, paraphrasing wording in the Star Spangled Banner including reference to "political bombs" bursting in the air.
"When I look up, that flag is still there and it belongs to all Americans," he said, pointing to a flag near the stage. "Not to them, not to a party. It belongs to us."
Kerry told the crowd of more than 5,000 that "asking questions about the direction of our country is patriotism."
The Bush campaign said on Thursday that it is cutting back its advertising by two-thirds, which Kerry said was designed to "distort" his record. Kerry told reporters he believed he had withstood the early Republican charge.
"They're out 50 million bucks and they got nothing for it," Kerry told reporters on his campaign plane on Thursday night.
The rally in Pittsburgh, which featured a performance by rocker Jon Bon Jovi, concluded a week-long tour of college campuses where Kerry plugged his programs to make college more affordable.
He appeared in Pittsburgh on the same day the powerful pro-gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, opened its annual convention in town. More than 50,000 gun-lovers packed the downtown convention center to sample what organizers billed as "Four Acres of Guns and Gear."
Cheney will make the keynote speech at the convention on Saturday, but Kerry did not mention the gun issue during his appearance.
The NRA has not made an endorsement yet but is certain to back Bush in November over Kerry, who supports the federal ban on assault weapons and a waiting period and background checks for the purchase of handguns.
Ha! Lurch's campaign is more twisted than Monica's favorite schlong!
Sorry, Kerry's military record should be up for debate.
The partisan hacks in the DNC and liberal media made mince-meat out of Bush's National Guard service. Never mind the fact that he served and wanted to go to Vietnam via the Palace Alert program, never mind that he learned how to fly the F-102 Delta Dagger jet fighter plane. Nope, Bush didn't really serve he's not a hero like our Kerry hahaha...
In 1992 Effin Kerry told the GOP to leave Xlinton's draft-dodging alone, even though - as it is with Kerry now - ripe for debate. And believe it or not, the same DNC and media poked fun at Dan Quayle's guard service in the Indiana Guard.
- It is Kerry himself, who brought Vietnam into the Presidential election. Now that he's unable to defend himself he has to play the patriot card.
- Valid questions exist about Kerry's military record. There are threads here on FR in which one of soldiers who served with Kerry said that Kerry "wanted a quick ticket out of here." Kerry desperately wanted to get out of Vietnam so he can have a cushy desk job, and then...
- Lie in sworn Congressional testimony, April 22, 1971 - about Vietnam soldiers "shooting livestock for fun, and burning down villages." If Kerry served so "honorable", then why doesn't he release his military/medical records then?
Leave his military record alone, it always ends up making us look stupid.
Normally I would agree with you but after the Bush AWOL fiasco brought on my his buddies at the DNC and the media, he deserves to be ridiculed. He also needs to present his FULL medical and military record to the public as Bush did.
If I believed he truly deserved the medals, I would be quiet. But I think he lied then as he lies now. He is a liar and cannot be trusted. He is MISLEADING the American people.
The Vietnam Vets are planning to march against this guy and his military record. Kerry, not I, made his Vietnam service an issue.
A patriot in the Struggle for Peace, a.k.a. "MIR", for the establishment of the Union of Socialist States of America, of which Massachusetts for the past generation has been in the vanguard: we should thank these progressive pioneers for showing the rest of us poor misguided wretches the way to this bright communal future where the wise leaders of the United Nations decide what is best for us...
If I recall, the panel was unanimous in saying that Kerry was way over the line on his charges against Cheney and Rove. That's Barnes, Kondrake and Birnbaum.
Sounds as if Kerry is getting desparate.
I forget who said this, but they sure were right.
Didn't know that purple hearts were awarded for any injury, regardless of how small.
I think it's OK to look in detail at his service since that is one of the issues he brings up quite a bit. He sets himself up as superior to Rove and Cheney, citing often that they did not serve.
As far as I understand it (and the information is very foggy), Kerry did request to come home after suffering only very minor injuries. Don't know how brave that was.
Effin Kerry introduced Vietnam into the campaign. Nobody said anything about Kerry's Purple Hearts, his military service, until HE made it an issue. Now that HE made it an issue he should finish the debate.
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