Kerry's Anti-War Past Is a Delicate Issue in Campaign

The New York Times ^ | April 24, 2004 | DAVID M. HALBFINGER, The New York Times

[The Shrew]

Please check out WinterSoldier.com

for the truth that this article misses in its entirety.

Regards,

TS

[The Shrew]

Ping for excerpt evaluation and article that needs serious debunking.

REgards,

TS

[Unam Sanctam]

Among the many polarizing images of the period was a photograph of long-haired ex-soldiers simulating the Iwo Jima memorial, but with a flag held upside-down to signal distress; the picture graced the cover of a book that had Mr. Kerry as a co-author.

A distress signal????!! Talk about spinning! I'm glad the New York Times is at least addressing these activities of Kerry, though. There has been a blackout in mainstream media coverage, of course.

[aculeus]

I'm glad the New York Times is at least addressing these activities of Kerry, though.

Big BUT: the Saturday edition has low readership.

[SiGeek]

From its inception, Vietnam Veterans Against the War was a curiosity and an influential force in the Vietnam protest movement because of the novelty, and political potency, of antiwar demonstrators in uniform.

Let's see...Vietnam was the only war the US has lost so far...it was lost on the home front...this VVAW group was influential...Kerry met with the enemy in Paris.

Would the US really elect this John "Foragainst" Kerry as Commander in Chief in the middle of a war that started after the biggest attack on our soil?

Not unless we are "Going French" and surrendering again.

[The Shrew]

This does mean that we're setting the agenda - for once!

Regards,

TS

[stylin19a]

They fail to mention that in Kerry's first ever
(very short-lived) campaign for congress, he ran as the clean-cut, military hero - even as he was bad mouthing his country.

[The Shrew]

The VVAW's primary purpose was to serve as a propaganda outlet for North Vietnam. They succeeded admirably. This article is Hugh!

Regards,

TS

[The Shrew]

There is a lot that they fail to mention. Notice how they don't mention Hubbard's wrong rank until the third to last paragraph. They also make it look as if the issue is in dispute about his wartime servicel. It's not! It has already been verified that he was a posuer!

See B.G. Burkett's STOLEN VALOR for more on this issue.

Regards,

TS

[The Shrew]

I hate to post and run but I have to go see Roger Clemens pitch to the Rockies!

Regards,

TS

[weegee]

The VVAW's primary purpose was to serve as a propaganda outlet for North Vietnam. They succeeded admirably. This article is Hugh!

John Kerry was a Vietnam War hero; just don't ask him for "which side?".

[Aliska]

A few months later, Mr. Kerry, freshly out of the service, ran in an antiwar caucus in Concord, Mass., that was convened to pick a primary challenger to a hawkish incumbent congressman. Liberals had already coalesced around the Rev. Robert F. Drinan, a war critic, but Mr. Kerry fared surprisingly well before bowing out and becoming chairman of the successful Drinan campaign. The run drew attention to Mr. Kerry and in May he was invited to speak against the war on "The Dick Cavett Show."

Two weeks later, he married Julia Thorne, and on a trip to Europe with his new bride, Mr. Kerry, the 26-year-old ex-lieutenant took a taxicab from Paris to a suburban villa. The son of a diplomat, Mr. Kerry had managed to arrange a private meeting with North Vietnamese and Vietcong emissaries to the peace talks.

In the above context, here is what the NYT said in the wedding announcement published on May 24, 1970:

"Whether today's wedding becomes a similar footnote to history may depend on the bridegroom, a graduate of Yale and a veteran of the Vietnam war who is considering running for congress from his native Massachusetts.

"Mr. Kerry, who criticized the fundamentals of American foreign policy as class orator in the 1966 Yale graduation exercises, said he joined the Navy and went to Vietnam because he wanted to study that policy first hand.

"There he earned the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Combat Action Ribbon, and three Purple Hearts as the commander of a patrol boat on the rivers of the Mekong Delta.

"He recently discussed his conclusions over network television when he offered views opposing Herbert Klein, the Nixon Administration's director of communications, on the Dick Cavett Show."

Interesting that he went to Vietnam to "study that policy first hand"

From the very beginning, it appears he enlisted for his political aspirations and not out of a sense of patriotic duty or to win the war as the others who served during that difficult time. In other words, the war was a political opportunity for him.

[Unam Sanctam]

It would appear that patriotism is to Kerry what his Catholic faith is -- just another means to satisfy his political ambitions!

[Aliska]

Right on! His whole life seems to be a pattern of using people , groups, religion to further his personal political goals. He presents serious conflicts of interest on all fronts.

[Aliska]

Did you notice even on his honeymoon, he engaged in political activism with a sworn enemy of the American people?

[BunnySlippers]

Wow, interesting. The KC meeting mentioned in the first sentence.

[FastCoyote]

Kerry is sooo toast, he's burnt toast by now. Just too many targets.

[GailA]

btt

[alloysteel]

John Kerry was "young and stupid" some three decades ago, today he has become "old and stupid".

The passage of time does change all of us. Some more than others.