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Kerry’s ribbons Tossing his medals, and the truth
Manchester Union Leader ^ | May 2, 2004 | Editorial

Posted on 05/02/2004 3:08:20 AM PDT by billorites

THE MORE John Kerry is asked about his Vietnam War medals, the more he resembles Bill Clinton answering questions about Monica Lewinsky.

During a 1971 anti-war protest, Kerry famously threw something over the fence at the U.S. Capitol. Other veterans tossed their medals over the fence, and Kerry presumably did the same. Back then, he led people to believe just that. Here is a transcript of a 1971 television interview with Kerry, reproduced last week by The New York Times and CNN:

Interviewer: “How many did you give back, John?”

Kerry: “I gave back, I can’t remember, six, seven, eight, nine.”

The interviewer lists Kerry’s Purple Hearts and Bronze and Silver stars. Kerry then says: “Well, and above that, I gave my others.”

Kerry wasn’t talking about tie clips. Those comments unmistakably imply that he threw his medals over the fence.

On “Good Morning America” this week, Kerry claimed to have kept his medals. Interviewer Charles Gibson challenged him, saying, “Senator, I was there 33 years ago, and I saw you throw the medals over the fence.”

Columnist John Podhoretz recounted Kerry’s response: “No, you didn’t see me throw the, Charlie, Charlie, you are wrong. That’s not what happened. I threw my ribbons across . . After the ceremony was over, I had a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart given to me, one Purple Heart by a veteran in the V.A. in New York and the Bronze Star by an older veteran of World War II in Massachusetts. I threw them over because they asked me to.”

What Kerry tossed over the fence in 1971 would be irrelevant today had he not spent at least 15 years building political capital by letting people believe he threw his medals over. As with every other issue on which Kerry has ever taken a stand, the political winds changed, and with them Kerry’s story.

When it was expedient to play the angry war protester, Kerry played it. Now that it’s expedient to play the hawkish patriot, Kerry is playing that.

On “Good Morning America,” Kerry tried to climb out of the pit he had dug for himself by attacking Republicans. “This is a controversy that the Republicans are pushing, and this comes from a President and a Republican Party that can’t even answer whether or not he showed up for duty in the National Guard. I’m not going to stand for it.”

After the show, when he thought his microphone was off, Kerry remarked, “God, they’re doing the work of the Republican National Committee.”

Actually, they were doing the work of good journalists. If all journalists who cover the Kerry campaign do their work as well, the public will see clearly the deceitful opportunist who hides under the coiffed hair and thrust-out jaw. However, as this would give President Bush an easier ride to a second term, it is doubtful that all journalists covering Kerry will do their jobs.


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: kerry; medaltossing
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1 posted on 05/02/2004 3:08:20 AM PDT by billorites
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To: billorites
Kerry is imploding with each passing day. Could a Crustfrau invasion of the presidential race be in the offing? Hmmmmmm...
2 posted on 05/02/2004 3:10:25 AM PDT by cyborg
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To: billorites
Even the ultra liberal New England papers are waking up.
3 posted on 05/02/2004 3:11:40 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: billorites
Tossing his medals...

Tossing my cookies!

4 posted on 05/02/2004 3:12:48 AM PDT by endthematrix (To enter my lane you must use your turn signal!)
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To: endthematrix
"Tossing his medals..."

Then someone on the other side tossed them back. Who knew?

5 posted on 05/02/2004 3:15:22 AM PDT by billorites (freepo ergo sum)
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To: billorites


6 posted on 05/02/2004 3:15:47 AM PDT by Diogenesis (We do what we are meant to do)
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To: R. Scott
Even the ultra liberal New England papers are waking up.

Buy a clue, FReeper friend.

The very fact that this story is not going away, when we know that the lib-suck media can either marginalize or kill any story they don't like, should tell you what game's afoot.

I'll give you a hint, elephant legs swaddled in black... and a saxaphone playing background music.

7 posted on 05/02/2004 3:16:54 AM PDT by Ronin (When the fox gnaws, smile!!)
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To: Ronin
Nah, Hillary's not likely to stump to the rescue this year, it's not a sure thing. And I don't see her as a likely VP candidate, because for all of my low opinion of him, I think Kerry is too smart to get himself "Fostered."

Of course, if there was some reason for a last-minute switch, and the winds were blowing right . . . .
8 posted on 05/02/2004 3:21:08 AM PDT by Quiller
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To: R. Scott
The "Manchester Union leader" is not liberal. It never has been. It's famous, in New England, at least, for its conservative editorials.

The "Union Leader" will write disparagingly about Republicans when they think they aren't conservative enough.

Kerry's ilk have never stood a chance with the "Union Leader". The 'Union Leader" eats them for breakfast.

longjack

9 posted on 05/02/2004 3:30:16 AM PDT by longjack
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To: Quiller
I think I agree with you, but I think you are missing my point.

If Kerry wins, Hillary loses. She knows that. Kerry will stay for four, get the nomination automatically in 2008, and win or lose that means she has to wait until 2012 to try for the nomination on her own. At which point she will simply be too old.

So, she is playing a game of percentages. To her way of thinking, a battered Bush limping through his second term is a much more attractive proposition than a Kerry victory.

Which, does not mean she is not secretly and carefully weakening Kerry -- she most certainly does not want him to win -- but like you say, if the winds seem right and Bush seems weak, you can bet your last peso she will "allow" herself to be drafted at the convention.

I submit that all of her actions to this point have been aimed at keeping that last option open. If it looks good, she'll jump in. If not, she'll ride it out to 08.
10 posted on 05/02/2004 3:41:30 AM PDT by Ronin (When the fox gnaws, smile!!)
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To: billorites
I would've thought the Union Leader would get this right. The NY Times put out an erroneous transcript of that '71 interview, amended below to show what we all saw and heard when the tape was aired:

Interviewer: “How many did you give back, John?”

Kerry: “I gave back, I can’t remember, six, seven, eight, nine medals.”

Granted, he ducked his head and mumbled when he said the last word. But there's no question he said it. If anything, it indicated that even back then he was ducking the issue thinking no one would ever notice. Think the NY Times didn't notice it?

11 posted on 05/02/2004 3:45:26 AM PDT by Timeout (Weren't none of us recently fell off a turnip truck)
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To: longjack
There goes another favorite misconception.
12 posted on 05/02/2004 4:15:26 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: Ronin

I'll give you a hint, elephant legs swaddled in black...

13 posted on 05/02/2004 4:17:50 AM PDT by R. Scott (Humanity i love you because when you're hard up you pawn your Intelligence to buy a drink.)
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To: billorites
> If all journalists who cover the Kerry campaign do their work as well, the public will see clearly the deceitful opportunist who hides under the coiffed hair and thrust-out jaw. However, as this would give President Bush an easier ride to a second term, it is doubtful that all journalists covering Kerry will do their jobs.

I repeat: One simply has to love this paper. Thank God for clear-thinking individuals in New England. (Still thinking of moving to NH.)
14 posted on 05/02/2004 4:22:32 AM PDT by Paul_B
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To: billorites
“No, you didn’t see me throw the, Charlie, Charlie, you are wrong. That’s not what happened. I threw my ribbons across . .

Hey John F'ing Kerry, the ribbons and medals are exactly the same award. Ribbons are worn on one uniform and medals on another.

On “Good Morning America,” Kerry tried to climb out of the pit he had dug for himself by attacking Republicans. “This is a controversy that the Republicans are pushing, and this comes from a President and a Republican Party that can’t even answer whether or not he showed up for duty in the National Guard. I’m not going to stand for it.”

Starting to get under your skin, is it?

After the show, when he thought his microphone was off, Kerry remarked, “God, they’re doing the work of the Republican National Committee.”

Oh F'ing, give it a break. The national media is so left leaning liberal, one little punch at you and you explode.

It's just a matter of time before kerry totally explodes on national TV.

15 posted on 05/02/2004 4:28:02 AM PDT by Arrowhead1952 (A vote for kerry or any other RAT, is a vote for the terrorists.)
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To: R. Scott
The "Union Leader", and maybe the "Boston Herald" (because of its competition with the "Boston Globe"), lean conservative.

Other than those, New England papers being liberal is a pretty safe bet. If you didn't live or grow up in New England it's hard to know the very few exceptions to the liberal rule.

longjack

16 posted on 05/02/2004 4:34:34 AM PDT by longjack
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To: Diogenesis
Very good. Today's Mallard Fillmore also belongs on this thread. Every question asked of the ketchup gigolo;
"could you outline your tax proposal?
how would you create jobs?
what's your favorite color? "
is answered by "Are you questioning my patriotism?"
17 posted on 05/02/2004 5:02:25 AM PDT by Brasil ("The cause of freedom is in good hands." GWB)
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To: Arrowhead1952
Excellent post. Thank you.

But as the people were not outraged over kintoon's "is is" - the same will hold true for KetchUp-Kerry myriad of "flip flops" - no matter what the topic (e.g., medals, SUV, for then against, ..., etc.)

The GOP has had control of both houses of Congress and the White House for several years now ... nothing has changed. In particular ... action on Federal judges ... and Specter's primary win just shows more of the same ...

KetchUp-Kerry's shot is more of "Anyone than Bush!!!" than anything he has ever done ... pro/con that's it.

18 posted on 05/02/2004 5:05:15 AM PDT by jamaksin
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To: longjack
The Concord Monitor is flaming liberal.
19 posted on 05/02/2004 5:11:06 AM PDT by corlorde (Without the home of the brave, there would be no land of the free)
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To: cyborg
a Crustfrau invasion of the presidential race

20 posted on 05/02/2004 5:15:53 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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