Posted on 06/14/2004 5:34:32 PM PDT by kattracks
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Teresa Heinz Kerry says anger, not ideology, prompted her to become a Democrat. The wife of Sen. John Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, says her emotion stemmed from the way the Republican Party, to which she had pledged allegiance, treated Democratic Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia in 2002.Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm as an Army captain during the Vietnam War, lost his re-election bid in a bitter campaign against then-Rep. Saxby Chambliss. The GOP had raised questions about Cleland's patriotism because of his position on legislation to create the Department of Homeland Security. Cleland supported the concept behind the department, but insisted that a workers' rights provision be part of the bill.
Heinz Kerry, in an interview to be broadcast Tuesday on the "CBS Evening News," says Cleland's status as a triple amputee is enough to prove his patriotism.
"Three limbs and all I could think was, 'What does the Republican party need, a fourth limb to make a person a hero?' And this coming from people who have not served. I was really offended by that. Unscrupulous and disgusting," she said, her reference being an indirect one to President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.
Neither Republican served in Vietnam. Bush served stateside in the Texas Air National Guard, and Cheney received five student deferments from service during the war.
Kerry volunteered to serve in Vietnam and earned three Purple Hearts, and Silver and Bronze stars for his efforts commanding a swift boat on the Mekong Delta. Earlier in the campaign, opponents of Kerry had raised questions about his military service and whether he deserved the military honors.
Heinz Kerry had been a registered Republican until Kerry, her second husband, announced his bid for the White House. Her first husband, Republican Sen. John Heinz of Pennsylvania and the Heinz prepared foods heir, was killed in a plane crash in 1991. She inherited a fortune estimated at more than $500 million.
In the interview, John Kerry is asked about criticism of his wife, who has a reputation for being blunt and outspoken.
"When it's silly stuff, and a lot of it is incredibly unfactual, I get angry about it," he said.
Asked for three words to describe his 65-year-old wife, who is five years his senior, Kerry said: "Saucy, sexy, brilliant."
She responded: "I'm cheeky, I'm sexy, whatever. You know, I've got a lot of life inside."
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A liberal interest group will begin airing a new television commercial Tuesday in four battleground states that calls President Bush "a failure of leadership" and criticizes Vice President Dick Cheney's ties to Halliburton.
MoveOn.org's political action committee will spend about $1 million over a week, a hefty amount, to run the 30-second ad in Missouri, Nevada, Ohio and Oregon.
The ad accuses Bush's administration of giving Cheney's former company no-bid contracts to work in Iraq "on a silver platter."
"Then," the ad says, "the Pentagon caught Halliburton overcharging $61 million for gasoline. Worse, they billed over $100 million dollars for meals for our troops that they never delivered. And George Bush is still doing business with them."
Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for Bush's re-election campaign, said: "This is another incredibly misleading ad from an organization completely outside of the mainstream of American politics."
Separately, The Media Fund, another Democratic group, ran new radio and newspaper ads in Kansas City, Mo., criticizing his record on health care and prescription drug costs. Bush visited the state Monday.
•__
Associated Press Writer Liz Sidoti contributed to this report.
I thought they were on R&R and were just going to/coming from a place where they could drink some beers....
That's right.
Apparently they had just completed some sort of operation, although not necessarily a combat operation, and some of Cleland's buddies were staying behind for some refreshment. Cleland had already boarded the helo, but changed his mind and decided to stay.
After jumping a few feet to the ground, and leaving the immediate landing area, he turned back and noticed a grenade lying on the ground. thinking it had fallen from his webgear, he reached to pick it up and it exploded.
Obviously he didn't get his beer break that day.
Not on R&R, though. That part is wrong.
Don't sweat it. Cleland has *allowed* others to embellish his story for him. It occurs with his permission. He is not an honorable man. Semper Fidelis
Thank you so much, John Valentine, for your honest, decent words. I think we can all disagree politically with Max Cleland and THK without dishonoring the sacrifice Max Cleland made in Vietnam. If all soldiers were middle-aged geezers like me, maybe they'd make fewer mistakes. Unfortunately, our wars are fought by the young, the brash, the inexperienced, and the heroic.
In other words, Cleland thought shilling for the unions was more important than making sure our nation had the best security possible? Can't understand why Saxby Chambliss thought this might be un-patriotic! /sarcasm.
Kerry served in Vietnam?
Funny, you haven't even mentioned how he lost his limbs. How about some facts from you?!
helpful hint...don't talk about things you don't know anything at all about.And taking up the Dem position,as a Conservative and FREEPER,is disgraceful.
Cleland picked up a grenade that fell out of a helicopter. He wasn't in combat and he got no medals.
He chose to stay behind to have a beer and if he had gotten on the helicopter, he would have his limbs. That's the version I've been told.
What about Vietnam?
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