Posted on 08/05/2004 7:09:03 AM PDT by presidio9
BOSTON -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry made a name for himself more than 30 years ago as a passionate anti-Vietnam war protest leader. But something happened on the way to the U.S. Senate where he adopted that exclusive club's credo: "To get along, go along.''
Surely he hasn't forgotten he fought the wrong war in the wrong place at the wrong time in Vietnam and the ensuing quagmire that caused the greatest domestic division in the United States since the Civil War.
Why didn't those memory bells ring for him when he voted last year for a resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to invade Iraq? That resolution was a replica of the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin resolution that took the country into Vietnam and gave the president the power to do anything necessary for national security -- with few questions asked.
Kerry won medals for his heroism in Vietnam and his war record has been proudly paraded at the Democratic Party's National Convention where his Vietnam veteran buddies and an array of top retired military brass skeptical about the Iraq war were in the spotlight.
Like the rest of the country, Kerry now knows that all the major reasons cited by Bush to justify his war of choice -- the alleged weapons of mass destruction, Iraq's alleged ties to al-Qaida and the imminent threat allegedly posed by Iraq -- have turned out to be false.
Bush has neither apologized nor offered an acceptable explanation for that immense national deception that is still taking American and Iraqi lives daily.
In his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Kerry socked it to Bush without mentioning him by name. In several pointed remarks in his address to the delegates, the challenger hit Bush's obvious vulnerabilities and credibility problems.
"I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war,'' Kerry said. "I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an attorney general who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States.''
Kerry also took a swipe against Bush's militant foreign policy but stopped short of saying what other senators have said: That if they knew then what they know now, they never would have supported Bush's unilateral and unprovoked decision to attack Iraq. Somehow, Kerry cannot cross that bridge, apparently fearing he will be called "unpatriotic'' or accused of not supporting the troops in Iraq.
But he has some second thoughts.
He promised the delegates -- and the nation -- that, "as president, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence. I will immediately reform the intelligence system so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics.''
He was obviously referring to Bush's blame-shifting to the CIA for providing him with the flimsy data he flaunted to back up a war he already wanted.
"Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so,'' Kerry said. "And proclaiming 'mission accomplished' certainly doesn't make it so,'' he said in another jab at the president's past statements.
Kerry promised that he would "bring back this nation's time-honored tradition: The United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to.''
What was missing in Kerry's good speech was a roadmap to peace and reconciliation in Iraq and throughout the Middle East.
Kerry and his nominating convention cloaked him in the Vietnam theme all week long. It's a shame that he seems to have forgotten another lesson he could have learned from Vietnam: He can best support the troops in Iraq by bringing them home as soon as possible.
A great combination. Bring back Ari Fleischer so he can roast 'Her Ugliness' some more.
More dreck from Mrs. Humpback of Notre Dame.
One big benefit from a W re-election would be to put this nag out to pasture.
I wished Ari would have stayed through the election. Great WH spokesperson.
Why doesn't this woman just go away? My gosh, at a certain point you should just retire, enjoy your free time, and--if you are so inclined--think about your accomplishments.
I didn't read the article but I can guess, knowing of Helen Thomas, what it said. She has one tune and it's grown old...as has she.
The old bat just can't accept that Kerry and Bush and Russia and England and everyone else honestly thought there were WMD in Iraq. Nah, it has to have been a big "deception," because that's all that can fit into her paranoid delusions. With friends like this, Kerry doesn't need enemies.
This current guy is a nice enough guy but he comes off as apologetic and weak too often. He is pretty ineffective, and it really hurts Bush!
Helen forget the lesson of keeping her big mouth shut.
I wish when Helen took a crap she would do it in private, although this is one of her more reasoned pieces of crap.
Liberals have to be dishonest to make an argument. Imminent threat? It was "grave and gathering"
Ties to Al Queda was ties to terrorism
Perpetuating the BIG LIE.
Hey Helen, read the 9/11 report before you spout off skank.
Did anyone notice that W completely ignored Helen Thomas as his last press conference...
First, Thomas interrupted W and he said "excuse me" and continued his thought and then when Thomas tried to ask a question, W again ignored her and went to another reporter...It was a treasure!!
But you'd had to have seen it to have really appreciated the moment...
I hope she's still on the back row! ...if at all.
Was this her birthday (8/4/18??) article? Thank you for not choosing a birthday suit photo.
I saw it, but did not know to which reporter President Bush was talking. President Bush was very polite. She actually interupted him while he was answering another reporter's questions, and President Bush politely asked her to stop the interruption.
Helen Thomas of the Daily Senile Sentinel...
I'm not dead yet!
What accomplishments?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.