Kerry slams Bush for lack of immediate action on September 11

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 8/5/04 | AFP - Washington

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) slammed US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) for not jumping to action when he heard about the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"First of all, had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to," Kerry said at a conference of minority journalists here.

When told that planes had been flown into the twin World Trade Center towers, Bush was reading to schoolchildren in Florida. He continued to read to them for seven minutes before excusing himself.

Kerry also said that Bush lacks credibility as the leader of the US military, credibility he claims to have earned during his time in combat in Vietnam.

"I come to the job of commander in chief with the rare, gratefully, but important experience of having fought in a war," he said, adding that he would not send US troops into battle without having exhausted every other option.

"And I believe we need a commander in chief who understands the test before you send young people to war. You've got to be able to look parents in the eyes if they lose their son or daughter and say to them, 'I tried to do everything in my power to avoid this, but we had no choice as a nation, as a people, because of the challenge to our country, to our fundamental values,'" he said.

"I believe in my heart of hearts and in my gut that this president fails that test in Iraq (news - web sites)," Kerry said.

[NormsRevenge]

This from a man with buttocks full of rice after he dropped a grenade in a sampan with a bag of rice in it, and then sought a PH.

[bushfamfan]

Talk about a nasty campaign. Kerry's been nasty from the get go. Let him continue on with this. He's going down.

[Izzy Dunne]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

[hapy]

God make him go away. what a liar, what a coward, killed a young unarmed teenage boy in vietnam. He is a pig

[dirtboy]

"First of all, had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to," Kerry said at a conference of minority journalists here.

John Forbes Moore at work. I imagine we'll see all of the talking points from Fahrenheit 9/11 spew from Kerry's lips by the time this campaign is over.

[zook]

There he goes. He stepped in it.

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass., takes questions during the Unity Journalists of Color Conference at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2004. Kerry said Thursday that America remains a nation divided along racial and economic lines, and pledged to 'lift up those who are left out.' (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)

[dirtboy]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

Kerry was a lieutennant - and it shows here.

[MizSterious]

And which party was it that allowed bin Laden to gain strength over eight long years? While Clinton was getting bjs, the 9/11 plans were being made and financed, because Clinton didn't want to risk a drop in polling for something as inconsequential as a lil ol terrorist attack that would kill almost 3,000.

[isthisnickcool]

FreeRepublic poster isthisnickcool slams Kerry for descrimination against wounded teenage VietCong wearing loin cloths.

[blake6900]

Kerry also said that Bush lacks credibility as the leader of the US military, credibility he claims to have earned during his time in combat in Vietnam.

Well, Kerry might be right about this. Bush never shot a VC teen in the back and received a medal for it in the process.

[cardinal4]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

After calling France, Clinton and Teraaaaaaazzzzzaa, you mean?

[clintonh8r]

....thinking of changing screen name to kerryh8r.....

[snooker]

Hate is on the way.

Told you so.

[Not A Snowbird]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

During those seven minutes, the entire apparatus of the federal government was in motion. Does he think the government was just standing still with it's collective thumb up its butt, waiting for the President to tell them what to do? If President Bush had left the room immediately, the result would be Air Force One would be in the air seven minutes earlier. I doubt anything else would have changed.

[NormsRevenge]

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites) gestures during a speech at the Unity 2004: Journalists of Color Conference at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, August 5, 2004. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang US ELECTION

[RockinRight]

Bush was reading to kids when the plane hit. Could you imagine how scared the kids would have been had he jumped up and ran out right then? He was holding his composure to see what had to be done.

[Charles Martel]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

You mean *after* he pissed his pants?

[RightthinkinAmerican]

A better caption: "John Kerry fields softballs tossed ever so gently by his greatest admirers." Kerry said that "I think I can drum up a few more darkie votes by inciting more racial division in the country."

[Flash Bazbeaux]

Did you know that John Kerry served in Vietnam?