Posted on 08/07/2004 10:18:24 AM PDT by Jenya
Kerry defends his '70s anti-war activities
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Sen. John F. Kerry [related, bio] expressed pride in his 1970s antiwar activism yesterday as controversy continued to swirl over a TV ad accusing him of betraying his fellow veterans when he protested the Vietnam war.
``I stood up against the war in the 1970s,'' Kerry said. ``Some people still don't like that, and they're still trying to fight that. That's 35 years old. But I'm proud of what I did to stand up. And I learned a lot.''
A group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth launched a TV spot accusing Kerry of dishonoring his country and ``lying'' in Senate testimony about atrocities committed during the war.
The ad also claims Kerry did not deserve his combat medals. But the controversy grew deeper yesterday as one key member of the group first seemed to back off his criticism - then stood by his original charges.
George Elliott, one of Kerry's war commanders, told the Boston Globe he should not have signed an affidatit suggesting Kerry didn't deserve his Silver Star.
``It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here,'' the Globe quoted Elliott as saying.
Later yesterday, Elliott issued another affidavit saying the Globe had misquoted him and that he believed Kerry has ``not been honest about what happened in Vietnam.''
Next week, the group will release a book called ``Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry [related, bio].''
But Jim Rassmann, who credits Kerry with saving his life in Vietnam, said, ``What these people have said is not true, and a lot of it is grossly inaccurate. These gentlemen appear to be making this up as they go along, and they are not keeping their stories straight.''
White House spokesman Scott McClellan yesterday repeated a call for ``an end to all the ads and activity by these shadowy groups that are funded by unregulated soft money.''
Hey Senator Kerry .. It's one thing to stand up against a war you didn't like
IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT THING TO SPIT ON THE SOLDIERS YOU SERVED WITH
World Net Daily also has the article posted. I can't remember the link site that went to WND. It was on another thread. The news is really getting around!
This is a link to the KMCL radio. It's carrying the "Kerry asked to leave" story. They have an audio of the interview of Kerry's commander.
"Ole Yellow Stain" is a commie war criminal in my book. Right on par with Jane Fondue (Raw Meat in a RED Sauce).
Bump!
Thanks for the ping!
I don't know if I would agree with the statement that "Kerry was ticked" that he was asked to leave Vietnam. We know he WAS asked to leave by his commanding officer, and Kerry protested ever so mildly, however he was out of there in a flash the next morning.
I am more of the impression that this was his way of ensuring that his well orchestrated 3 purple hearts exercise pass was optimized ... i.e. he orchestrated his own being asked to leave. The reasons given by his commanding officer on how much of a terrible leader and example he was could have been controlled a lot better by Kerry ..
I am strongly of the impression that this was all part of his demented plan ... which changed again when he got stateside and out of the service, now seeing that 'war hero' wasn't going to make popular in the 70's.
Notice that he's making these statements in Kansas City, the city where the VVAW plotted assassinating pro-Vietnam Senators.
See post #23.
What is he proud of? What the communists did, what he did to his fellow soldiers, sympathizing with the enemy? And what did he learn? To arrogantly vote to send our men and women to another war with a conviction so shallow that he voted against funding their mission?
John Kerry cannot be President at a time of war, especially one he now says was not necessary. He will not be committed to the Iraqi people, to freedom and democracy or to our troops. His record says so.
Hey Johnboy, Hanoi Jane Fonda is STILL a traitor and so are you.
"A group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth launched a TV spot accusing Kerry of dishonoring his country and ``lying'' in Senate testimony about atrocities committed during the war."
This is NOT debatable.
Here's Kerry's own statements from 2001.
(May 6, 2001): Kerry speaks about HIS War CrimesMR. RUSSERT: Thirty years later, you stand by that?
SEN. KERRY: I don't stand by the genocide. I think those were the words of an angry young man. We did not try to do that. But I do stand by the description-I don't even believe there is a purpose served in the word "war criminal." I really don't. But I stand by the rest of what happened over there, Tim.
Tell us what story is not being kept straight, Jim. Or are you just painting with a broad brush to try to blacken thir reputations?
This lying pos thinks that he can straddle the fence here depending on which audience he is talking to.
His political career was built on lying about his peers Nam and being a key anti war protester with the Fonda scum bags.
Now, he wants to be our commander in chief because of his great war experience, which he hated for over 3 decades.
He might have gotten away with this as late as 1996. The vets of Nam, their families, the vets of the Iraqi wars, their families and our warriors in service now and their families will not allow this evil duplicity to stand.
A friend who visited last week is a perfect example. His two older brothers served in Nam. They came back and were spit on at SFO and hated in marvelous Marin county as baby killers. One left the state and the other became a semi hermit in a coast area of N. California. Neither one has registered to vote since they came back from Nam.
After this bs duplicity at the rat convention by Kerry, they are both registered Republicans, and like their younger brother or friend, they are now broken glass republicans. They are working with other Nam Viets who became shadow Americans after they returned from due to the hatred caused by Kerry/Fonda to get them registered to vote for GW. Their 85 year old mother, a life long FDR democrat, will vote for GW and is working to get women whose sons/brothers served in Nam to vote for GW. Living in Marin, she is having a tougher road. However, she is having some success.
Their summation of Kerry: He either hates the military and what we did in Nam or not. Now suddenly he can change courses and make his Nam tour the crown jewel in his campaign.
Response:Treason and/or sedition are virtues.
Comment: Instead of a candidate for a rope this type of person is a serious candidate for the Office of President of The United States.
Mr. Kerry, are you still proud of the statement that made on the Dick Cavitt show, declaring that you, yourself committed war crimes? After all, much of what the swift boat vets are saying, simply verifies the claims you once so proudly declared.
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