Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pilot claims Kerry committed treason
St. Paul Pioneer Press ^ | August 14, 2004 | PATRICK SWEENEY

Posted on 08/14/2004 2:24:55 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Former Air Force pilot Scott O'Grady, a high-profile volunteer in President George W. Bush's campaign, accused Sen. John Kerry on Friday of committing "treason" in opposing the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early '70s.

Speaking at a St. Paul news conference to announce a pro-Bush veterans group in Minnesota, O'Grady criticized Kerry for meeting with a Viet Cong emissary in Paris in the waning days of the Vietnam War and testifying before Congress about atrocities committed by U.S. troops.

A leader of a pro-Kerry veterans group denounced O'Grady's accusation and said it was outside the bounds of proper campaign dialogue.

"This is a despicable and obscene comment to call John Kerry a traitor and accuse him of treason," said Tom Kayser, a St. Paul lawyer and retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve who is supporting Kerry.

"John Kerry was in Vietnam," Kayser said. "He saw what was happening, and he made his comments based on what he saw."

Steve Schmidt, a national spokesman for the Bush campaign, said the comments by O'Grady, a retired Air Force captain from Dallas, were personal.

"Clearly what Captain O'Grady said today was not consistent with the campaign's position," Schmidt said.

Schmidt did not say if the Bush campaign would continue to invite O'Grady to speak at Bush-Cheney events. But he repeatedly said the campaign was pleased to have O'Grady as a volunteer.

O'Grady appeared on the cover of Time magazine after he parachuted to safety when his plane was shot down in Bosnia in 1995.

He has campaigned across the country on behalf of Bush, and Friday's news conference was not the first time he has accused Kerry of treason publicly.

The news conference was evidence of the high-stakes competition between Bush and Kerry for the votes of America's military veterans. And O'Grady's comments reflected the raw nerve that Kerry's anti-war activities still represent for many veterans.

O'Grady leveled the charge at a news conference called by the Bush campaign to announce the formation of a Minnesota Veterans for Bush group. About 60 people, many of them veterans, attended the news conference.

When questioned about his charge, O'Grady said it was a personal opinion.

Other participants in the Republican news conference Friday accused Kerry of flip-flopping between supporting and opposing the current war in Iraq.

But their strongest criticism concerned Kerry's post-Vietnam years when he returned to the U.S. as a decorated combat veteran and took part in Vietnam Veterans Against the War activities.

Dan Weiberg, of St. Paul, a retired Internal Revenue Service agent who served in the Army in Vietnam at the same time Kerry did, said he agreed with O'Grady's characterization of Kerry's post-war actions as treasonous.

"John Kerry is the New England traitor, not the New England patriot," Weiberg said.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Patrick Sweeney covers state government and politics. He can be reached at 651-228-5253 or psweeney@pioneerpress.com.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; aidandcomfort; antiamerican; bronze; cambodia; christmasincambodia; hanoijohn; hanoikerry; iaintfondajohn; johnkerry; kerry; kerrylieddotcom; ketchup; ketchupmoney; liar; liarliarliar; lyingliar; military; militaryrecord; nixonblaming; ogrady; purpleheart; scottogrady; sedition; skerrykerry; swift; swiftboat; swiftvetsdotcom; tang; thatstheticket; traitor; treason; unamerican; unfit; unfitforcommand; vet; veteran; veterans; veteransforbush; vets; vietnam; warcrimes; warcriminal; whenever; wintersoldierdotcom
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last
To: DelphiUser
I was at Sam’s club the other day, and went by a display of “My Lies” one was upside down

LOL
That happens quite often at our local Sam's Club, too. My son was checking the book aisle when he saw a little ol' lady glaring at the "misarranged" books.

She said, "I am going to see the store manager about this." He replied, "Good luck. I'll bet he's a Republican." She asked him how he knew that, and he told her to look at the price tags on the covers. Most of the tags covered up the "f" in "Life."

Little ol' ladies hate my kid.

61 posted on 08/14/2004 10:05:00 AM PDT by reformed_democrat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 53 | View Replies]

To: aloysius89
He actually did arguably give "aid and comfort to the enemy"...

I'm not sure that "actually did arguably" makes a lot of sense, but my point was that it's settled law that the "aid and comfort" has to be pretty material, not just something that makes the enemy feel good or that he can use for his own purposes. We're talking about, for instance, providing him with supplies, or money, or information of immediate military use.

Because it is so well settled, people who go around using their own version of "aid and comfort" to brand others as 'traitors' are, at best, sadly misinformed.

62 posted on 08/14/2004 10:23:10 AM PDT by Grut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: Grut

Read the article from a couple of days ago stating O'Grady's charges - it's not just making the govt look bad. Kerry committed acts that constitute treason.


63 posted on 08/14/2004 10:25:47 AM PDT by Chaguito
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Chaguito
Kerry committed acts that constitute treason.

You mean that he materially aided or comforted an enemy, or bore arms against the United States, and this act can be attested to by at least two witnesses? Cite me the specific treasonous act, please.

64 posted on 08/14/2004 3:07:58 PM PDT by Grut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 63 | View Replies]

To: snopercod

You know what?..........You are right!!!

They are blind to truth!
So be it!

Makes me laugh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


65 posted on 08/14/2004 3:12:53 PM PDT by LadyPilgrim (Sealed my pardon with His blood, Hallelujah!!! What a Savior!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Quilla
I live in a relatively small town, Books-a-Million is the only large bookstore. They currently don't have "Unfit", I have been given the run-around and multiple excuses by the staff. I started to order it from their web-site (with my BAMM card, it is my cheapest option) but stopped when I got to the check-out....why should I pay for shipping.

On Monday, I'm going back to the store and if they still don't have it, I'll speak to the manager. I can only hope that his answers won't be as lame as the one's I have been getting from the employees.

You would think that they have to sell some books occasionally...they are paying to store all of those stacks of Bill & Hill's books.

66 posted on 08/14/2004 3:18:58 PM PDT by SC Swamp Fox (Aim small, miss small.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

St. Paul Pioneer Press. Atlanta Journal-Constitution. It's getting out there folks. Last week stories about the SBV could only be found on conservative papers and websites. During the week the S.F. Chronicle had an opinion piece with theme of "allow the veterans to tell their story." I'm betting that as Hurricane Charlie and the McGreevy business cycle out of the front pages, Kerry's military exploits will begin to replace them. I just sent an email to the S.F. Chronicle's political editor, Marc Sandalow, asking him when they will start giving this story its due. The leftist reporters are going to have to choose between campaigning for a Kerry presidency and their own self-interest. Bottom line - they will cover their own sorry a$$es.


67 posted on 08/14/2004 3:23:41 PM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson (Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh/Loves John Kerry so vote him in!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife

BUMP


68 posted on 08/14/2004 3:33:47 PM PDT by Dante3
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Quilla

LOL your post at 16 -

When a bookstore gets *that* difficult, I get all helpless looking and ask if someone could be called to help me find the book I need. It always works here. I figure if they're going to go to the trouble of hiding a book they're selling, they can go to the trouble of helping solve the mystery.


69 posted on 08/14/2004 4:34:53 PM PDT by GretchenM (A country is a terrible thing to waste. Vote Republican.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Grut

Pls see post 22, http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1191399/posts?page=22#22
re your post about "this business of 'making the government look bad equals treason' is lunatic fringe stuff."


70 posted on 08/14/2004 4:39:09 PM PDT by GretchenM (A country is a terrible thing to waste. Vote Republican.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: GretchenM
Checked it. Kerry's testimony wasn't treasonous as the law understands the word and insisting in the face of the law that it was is lunatic fringe stuff. It's the Right's version of the Left's mantra that Bush didn't really win in 2000: where the Left ignores what the law says 'win' means, the Right ignores what the law says 'treason' means. In either case, it boils down to partisan name-calling.
71 posted on 08/14/2004 6:37:55 PM PDT by Grut
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 70 | View Replies]

bttt


72 posted on 08/14/2004 8:58:49 PM PDT by secretagent
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]

To: JasonC; Interesting Times
Kerry accused US servicemen of committing war crimes in Vietnam. If he supposedly did so based on what he actually saw, then he can name times dates and places, units and perhaps persons, he saw doing specific illegal things. What are they?

He cited the "Winter Soldier Investigation", held in Detroit in late January 1971. Consult it for details.

FR's wintersoldier.com has the beginnings of an investigation into the witnesses' claims. The letter in "Incoming" concerning Kerry's communist buddy, campaign worker, and WSI witness Joe Bangert looks like the first serious challenge to a specific WSI story. But this hasn't received much airtime outside of wintersoldier.com and FR, especially with the Swifties news. At least I haven't heard it on my favorite conservative radio shows.

The webmaster Scott Swett, FR's "Interesting Times", told me B.G. Burkett ("Stolen Valor") might have news soon on some of the WSI witnesses.

73 posted on 08/14/2004 9:42:17 PM PDT by secretagent
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: secretagent
Jug Burkett reports in "Unfit to Command" that the National Archives can find no service records for 11 of the individuals who testified claiming to be veterans at the Winter Soldier Investigation. [pp113] Their names aren't listed, but I expect that Jug will be coming out with more information at some point fairly soon.
74 posted on 08/14/2004 9:51:55 PM PDT by Interesting Times (ABCNNBCBS -- yesterday's news.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: Interesting Times
I trust Burkett, when he does the research himself. Still want the documentation, when it comes, though.

Thanks again for steady work. I find the WSI investigations even more important than the SwiftVets attack. You may very well end up undoing a foundational myth of today's "left".

I hope see 10 letters a day to "Incoming", once this takes off.

75 posted on 08/14/2004 10:05:37 PM PDT by secretagent
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 74 | View Replies]

To: secretagent
I hopetosee 10 letters a day ...
76 posted on 08/14/2004 10:07:39 PM PDT by secretagent
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 75 | View Replies]

To: secretagent
No, the claim in the article was that Kerry's remarks were based on what he actually saw. Not what his anti-war activists buddies told him they saw - many bits of which we know aren't so. Was he relaying their allegations or claiming authenticity? Can't have it both ways. Either he has no more credibility for being there than any other purveyor of hearsay, or he saw with his own government issue mark I eyeballs actual deeds beyond the pale. So, what deeds? Personally witnessed. Let's hear them.
77 posted on 08/14/2004 10:16:01 PM PDT by JasonC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: Cincinatus' Wife
"This is a despicable and obscene comment to call John Kerry a traitor and accuse him of treason," said Tom Kayser, a St. Paul lawyer and retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve who is supporting Kerry.

ROTFL! These liberals ought to know the meaning of OBSCENE shouldn't they? Maybe aiding and abetting the enemy qualifies more!

78 posted on 08/14/2004 10:22:58 PM PDT by ladyinred (What if the hokey pokey IS what it's all about?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jet Jaguar
The B&N near me said they did not have it and would not until August 20. The guy was not happy seeing my interest in it.

I guess we'll have to tell them: "Thank you, I'll buy my five copies in another book store... And I will buy them BEFORE August 20th." (some stores have them in stock now)

79 posted on 08/14/2004 10:25:41 PM PDT by CaraM
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: JasonC
O'Grady criticized Kerry for meeting with a Viet Cong emissary in Paris in the waning days of the Vietnam War and testifying before Congress about atrocities committed by U.S. troops.

...snip...

"This is a despicable and obscene comment to call John Kerry a traitor and accuse him of treason," said Tom Kayser, a St. Paul lawyer and retired lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve who is supporting Kerry.

"John Kerry was in Vietnam," Kayser said. "He saw what was happening, and he made his comments based on what he saw."

But Kayser has only half the story. Kerry cited the "Winter Soldier Investigation" for the specific graphic atrocity claims.

Kerry never said he did any of that. He rather indicted policies like "free fire zones" and "harassment and interdiction fire" as criminal, and yes, he included himself as a "war criminal" in that sense.

But not a Bob Kerry kinda war criminal. No close up "wet work", or Calley stuff.

He's gone over this many times. Not hiding much at all on it.

80 posted on 08/14/2004 10:31:40 PM PDT by secretagent
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-8081-93 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson