Posted on 08/18/2004 4:10:22 PM PDT by cyncooper
CINCINNATI — John Kerry (search), telling fellow combat veterans he's their "true brother in arms," said Wednesday that President Bush's plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Europe and Asia would weaken U.S. security and embolden nuclear-armed North Korea.
~snip~
White House spokesman Scott McClellan noted that Kerry expressed support on Aug. 1 for possible redeployment of U.S. troops throughout the world, including in Korea.
Kerry foreign policy adviser Rand Beers said Kerry would consider moving some U.S. troops farther south on the Korean Peninsula to avoid a strike from the North. But he would not move them off the peninsula, Beers said, unless such action was part of a broader agreement with North Korea to scrap its nuclear program and reduce its conventional forces.
~snip~
Large portions of the crowd applauded each of his many promises to protect veterans' benefits. Smaller portions vocally backed his points on Iraq and terrorism. Some veterans sat with arms folded, while others stood and clapped.
One man heckled Kerry, calling him a liar.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Flip-Flip Alert: John Flip-Flop Kerry does it again.
The following was posted by AZBigDog on Hannity.com forums.
Kerry Is Against Troop Realignment
Today John Kerry Criticized The President For Realigning Our Troops. "Finally, I want to say something about the plan that the President announced on Monday to withdraw 70,000 troops from Asia and Europe. Nobody wants to bring troops home more than those of us who have fought in foreign wars. But it needs to be done at the right time and in a sensible way. This is not that time or that way. Let's be clear. The President's vaguely stated plan does not strengthen our hand in the war on terror. It in no way relieves the strain on our overextended military personnel. It doesn't even begin until 2006, and it takes ten years to achieve." (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At The Veterans Of Foreign Wars Convention, Cincinnati, OH, 8/18/04)
Kerry Is For Troop Realignment
In August 2004, Kerry Said: "I Think We Can Significantly Change The Deployment Of Troops, Not Just There But Elsewhere In The World. In The Korean Peninsula Perhaps, In Europe Perhaps." STEPHANOPOULOS: "Can you promise that American troops will be home by the end of your first term?" SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY: "I will have significant, enormous reduction in the level of troops. We will probably have a continued presence of some kind, certainly in the region. If the diplomacy that I believe can be put in place can work, I think we can significantly change the deployment of troops, not just there but elsewhere in the world.
In the Korean peninsula perhaps, in Europe perhaps. There are great possibilities open to us. But this administration has had very little imagination, enormous sort of ideological fixation and, frankly, took its eye off the war against al Qaeda and the war on terror shifting it to Iraq at enormous cost to the American people and to the legitimacy of the war on terror." (John Kerry, ABC's "This Week," 8/1/04)
In April 2004, Kerry Hoped For The "Reduction Of American Presence" On The Korean
Peninsula. Q: "You talk about the overextension of the troops. Do you think this course is ultimately going to lead to the reinstitution of the draft?" SEN. KERRY: "I hope not. I would be against that in the current form. I don't think we need it now, particularly if we did the proper diplomacy. The overall effort of a president right now ought to be really to try to find ways to reduce the overexposure, in a sense, of America's commitments. A proper approach to the Korean peninsula, for instance, should include the deployment of troops, the unresolved issues of the 1950s and ultimately, hopefully, could result in the reduction of American presence, ultimately. Those are the kinds of things that we ought to be trying to achieve in our foreign policy." (John Kerry, News
Conference, 4/14/04)
In January 2004, Kerry Claimed He Would Reduce "Overall Need For Deployment Of American
Forces" In Korea And Germany. SEN. JOHN KERRY: "The troops of the United States of America are overextended. Their deployments are too long. The families are hurting at home because they lose money from the private sector when they're called up, and they get paid less in the military, and nobody makes it up to them. The fact is if we are going to maintain this level of commitment on a global basis - for the moment we have to, because of what's happened - we need an additional two divisions. One is a combat division, and one is a support division. And that's the responsible thing to do. I've also said, responsibly, that's temporary, because I intend to be a president who goes back to the United Nations, rejoins the community of nations, brings other boots on the ground to help us in the world, and reduces the overall need for deployment of American forces in the globe - and I mean North Korea, Germany and the rest of the world where we can begin to set up a new architecture of participation of other countries." (ABC News/The [Manchester] Union Leader
Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Manchester, NH, 1/22/04)
In 1990, Kerry Voted To Reduce The Number Of U.S. Military Personnel In Europe. Fiscal
1991 Defense Authorization - Forces In Europe. McCain, R-Ariz., motion to table (kill) the
Conrad, D-N.D., amendment to reduce by 30,000 (to 231,855) the number of U.S. military personnel stationed in Europe. (S. 2884, CQ Vote #213: Motion Agreed To 59-40: R 40-5; D 19-35, 8/3/90, Kerry Voted Nay)
In November 1990, Kerry Complained: "We're Currently Paying For 300,000 Troops To Be In Germany To Save The Germans From The Soviet Troops That They're Paying To Leave Then To Stay. It Doesn't Make Sense And I Think We Could Help Massachusetts By Using That Money Here." EDYE TARBOX: "Thank you. Mr. Kerry, Massachusetts gets about the sixth biggest chunk of defense spending. Given the pressure nationwide to take a peace dividend and cut defense spending, how do you propose to keep defense jobs in our state?" SEN. JOHN KERRY:
"Well I intend to try to keep defense jobs in the state the very way I have been doing it.
During the course of the last few weeks I have been working diligently on behalf of those defense programs which we ought to have. Those that makes sense for a strong defense for this country and that are realistic in terms of the new threat, as defined by the changes in Europe, and the Soviet Union and the rest of the world. ... I think we ought to stay on the cutting edge, and I think we ought to be doing an enormous amount more to guarantee research and development. We've seen a horrible shift in the last few years away from civilian R & D into military R & D and R & D that doesn't make sense. But we should not be building a B-2 bomber for 858 million dollars for one bomber. We should not be building more MX missiles to deal with the Soviet Union, and we ought to be making savings in our troops in Europe. We're currently paying for 300,000 troops to be in Germany to save the Germans from the Soviet troops that they're paying to leave then to stay. It doesn't make sense and I think we could help Massachusetts by using that money here." (Democrat Senatorial Candidates Debate, Boston, MA, 11/3/90)
He's Pathetic.
This is getting pretty darned tiresome.
Too bad you can't buy credibility.
Yes.
Can you believe that? Not surprising but to be expected. I actually Googled a bit yesterday suspecting as much when we got advance word he was going to criticize President Bush for this. Obviously I didn't find anything, but the WH did!
At least we know what the heckler was yelling.
Quite fitting, I'd say.
You've summed it up exactly. And might I add that Kerry presents himself as a befuddled nitwit? He is the village idiot of U.S. politics.
Geez, every time Kerry opens his mouth he writes the script for a new Bush campaign commercial.
Great post...thank you!
OldFriend wrote: "This is getting pretty darned tiresome."
The only thing consistent is his inconsistency!
"Let me get this straight. Kerry wants to pull American troops from Iraq one year after the Iraq war and replace
them with Germans. But 60 years after WWII, Kerry wants to leave American troops in Germany"
This is GREAT! The Bush Campaign should be saying this (or maybe Brit Hume...)
PING
If elected President, Kerry has promised to have his bowel movements during meals so as not to waste time like the incumbent.
He only appears to be a village idiot because he is so nuanced... LOL
As the nature of the threat changes so too should our deployments.
Kerry's almost as funny as Ashley "Dr.Strangelove" Clark's assertment that this might bruise NATO.
Tonight Brit Hume revealed that three weeks ago Kerry, in a press release or a statement, said it was his plan to withdraw troops from Germany and South Korea.
That jumped out at me, too!
LOL
Let's see now - scorecards ready?
First - Kerry insisted he would get our troops out of Iraq in 6 months.
Now - Kerry insists that getting our troops out of Germany in 60 years is too fast.
Oh yeah I guess I am missing the NUANCES!!
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