Kerry Blasts Bush's Troop Realignment Plan

AP via foxnews.com ^ | August 18, 2004

[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.

[Kaslin]

According to FNC it was on ABCs This Week on August 1

[Wu]

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


What exactly is a SUPPORT DIVISION?

[dr_who_2]

It's frightening to think that anyone would take Kerry or the Democrats' foreign policy stands seriously.

[abclily]

Bush and Company are playing Kerry like a fiddle. He makes exactly the noise they want. This is getting funny.

[austingirl]

He was for troop realignment before he was against it. Aug 1st he was for it Aug 18 against - it's hard to keep track of these "nuances".

[CitizenUSA]

abclily wrote: "Bush and Company are playing Kerry like a fiddle. He makes exactly the noise they want. This is getting funny."

I reached the conclusion several months ago that Bush has the election locked up. No doubt about it, Bush has an experienced team working for him, and they are going to cut Kerry to ribbons. Honestly, the more Kerry opens his mouth, the more votes he loses! The Bush team can take a pass on Kerry's Vietnam service, for example, because they can slaughter the man based on his time in the senate.

I don't think Bush is going to win by a large percentage of the popular vote, but I believe he'll win a decisive victory in the electoral college.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" Can someone help me out here?"

Kerry's obviously taken too many hits from his bong.
Or maybe he's never smoked or tried it and didn't like it or the smoke bothered him.
He liked it or he didn't like it.
Take your pick.

"About 20 years ago, I tried marijuana," Mr. Kerry said through a spokesman in 1990. "I didn't like it. I have never used or tried any drug since."

" Tour of Duty," Page 407:

"Occasionally during his travels around America in 1971, usually with either Julia or a fellow veteran, Kerry had smoked marijuana. …

But during his stint as a leader of VVAW, he occasionally indulged.
'Yeah, I smoked pot when I came home from Vietnam,' Kerry noted in a 2003 interview.
'I didn't mind getting high.
I certainly enjoyed it."

"The Long War of John kerry, " Joe Klein, The New Yorker, 2002:

Kerry has admitted to smoking marijuana a few times, but, sadly, he claims to have been bothered by the smoke.

[xzins]

Kerry says Bush's plan would upset allies....whose help is needed...

Germany knew we needed help when it already had our troops stationed there and did not help. Why would having those same troops in the same place make a difference the next time around?

Also, I'm tired of political patronage as the rationale for where our troops should be stationed.

They should be placed strategically.

We've got them scattered all over creation in Germany in hundreds of little kaserns/posts. Billions of dollars in overhead costs just because of patronage.

Any troops overseas should be in staging areas where they can quickly get to trouble spots. That would be more like Bulgaria, Czech, etc.

Also, in the states they should be distributed strategically around our own country.

[goldstategop]

Rush was put off by the whole speech. Said we learned Kerry not only doesn't know who he is from day to day, he doesn't know who is in different parts of his speech! Sometimes he sounds like a hawk and at other times he sounds like a dove. Its Jigsaw Kerry and I defy y'all to put the puzzle pieces back together to form a coherent picture.