Posted on 08/19/2004 7:24:11 AM PDT by areafiftyone
BOSTON - Sen. John Kerry accused President Bush on Thursday of relying on front groups to challenge his record of valor in Vietnam, asserting, "He wants them to do his dirty work."
Defending his record, the Democratic presidential candidate said, "Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts."
"Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam."
Kerry received five medals for his service in Vietnam a generation ago, but his record has come under campaign challenge in television commercials aired by "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth," funded by supporters of the president.
Bush and the White House have refused to condemn the ads, despite calls to do so — from Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a former Vietnam prisoner of war, as well as from Democrats.
Senior Democrats, including some inside the presidential campaign, have urged Kerry to respond forcefully to the criticism, fearing that if left unanswered, it could hamper his quest for the White House.
In addition to Kerry's speech before an audience of firefighters, his campaign released a new 30-second campaign commercial that features a former Green Beret saying the young Navy lieutenant saved his life under fire.
Recalling when his boat came under attack more than 30 years ago, Jim Rassmann says, "It blew me off the boat. All those Viet Cong were shooting at me. I expected I'd be shot. When he pulled me out of the river, he risked his life to save mine."
Aides said the commercial would air in Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin, three battleground states. The decision to advertise even in a limited fashion marked a change in course for the campaign, which had hoped to remain off the air for August to conserve cash for the fall campaign.
In his speech, Kerry employed a wartime metaphor.
"More than 30 years ago I learned an important lesson. When you're under attack the best thing to do is turn your boat into the attack. That's what I intend to do today."
Speaking of the organization airing the ads that challenge his war record, Kerry said, "Of course, this group isn't interested in the truth and they're not telling the truth. ...
"But here's what you really need to know about them. They're funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They're a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won't denounce what they're up to tells you everything you need to know. He wants them to do his dirty work."
Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt said, "That charge leveled by Senator Kerry is absolutely and completely false."
"The Bush campaign has never and will never question John Kerry's service in Vietnam. The president has referred to John Kerry's service as noble service," the Bush spokesman said.
Kerry said, "Of course, the president keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: 'Bring it on.'"
Kerry's comments drew boisterous cheers from members of the union that had endorsed him last year at a time his candidacy was struggling.
Rassmann, too, played a pivotal role in Kerry's campaign turnaround last winter. With the kickoff Iowa caucuses days away, the former Green Beret contacted the campaign and volunteered to appear with the Massachusetts senator and talk about his action in Vietnam.
Rassmann has since become the best known member of a group of veterans that Kerry calls his "band of brothers" — a stress on military service designed to erode the traditional Republican campaign advantage on national security issues.
Kerry's response came as The Washington Post reported that a Vietnam veteran who claims Kerry lied about being under fire during a Mekong Delta engagement that won Kerry a Bronze Star was under constant fire himself during the same skirmish according to the man's own medal citation.
The newly obtained records of Larry Thurlow show that he, like Kerry, won a Bronze Star in the engagement and that Thurlow's citation says he also was under attack, the Post reported.
Thurlow, also like Kerry, commanded a Navy swift boat during Vietnam. He swore in an affidavit last month that Kerry was "not under fire" when he rescued Rassmann from the Bay Hap River.
Thurlow's records, obtained by the Post under the Freedom of Information Act, include references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at all five boats in the flotilla that day. In his Bronze Star citation, Thurlow is praised for helping a damaged swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."
Thurlow is a leading member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a public advocacy group of Vietnam veterans who have aired a television advertisement attacking Kerry's war record.
Thurlow, a registered Republican, said he was angry with Kerry for anti-war activities after his return to the United States, especially his claim that U.S. troops committed war crimes with the knowledge of their officers up the chain of command.
Thurlow told the Post that he got the award for helping to rescue a boat that was mined. He said he believed his own award would be fraudulent if it was based on coming under enemy fire.
He speculated that Kerry could have been the source of at least some of the language used in the citation.
Members of Kerry's crew have said Kerry is telling the truth. Rassmann said he has vivid memories of enemies firing at him from both banks.
Originally published on August 19, 2004
Yup, they did that and even more, see my #37 for the ammo to hit them with.
What a Maroon!!!!
Not to mention the dems have always used FREE PROPAGANDA provided by
ABCCBSNBCCNNMSNBC and NPR and Public Television....and nearly every Hollywood film or music video on MTV with their anti Christian anti conservative messages.....
[Full Text] WASHINGTON — A veteran who served with John Kerry in Vietnam testifies that the Democrat "risked his life to save mine" in a television ad his presidential campaign rolled out Thursday to counter a spot that claims Kerry lied about his war record.
"All these Viet Cong were shooting at me," says Jim Rassmann, who was thrown off of the swift boat Kerry was manning. "I expected I'd be shot. When he pulled me out of the river, he risked his life to save mine."
The 30-second ad argues that the Navy documented Kerry's "heroism and awarded him the Bronze Star."
It also accuses Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which ran commercials in West Virginia, Ohio and Wisconsin, of being funded by President Bush's "big money supporters." The group is funded in part by Houston homebuilder Bob J. Perry, a GOP donor.
By running ads this month, Kerry is deviating from his decision to forgo advertising until September to save money. Spending any now is a risk for Kerry, who must make his $75 million general election government check stretch five weeks longer than Bush, whose spending isn't limited until he accepts his party nomination.
However, letting the attacks go unanswered in West Virginia, Ohio and Wisconsin could be even more costly for Kerry. The states are three of the most competitive and are home to socially conservative Democrats.
An affiliate of liberal interest group MoveOn.org hit back with its own ads criticizing the veterans' claims in the three states. However, with his own ads, Kerry can precisely control the message. [End]
And also Public School Educators brainwashing even the conservative's children ...preparing them to be knee jerk propagandized liberals upon reaching voting age...
The Democrats have the ultimate grass roots tool...getting at the children of conservatives
5 days a week 9 months a year for a minimum of 18 yrs....most go on to 'mandatory' liberal propaganda even in the technical colleges...
That's the problem with 'rice shrapnel' an hour later and your itching to get 'wounded' again....
You're right, and I hope the RNC and Karl Rove are all over this and preparing to make that point VERY forcefully.
George Bush, despite incredible provocation, has NEVER accused the DNC of collaboration with the Demo 527 groups. Yet Kerry openly accuses Bush of illegal activity.
Phew, that's a relief! It's good to know that the unions, corrupt and not, have decided to stay off the dem side this election. They usually provide tons of cash, platoons of goons, polling place intimidation and will, on demand, rough up a candidate or spokesman as long as they aren't dems. It is good to know that they are out this year, it will mean a far more honest election and much less election day crime and corruption.
Kerry's idiocy is starting to show. He wants to debate Bush about HIS war record. He should be debating the VETS that were THERE. I'm surprised he shot some VC in the back, he sure can shoot straight now.
"I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam"
If this were true, he'd be showing us the x-ray and telling us how the memory of this wound is seared into his mind. Or maybe rice doesn't show up so well in an x-ray.
Proud average donor to the Swifties effort. He, he so much for the RICH GOP moneymen..because we sure aren't rich.
If he's calling them liars and they aren't can't they in turn sue him for slander?????? IF they are lying why isn't he suing them for libel?
JFKerry exposes himself once again, "DIRTY WORK". Yes indeed it is dirty work uncovering all his lies.
Time to steal a march on Kerry and demand that he stop his supporters who are planning to deny free speech to their fellow Americans by violently disrupting the Rep[ublican National Convention. Lay blame for their violence on Kerry and the democrats doorstep now... preemptive strike... If Kerry refuses to stop them be ready to accuse him of trying to use the same tactics he used in 1971 to defeat the US at home in the Vietnam war...
Maybe kerry can get michael moore to make a "documentary" full of fabricated attacks on President Bush and release it in time to win an award at Cannes and get hours of free publicity.
Or maybe...
I wish one of the swift boaters would sue him!
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