Posted on 08/21/2004 8:42:06 PM PDT by ambrose
Kerry urges Bush to stop mudslinging ads about war record
Updated at 23:30 on August 21, 2004, EST.
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry urged President George W. Bush on Saturday to "stand up and stop" what he called personal attacks on him about his combat record in Vietnam.
At a fundraiser, attended by about 750 people, Kerry said the attacks by a group of Vietnam veterans and former Swift Boat commanders have intensified "because in the last months they have seen me climbing in America's understanding that I know how to fight a smarter and more effective war" against terrorists.
"That's why they're attacking my credibility. That's why they've personally gone after me."
"The president needs to stand up and stop that. The president needs to have the courage to talk about it."
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group funded in part by a top Republican donor in Texas, has been running ads featuring veterans who served in Vietnam at the same time as Kerry and question his wartime record.
The White House and the Bush campaign have denied any direct connection with the Swift Boat group.
"The president has made it repeatedly clear that he wants to see an end to all" advertising from outside groups, said Brian Jones, a Bush campaign spokesman.
But on Saturday, a former prisoner of war, retired colonel Ken Cordier, resigned as a volunteer from the Bush campaign's veterans' steering committee after it was learned he participated in an anti-Kerry ad sponsored by the Swift Boat group. The ad criticizes Kerry's congressional anti-war testimony in the 1970s alleging U.S. troops engaged in atrocities in Vietnam.
"Col. Cordier did not inform the campaign of his involvement in the advertisement," the Bush campaign said in a statement.
"Because of his involvement (with the group) Col. Cordier will no longer participate as a volunteer for Bush-Cheney '04."
Earlier on Saturday, Kerry's campaign released a video comparing the controversy over Kerry's Vietnam service to attacks on John McCain during the 2000 Republican primaries.
The video, sent via e-mail to supporters, said: "George Bush is up to his old tricks" and shows then-Texas Gov. Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain at a debate in February 2000.
McCain, sitting next to Bush, says when "fringe veterans groups" attacked him at a Bush campaign function, Bush stood by and didn't say a word. McCain said a group of senators wrote Bush a letter that said: "Apologize. You should be ashamed."
McCain, also a Vietnam veteran, said Bush "really went over the line."
"I don't know how you can understand this, George, but that really hurts," McCain said.
The Swift Boat group also was being challenged by a Chicago Tribune newspaper editor who was on the Feb. 28, 1969, mission for which Kerry received the Silver Star. William Rood, 61, said he decided to break his silence about the mission because recent reports of Kerry's actions in that battle are incorrect and darken the reputations of veterans who served with Kerry.
"The critics have taken pains to say they're not trying to cast doubts on the merit of what others did, but their version of events has splashed doubt on all of us," Rood said in a 1,700-word first-person account published in Sunday's edition of the Tribune.
"It's gotten harder and harder for those of us who were there to listen to accounts we know to be untrue, especially when they come from people who were not there."
Rood said the allegations Kerry's accomplishments were overblown are untrue and Kerry came up with an attack strategy that was praised by their superiors. The Tribune said Rood's recollection of what happened that day in South Vietnam was backed by military documents.
Rood wrote Kerry recently contacted him and other crew members, requesting they go public with their accounts of what happened.
"I can't pretend those calls (from Kerry) had no effect on me, but that is not why I am writing this," Rood said.
"What matters most to me is that this is hurting crewmen who are not public figures and who deserved to be honoured for what they did. My intent is to tell the story here and to never again talk publicly about it."
Kerry also picked up support from Wayne Langhofer, who told the Washington Post he was manning a machine-gun in a boat behind Kerry's and saw firing from both banks of a river as Kerry dived in to rescue Special Forces soldier James Rassmann, the basis for Kerry's Bronze Star.
Until now, the Post noted on its website, Kerry's version of acting under fire had come from crewmen on his own boat. It quoted Langhofer saying he was approached by leaders of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth several months ago but declined to join them in speaking against Kerry.
In Roanoke, Va., on Saturday, Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards also called on Bush to end the Swift Boat Veterans ads.
"This is a moment of truth for George W. Bush," Edwards said at a Democratic rally.
"We're going to see what kind of man he is and what kind of leader he is...We want to hear three words: 'Stop these ads."'
What happened to "Bring it on!" ????
Thursday: "Bring it on!"
Friday: "Mommy, please make them stop!"
What this does is make Kerry look like a crybaby...and the press (unknowingly I think) is feeding that fire.
What happened to "spend five minutes with the men who served with him"?
Kerry is delusional....it is Not President Bush who is calling his record in Vietnam to question. WHAT A WHINER KERRY IS!!!!
Hey JohnBoy. Shut up and take your licks like a man!
F**K him! And McCain is not at all far behind either!
Dived in? - that's a new one
Kerry is fighting the last war in more ways than one. Let's hear about your war crimes now, John.
Has they hypocrit demanded his mudslinging ads be stopped. Oh wait, wasn't Micheal Moore treated like royalty at the Democratic convention?
"[C]limbing in America's understanding that I know how to fight a smarter and more effective war..."?
Does he speak French as poorly as he speaks English?
Something like, "Come on you guys! A vet that had to get a purple heart for rice stuck in his butt is getting his feelings really hurt about you mocking his record. How about moving on to slinging mud on his post-war lies and anti-war activities while American POW's were being tortured..."
I wrote to John McCain about his hypocricy today. Why don't we all write to him, see how he feels about that? Of course we aren't his constituency or priority, the media is. But if he gets LOTS of letters politely telling him he is a total fraud, he might notice?
What a wuss. You don't see Dubya whining and crying over Kerry's mouthpieces: moveon.org and Michael Moore. If this rich pansy can't handle the heat he needs to get the hell out of the kitchen.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/8/21/215620.shtml
So a guy aboard Kerry's boat said that HE show the Viet Cong kid. No mention of the fact in the above article.
Yeah, that's sure a good soundbyte LOL.
ROFLMAO....what a pu$$y whiner....As an attorney, he should know a witness's character is subject to investigation and cross examination to test credibility, it isn't a one way street...did he eve have a real job in real life or just life off the government and his wealthy brides all his life?
This is REality Kerry...you opened Pandoras box and to close it you have to sign the 180...
What happened to "Bring it on!" ????
It left with Kerry on the boat to Cambodia to attend a Christmas Eve party with the Buddhists.
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