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Vietnam Controversy Costing Kerry, Says Historian
NewsMax .com ^ | 8/23/04 | Dave Eberhart

Posted on 08/22/2004 11:27:26 AM PDT by kattracks

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To: kattracks

I can see it already. Bush 53%, Kerry 45% and four years of listening to liberals whine about how those awful Republican swifties sank Kerry. They'll be his Willie Horton. Kerry's stupid decision to run on a fraudulent war record will be ignored.


41 posted on 08/22/2004 12:16:34 PM PDT by Dilbert56
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To: prophetic

Well also about the mines... if Rassmann was in the water after the first mine went off and as Rassmann states he dove to the bottom of the river so he wouldn't get run over by any of the boats.... well with the underwater concussion of any other mines going off ?... Well have you ever dynamite fished?... if Rassmann survived any other mines going off near him ... he' remember it


42 posted on 08/22/2004 12:18:54 PM PDT by tophat9000
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To: tobyhill

Bump


43 posted on 08/22/2004 12:19:03 PM PDT by tuesday afternoon (Everything happens for a reason. - 40 and 43)
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To: Matchett-PI; Cincinatus' Wife; ALOHA RONNIE; Grampa Dave
THATS JUST MY OPINION ... WHAT DO YOU THINK? JIM

Tell your brother that he is a patriot and a gentleman. I appreciate the fact that he feels so strongly about this election and wants to express his anger.

I would say that Kerry as a citizen and as a disgruntled officer in our military had a personal right to work outside the system of government, oppose our congressional and executive decisions with respect to the war in Vietnam, and he even had a right to lead the VVAW in the direction he did, cooperating with Ramsey Clark and Jane Fonda, and so forth.

Eeach of these things may have earned him a position of special emnity with troops who were fighting to win in Vietnam. The American people may or may not share that anger.

What they are increasingly sharing is the sense that this man has forfeited his desirability as our next commander in chief. If he couldn't abide by the directives of a duly elected president, Nixon, who had decided to end American involvement in the war honorably and with continous and vigorous support from our military industrial establishment, then Kerry was engaged in direct civil disobedience.

Americans can decide today if those acts were worthy. When Henry David Thoreau sat at Walden Pond and sat out paying his taxes during the Mexican war because of a fit of conscience, Americans failed to agree with him. They might have respected his mode of operation, and they might have appreciated his thoughts on remaining free from government intrusion into the realm of conscience, but they continued to support their troops.

This situation is very different because Kerry is no HDT. He's no great thinker who can inspire us to see beyond the temporal and corporeal world of our petty politics. Kerry undermined a selfless act of America and its allies. He opposed our opposition to Maoism and Stalinism, saying that we were fighting for "nothing."

Around a hundred million people had already been brutally murdered by communists when Kerry uttered those ugly words.

In November, Americans will speak their minds. Did they support the Vietnam war? Maybe not. Did they support President Nixon's promise to get us out of it without betraying our friends? Yes, and he won two elections on those promises. If he hadn't been impeached, Saigon might have never fallen. But the Kerrys, the Fondas, and the Ramsey Clarks were no where to be found when the Cambodian killing field agrarian maoist machinery fired up its evil mills of Satan.

Kerry was just another opportunistic, opinionated American in 1971. He also happened to be on the wrong side of history. Americans will think about that and decide for themselves.

44 posted on 08/22/2004 12:20:05 PM PDT by risk
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To: lurksnomore

more


45 posted on 08/22/2004 12:20:23 PM PDT by farmfriend ( In Essentials, Unity...In Non-Essentials, Liberty...In All Things, Charity.)
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To: kattracks

Kerry must be kicking himself that he didn't get footage of his bullet ridden boat on that day.


46 posted on 08/22/2004 12:20:31 PM PDT by BigWaveBetty (We're mixing with the population, a virus wearing pumps and pearls, here come republican girls.)
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To: kattracks
The ad features Jim Rassmann, one of his loyal dozen “band of brothers,” certifying Kerry’s bravery under fire as the future senator from Massachusetts and presidential candidate pulled him from the water under withering fire after a couple of mines exploded during a South Vietnam river operation. Or was it just one mine that exploded? And were there small arms sweeping the area as well as the after-action reports claimed?

Kerry claims his boat was damaged but it was his boat that towed back the damaged PCF-3. Does that make any sense?

The Swift Vets have stated that, when PCF-3 hit the mine, the other three boats (but not Kerry's boat) laid down machine fire on the shoreline for about 40 seconds until they realized there was nobody ashore.

In the meantime, Rassmann was, literally, up to his neck in the river and Kerry was zooming away from the action.

If you read other accounts Rassmussen claims he was "eating a chocolate chip cookie" when he fell overboard. If another boat had hit a mine earlier and the other three boats were laying down fire on the shoreline, why would this guy be calmly eating a chocolate chip cookie?

The most logical sequence of events is:

1. The five boats are proceeding down the river with Rassmussen eating his chocolate chip cookie.

2. PCF-3 hits the mine and the concussion is felt by all other boats.

3. Kerry goes to full throttle, roaring down the river, causing the cookie munching Rassmussen to lose his balance and fall overboard.

4. PCF-43, PCF-23 and PCF-51 are now rescueing PCF-3 and spraying the shore with machine gun fire while our intrepid Mr. Kerry is beating feet away from the action minus Rassmussen.

5. After 40 seconds, the PCF-43, PCF-23 and PCF-51 cease their fire. Someone taps Mr. Kerry on the shoulder and says, "Ummmmm.....Skipper.....The other three boats are engaged in a rescue, there is no more shooting and.....ummmmm......you left Rassmussen in the water bach there.

6. Mr. Kerry then turns around and fishes Rassmussen out of the water with his guns blazing.

7. The undamaged PCF-94 (Kerry's boat) then tows the damaged PCF-3.

8. Mr. Kerry then files an after action report whose version of the events is then used to award him his Bronze Star.

47 posted on 08/22/2004 12:21:29 PM PDT by Polybius
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To: Matchett-PI
Kerry's group, and people like him provided aid and comfort to the enemy and in fact caused american soldiers to be killed.

I heard Donna Brazille say on CNN today that GWB was giving "aid and comfort to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."

If only I could get my hands around her huge bloated neck...

48 posted on 08/22/2004 12:24:32 PM PDT by BigWaveBetty (We're mixing with the population, a virus wearing pumps and pearls, here come republican girls.)
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To: risk
You're the best risk.

Bump!

49 posted on 08/22/2004 12:24:45 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: kattracks
Other critics say that Kerry’s campaign has already put on the payroll one or more of his “band of brothers.”

Can we get definite proof of this? I suspected this all along.

50 posted on 08/22/2004 12:25:31 PM PDT by SoCar (Support the Swift Boat Vets for Truth.)
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To: kattracks
“They [the Swift boat group] will go away only if Kerry announces he has removed himself from the race,” replies a cynical Burkett...

I hope fore the opposite: That Kerry will NOT drop out of the race. I want him to run and to lose. I don't want another Dem to take his place and increase their chances of winning.

51 posted on 08/22/2004 12:27:09 PM PDT by CaraM
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To: hiredhand
Wasn't it Samuel Clements who said that if you never lied, that you didn't have to keep track of so much?

also I think Lincoln said, "Tell the truth, it's less to remember."

52 posted on 08/22/2004 12:28:14 PM PDT by zeebee
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To: dennisw
I love this book. I's a keeper after being read. I use this book often as a reference on a frequent basis.
53 posted on 08/22/2004 12:29:02 PM PDT by armymarinemom (Ultimate Flip Flop->I support the Troops but not their mission)
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To: knyteflyte3
Here comes Hitlery

Not until 08.

54 posted on 08/22/2004 12:29:26 PM PDT by Cold Heat (http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=20040531140357545)
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To: isthisnickcool

We repeat, the only one of these Vietnam atrocity stories that has been substantiated is the one which led to a court martial.


55 posted on 08/22/2004 12:37:29 PM PDT by AmericanVictory (Should we be more like them, or they like us?)
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To: kattracks

56 posted on 08/22/2004 12:38:49 PM PDT by Boazo (LOSE THE TAG LINE)
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To: kattracks

BTTT


57 posted on 08/22/2004 12:46:39 PM PDT by Fiddlstix (This Tagline for sale. (Presented by TagLines R US))
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To: Polybius

Excellent points.
If I may add 2 more.

Regarding Kerry's boat hitting a mine.
In today's WaPo article, Del Sandusky is now admitting that ok, maybe it wasn't a mine, but, maybe a rocket or RPG, exploding close by Kerry's boat.
Yeah, that's the ticket.
Because even Sandusky must realize how ridiculous it is for Kerry to claim a mine exploded under his boat and yet, the magic boat was unscathed-so unscathed, it was able to
" race down the river."
Wahington Post's words, not the SBVFT.

But, nobody in the Kerry campaign bothered to correct the 2nd mine exploding under Kerry's boat, that appeared on page 106,
of " John Kerry, The Official Biography By The Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best."
Kerry has never disclaimed the 2nd mine exploding under his magic boat-never.

WP validates the SBVFT- Kerry beat feet away from the explosion,
away from the disabled 3 boat,
away from Rassmann,
away from the unconscious crewman on the 3 boat
and away from others blown in the river.

"Whenever the going gets tough,John Kerry gets going."

This is the kind of explosion that Kerry has claimed his magic boat survived and he has gotten away with this-for over 3 decades.Thanks to the MSM.

"My God, I've never seen anything like it," Chenoweth wrote in what he says is a diary recorded soon after the events.
"There was a fantastic flash, a boom,
then the 3 boat disappeared in a fountain of water and debris.
I was only 30 yards behind."

As for Kerry and his magic boat helping tow the sinking 3 boat.
According to Unfit For Command- yes, Kerry's boat did help tow the listing 3 boat.
But, Kerry was not on his boat at the time.
He left his crew and hopped on a Coast Guard cutter and was taken to safety,
so his life threatening bruise could be attended to.


58 posted on 08/22/2004 1:02:42 PM PDT by Wild Irish Rogue ( Kerry eats Cuckoo Puffs for breakfast .)
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To: lepton

>>Hemorrhaging?" Don't you think that's a bit overstated?<<

19 point swing among veterans in three weeks.


59 posted on 08/22/2004 1:20:38 PM PDT by Jeff Chandler (The era of the Old Media monopoly is over-America's Berlin Wall has been torn down!)
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To: risk
"Tell your brother that he is a patriot and a gentleman. I appreciate the fact that he feels so strongly about this election and wants to express his anger."

He will appreciate your kind comments. I'm forwarding this thread to him.

60 posted on 08/22/2004 1:32:22 PM PDT by Matchett-PI (All DemocRATS are either religious relativists, libertines or anarchists.)
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