WAR HERO DOLE SAYS KERRY IS TO BLAME FOR SCRUTINY OF HIS VIETNAM RECORD

WFMB ^ | 08/22/04 | WFMB

[Pikamax]

- Former Republican Sen. Bob Dole suggested Sunday that John Kerry apologize for past testimony before Congress about alleged atrocities during the Vietnam War and joined critics of the Democratic presidential candidate who say he received an early exit from combat for "superficial wounds."

Dole also called on Kerry to release all the records of his service in Vietnam.

Separately, President Bush's re-election campaign continued to deny links to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an anti-Kerry group running ads in three states, after the resignation of a campaign volunteer who appeared in the group's new ad.

With Kerry taking a break from campaigning, running mate John Edwards said Bush needs to tell the group to pull its ads, a step the White House and the Bush campaign refuse to take. The White House and Bush's campaign note that Kerry has benefited from more than $62 million worth of similar advertising against the president.

"This is the moment of truth for President Bush," Edwards said in North Carolina. "The American people have to hear directly that these ads need to come off the air." Kerry also fought back in another new ad.

Dole told CNN's "Late Edition" that he warned Kerry months ago about going "too far" and that the Democrat may have himself to blame for the current situation, in which polls show him losing support among veterans.

"One day he's saying that we were shooting civilians, cutting off their ears, cutting off their heads, throwing away his medals or his ribbons," Dole said. "The next day he's standing there, `I want to be president because I'm a Vietnam veteran.

"Maybe he should apologize to all the other 2.5 million veterans who served. He wasn't the only one in Vietnam," said Dole, whose World War II wounds left him without the use of his right arm.

Dole added: "And here's, you know, a good guy, a good friend. I respect his record. But three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they're all superficial wounds. Three Purple Hearts and you're out."

Kerry's supporters rose to his defense.

"Senator Kerry carries shrapnel in his thigh as distinct from President Bush who carries two fillings in his teeth from his service in the Alabama National Guard, which seems to be his only time that he showed up," John Podesta, former chief of staff in the Clinton White House, said on ABC's "This Week."

Bush served stateside in the Guard during the Vietnam years. Podesta's reference was to the White House's release of documents earlier this year showing Bush's dental visits during his Guard years after questions arose about whether he had always reported for duty.

Bush-Cheney campaign manager Ken Mehlman also blamed Kerry for the ongoing debate, complaining on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "Kerry himself has attacked the president for his service during the Vietnam years," while the Republican's campaign has "so strongly praised" Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam.

The Bush campaign also said the Federal Election Commission should immediately dismiss what it termed a "frivolous" complaint by Kerry's campaign alleging coordination between the re-election effort and the Swift Boat group.

The White House and the Bush campaign for weeks have denied any connection to the Swift Boat organization, whose early financial support came largely from a prominent Texas businessman with longtime ties to the state's top Republicans, including Bush.

The group's latest ad includes a Bush-Cheney volunteer, retired Air Force Col. Ken Cordier, condemning Kerry's 1971 congressional testimony that Dole spoke of. Cordier was a prisoner of war during Vietnam.

"Colonel Cordier did not inform the campaign of his involvement in the advertisement," a Bush campaign statement said. "Because of his involvement Colonel Cordier will no longer participate as a volunteer for Bush-Cheney '04."

A new Kerry TV ad urged the president to "denounce the smear" and 'get back to the issues" because America deserves better." The 30-second commercial, to air in the same three states as the Swift Boat group ad - Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin - compares Kerry's situation to the 2000 primary campaign when "Bush smeared John McCain."

McCain has condemned the ads and called on the president to do so, too.

In response, Bush's campaign released a copy of a letter it was sending to television station managers on Monday defending itself from the claims in the new Kerry ad.

Questions mounted over the motives of Kerry's critics, two of whom had praised his service in 1996, even as Kerry's supporters faced questions about the candidate. Among the allegations is that Kerry lied about being in neutral Cambodia on Christmas Eve 1968.

"I don't think anyone knows for sure whether or not they were in Cambodia that night, but they were near Cambodia on Christmas Eve," John Hurley, who heads a pro-Kerry veterans group, said on "Fox News Sunday." "He was five miles into Cambodia on a different occasion."

Another allegation is that Kerry was not under enemy fire as after-action reports say he was, an incident for which he received a Bronze Star, one of five medals earned in Vietnam.

"The after-action reports were written from Kerry's spot reports from that day," said Kerry critic Van Odell, also appearing on the same program. "None of us knew he even got the Bronze Star until more recently."

[Pikamax]

Dole just took this story to another level.

[Jeff Head]

Yes Dole did just take it to another level.

...and everything the Kerry campaign is doing to try and get at the Swift Boat Vets is turning into nothing but a HUGE PR campaign for the Swifties.

Honest, sincere, seekers of the truth look at both sides in order to see what the big uproar is about. Those that do contrast Kerry and his attack dogs and their rabid attempts to smear the Swifties with the detailed, documented and reasonably presented information of the Swifties.

This is a big time loser for Kerry...as well it should be.

In essence, the Kerry campaign is funding the PR for the swifties.

The best thing Kerry could have done was to ignore it and mitigate the damage to what the Swifites could afford themselves.

But Kerry and his ilk love a lie and so they must attack...and thereby bring more and more attention to the issue...and to the truth.

[OldFriend]

Dole giving Kerry campaign advice. What a great guy...NOT

[fr_freak]

"One day he's saying that we were shooting civilians, cutting off their ears, cutting off their heads, throwing away his medals or his ribbons," Dole said. "The next day he's standing there, `I want to be president because I'm a Vietnam veteran.

"Maybe he should apologize to all the other 2.5 million veterans who served. He wasn't the only one in Vietnam," said Dole, whose World War II wounds left him without the use of his right arm.

It's nice to hear from a REAL war hero.

[bitt]

I call upon McCain to tell the Kerry campaign to stop using his image in these commercials. I am sure we could find some zingers in the primary commercials that Dean and Lieberman had made, that weren't so kind to F'n.

[syriacus]

Hurray for Bob Dole.

He's summed up Kerry pretty well.

"One day he's saying that we were shooting civilians, cutting off their ears, cutting off their heads, throwing away his medals or his ribbons," Dole said. "The next day he's standing there, `I want to be president because I'm a Vietnam veteran.

[bayourod]

"One day he's saying that we were shooting civilians, cutting off their ears, cutting off their heads, throwing away his medals or his ribbons," Dole said. "The next day he's standing there, `I want to be president because I'm a Vietnam veteran." "

Why couldn't he speak like that when he was running for president? He must have taken his Viagra this morning and had it on for Kerry.

[umgud]

DU has a Dole bashing thread running right now. According to them, he ain't worth spit and some of his medals are in question.

[glock rocks]

Whoa....

[prophetic]

nuff said....

Frenchie surrender monkey Kerry wants to have his cake & eat it too.

Well e.s.a.d. frenchie!!

pm me for the translation if you wanna know

[txhurl]

This is a big nail in JFK's coffin. They just keep comin', don't they?

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

My Favorite post for dims and trolls
who slither in here each day.
And the Lame Stream media
who find the real news on Free Republic,
then rewrite and spin the truth.

ATTN : ABC CBS CNN FOX NBC
William B. Rood was not actually ON Kerry's boat.

Mommy Heinz!
Help!

Look what the Washington Post said on 8/21/04

"Although Kerry campaign officials insist that they have published Kerry's full military records on their Web site (with the exception of medical records shown briefly to reporters earlier this year), they have not permitted independent access to his original Navy records. A Freedom of Information Act request by The Post for Kerry's records produced six pages of information. A spokesman for the Navy Personnel Command, Mike McClellan, said he was not authorized to release the full file, which consists of at least a hundred pages. "

Look! What the Harvard Crimson wrote about me in 1970

Published on Wednesday, February 18, 1970
John Kerry: A Navy Dove Runs for Congress
By SAMUEL Z. GOLDHABER
Crimson Staff Writer

"...One time Kerry was ordered to destroy a Viet Cong village
but disobeyed orders and suggested that the Navy Command
simply send in a Psychological Warfare team to be
friend the villagers with food, hospital supplies,
and better educational facilities."


Now my shipmates on the
USS GRIDLEY CG-21
are attacking me.

Click Here Mommy
and see what
the USS GRIDLEY crew say.

They say I told lies in Tour of Duty
GRIDLEY CREW ARE LIKE
SWIFT BOAT VETS MEANIES!

Mommy : People can get
MY real book here, right now, online FREE!!
I'm so proud of it!
The New Soldier,
By John Kerry
and Vietnam Veterans
Against the War


Mommy : Please don't be mad
about my hero Al Hubbard.

Head of Kerry's Vietnam Vets Against the War was Vietnam Vet phony
"Many of the stories were later shown to be fictional. Other so-called Vietnam veterans, such as the executive secretary of VVAW, Al Hubbard, a self-styled poet ("See what you've become, Amerika," ends one of his Vietnam odes),
turned out to have no record of service in Vietnam."


Mommy : Why does McCain
still campaign with Bush?
Mommy : Why doesn't Al Gore defend me?
He is a Vietnam Vet.

Mommy : Did Hillary
"leak" FBI Files on me?
I even used her famous slogan?

"Kerry entered and abandoned Vietnamese village and slaughtered domestic animals
owned by the civilians and burned down their homes with his Zippo lighter."



It only takes one idiot to raze a village!
(My original response!)

Mommy : Where is Ted Kennedy?

[bray]

Bob Dole knows what Bob Dole wants! Gotta love him. Who's gonna question a MOH winner in this battle??

Pray for W and Our Troops

[Jank]

RIGHT ON DOLE!!! I always loved that man! Now he's a war
hero!

[Jim Robinson]

Damn right! Kerry should apologize to America and to all Vietnam vets! He slandered all of them and all of us! And his treasonous aid and comfort to the enemy no doubt cost many American lives in Vietnam, not to mention being a factor in America losing the war. John Benedict Arnold Kerry should be disqualified from any consideration whatsoever of being elected as our Commander-in-chief!

Apologize Now Lt. Kerry!!

[Porterville]

Bob Dole thinks Kerry is a chiken sh!+ ..... so, how long till this guy Kerry withdraws?

[Reagan Man]

Bob Dole is not only a great American who loves his country, he's a loyal Republican to boot.

OTOH, as a Presidential campaigner, well.....

[sissyjane]

>>Apologize Now Lt. Kerry!!<,

....and sign the SF 180 and let us see your records.

We deserve to know the truth!

[onevoter]

"A new Kerry TV ad urged the president to "denounce the smear" and 'get back to the issues" because America deserves better."

This coming from Kerry? Kerry is the one who tried to use his time in Vietnam to draw attention away from his Senate voting record. Looks like it backfired! Oh, I forgot- when the ads were about Kerry's voting record he referred to that as dirty politics, as well. Evidently, Kerry feels that he should have his say and that the rest of the world should just shut-up and take his word as gospel. We can only hope that this creep goes down in flames or he will make our nation a laughing stock with his constant waffling and whining!

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

"John Benedict Arnold Kerry"

JBAK I like it!