Posted on 08/23/2004 6:35:15 AM PDT by VisualizeSmallerGovernment
Let's not hear any more talk about how high-minded the left was about Bob Dole and his medals eight years ago. The Nation argued that Bob Dole got his first Purple Heart for a self-inflicted wound. Robert Ellis, who, like Dole 10th Mountain Division in World War II, sought to debunk the "myth" of Dole's heroism:
The truth about Dole's war record is considerably less than awe-inspiring. Yet the myth endures, and with the candidate running on the contrast between his and Clinton's military record, his campaign isn't eager to give a more accurate account. Dole, at the behest of his handlers, is less reticent about his service than in the past, but he mainly speaks about his wound and rehabilitation. He has passed up several opportunities to correct the exaggerated versions in biographies, and in the case of his self-wounding has even approved a sanitized account in which his maladroitly hurled grenade goes unnoted. Journalists continue to portray him as a hero, winner of two Bronze Stars. Joe Klein, for example, writes in Newsweek that Dole knows "what guns do. He also knows what politicians do, which is rarely anything quite so dramatic as leading an army into battle." Such attempts to make political capital out of Dole's war service go beyond the respect due him for the role he played as a soldier with the 10th Mountain Division.
A presidential candidate's fellow veteran makes claims, charging the candidate wasn't the hero his party says he was? Unprecedented!
Thanks for the clarification. However, that was not the most important point. The point is, our top leader in WWII never saw combat. That is not a dig at Eisenhower, since he wanted to get to Europe but was considered more valuable doing what he did. The point is you can be a good leader without being in combat.
I am one of the few people who really likes Bob Dole. I remember him during the first Clinton election, taking on Clinton and the Democrats, making stunning statements in his matter of fact way. Then Newtie took over as the Republican top dog in the legislature and no one paid any attention to Dole.
What is funny is that one of Dole's purple hearts was self inflicted - he threw a grenade and it bounced off a tree. Minor injuries like Kerry's - treated with bandage.
Like talking in the thrid person? :)
Well, that third person bit was a little weird, but he used to make some very cutting remarks regarding Clinton's campaign. He was so matter of fact and dry about it, like the remark he made about Kerry never bleeding.
I soured on Dole over his support for Clinton's Bosnia and Kosovo policies - voted for him anyway - mostly cause he was going to lose in my state anyway so voting for Dole was a protest vote. I could not vote for Clinton under any condition and I could not vote for Dole if he was going to carry my state.
They're a bunch of degenerates and liars. The only principle these scumbags adhere to is the principle of political power.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
"Picking apart a vets record seems a bit unseely doesn't it? But it seems like it becoming accepted practice."
I fear it has happened because all too many claim to be combat vets when they are only active duty vets and others claim to be combat heroes when they actually never even served. It has reached the point when none can be taken at face value but all must be verified.
"We have the most ignorant lazy and stupid media in the history of the U.S. They have no idea how to rport stories truthfully. If they wanted practice their craft honorably,"
Anyone who doubts your words should only have a news story written about them. Many years ago I started a business which I initially ran from my home, the local newspaper happened to be running a series of articles on the subject of home based businesses and a reporter telephoned me and got my permission to do a story and he did a telephone interview. When the story came out in the paper I almost didn't recognize myself, my first name had been changed to something not even remotely close to mine and the facts which I had detailed to the reporter were so scrambled as to be unrecognizable, supposedly "verbatim" quotes did not even resemble what I had said. Soon after this the local TV station contacted me and said they wanted to do a video as they were also interested in home based businesses. I politely declined.
I have had minimal confidence in news media since this experience.
"o Kerry and Hitler were both leaders of radical organizations willing to use violence to win.
Is the Navy really all that radical?"
Hitler, unlike Kerry, was an Army soldier, not a Navy man.
In later speeches opposing the war, Kerry seemed CONFUSED about the details of his deployment in OR near Cambodia in 1968, and about who was President at the time.
Not only are they stupid and DUM-b as a stone. They take skerry's seering memory and rewrite it for him.
I didn't fact check....I just know that the Navy is "willing to use violence to win." Hehehehehe....
"....I just know that the Navy is "willing to use violence to win."
It is an old Navy tradition :<)
Bob Dole laid on the battlefield wounded for 9 hours!
John Kerry got a splinter!
'nuff said!
No hand grenade, eh?
(Wonder if this writer got Cleland's self-inflicted hand-grenade wound mixed up with Dole's ....)
The splinter is seared... SEARED in him.
I don't disagree.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.