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Posted on 08/23/2004 9:43:53 AM PDT by kattracks
Democrats are outraged over Sen. Bob Dole's decision to question the circumstances under which John Kerry claimed three Purple Hearts.
But they were silent nine years ago, when GOP-bashing cartoonist Gary Trudeau actually derided then-presidential candidate Dole for being wounded and almost dying in World War II. The subject of Trudeau's attack on Dole's combat wounds came up only once in mainstream media reports, during an April 1995 interview with Dole on ABC's "Prime Time Live."The network's Sam Donaldson showed the GOP candidate the cartoon, noting:
"Three weeks ago, Trudeau drew a cartoon in which a television viewer is watching Dole parade his war wound as a campaign prop.
"And you're supposed to be saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to my old war wound.' And the wound says, 'Thank you, Bob. Thank you. I'm proud to be a political asset.'"
Dole's reaction was extraordinarily mild by modern-day Democrat standards. Of Trudeau's outrageous stunt, the combat vet told Donaldson:
"Yeah, well I don't know that being wounded is a political asset. I'd be glad to - I mean I'd be glad to trade Gary Trudeau, but I think it was in poor taste - but, you know, everybody has to make a living."
Trudeau wasn't the only critic who questioned the severity of Dole's combat wounds.
"I concede that Dole was indeed badly wounded with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy in World War II," wrote Maj. Chuck Dodson (ret.), in a 1996 letter to a Tennessee paper.
"But, as a senator, isn't it quite possible, if not probable, that his pension is considerably more than that of other veterans with comparable disability?"
And as National Review Online notes today, the Nation Magazine predictably joined in to bash Dole's combat record, printing an account from Robert B. Ellis, who served with Dole in the 10th Mountain Division:
"Dole's first wound, in the night patrol, was self-inflicted (a story the candidate once told himself), but that fact does not appear in an extremely laudatory profile the G.O.P. distributes with a cover letter by Dole.
"And the factoid that Dole got two Bronze Stars for heroism is circulated without evidence of dates and citations. All this is not to suggest that Dole failed to perform his duties honorably, or that he does not deserve respect and sympathy for the terrible wounds he suffered and his courage in living a productive life in spite of the resultant damage.
"But as a veteran of the 10th Mountain Division and the 85th Mountain Infantry Regiment in which Dole served, I have grown increasingly uncomfortable with efforts to cast him as a wartime hero."
damnit, don't you know the difference? Bob dole's a republican - he's fair game for any kind of attack!
Back off john kerry now!!! He's a REAL war hero - a liberal one!!!
The Democrats are going to beat themselves to death over this affair. They're hardly even worth attacking.
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The aftermath of Dole's wartime wounds are apparent.
But as for Kerry...where is his limp? What evidence is there of any infirmity at all? Last I saw, there is no such evidence.
One would think that three genuinely serious wounds that qualify for Purple Hearts would leave some evidence that they even exist.
The Democratic Party, given all the hypocrisy it displays, ought to just adopt as its official slogan "That was then, This is Now."
Ever tried decaf? ; )
(Sorry...I'm feeling ornery. Gonna find out in a little while whether or not I need chemotherapy.)
They are mad because their Vietnam Veterans Against the War Hero is being shown for the charlatan he is.
You might add: "It's ok for us, but not for you." And oh yes, "What's yours is mine, what's mine is mine." I think that just about sums it all up.
Dems tried to discredit HW Bush's WWII service too.
Maybe Gary 'Frenchy' Trudeau can scrawl a cartoon explaining how a fellow Frenchman named Kerry can walk away with more purple hearts in 4 months without being hospitalized than Bob Dole who spent 3 years in the Army plus an extra 4 years of hospitalization with 9 operations.
Just FYI right now over in Athens Greece the only coverage being picked up about this is CNN coverage of the kerry campaign.
The Greek media not affiliated with CNN for some reason is only picked up campaign coverage via CBS news.
Don't know why CBS is their pick. At least I do not know yet. The reason may go back 40 years for all I know.
Of course if you watch the news here, Ralph Nader has a real chance.
True. Could Bob Dole ride a bicycle or ski if he wanted to? I doubt it. Does he even have much use of his one arm, please forgive, I can't remember whether its his right or left arm, at all?
W04.
I think the anger and frustration that Teresa walks around with tells you where Kerry's limp is.
And he's French.
Trudeau did scurrilous cartoons about President Bush 41's service in World War II. Never mind that if Bush's plane had gone down over the island rather than water he would have been hacked to death with machetes and that he volunteered for service at age 17, to the liberals, any Republican (except unassailable ones that they like for being quasi-liberals such as Senator McCain) is fair game for slimefests.
Nope. Due to the gravity of his wounds, he struggles to dress himself. Does he even have much use of his one arm, please forgive, I can't remember whether its his right or left arm, at all?
It was his right arm that was disabled. And no, he has no use of the arm. But, God bless him, he's as independent in taking care of himself as you and I. Gotta love his spirit and determination!
It left him with femhurlitis - the affliction where you "throw like a girl". (I put it in quotes because my daughter throws quite well.)
Whoa. The things you learn while surfing on FR! Neat! ; )
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