Posted on 08/23/2004 12:28:53 PM PDT by KQQL
CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - Under pressure from Democrats and Republican Sen. John McCain, President Bush on Monday called for ads attacking John Kerry's record in Vietnam to be stopped along with others run by independent groups, and said Kerry should be proud of his war service.
"That means that ad and every other ad," Bush said when asked if he wanted to bring a stop to commercials by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which accuse Sen. Kerry of lying about his war record in Vietnam.
Bush said Kerry "served admirably" in Vietnam, adding: "He ought to be proud of his record." But Bush stopped short of directly condemning the charge that Kerry lied about his actions.
Unlike previous statements by the White House, Bush this time referred specifically to the ad attacking Kerry's Vietnam service record, though he did not mention the Swift Boat group by name.
Bush did not specify what actions might be taken to stop the advertisements run by independent groups, except to renew his call on Kerry to join him in condemning all unregulated soft money ads.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
I bet Swift ads keep running, because they are not from W campaign.
NOW WHAT WILL Kerry do?
Bush is shooting himself in the foot again.
FReepers all over the U.S. cried foul, because Bush did not get their permission for today's Strategery moment.
No he is not, smart move, he saying that ad and all 527 ads need to stop running.
WELL GUESS , that means now SWIFT ads will run and Kerry can't blame BUSH for them.
Kerry will have to take on Swift Vets himself and not hide behind W.
I hate it when he says that. Bush has no clue how Kerry served and is placing his opinion above those who served with Kerry. I served with some total losers myself and I know what they can be like.
No way. Kerry made an ass out of himself for going against GWB. Bush simply stated that he was against all 527 ads and calls on Kerry to do the same. Meanwhile the swiftvets are free to continue running ads. Kerry is left with his weewee flappin' in the wind.
SMART MOVE BY BUSH !!!
GENIUS MOVE>>>
No he is not, smart move, he saying that ad and all 527 ads need to stop running.
WELL GUESS , that means now SWIFT ads will run and Kerry can't blame BUSH for them.
Kerry will have to take on Swift Vets himself and not hide behind W.
Meanwhile, Kerry hasn't called for such a stoppage himself, here; and the ads will continue anyway. The President (as usual) is on the high road.
NO, not shooting himself in the foot but is disassoiciating himself from the SBTVs with this move. I think it is a good one. The swiftees can keep on making their ads and not be accused of being a front for the Bush Campaign.
HA! Exactly!
some people here NEVER KNOW how to be politically SMART.
VERY SMART MOVE BY W, because the ads willkeep running and Kerry can't W for them
This is not about Bush. It's between a traitorous lying sack of shit and the men who he betrayed 36 years ago. Those men are not bound to honor Bushes request and will not do so. And Bush has no authority to impose his will on them and will not attempt to do so. The ball is back in Kerry's court.
The President will score no points with Democrats by taking a half-hearted stand on the Swift Boat Vets' ads. His official position on this should be "I'm going to let those who were in Vietnam debate the facts of what happened there. I wasn't there, as John Kerry and his supporters so delightedly point out at every opportunity."
Precisely. Kerry could not dare go against the vets. He had to go against Bush. Now he can't go against Bush, but the vets keep hitting Kerry. Kerry is boxed in now.
Does Bush also think the book should be banned? How about Michael Moore's movies? Should they be banned? Is this still America?
You are going to accept the Reuters spin on this? Listen to the actual audio clip. Bush just repeated what he has said before - that ALL ads from 527 groups, including MoveOn.org, ACT, Media Fund, etc., should end. He did not single out the SwiftVets, even though they kept trying to get him to do so.
Why?
His statements now and have been putting the pressure on Kerry to stop all 527's.
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