John Kerry testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by William Fulbright, in April 1971. Photo UPI
Posted on 08/25/2004 1:23:00 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
PHILADELPHIA - Democrat John Kerry defended his Vietnam War record Tuesday night from accusations that he didn't deserve his medals and invited voters to judge his 1970s anti-war activism as an indication of the "kind of president I'm going to be."
Kerry, speaking at a fund-raiser that the campaign said raised $1.7 million for the Democratic Party, said criticism of his decorated service in Vietnam has "become so petty it's almost pathetic in a way."
Kerry defended his anti-war activism as "an act of conscience."
"You can judge my character, incidentally, by that," he said. "Because when the time for moral crisis existed in this country, I wasn't taking care of myself, I was taking care of public policy. You may not have agreed with me, but I stood up and was counted and that's the kind of president I'm going to be."
Kerry also struck back at people who criticize him for trying to glorify only four months of service in Vietnam.
"I was there longer than that, number one," he said. "Number two, I served two tours. Number three, they thought enough of my service to make me aide to an admiral."
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, introducing Kerry at the fund-raiser, said by watching the group's ads, "you'd think this was a 1962 or a 1976 presidential election."
"If you want this election to be decided on the Vietnam War, then I ask you one question: Who served this country better during the Vietnam War, John Kerry or George Bush?" Rendell said.
Bush served stateside in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam war, and did not see combat. Democrats have questioned whether he always showed up for duty.
During a speech earlier Tuesday at Cooper Union in New York, Kerry sought to turn the campaign debate to issues on which he thinks he can win - and away from questions about his Vietnam service. He also tried to paint Bush as the candidate who has been dishonest.
"My duty, as I understand it, is to be a president and commander in chief who finds the truth and tells the truth instead of misleading the American people," Kerry said to 850 invited supporters in the city where Republicans will nominate Bush for re-election next week. "My duty is to be a president who tells the truth instead of hiding behind front groups, saying anything and doing anything to avoid the real issues that matter like jobs, health care and the war in Iraq."
Kerry spoke a day after Bush criticized attack ads run by outside groups - known as 527s because of an IRS code provision - including the commercials being aired by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Kerry has said the veterans group is a front for the president's re-election campaign. The Bush campaign denies any coordination.
Kerry's campaign will go on the air in Nevada, New Mexico and Pennsylvania on Wednesday with a commercial responding to a new ad there by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
"The Bush campaign and its allies have turned to the tactics of fear and smear because they can't talk about jobs, health care, energy independence and rebuilding our alliances," Kerry said.
Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt said Kerry's attempt to declare himself a victim of negative ads is "stunning hypocrisy." He said, "His campaign has hid behind and benefited from $63 million in attack ads by shadowy 527 groups."
John Kerry testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by William Fulbright, in April 1971. Photo UPI
"The New Soldier" electronic adaptation can be found here
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"You can judge my character, incidentally, by that," he said. "Because when the time for moral crisis existed in this country, I wasn't taking care of myself, I was taking care of public policy. You may not have agreed with me, but I stood up and was counted and that's the kind of president I'm going to be."
Then live with it you long-faced dork!!! He needs to deal with '71. His 2004 "I'm a hero" and "we're a Band of Brothers" bull is not gonna fly. He's gonna have to live with '71.
Boy, they must have had to air out that room for entire weekend. Probably steam clean the carpets too.
Yeah! communist North Vietnam's public policy! And as a U.S. Senator, he still is today.
Oh, and he most definitely was taking care of himself.
Dig the losers in the background. I just love this picture. Thanks, Cinci.
Wasn't the speech billed ahead of time as one in which he would "answer the charges"? Well, at least until after his phone call to Brant.
PS - Isn't that Castro standing on the last row, fourth from the LEFT (of course) with the baseball hat and galsses?
Someone investigate...
I have the answer to you question, Mr. Rendell, but I don't think you are going to like it.
Glasses, no. Make that a beard...
Ok, let's judge your shamefull conduct after you got home from Vietnam. Let's judge every one of your grotesque accusations against Vietnam Veterans, let's judge your meeting with the leaders of Vietnam, let's judge your association with Jane Fonda and her ilk, and let's judge all the lies you knowingly told. To quote you at your most infantile, "bring it on."
Isn't that exactly what the Swiftboat Vets are saying? Judge Kerry's character by his Anti-War activities? So what's the problem with the Swiftboat Vets?
If Kerry wants voters to understand his character more fully, he should allow The New Soldier to be reprinted and sold in every bookstore in America. It would also be a nice touch if he would stop suing people for running ads featuring his 1971 Senate testimony.
He stood and was counted. It's easy to count to ZERO! And he's proud of his "Jennnjisss Khan" speach that was broadcast as accompaniment for torture of our POWS! Fun times for him. Can you say scum! scum! scum! scum! until it's seared!...SEARED!!! into your memory? Vets, expose this fraud !
Bump!
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