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Please, please, Enough already with Vietnam.
Aberdeen American News, SD ^ | August 25, 2004 | staff

Posted on 08/25/2004 2:34:21 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife

Forget the outrageous nature of the attacks against John Kerry - the man volunteered and did combat duty. For that he deserves thanks, not these dishonorable insinuations. And forget that the schoolyard tone of these back and forth accusations about Kerry's and President Bush's activities 30 years ago is simply undignified. Forget the inside-the-Beltway justifications for running such ads; they soon disintegrate into who did what to whom first and end up reminiscent of a feud that started so long ago the only thing the participants are sure about is that the other side is to be despised.

What's more important is that there are some very real issues that this country simply has to start discussing in the lead-up to the November presidential elections.

Which candidate is more qualified to bring our involvement in Iraq to a safe and satisfactory conclusion?

Which candidate can best spur our economy on to greater things?

Which candidate has a better solution to the country's growing health care crisis?

Which candidate has a better plan to fix social security?

Which candidate is better for the job of keeping us safe from terrorist attacks?

Which candidate has better ideas for bringing this country closer to energy self-sufficiency?

And, perhaps most important, which candidate has the leadership to make these things happen?

In case these people haven't noticed, these are historic times. Historic times with historic challenges. And by that we don't mean we should be discussing history.

The American people get the chance to elect a president only every four years. To be able to make an informed choice they should be exposed to debates about current and relevant issues.

These angry nasty times seem to have become so contentious that we can no longer find the opportunity to discuss our future.

We are not suggesting that a candidate's past never be questioned. Of course that's not feasible or even appropriate. But the fact that this seems to be the sole focus at the moment is disheartening and disquieting.

Nor are we suggesting that Kerry's actions after he returned from Vietnam and led protests against that war while his fellow soldiers were still there should be off limits. That is a legitimate issue. Just as are the president's motivations for going to war in Iraq.

This editorial harrumph goes out to both sides; it is focused on the Swift boat ads simply because that's what is on the front burner at the moment. But ads referring to the president as a traitor or comparing him to bloodthirsty dictators are just as repulsive and should be scorned just as instinctively. They, too, are a distraction from the issues at hand.

The fact that this - Kerry's a hero, Kerry's a dishonorable liar - is about the only discussion that is going on at a national level is truly disgraceful. The challenges facing this country are simply too enormous to be buried behind the smokescreen of dishonorable, disrespectful and deplorable sewage currently passing for national debate.

Correction

In David Newquist's Tuesday column the Michigan Congressman who said congressmen do not have time to read in detail all the bills they vote upon was misidentified. Rep. John Conyers, D-Michigan, made that comment in the movie Fahrenheit 9/11.

We apologize for the error.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 527; campaign; enoughalready; kerry; medals; swiftboat; veterans; vietnam
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1 posted on 08/25/2004 2:34:21 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Did any of the media outlets who are now calling "Enough" about Vietnam talk utter a peep when Kerry made it the central issue of his campaign, and his convention? Or when the libs spent six months calling W AWOL? No. It's just that Vietnam is no longer the slam-dunk issue for Kerry that it once was that they want to cease the talk.


2 posted on 08/25/2004 2:39:33 AM PDT by NYCVirago
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To: NYCVirago

No they didn't. They're crying UNCLE now, just like the "cleric" at Najarif, but they're liars just like he is.


3 posted on 08/25/2004 2:41:47 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

NOTE TO MSM: How can we change the subject when you have yet to engage the subject? When you deem the subject appropriate enough to investigate it, then you will have moral authority to suggest the subject needs changing.


4 posted on 08/25/2004 2:42:19 AM PDT by Casloy
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

They really should keep the kids out of the editorial department until they are old enough to buy a clue.


5 posted on 08/25/2004 2:42:40 AM PDT by leadpenny
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To: Casloy

Great point!


6 posted on 08/25/2004 2:42:47 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: leadpenny

LOL


7 posted on 08/25/2004 2:43:16 AM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

This has been answered over and overm but here goes again. Kerry made his military record the centerpiece of his campaign...his raison d'etre for running, why he's qualified to lead our sons and daughters into peril. The writer, as well as the rest of the country, is sick and tired of rehashing Vietnam on MSM terms. This time, however, men who served with Kerry and whose reputations were smeared and sullied, demand that the truth be told and that the country listen.

Kerry's an empty suit and always has been. There's no one inside whatever expensive threads he's put on. If we let this Swift Boat controversy slide, or allow the MSM to bury it, Kerry and his pals will fog it away. They will then smear Bush with the talking point of the day, meanwhile saying they want to debate the issues. Kerry doesn't have a game plan, remember? Everything's secret with him. He can't tell us until he's elected. Then, God help us, he'll RAISE OUR TAXES through the roof and hand what's left of the country over to the UN. Swift Boat Vets deserve their day in the sun. They're doing God's work. Don't doubt this for a minute.


8 posted on 08/25/2004 2:43:36 AM PDT by hershey
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Laughable. The cries of "Enough is enough" from the same media that went digging for President Bush's dental and driving records as a teenager only to find out he didn't go AWOL. Hypocrites.


9 posted on 08/25/2004 2:43:54 AM PDT by BigSkyFreeper (Real gun control is - all shots inside the ten ring)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Anybody that fought in Vietnam is a hero in my book.


10 posted on 08/25/2004 2:45:09 AM PDT by powerball (Respect Vets)
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To: powerball

What about those who 'sold out' when they came back to "the world?"


11 posted on 08/25/2004 2:47:54 AM PDT by leadpenny
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Debate? Here you go:

Which candidate is more qualified to bring our involvement in Iraq to a safe and satisfactory conclusion? - Bush will win the war. Kerry would surrender to the French Girl Scouts

Which candidate can best spur our economy on to greater things? - Bush will with tax cuts and reduction of regulations. Kerry would raise taxes and burden industry with Kyoto and other dumb liberal crap.

Which candidate has a better solution to the country's growing health care crisis? - Bush will promote moving more of the solution to the private sector. Kerry would tax the people to death and cripple our health care delivery systems by shifting it even more to government.

Which candidate has a better plan to fix social security? Bush will propose privatizing as much as possible. Kerry would break the back of the tax payers.

Which candidate is better for the job of keeping us safe from terrorist attacks? Bush obviously. He's a proven fighter. Kerry is a coward.

Which candidate has better ideas for bringing this country closer to energy self-sufficiency? Bush promotes energy independence. Kerry is an extreme envronmentalist and will cripple America and destroy our ability to compete in world markets.

And, perhaps most important, which candidate has the leadership to make these things happen? Bush obviously. A proven leader. Kerry is a jerk who couldn't even "command" a six man boat crew.



"Government is not the solution. Government is the problem."


12 posted on 08/25/2004 2:49:24 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

"staff"

Such a funny name. Misspelled? Stiff by any chance?


13 posted on 08/25/2004 2:50:00 AM PDT by TheLawyerFormerlyKnownAsAl
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Dear MSM: We didn't start this.


14 posted on 08/25/2004 2:50:41 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Please, please, enough already with the 'Bush lied'. Hey, Kerry said "Bring - it - on", well, he got what he asked for.


15 posted on 08/25/2004 2:51:39 AM PDT by Musket
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To: powerball
Anybody that fought in Vietnam is a hero in my book

Is that the only page in your book?

16 posted on 08/25/2004 2:51:47 AM PDT by johniegrad
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To: powerball

WELCOME TO FREE REPUBLIC!
and by the way kerry has no respect for vets.
i know i am one.
SEMPER FIDELIS [always faithfull]!


17 posted on 08/25/2004 2:52:39 AM PDT by alpha-8-25-02 (saved by GRACE and GRACE alone)
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To: powerball

Welcome to FR just now. Care to expand on your comment?


18 posted on 08/25/2004 2:52:56 AM PDT by anniegetyourgun
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
These angry nasty times seem to have become so contentious that we can no longer find the opportunity to discuss our future.

These times are not just angry. They're not just nasty. They're angry nasty!

19 posted on 08/25/2004 2:54:08 AM PDT by Ken H
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To: powerball
LT. Calley was a hero to you?

You're a piece of crap.

20 posted on 08/25/2004 2:54:37 AM PDT by zarf
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