Kerry on 9/11: 'Nobody could think'

The Oregonian ^ | August 26, 2004 | DAVID REINHARD

[Cincinatus' Wife]

hen Philadelphians aren't booing their Phillies or Eagles and even Santa Claus, their native scrappiness finds other outlets. If you're from Philly and two guys are quarreling on the street, there's only one thing to do -- ask if this is a private fight or can anybody join.

It's hard to say just what the raging firefight between John Kerry and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is. I'd like to see it as a private fight between Vietnam vets; we really ought to be debating today's war on terror, not a 40-year-old war. But, of course, the Kerry-Swifties scrap is more than a private fight.

Kerry himself assured this in making an issue of President Bush's Vietnam-era service in the National Guard and making his own combat experience the gaudy centerpiece of his presidential bid. The Democratic convention was little more than a four-day tribute to Kerry's Vietnam exploits. When Democratic pols weren't hailing Kerry's Vietnam service, his "Band of Brothers" was. And when Democratic pols and his "Band of Brothers" weren't mentioning his Swift boat service, Kerry himself was -- incessantly and immodestly if you like the strong, quiet hero. The only thing missing at Kerry's Thursday acceptance speech was an onstage water feature.

But a far larger Band of Brothers also wanted to make Kerry's Vietnam record the issue in this year's presidential race. But when Swift Boat Veterans for Truth came out with their book ("Unfit for Command") and campaign ads about Kerry's Vietnam and anti-Vietnam War activities, they were shushed like children. The same folks who had demanded a complete accounting of Bush's military record -- Democrats and the mainstream media -- didn't want to hear from Vietnam vets who say Kerry lied about his own heroics in Vietnam and lied about them when he returned home and accused our soldiers of war crimes.

I'm not sure what the whole truth is here; we're now learning it's mixed and murky, disputed and inconclusive. I do know, however, that none of this would have been examined but for the Swifties. Democrats and the mainline media were ready to give Kerry and his "Band of Brothers" the last word on Vietnam. Indeed, many had gone into a full "Gone With the Wind" swoon and gasped, "I do declare, Mr. Kerry, you are my hero."

I also know these vets have every right to make an issue of Kerry's Vietnam activities. They earned it in South Vietnam -- some in North Vietnamese prisons.

As a non-vet, I think the war on terror is most important, and here Kerry also seems to have some explaining to do. He's joined propagandist Michael Moore in roasting Bush for the minutes he spent listening to kids read after learning of the 9/11 attacks. "I would have told those kids very politely and nicely," Kerry said. "that the president . . . had something he needed to attend to."

Bush says he was calmly gathering his thoughts over those seven minutes. Kerry and Moore see some failure of leadership. It's a silly claim, and an especially odd one for Kerry to make. After all, here's what he recently told Larry King about his own 9/11 doings. "And as I came in [to a meeting in Sen. Tom Daschle's office], Barbara Boxer and Harry Reid were standing there, and we watched the second plane come in to the building. And we shortly thereafter sat down at the table and then we just realized nobody could think, and then boom, right behind us, we saw the cloud of explosion at the Pentagon."

And then we just realized nobody could think.

Moore fixates on the seven-minute tape of Bush in that Florida classroom. A 12-minute tape of Kerry pronouncing on Iraq is, I think, more telling. It features Kerry taking every position on Iraq imaginable, and it can be seen on the Republican National Committee Web site (www.kerryoniraq.com ). Two dizzying samples:

"I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the president made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him." (May 3, 2003)

"I am -- yeah." Answering Chris Matthews when the MSNBC "Hardball" host asked if he was an antiwar candidate. (Jan. 6, 2004)

Yes, you apparently need plenty of quiet time to think when you take every side of an issue.

David Reinhard, associate editor, can be reached at 503-221-8152 or davidreinhard@news.oregonian.com.

[punster]

David Reinhard is the only columnist at the Oregonian that is worth reading. The others seem to be a bunch of pimps and whores for the democrat party.

[Florida_Freeper]

What do Philly sports fans have to do with this article??

Sorry, native Philadelphian here and big Eagles fan...the booing Santa Clause line is getting old.

The fans were booing a guy in a Santa outfit that was too drunk to stand up.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[Holicheese]

Hey Santa can do a little celebrating too!!

My girlfriend got thrown out of an Eagles game at the Vet!
Sooooo proud, so very proud!