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Posted on 09/02/2004 5:55:33 PM PDT by MaineRepublic
By Patricia Wilson
NANTUCKET, Mass. (Reuters) - Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) hit back at Dick Cheney (news - web sites) on Thursday by raising the Republican's failure to serve in the Vietnam War and asking voters to weigh his two tours of duty against the vice president's five deferments.
Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, bristled at Cheney's attack on his patriotism during the Republican National Convention in New York and his ability to serve as U.S. commander-in-chief.
"Here's my answer," the Massachusetts senator said in excerpts of remarks he will make at a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio, shortly after President Bush (news - web sites) delivers his acceptance speech at the Republican convention.
"I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq (news - web sites)," he said.
Neither Bush, who served in the Texas Air national Guard, nor Cheney went to Vietnam. The vice president obtained five deferments and has since said he had "other priorities" at the time.
Kerry volunteered for two tours of duty and won three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star while serving on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta.
Kerry's political campaign has heavily emphasized his Vietnam record, but his critics say he served only four months in the country. They say he hardly discusses his record during 20 years in the U.S. Senate.
Kerry's decorations -- and his subsequent activism against the Vietnam war -- have been questioned in television ads by a group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The Bush campaign has denied any connection with the organization.
Cheney launched a withering attack on Kerry on Wednesday night at the convention, saying he had a "habit of indecision" that would jeopardize national security, that he failed to grasp the dangers of terrorism, refused to support U.S. troops on the battlefield in Iraq and voted outside the mainstream during his 20 years in the Senate.
"John Kerry says he sees two Americas," Cheney said, playing off the Democrat's contention that there is one America for the rich and another for everybody else. "It makes the whole thing mutual: America sees two John Kerrys."
Advisers have been urging Kerry, who has lost ground against Bush in recent polls, to show a more combative side.
"We all saw the anger and distortion of the Republican Convention," Kerry said. "The vice president even called me unfit for office last night. I guess I'll leave it up to the voters whether five deferments makes someone more qualified to defend this nation than two tours of duty."
Kerry and his vice presidential running mate John Edwards (news - web sites) will kick off the final two months before the Nov. 2 election in the critical battleground state of Ohio where recent polls give Bush a narrow lead. No Republican has ever won the White House without a victory in Ohio.
Which part of Cheney's comments last night that said we honor Kerry's service and the audience clapped doesn't Kerry understand?
It's over.
The left has been hammering this stuff on Bush for the past year, now that Kerry comes out and repeats it, it has valididty?
What an embarrassment. I almost feel bad for the guy that his campaign is this inept and pathetic.
It still sounds to me like John Kerry wants to run against Cheney.
I guess they don't consider "Bush is Hitler" to be tough enough...
Elizabeth, he's killing me, I couldn't even cut it in the girl scouts.
Nor Bill Clinton and ... didn't Howard Dean avoid Vietnam also by getting deferments? Don't throw rocks, oh DemocRATS living in glass houses!
This does indeed sound like (another) faux pas by Kerry. Wonder whether it was initiated by Kerry himself, or whether (scumbag) Joe Lockhart put him up to it (a twisted Clintonoid twisting the knife in Kerry's back)...
Deferments were and are not anti-American.
Draft dodging ala Clinton , however IS a true crime, imo.
But the Rats don't want to go there..
Stick a band-aid on it, Kerry. It'll be over soon enough for you and your 'peace-loving' masquerading leftist mob.
Huh? I thought he served 4 months?
What is the detail on this? Did he volunteer and get rejected only to volunteer again, or did he volunteer - abandon his band of brothers, then volunteer again (after he commiserated with the enemy)?
Inquiring minds want to know...
"Everybody loves Bush, what should we do.."
"Umm.. Let's hammer Cheney!"
Hahahaha.. Can you imagine being in the "War room" of the Democratic Strategists when this plan was made.
Hello McGovern
Hello Mondale
Hello Dukakis
Hello Kerry
Goodnight Dims, the party's over.
I think his previous stint was in some support role, not in a combat situation.
re: "Kerry volunteered for two tours of duty"
Wrong! If Kerry had wanted to volunteer for Vietnam he would have joined the army. Instead he applied for a deferment, was denied and then joined the reserves. His unit was called up to active duty. That hardly qualifies as volunteering for two tours of duty. What's more, to most vets who served over there 'two tours of duty' would mean 24 months which he certainly didn't do.
So Kerry is hitting Cheney for not wanting to be a War Crimina?
I didn't know Kerry was in Vietnam?!
When did he make his service a campaign issue?
Keep digging in there John, eventually you'll find you head and you can pull it out too.
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