Antiwar stance is Kerry's real vulnerability (excellent must read)

Arizona Daily ^ | 09/05/2004 | William Rusher

[Former Military Chick]

By now, John Kerry must rue the day that he and his campaign strategists decided to make his four months in Vietnam the centerpiece of his campaign. It seemed like a good idea at the time. All the polls showed that the voters were deeply concerned over the war against Muslim terrorists, and considered President Bush and the Republican Party far superior to the Democrats in waging it. On the other hand, Bush's contribution to the Vietnam War had been stateside service in the Air National Guard, and the liberal media had managed to raise questions as to whether he had even completely fulfilled that obligation. Kerry, on the other hand, was a Vietnam veteran, who had not only volunteered to serve there, but acquired a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for his heroism. If any Democrat was qualified to lead the war on terrorism, surely it was Kerry.

What the Democrats failed to foresee, however, was that war is a murky business in which personal recollections inevitably differ, and that there were bound to be scores (indeed, as it turned out, 250) of Kerry's fellow Vietnam veterans whose memory of those desperate days differed from Kerry's. Ordinarily, this wouldn't have mattered; but when Kerry and the Democratic campaign strategists publicized Kerry's version of events and made it the keystone of his entire campaign for the presidency, these men were moved to protest -- loudly.

Ever since, the Kerry campaign has been bogged down in an ugly fight with these protesters. It tried to suppress a book stating the angry veterans' side of the case; it threatened lawsuits against any TV station that aired interviews with their spokesmen; it became entangled in obscure arguments over whether there was enemy fire from the riverbank, and whether Kerry was or wasn't in Cambodia, and if so when, etc.,

etc. Inevitably the brouhaha took its toll on public opinion; Kerry's ratings dipped, and, as of this writing, haven't recovered.

My own guess is that we will never know the absolute truth on these subjects. Both sides are sincere -- it is simply a question of conflicting memories after 35 years. But there is another aspect of the story that threatens to be far deadlier to the Kerry campaign.

When Kerry returned from Vietnam, he was thinking seriously of running for political office, but was not notably concerned with the war as an issue. Through the latter part of 1969, however, his attitude hardened, and in 1970 he obtained early release from the Navy so he could run for Congress. (He subsequently dropped out of the race in favor of Robert Drinan, the antiwar Jesuit priest.)

But by now Kerry was morphing into a thoroughgoing antiwar activist. He joined Vietnam Veterans Against the War, and participated in demonstrations organized by Jane Fonda, among others. In the spring of 1971 he testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. It was here that Kerry made a widely publicized series of charges concerning the conduct of American soldiers in Vietnam. He declared that antiwar veterans "told stories that at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in a fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam."

This is the grim bill of particulars that John Kerry laid at the feet of his fellow Vietnam veterans in 1971. And while atrocities did unquestionably occur in Vietnam, as they do in all wars, it was bitterly unfair, and totally false, for Kerry to suggest that such behavior was common, let alone permitted by higher authority. ("These were," he declared, "not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command.")

Is it any wonder that thousands of Vietnam veterans who read that testimony, knowing that it was false, and realizing the damage it did to their own proud service on behalf of their country, profoundly resent the man who blackguarded and slandered them? That is the real issue that John Kerry's boasts about his heroism have dragged into this campaign.

William Rusher is a Distinguished Fellow of the Claremont Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy

[Former Military Chick]

I had read a little about this author. Would love to hear from other FReepers about Mr. Rusher.

[FairOpinion]

While in Reserves, Kerry met with Communists
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1208146/posts

Viet Cong Vets Puzzled Over Attacks on Kerry (They would VOTE for Kerry)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1208101/posts

[FairOpinion]

"By now, John Kerry must rue the day that he and his campaign strategists decided to make his four months in Vietnam the centerpiece of his campaign. "

Exactly. Kerry brought it upon himself.

[evad]

It seemed like a good idea at the time. All the polls showed that the voters were deeply concerned

When you have no core values and your actions are totally driven by polls, I'm sure it did sound good...
at the time.

[andyandval]

Never heard of him, but thanks for the great post.

[Wardawg]

This just scratches the surface, for more info check the swifties full site or wintersoldier.com
There is also a POW/MIA group against Kerry, 21 Medal of Honor awardees, a VietnamVetsAgainstK and many more. I don't know any knowledgeable vet who will vote for this pond scum oth

[writer33]

"Is it any wonder that thousands of Vietnam veterans who read that testimony, knowing that it was false, and realizing the damage it did to their own proud service on behalf of their country, profoundly resent the man who blackguarded and slandered them? That is the real issue that John Kerry's boasts about his heroism have dragged into this campaign."


This is why Kerry will never release his record, raising even more questions about his service, and indemnifying him to the American people. Using his own word, "seared." It will become "seared" in the minds of Americans as they cast their votes on November 2nd.

Great article.

[Boundless]

By the way, the SBVFT stuff to this point has been great
at preparing the ground for this.

They have built a case that Kerry has no stature as a
principled anti-war activist, because everything he did
was fraud, manipulation and calculation.

Kerry did indeed pull two "tours".
Unfortunately, one was for the enemy.

Kerry has only ever been loyal to Kerry,
and he'd even sell out Kerry for Kerry.

[Always Right]

What the Democrats failed to foresee, however, was that war is a murky business in which personal recollections inevitably differ, and that there were bound to be scores (indeed, as it turned out, 250) of Kerry's fellow Vietnam veterans whose memory of those desperate days differed from Kerry's.

That is being very kind to Kerry. It is obvious that Kerry embellished his record and was creative in writing official reports about these events. Kerry has been very inconsistent in his story while the SBVT story has not change one bit. If Kerry story was so rock solid, why has Kerry been in hiding from media questions for over a month. This is unheard of for a person in the middle of a Presidential campaign.

[Melinda]

What the Democrats failed to foresee was that the same tactics and denials that got the vote in a Massachusetts senatorial campaign would not work at the national level. While Kerry's antiwar stance was known in MA years ago, the Swift Vets weren't compelled to fight on the local level. Once Kerry decided to run for Commander in Chief, he opened the flood gates for the truth to attack his "memory" of his service and medals "earned".

[chesty_puller]

His actions in '71 need to be in the forefront. Many of us didn't know about his stories in 1971. We were too busy burning villages and raping folks.

John Kerry's defeat=the parade we never got!

[frankenMonkey]

And while atrocities did unquestionably occur in Vietnam

really? i question that statement. in hollywood, yes. in dan rather's mind, yes. in kerry's lies, yes. by the vietcong, yes. but by Americans? i'm really not aware of any documented American atrocities, especially of the nature of kerry's "testimony."

[i_dont_chat]

I beg your pardon.

Kerry is NOT sincere. It is clear by the record that he is a traitor to our country and then he milked all the glory he could get (by hook or crook) to decorate himself as a war hero.

He is a shell of a man. Self-centered to the core.

[mrsmel]

I thought that I read somehwre that he only "volunteered" when he couldn't get a deferment,and that he tried to get into the Guard first,or something like that? So that wouldn't exactly make him some heroic volunteer would it?

[Mach9]

If this is the same William Rusher who published National Review during its glory days or even one of his relatives, I'm close to appalled. Surely he knows better than that "both sides are sincere"! NR would never have pulled so many punches against Kerry--much as it opinions wavered on the efficacy of the war itself.

[C210N]

Both sides are sincere -- it is simply a question of conflicting memories...

Some good points in the article, but the above sentence while perhaps being an attempt on the author to be "objective", is a big stretch. The swiftees talk and answer questions on the facts, and Kerry has done anything BUT that.

[Former Military Chick]

Thank you for the post. I have visited the Swfties site and it is full of info. But, what this article does helps the every day voter how cannot / will not do the research. It sort of puts the events following their convention into a very sanitized review.

[stockpirate]

Is John Kerry a war criminal? Consider the following.

After the Tet offensive North Vietnam was beaten, but with the Socialist press in America and the VVAW the North Vietnamese Communists decided to hold on.

This meant that instead of a US victory in South Vietnam and freedom for the South Vietnamese we had 10,000 - 15,000 more US deaths. America’s POW's were being tortured while listening to tapes of John "Traitor" Kerry calling them baby killers.

The VVAW, an antiwar group, which Kerry was one of the national leaders of, was receiving directions from the North Vietnamese Communist Government. VVAW in contact with in contact with NV Communist Government

The directions were on how the VVAW should protest the Vietnam War.

The interaction became so depraved, that the North Vietnamese Communist contacted the VVAW via a phone call and advised the VVAW that they were getting ready to start an attack on US troops and that the VVAW was to be prepared to increase the protests against the increase in bombing that the NV Communists were sure would happen. This put our men in further danger because of John Kerry and VVAW actions. VVAW gets directions from the VS Communists

John Kerry had no concern for the lives of his fellow soldiers in Vietnam or the POW's, John Kerry only cared about himself and his ambition to become POTUS, whatever the cost.

How many deaths of United States servicemen does John Kerry have on his hands?

How many families has John Kerry's behavior as a VVAW leader and a traitor to his country caused untold pain and suffering to?

How many unnecessary tears have been cried because John Kerry betrayed our trust to help a Communist government?

Why didn't John Kerry speak out just one time against the war crimes of his "Comrades in Arms of the North Vietnamese Communists"?

[Timeout]

in 1970 he obtained early release from the Navy so he could run for Congress.

It just infuriates me that this myth continues.

[doug from upland]

MIDI - CANDLE IN THE WIND

We cannot forget what was done because of his words
To think of him commanding, friends, is really quite absurd
He turned against his comrades...reputations he had defamed
When we came back we're spit upon like we should be ashamed

And for free he gave the enemy things that we would never say
We endured horrible torture almost every day
We're demorialized by this traitor, that's what it's all about
So we'd walk through hell to stop this man because he sold us out
Because he sold us out

Who would trust a man who went there for his resume
In four months he would leave his men and simply walk away
And with his pal Jane Fonda, he did damage, more than you know
Pretending he'd defend us now is nothing more than show

And for free he gave the enemy things that we would never say
We endured horrible torture almost every day
We're demorialized by this traitor, that's what it's all about
So we'd walk through hell to stop this man because he sold us out
Because he sold us out