Considering that Kerry's photo is featured prominently in a war museum run by the Communist Vietnamese, we know PRECISELY what kind of "war hero" Kerry is.
Hint: he ain't a war hero to the United States of America.
Posted on 09/24/2004 1:47:29 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
New York, NY, Sep. 24 (UPI) -- John F. Kerry biographer Douglas Brinkley said the Democratic nominee is not the war hero people thought he was, the New York Times reported Friday.
Brinkley made the admission as part of a larger point that the debates over Kerry's service in Vietnam and George W. Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard are not nearly as important as the ongoing debate about the U.S. role in Iraq, the issue Kerry appears to have chosen to end the campaign with.
A noted historian, Brinkley, whose book on Kerry is cited as the authoritative account of his months in Vietnam, told the Times, "Every American now knows that there's something really screwy about George Bush and the National Guard, and they know that John Kerry was not the war hero we thought he was."
"It's kind of neutralized itself, just by tiring everybody out," Brinkley said.
Brinkley's admission prompted a strong rebuke from longtime Kerry critic John O'Neill, a leader of the anti-Kerry Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Not tired, more determined than ever!
It's possible that Kerry isn't the war hero he thought he was.
Brinkly has backed off from that comment. Blaming the swift boaters for making people think that, not that he actually agreed with it.
The Kerry campaign has since jumped Brinkley about this statement and now he has seemingly retracted it.
John Kerry was not the war hero we thought he was.
As an alleged “historian,” weren’t you supposed to figure that out before you wrote the biography that helped create that impression?
It’s sorta like the electrician who wired your house bemoaning the fact that faulty wiring just burned it down, as if he’s an innocent bystander.
Considering that Kerry's photo is featured prominently in a war museum run by the Communist Vietnamese, we know PRECISELY what kind of "war hero" Kerry is.
Hint: he ain't a war hero to the United States of America.
9/24/2004 2:44:00 PM
To: National Desk, Political Reporter
Contact: Chad Clanton or Phil Singer, 202-464-2800, both of Kerry-Edwards 2004 Web: http://www.johnkerry.com
WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Author and historian, Douglas Brinkley, issued the following statement to correct a report by the New York Times today:
"A story in the September 24 New York Times leaves the false impression that I think John Kerry was not 'the war hero we thought he was.' Nothing could be further from the truth. He was a great American fighting man in Vietnam and deserved all of his medals. Over the past year I have vigorously defended Kerry's military record and will continue to do so.
"My comment was meant to be about the political consequences of the anti-Kerry Swift boat attacks vs. the anti-Bush National Guard ones. I was speaking about public perceptions not my personal beliefs."
------
Paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc.
http://www.usnewswire.com/
-0-
/© 2004 U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/
http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=36896
Not the war hero Brinkley did his best to make the people think Kerry was...
If Brinkley cares at all about his own legacy as a historian (and who better to appreciate his place in history than a historian), he will continue to research Kerry's Vietnam records, interview the Swift Boat Veterans, and publish another account which updates his previous book.
Truth Be Told, the Vietnam Crossfire Hurts Kerry More
...."Every American now knows that there's something really screwy about George Bush and the National Guard, and they know that John Kerry was not the war hero we thought he was," said Douglas Brinkley, the historian and author of a friendly biography of Mr. Kerry's war years, acknowledging that Mr. Kerry's opponents had succeeded in raising questions about his service.
"It's kind of neutralized itself, just by tiring everybody out," Mr. Brinkley said.....
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/24/politics/campaign/24guard.html
Very.
How ironic, that Brinkley's book is the very material that is used to inform the SBVfT regarding Kerry vs. Kerry, that in turn is used to inform public perceptions. Brinkley's book does not defend Kerry's record. Its contradictions with the official record draw attention to the likelihood that Kerry is a serious liar.
Is he really a historian or a come-lately Kerry hack? I vote for the latter. As a supposed disciple of Stephen Ambrose, I suggest he struck out on his own and then struck out when he joined the Kerry team.
He's between a rock and a hard place.
So tell us, Dougy! How does it feel to have been taken for a ride? Hmmm?
You should sue Kerry for damaging your reputation as a "Noted Historian". Maybe Sen. Edwards will represent you? He's shortly due to be ramping up his legal practice. I expect that he'll be looking for a few good clients.
This smells like a calculated, relatively harmless "throw away" to take the focus off of DNCBS.
"Brinkly has backed off from that comment. Blaming the swift boaters for making people think that, not that he actually agreed with it."
Freudian slip of the truth.
It would be impossible for Kerry to be the war hero he thought he was, unless he was a combination of Hector and Lysander and such great names as these.
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