Posted on 03/28/2007 10:13:25 AM PDT by Graybeard58
Democrats, including U.S. Sen. Chris Dodd, are raising concerns about President Bush's nominee for ambassador to Belgium because he gave money to the group that impugned Sen. John Kerry's war record during the 2004 presidential campaign.
With a vote set today in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Dodd, D-Conn., said Tuesday he opposes the nomination of St. Louis businessman Sam Fox because Fox "refused to apologize for his behavior" during a confirmation hearing last month.
"U.S. ambassadors need to be both responsible and credible, and Mr. Fox's support for an organization known to have spread falsehoods illustrates neither," said Dodd, who is seeking the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination.
Fox, one of the nation's most prominent Republican fundraisers, made a $50,000 contribution to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Many Democrats blamed the group for sinking Kerry's presidential bid after it aired a series of TV ads that claimed Kerry, D-Mass., did not deserve his Vietnam War medals.
Eleven of Kerry's Vietnam crew mates sent a letter Tuesday urging committee members to oppose Fox's nomination. A copy of the letter was obtained by The Associated Press.
"In our judgment, those who finance smears and lies of combat veterans don't deserve to represent America on the world stage," the letter said.
Fox, 77, of St. Louis, is national chairman of the Jewish Republican Coalition and has donated well over $1 million to Republican candidates and causes since the 1990s, according to Federal Election Commission records. Bush's re-election campaign deemed him a "ranger" for helping to raise at least $200,000.
in 2004.
Kerry grilled Fox about the Swift Boat contribution during the Feb. 27 hearing, asking him why he gave money to a group that was "smearing and spreading lies" and had been condemned by members of both political parties.
Fox replied that he considers Kerry a hero. But he refused to call the contribution a mistake.
"When I'm asked, I just generally give," Fox told Kerry.
Fox has not backed down in a series of written responses to Kerry since the hearing.
"Senator Kerry and other members of the committee still have questions for Mr. Fox, and it's fair to say the concerns raised during the February 27 hearing haven't vanished," Kerry spokeswoman Amy Brundage said.
Complicating matters is the presence of three Democratic presidential hopefuls on the committee -- the chairman, Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del.; and Sens. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Dodd.
At the end of the hearing last month, Obama told Fox he found his testimony "somewhat unsatisfying."
"I would have preferred you saying, you know, 'In retrospect, looking back, contributing to the Swift Boat campaign was a mistake and I wish I hadn't done it,"' Obama told Fox.
Fox has garnered the public support of Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., and Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., both of whom testified for him.
He withdrew his name:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003639711_webfox28.html
He was DOA. I can't even imagine why they would put him up. He tried to make nice by telling Kerry he was a hero, etc.
A President Dodd.... now there's a scary thought!
.
.
"I would have preferred you saying, you know, 'In retrospect, looking back, contributing to the Swift Boat campaign was a mistake and I wish I hadn't done it,"' Obama told Fox.
It was a campaign. The strategy worked. How is that a mistake?
In our judgment, those who finance smears and lies of combat veterans don't deserve to represent America on the world stage," the letter said.
Then just how the hell can they support Kerry ?
In a recent poll in his home state of Connecticut Dodd polled fourth place - behind undeclared Al Gore.
Dodd is a joke who is extorting money from bankers because he is now the chairman of the senate banking committee.
Fox reporting BUSH withdrew the nomination...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,261986,00.html
I'm about to have stoke over here! How about Senator Clinton, besides the various "shenanigans" of her own, she supports and receives support from an Impeached former president AND disbarred attorney!
and how about myriad list of other colorfull characters that make up the criminal panoply that is the Left-O-Crats?
WASHINGTON -
"President Bush on Wednesday withdrew the ambassadorial nomination of businessman Sam Fox after Democrats denounced Fox for giving money to a controversial conservative group that undermined Sen.
John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070328/ap_on_go_pr_wh/kerry_swift_boat
You're very welcome President Bush.
Yes, the article is moot but it does serve to point out the utter stupidity of Dodd and his ilk.
What stupidity? It worked! Where our leader's spines!?
I guess that means I won't be asked to submit my name for consideration as Ambassador to Lower Slavobia?
It is a fact and if Bush tries to fight it, he will be blamed for any and all consequences.
There are bigger fish to fight, and the Ambassador to Belgium, is not on the list. This is why we try not to lose elections, and the direct cost of the disease within the GOP today.
It is not going to get better either. Much more to come, including impeachment and a total loss of our domestic and foreign policy agenda.
And the worlds respect....
Another Bush without Balls torpedo - ol Bush and the RINOs retreat without a fight.
Bush folded again.
Another stab in the back.
Enabling John Kerry's fantasy life again,
will earn Bush nothing.
"It is a fact and if Bush tries to fight it, he will be blamed for any and all consequences."
What "consequences?" It could only re-examine the Swift Boat claims, and Kerry will trot out parapalegics as a distraction from forcing him to answer.
"There are bigger fish to fight,"
That's the scary thing, what Norquist tells Rove to tell Bush to push. Their agenda is scary, though profitable with post 2008 consultancy job paybacks.
Bush needs to be kept in check, not enabled.
I wish this guy had had the stones to tell Kerry: "I don't believe they were lies; I found them very credible and their credibility has been reinforced by your refusal to ever release your full military record, despite your nationally broadcast promise to do so."
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