American Legion to Sen. Kerry: Apologize Now

[DeepModem Mom]

American Legion to Sen. Kerry: Apologize Now
Oct 31

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The National Commander of The American Legion called on Sen. John Kerry to apologize for suggesting that American troops in Iraq are uneducated.

"As a constituent of Senator Kerry's I am disappointed. As leader of The American Legion, I am outraged," said National Commander Paul A. Morin. "A generation ago, Sen. Kerry slandered his comrades in Vietnam by saying that they were rapists and murderers. It wasn't true then and his warped view of today's heroes isn't true now."

While addressing a group of college students at a campaign rally in Pasadena, CA., Monday, Kerry suggested that they receive an education or "if you don't, you'll get stuck in Iraq."

"While The American Legion shares the senator's appreciation for education, the troops in Iraq represent the most sophisticated, technologically superior military that the world has ever seen," Morin said. "I think there is a thing or two that they could teach most college professors and campus elitists about the way the world works....

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/10/31/204-10312006.html

[Erika]

1. The American Legion should demand an apology from W

for sending our troops needlessly to Iraq. They need to start speaking up. Jessica Lynch went into the military to see the world and get funding for education. This war is being fought by the lower and middle class far more than any other war. Why aren't they standing up about that inequity?

[Crunchy Frog]

24. Well, they did stand up to Bill Clinton for sending troops to Kosovo.

In a letter to U.S. President Bill Clinton in May of 1999, the American Legion urged the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Operation Allied Force in Yugoslavia. The National Executive Committee of The American Legion met and adopted a resolution unanimously that stated, in part, that they would only support military operations if "Guidelines be established for the mission, including a clear exit strategy" and "That there be support of the mission by the U.S. Congress and the American people". <5><6>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Legion#1990s

[still_one]

2. This is more swift boat bull shit

The American Legion should also appologize for their support of this administration, AND THE MURDER OF THESE UNEDUCATED TROOPS THEY HELPED SEND TO IRAQ

Screw um

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[0007]

40. Good point!

The American Legion should be getting after the administration for the fucked up VA hospitals around this country. I was in a VA hospital yesterday and never in my life did I ever dream that it would reach third world status. No one knew what the fuck was going on. It wasn't the old razzle dazzle or the soft shoe it was plain ignorance and stupidity.

A true War Criminal without brain

[saigon68]

48. Well put, the Legion leadership sucks the BIG ONE

Well put, the Legion leadership sucks the BIG ONE

We (the veterans) call them "THE HATS". They wear them all the time and have a long record of Swift boating. Not all legion members however agree with the leadership

These leaders are a tool of the RePuke party.


When Clinton went after the Ethnic Cleansers in Serbia, the Legion leadership condemned him for doing it.

HOWEVER


NO ONE was killed in that WAR

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

49. Someone was killed in that war.

Just no Americans.

But I hear what you're saying.

[saigon68]

50. Yes thousands of Serbs were killed by "PRECISION BOMBING"

Lots of Children and old ladies

The few photos that exist have been systematically wiped from the web

[heidler1]

3. What annoys me with both the American Legion and the VFW

and I'm a life member is they want to glorify war. They seem to think that a strong military is dependant on this or the country will not be able to field a strong army. IMO conviction and patriotism both stem from just wars not glorified wars.

[Erika]

4. What a touching post.

Thanks.

[still_one]

5. To keep myself in perspective, this represents a commander

from the American Legion, NOT everyone in the American Legion or VFW

It is funny, because McCain is jumping on this bandwagon also

Why is that funny, is because McCain HAS NO CHARACTER. After the 2000 primary, when bush and company insulted his wife, and used the race card against him, he now aligns himself with them

Funny that many don't remember that McCain also voted against making Martin Luther King day a national holiday, and the wonderful involvement he had in the S&L crisis

Because he was a POW, doesn't make him compentent

[whirlygigspin]

8. long bad history there...

The American legion has a long history of support of facsism

including a campaign for the internment of Japanese in WWII

William Doyle - Former state commander of the American Legion and a central plotter of the coup TO OVERTHROW ROOSEVELT

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article13844.htm
(video link)

In a interview in January 1923, Commander-in-Chief Alvin Owsley of the American Legion not only endorsed Mussolini and Fascism, but announced his readiness to do what the Duce did, that is, upset the democratic form of government, establish a reign of terror, maintain a dictatorship where the masses of people are deprived of all civil rights.
"If ever needed," he said, "the American Legion stands ready to protect our country's institutions and ideals as the Fascisti dealt with the destructionists who menaced Italy."

Asked whether that meant taking over the government, he replied:

"Exactly that...Do not forget that the Fascisti are to Italy what the American Legion is to the United States."

http://www.dkosopedia.com/wiki/American_Legion

[saigon68]

17. McCain was in the Hanoi Hilton Too Long

Not only was he a coward when Bush attacked him, the man is a total opportunist

Look at this photo of him hugging his mentor (That's the CHIMPANZEE)

[Haole Girl]

38. Agreed.

And, please keep this photo for 2008 so the Dems can use it in their print ads! :hi:

[maxrandb]

34. What's even worse, and so far not covered in the MSM

is that McMain was demanding an apology from Kerry at the same time he was campaigning against a double amputee from the Iraq War!!!!!

Yes America, John McCain took time out from campaigning agaist Tammy Duckworth to demand an apology from Kerry.

[TankLV]

44. In fact, BECAUSE he was a POW - makes him SUSPECT.

who knew something bush* said about him would turn out to be CORRECT!

[pnorman]

6. The Canoneers are no doubt "well educated" .

But it was the Cannon-fodder (from the Ghetto-Draft and the Rustbelt-Draft) that Kerry was referring to.

pnorman

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. Yet, it's still okay for Bush

to say the troops who have given their lives for his War for Oil are just commas?

[Rageneau]

9. The American Legion should demand an apology from the American Legion.

It is shameful for the Legion to criticize an established war hero like Kerry for the sole purpose of promoting a draft dodger like Bush.

And equally shameful to manufacture mock outrage in order to justify such despicable behavior.

[TankLV]

46. My father and uncle and now my partner refused to join the AL and the VFW

for just because of their thinking like this.

A bunch of repuke nut jobs all...

WORTHLESS organizations that do a DISSERVICE to all current and former service members...

[SKKY]

10. As a member of the armed forces who's currently serving...

...I will only say that, I did not take his comments to mean that all military service members are uneducated. He said, "...or you'll get stuck in Iraq." He did not say, "...or you'll have to join the military and get sent to Iraq." However, I think even the most patriotic service member would have to recognize the fact that a good number of people in the military are there because it was their last or only option. I've even served with people who were given the choice of military service or jail time by a judge. It's a fact of life. What disturbs me the most about this is that, after the lessons of 2004, Kerry seems to be making the same mistakes. It almost as though he has Mary Beth Cahill working for him again, to which I can only say:

:wtf:

[whirlygigspin]

11. send him an email

demand he oppoligize for slurring a combat veteran

National Commander
Paul A. Morin
National Commander
The American Legion
2006 - 2007

E-Mail:[e-mail]

http://www.legion.org/?section=our_legion&subsection=ol_ntlcommander&content=ol_ntlcommander

[DeepModem Mom]

12. Thanks for posting, and thanks for your service.

[luckyleftyme2]

15. WHERE OR WHEN DID THE AMERICAN LEGION DO THIS

I must've missed this on my tv. The sad fact is it always has been the less fortunate that reach the battle field. It use to be possible to buy your way out of harms way legally.
Now if your over 50 you can remember the local banker,realestate,police chief and politican's son
went to college or got a deferment or joined a guard outfit during the viet nam crisis.
GO sit in a v.a. parking lot,does it look like the wealthy going in for health care.
ALL THIS HOOPLA IS TO DISTRACT YOU SO THE SLIME CAN STAY IN POWER!
WELL NOT THIS TIME-AND HOPEFULLY NEVER AGAIN!
VOTE OUT INCOMPETENCE-VOTE OUT CORRUPTION-VOTE OUT MIS-INFORMATION!
VOTE DEMOCRAT! RALLY ROUND THE FLAG BOYS -SHE'S IN DIRE TROUBLE!

[tkmorris]

13. Fired off an email to him too

Been doing a lot of that today. Here's his:

Are you somehow the last person in America to know that Kerry's comments were directed at BUSH, not the troops in Iraq or elsewhere?

Kerry has said the exact same thing, repeatedly, in several campaign stops, and it has always been a jibe directed at Bush. The only difference on Monday was that Kerry stumbled through the line and left out a word. If that was a crime Bush would be serving approximately 700 consecutive life sentences by now. Viewed in context it is clear that the line was given within a litany of one liners, all critical of Bush and the Republicans.

Everyone knows by now, even those who had never heard Kerry use this line before, that this was a simple mis-speak. Kerry was not in fact insulting the intelligence of the troops. There are of course those who will continue to try to paint his comments in a bad light, because this is an election season and that is exactly the sort of smear that Republicans love so much. You however are not supposed to be a partisan. You are an advocate for America's veterans, of which I am one. Using your position to practice politics, particularly in something less than an honest fashion, should be beneath you sir.

I doubt he'll ever see it, but it's good for my blood pressure. Here's his addy, have a ball. [e-mail]

[brentspeak]

23. That's a good letter

Thanks for the email address, too.

[izzie]

14. The 'flag' people just love this. I wonder why he should?

--

[MrScorpio]

16. They're selling wolftickets

Bush enablers yapping

[HughBeaumont]

18. Here's your apology, you fascist enabling Swiftboating TOADS!

[dbt]

20. Hooray for the leadership of the American Legion!

They're as relevant now as they were during the First Viet Nam.

:rofl:
dbt
Remember New Orleans

[Crunchy Frog]

21. Did George W. Bush ever apologize

for inviting Iraqi insurgents to attack and kill our troops? Did the Commander of the American Legion ever ask him to? For that matter, did the American Legion ever ask Bush and the Republican party to apologize for mocking wounded American Veterans at their convention by wearing purple bandaids?

Our Democratic leadership should be out there demanding apologies for these outrages, on behalf of the American soldiers and veterans. All of our leaders should hit on this at every press conference. They should be demanding that the American Legion either declare itself as a partisan organization, or that it should demand apologies from Bush and the Republicans, and stop deliberately misinterpreting and misrepresenting statements by Democrats.

[Rebellious Republican]

22. The American Legion should apologize to Veterans.......

They do nothing to support veterans health care, veterans rights, combat veterans equipment needs in combat. They are just a money sponge for the advancement of propaganda by chicken shit chicken hawks!

[Algorem]

25. American Legion's really falling off their barstools over this one?

[libertad]

26. my thoughts exactly n/t

[htuttle]

27. The American Legion was founded by traitors and fascists

Fuck the strikebreaking sons of bitches.

[krispos42]

28. I sent my email. Here it is:

Dear Mr. Morin,

I apologize for not knowing the rank you retired from the Army with and thus not being able to address you properly. Your biography on the Legion's website does not mention it, and there is as of yet no Wikipedia article on you.

I am writing to take issue with your demand that Senator John Kerry apologize. I think maybe is time to put down the White House talking points and turn off Rush Limbaugh for a minute. They will both rot your brain, as evidenced by the fact that Limbaugh fans call themselves "dittoheads", eagerly submitting to unquestioning agreement and groupthink.

If you had seen and heard the comment prior to the now-famous quote that (decorated combat veteran) Sentator John Kerry said, you would have noticed that :

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

flowed in a fairly consistant manner with the prior comment which was, incidently, about Bush, so that it's pretty clear who the last "you" refers to. You can hear people in the audience laughing and chuckling, not screaming in terror at being sent overseas. Remember Bush's gaff a few years ago when he said "We will not have an all-volunteer army" instead of "We will not have a draft" and the audience of Bush supporters just kind of froze? That didn't happen here, just a few giggles. Some poking around on CNN or www.crooksandliars.com should turn it up in its entirety

Taken strictly out of context, thinking it is talking about the troops is just simplistic. The soldiers are not 'stuck' in Iraq, they have been 'sent' there. Due to a variety of reasons, Bush and our nation are 'stuck' in Iraq, but our soldiers are not.

Furthermore, unlike Vietnam, there is (as of yet) no draft. It is my understanding that during Vietnam the draft system absorbed a disproportionate amount of the less-educated and less-monied. While the if-you-don't-study-you'll-get-sent-to-Iraq argument might be valid if there was a draft, there isn't one. The argument dead-ends there.

If it helps, you can mentally add "just like Bush has" after the word "Iraq".

It was intended as a light verbal jab at Bush, such is the case in politics, and is in fact much nicer than the "Defeat-o-crat" label that gets thrown around quite a bit. But there is a saying about jokes that if you have to explain it, it wasn't funny, and that was certainly the case here. It was written better than it was said.

Something like this happened about ten years ago. Clinton's Heath and Human Sevices Secretary Donna Shalala said "We sent not the best and brightest's sons to Vietnam. We sent men from small towns and rural areas, we sent kids from the neighborhoods I grew up in, and we exempted the children of the wealthy and of the privileged and is tore this country apart and we must never do that again."

This was mistakenly interpreted by several talk-show hosts as meaning "The best and brightest sons didn't go to Vietnam.", i.e., the stupid poor ones went over. Oliver North, G. Gordan Liddy, and Rush Limbaugh took umbrage at this; however after the quote was replayed, North and Liddy both agreed that there had been a misunderstanding and made public corrections immediately. Limbaugh, however, refused to correct himself, and one of his stafferes said about Shalala's misquoting "That's her problem".

Two months later, the Limbaugh Letter had Rush's take on it. See if you find the missing apostophe and letter 's':

"'We sent not the best and brightest sons sons to Vietnam.' This is the declaration on CNN's 'Capitol Gang' by Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala.... My friends, there is no better demonstration of the liberal view of the country than this. Ordinary American kids who fought and bled and died in Southeast Asia- or their parents- were too stupid to know any better. These were not the talented ones, the ones with great promise, the future national leaders, the coming movers and shakers. These were the mere working class, the patsies, the chumps, the losers."

That " 's " missing in the 7th word makse a hell of difference, huh? Especially since "The Best and the Brightest" is a 1972 account by David Halberstam about the origins and players of the Vietnam war, not about the infantry in the field, and Shalala was noting that the ones bleeding in Southeast Asia were not the children of those doing the sending.

People like Bush, the right-wing radio hosts, and various other conservative figures find is very useful to take the most politically advantageous spin on a quote or paraphrase and play it ad nauseum while not admit there are any other possible, plausable interpretations. Taking out of context is even better. They also enjoy omitting vital words in an argument, like Tom Sorwell of the National Review. He states:

"As regards the war on terrorism and the terrorists’ war against the west, Nancy Pelosi has opposed having international phone calls to and from terrorists monitored by American intelligence agencies."

Funny how he fails to mention "without a warrant", isn't it?

Well, I have taken up enough of your valuable time. Legion business is even more important now, with all of the new combat veterans being minted every day.

Take care of them. They deserve it.

Sincerely,

<name, city, state>

================
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated; and no Warrants shall issue but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized."
-The 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Si Hoc Legere Scis, Nimium Eruditionis Habes

Okay, there are a couple of misspellings and typos, so don't razz me about it! :-) I kept them in there for integrety's sake. This is the actual letter I sent him.

[Justice]

30. what an amazing letter - I have so much respect for you

it is really tremendous.

[krispos42]

41. Thank you very much

I tried to be rational about this. I figured simply calling him an idiot would be unfair, insulting to a veteran, and more likely to make him dig in his heels.

[Vidar]

51. Good letter. Well done.

[brentspeak]

29. Here's my letter:

Dear Cmdr. Morin,

It's distressing to read that you are accusing John Kerry of making "false and outrageous attacks" on our nation's troops. If you had bothered to pay attention to Sen.Kerry's response to the White House's accusation on the subject, you would have discovered that Sen.Kerry simply mis-spoke when delivering the punch-line to a joke he routinely uses when addressing audiences -- a joke that goes like this:

"I can't overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq." - Senator John Kerry

Notice the word "us"? A semi-humourous dig at President Bush that Sen.Kerry likes to employ when speaking in public turned into an inadvertant -- but unintentional -- slur against the troops. It goes no deeper than that.

So Sen.Kerry shouldn't consider a career as a stand-up comedian any time soon; professional stand-up comedians don't blow their own lines. But it's infuriating that you, Cmdr. Morin, would rush in front of the microphones and use your prominent public position to disseminate a patently untrue accusation against Sen. Kerry.

Sincerly,

[Justice]

31. great letter

[tabasco]

32. The American Legion does not speak for this veteran!

Maybe if the Legion starts worrying about veterans instead of republican politics, I will join again.

I don't see that happening.

[Toots]

33. Yep the military is just filled with college graduates all right..

American Legion talks out it's ass.

[confludemocrat]

35. Notice the total absence of Kerry operatives, lest threads like this stay kicked?

Won't work. Kerry trying to be clever and not being forthright about how Bush has created a nation where there are no educational opportunities and so many have to join the military and then get sent to fiascos also created by Bush like Iraq, walks into this. Stupid, stupid.
Now don't compound it by apologizing, but do explain your remarks JK. And why attack the Press Secy only when his boss also attacked you. Sheez what a loser attitude.

[spooked]

36. Kerry SHOULD apologize...for FLUBBING his Lines!

But now they have an "reason" to point to explain their "win" when they STEAL the Election next Tuesday!

[Haole Girl]

37. The American "Lesions"?

They are a bunch of grown men, still reminiscing about when they were 18 years old, who have never had an identity other than fighting wars. They promote hatred and further wars. And, personally, I think it is sad that they can't go on with their lives and think about anything other than killing. The "Lesions" are pitiful, if you ask me. They are, as a group & individually, just an open sore.

[Politicub]

39. Thanks, John Kerry

I loved that you opened this dialogue.

No retreat, no surrender!!

[Joey Liberal]

42. Screw the American Legion

The American Legion supports a man that went AWOL during the Vietnam War? They are jerks.

[stepnw1f]

43. Now You Know Whose Side They are On....

Pay attention yall... many snakes in this river we all wade in.

[The Stranger]

45. The Stranger to the American Legion: Go fuck yourself.

[Name removed]

47. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[wisteria]

52. I am surprised that the American Legion would not check the facts

first before going after one of their own. They owe Kerry an apology.

The way they reacted and reinforced this smear layed out by this administration I have to question their integrity.

[BigDDem]

53. Side with the chickenhawk, bash the war hero

Fuck off American Legion.