Kerry Blasts Bush Over Attacks on Record

[kskiska]

ATLANTA - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) accused President Bush (news - web sites) on Saturday of using surrogates to attack his military service in Vietnam and his subsequent activism against that war.

In a letter to Bush, Kerry wrote: "As you well know, Vietnam was a very difficult and painful period in our nation's history, and the struggle for our veterans continues. So, it has been hard to believe that you would choose to reopen these wounds for your personal political gain. But, that is what you have chosen to do."

Kerry was reacting to criticism earlier in the day from a leading Georgia Republican who, speaking for Bush's re-election campaign, predicted trouble for Kerry in the state's primary.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss said during a conference call arranged by the Bush campaign that Kerry has a "32-year history of voting to cut defense programs and cut defense systems."

When Kerry responded later, at his side was Max Cleland, a triple-amputee Vietnam veteran who lost his Senate seat to Chambliss in 2002 after being portrayed as soft on homeland security.

He said the president "decided once again to take the low road of American politics."

more…
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=694&u=/ap/kerry&printer=1

[loudsue]

1. Huh??

"He said the president "decided once again to take the low road of American politics."

Bush didn't "take the low road of American politics".

Bush

IS

THE LOW ROAD OF AMERICAN POLITICS"!!!

:kick:

[Thrill]

2. Is this a joke

Is that true about Zell Miller? Its a disgrace that he is backing Bush. Will this guy just switch parties already. What exactly makes him a Democrat?

[drthais]

3. not Zell Miller...

I think he said
Saxby Chambliss

a fine southern name
for someone's next short story, by the way

[MO_Dem]

4. Smart move!

Bush is dissing a US veteran! And that after he got all testy on MTP warning Dems not to disparage the National Guard.

[24HRrnr]

10. Actually,

if you read the quote, the repug was dissing a congressman/senator. If Kerry has voted against all those weapons systems, he is going to have a big problem demonstrating his national defences credentials. The fact that he has the charisma of a corpse doesn't help.

Go Edwards!!! We need a "Happy Warrior!"

[feistydem]

11. I don't think even your candidate, John Edwards, would say anything

as inflammatory as you have about Kerry. Edwards would jump up (and has) to defend his Dem opponent against stupid attacks like this --and by the same jackass, Saxby Chambliss, who excoriated Max Cleland for protesting Vietnam after losing 3 limbs on the battlefield.

[lebkuchen]

12. The GOPpers voted for Bush on charisma, and look what they ended up w/

a manufactured paper-mache head with an attention-span to match his poll numbers...*short-lived*...swept in on a king tide of treacherous oysters and people-eating octopuses.

I'll take a high IQ any day over the GOP's definition of "character" and "charisma."

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. I can think of another man who became president who was accused of...

...having the charisma of a corpse...Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln also questioned wasteful spending on the military, particularly on Union generals who failed to take the initiative during the Civil War.

The weapon systems to which Chambliss is referring are systems that have cost huge amounts of money and have done very little to aid America's defense. Additionally, every dollar spent on Defense boondoggles like Star Wars, is a dollar taken away from badly needed social programs.

[fearnobush]

15. Your Man is Bush.

It won't work. Go back to Rove. ABB is stronger.

[molly]

16. We need foreign policy EXPERIENCE

I like Edwards and would happily support him if he ends up the nominee.

[WyLoochka]

18. Not if there is an effective response

Many weapons systems have, for years, been pushed by the industrial part of the MIC, even against the wishes of the military. Many are designed primarily for profits and not truly needed for defense and are thus wasteful of taxpayer dollars.

Buying into the line that senators and congresspeople have to roll over and rubber stamp every defense system that is put in front of them is buying into the PNAC-MIC War Party's line.

Buying into the line that voting against wasteful defense systems is the kiss of death in an election, is also buying into the War Party's line.

Oh, "so and so can never win another election - he - gasp - voted against wasteful MIC spending. Eisenhower may be cheering him from his grave - but Ike was a closet commie and a big mistake for the GOP."

[24HRrnr]

21. I agree but he doesn't help himself when

he clobbers himself instead of bush. Sometimes the best defense is to just shut up. he can't do that so he'll continue to step in it, one aged foot at a time.

"Kerry has walked away from some of his 1984 campaign proposals to cancel weapons systems that have become central to the U.S. military arsenal unleashed on Afghanistan and Iraq while defending his overall record as a senator. Kerry told the Boston Globe earlier this year some of the proposed cancellations were "ill-advised" and "stupid," blaming his inexperience as a candidate and a campaign that drove him to the left politically. "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22260-2004Feb7.html

And you can't say this is old news. Vietnam is old news and Kerry can't get out of the past.

Edwards is at least using here and now as his starting point, not 30 years ago, a period a bunch of overweight boomers probably should let go of.

[mazzarro]

22. "Sometimes the best defense is to just shut up...."?

Yea right! Al Gore did that in 2000 and look what that got us - the lying, bumbling, daftly * almighty!

[diamond14]

5. Chambliss is "a mackerel in the moonlight that both shines and stinks"

thanks Max....for a GREAT analogy.....

we LOVE you Max....

[Thrill]

6. In the article it says

"Kerry has gotten the endorsement of John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Georgia's longest-serving congressman. But Sen. Zell Miller, D-Ga., is backing Bush"



What Kerry needs is an endorsement by John McCain

[Leilani]

7. Effective strategy by Kerry!

Don't let them get away with anything!!!

[saigon68]

8. Hold their hands in the fire and kick em in the ass

Chambliss and CHIMANZEE McSHRUB 2 HUGE Cowardly Chicken-Hawks.

The gall to send (Trick Knee deferred Saxby) to lecture America about Courage and Honor..

Chambliss is worse than a rotten stinky fish- he is the sludge from the slurry pit.

[KayLaw]

19. Right

Bush always stays out of frays by letting others do his dirty work for him. He's like the Mafia Don whose hands never get dirty and Kerry is having none of it.

[Democat]

9. John Kerry is fighting back, that's what we've all be hoping for!

Even if you don't like every vote he's ever made, he's willing to fight Bush!

[lebkuchen]

13. Americans supposedly like Bush because they think he "kicks ass"

against "the evil doers" by invading another countries (for no damn good reason).

Kerry can borrow that "ass-kicking" ploy and redirect it to stomp on every chicken-shit hawk that gets in his way. It's a proven tactic, has people-appeal and will get votes, not to mention, Bush deserves to get stomped on. He's asking for it.

[saigon68]

17. Don't forget evil Cheney

He and Wolf Man are the 2 biggest Chicken Hawks

[demoman123]

23. But this is a very classy response.

Kerry is now getting top notch advice.

[Jackpine Radical]

20. That's Saxby SHAMELESS. Get it right, people.

[JoFerret]

24. I loved Max Cleland

saying that Chambliss was like a mackerel in the moonlight - it shines, it stinks.