NYT: Kerry Backs Off Statements on Vietnam War

[DeepModem Mom]

Kerry Backs Off Statements on Vietnam War
By JODI WILGOREN

Published: April 19, 2004


MIAMI, April 18 — Senator John Kerry on Sunday distanced himself from contentious statements he made three decades ago after returning from the Vietnam War, saying his long-ago use of the word "atrocities" to describe his and others' actions was inappropriate and "a little bit excessive."

"If you wanted to ask me, `Have you ever made mistakes in your life?' sure," Mr. Kerry, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, said in an hourlong interview on the NBC program "Meet the Press." "I think some of the language that I used was a language that reflected an anger."

The near-apology came after the host, Tim Russert, played videotape of Mr. Kerry, in 1971, acknowledging that he had participated in shooting in free-fire zones, burning villages and search-and-destroy missions. All those actions were "contrary to the laws of warfare" and the Geneva Conventions, he said then. Republicans have seized on those comments, and accusations about war crimes the young Mr. Kerry made in testimony before a Senate committee, to try to undercut his war credentials.

"The words were honest," Mr. Kerry said Sunday, "but on the other hand, they were a little bit over the top."

(The article continues reporting on the rest of Kerry's MTP appearance.)


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/19/politics/campaign/19KERR.html

[gottaB]

1. He said similar things re "genocide" in 2001

H said those were the words of an angry young man.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0402220494feb22,1,6840741.story?coll=chi-news-hed

http://hnn.us/articles/3552.html

[BayCityProgressive]

2. he gets less exciting by the day

[Jeezwhiz]

3. Kerry on Vietnam

I agree; angry words as a young man. Who cares what he said over 30 years ago? What matters is what he says right now. I like his message and think that he's right on course to get rid of Bushco.

[newyawker99]

43. Hi Jeezwhiz!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Kitsune]

4. I swear this guy WANTS to lose. *nt*

[TroglodyteScholar]

5. I was really disappointed in his performance on MTP

It was actually uncomfortable for me watching him respond to this issue. He ought to have reiterated that the atrocities he described were common and often the result of direct orders from commanding officers & others all the way to the top -- and THAT was what he had a problem with, and still does. Instead, he lost his spine and said "er well I was young and angry."

Jesus CHRIST, man, S T A N D U P.

[Spazito]

6. He did say that he stood by his statement re the atrocities...

pointing out that some may have been disproved but many others have been proven. I thought he did very well on Meet the Press, he acknowledged mistakes which put him head and shoulders above bush who can only ummmm and ahhhhh, hum and haw instead.

[tabasco]

7. In order to start turning this country around ...

Kerry has a thing called an election coming up. If he STOOD UP and called Vietnam vets war criminals, he would be handing millions of votes to Bush. Kerry had the moral courage to stand by his statements and say they were honest statements. He tried to take the edge off the statements by saying they were made in anger.

[belle]

40. I get why he did it, but it didn't come off well, to me.

also disappointed in a few other things in that interview, all of which i can justify as politically necessary, all of which produce a kind of heavy sinking feeling in my gut.

he does that kind of feint and dance and hedge thing which all or most politicians do, but it seemed so obvious to me. then again, as noted, compared to Bush...

sigh. oh well. obviously i'm voting for him etc. etc. i was genuinely liking him for a while there, hopefully he'll do something else pretty soon that'll make me warm toward him again. right now i'm feeling a bit chilled.

then again, of course, i go from that to the Bob Woodward thing where Bush all but has springs coming out of his head, and then i remember: "oh, yeah, Kerry is SANE. how refreshing!! vote for Kerry! all on board the Kerry train!"

[Jeezwhiz]

28. Kerry & Nam

Yeah, I don't get that either, I suppose it could come from one of his campaign advisors. He should drop the 'Nam stuff and focus totally on the Iraq fiasco. There's a bigger mess there than our "press" is letting on. Al Jazeera is more on the money with what's happening there. Bravo to Spain for getting out of there; now that is real courage.

[fedupwithbush]

8. How many of us have been angry and used inappropriate words?

Kerry spoke the truth. When you are "in the moment" and really angry words that are very strong come out of your mouth. In a debate setting with tempers in check, most are a lot more diplomatic. But people change. They have a right to. How many of us think the same way we did as teenagers? Experience and time SHOULD change your view. If they don't, then there is something seriously wrong with you. No one stays the same because of their life experiences.

[derby378]

9. For my money...

Kerry should keep up the pressure on the Vietnam War, but re-examining his earlier statements isn't such a bad thing. It's not as though he said My Lai never happened - if he did, we'd be all over him like a cheap suit.

[WilliamPitt]

10. It's over. We're doomed. I'm voting Bush.

[derby378]

11. Dude, April Fools' Day was three weeks ago... n/t

[Occulus]

18. ROFL

[Larkspur]

29. I hear Kucinich is still running his campaign

Maybe you could be his Press Secretary.

[gate of the sun]

37. funny.

but I guess you had no other response for Kerry's apparent inability to stand for anything. I don't know how doomed we are but to hear no news of Kerry's views I've learned is good news.

[wabeewoman]

12. The headlines are meant

to make him look like he is waffling but I watched MTP and I thought he did a good job answering the question. No way are we 'doomed'. Kerry looked 10 times as presidental as bush does, he was articulate if not 'exciting' (if people say he isn't exciting, I'm just saying well bush is exciting-you never know what he'll do-and I prefer Kerry, thank you), and will win in November. And he will make a great president if all he does is undo everything bush has done.

[gottaB]

13. You're so right about the headlines

Most reporting too.

I've long since learned to withhold judgement on Kerry's statements until I can see them verbatim and in context.

[KoKo]

14. No, he could have said it better. That he supported the troops and wanted

people to understand the hardships of war which he had seen with his own eyes, and that in any war there are atrocities and he would make sure that nothing like that ever happened again."

He knew he would be asked about all of his past statements about Vietnam, and to give such a weak backtracking answer left him open to criticism. He needs to sit down with his campaign advisors and find a way to positively deflect the criticisms without looking like he's "guilty" that he said the things he did when he was young. It makes him look foolish and he doesn't need the flak. He's a smart guy and won debating contests in high school and college. Either he's being poorly advised or needs a refresher in how to positively spin his past.

I think his campaign folks need to get on him about this. He's a better
speaker than he's coming off lately.

[sangh0]

33. You're worried about this now?

I thought you were busy worrying about Lieberman being Kerry's VP. Don't you think you deserve a rest?

[gate of the sun]

38. not to be rude

sanghO but you will deserve a big vacation......after trying so hard to defend Kerry. I hope you go to Hawaii or someplace really nice. I know that we need to defeat Bush....and we will ...I hope. but it's not going to be on kerry's merit. It will be because we hate bush.

[progressivebydesign]

15. Kerry = Bush lite!

Gosh, and to think we had a choice of some REALLY good candidates. We had Kerry shoved down our throats, instead. So electable... isn't that the mantra? What a disappointment.

[Lindacooks]

16. I'm more interested in present day comments

for instance, chimpy's 'something will pop into my head in a moment' vs. Senator Kerry's articulate, impassioned speeches that are UNscripted.

[belle]

41. There is that.

[Pastiche423]

17. Only little girls in leotards

should wear pink tutus.

I agree w/Kitsune. As every day goes by, it seems he wants to lose.

[Occulus]

19. It also seems a number of

high-post-count people on this thread want him to lose.

Why is that, I wonder?

[Pastiche423]

25. See my sig line

[sangh0]

32. All of a sudden, some people are suddenly consumed with the VietNam

issue... The day before, they were consumed by the Palestinian issue. The day before that, Iraq.

I wonder what we'll learn tomorrow.

[gate of the sun]

39. sanghO

ever day we are learning more and more about Kerry's position. Everyday you are learning how people feel about his remarks, I don't think anyone here is your enemy...but some of us, many of us, more and more each day are disappointed with what Kerry is saying. It really makes me sad. I'm not attacking you. I know you want what is best for all of us. It's just getting a bit hard for us to swallow so much.

[belle]

42. Oh, enough with the damn tutu talk, at least.

Spine != macho, okay? You want macho, go vote for the Cowboy GI Joe. Listen, if we had a President who actually wore tutus, he or she would be a hell of a lot gutsier and more interesting than anyone we've had in quite some time.

[underpants]

20. That is a completely misleading headline. It misses the zinger he got in

"If you wanted to ask me, `Have you ever made mistakes in your life?' sure,"

BAM! Take that I'm never wrong Bush

[bloom]

21. To hear how he is spinning his old remarks...

makes me wonder who all is behind all the pro-war crap.

Seems like most people around here think the pro-war crap is a product of the media spinning what this administration and the Neo-Cons want.

So I wonder - those of you who support Kerry's spin - what's the excuse?

[0007]

22. I sure wish we had Dean

Kerry is bending and I don't like what I hear.

[progressivebydesign]

23. You and me both! N/T

[Galley_Queen]

24. His Appearance at Pittsburgh University

I talked to a few students who travelled to see him in Pittsburgh. Both of these students were ABB but have come back saying they are now BIG Kerry supporters. They said his appearance was excellent.

I am still in the ABB camp, and really am not sure of my support of Kerry other than beating Bush. I'm uneasy but am really looking for a good reason to support him as opposed to just ABB.

I'm disappointed we have Kerry...I'm hoping his VP candidate will excite me and others, if nothing else.

[Boomer]

26. ABB is less and less appealing....

Too bad that honest, angry young man isn't in evidence any more -- he'd have my enthusiastic vote.

The older Kerry has my vote, too, so far. But it's not enthusiastic.

[NNN0LHI]

27. Bush starting to look better and better to you, is he? n/t

[moondust]

30. Angry words in angry times.

A whole lot of what was said and done in those days was "over the top", starting with the war itself.

[TEXASYANKEE]

31. So?

30+ years ago Kerry, freshly back from combat in Vietnam, made some statements. 30+ years ago GW Bush was snorting coke and drinking himself senseless. What are Kerry's statements an issue now, but Bush's antics are forevermore off-limits?

I watched his MTP interview yesterday and I was, again, impressed by Kerry's intelligence and quickness of thought. I loved that he spoke back a quote to Russert that he (Russert) had made to President Clinton regarding Social Security and Medicare. This man was informed, ready, and eloquent. I don't really give a rats ass what he said 30+ years ago.

[Malva Zebrina]

34. Something smells bad about this

to me.

Instead of cowering before these accusations and making excuses, Kerry should be challenging Bush's cowardly AWOL while he was in the guard.

He allowed Bush to back out of that unscathed while all he did was supply a paper that was purported to be a dental exam as proof he did NOT go AWOL

We are going to lose if this keeps up and stays on this track.

Kerry is as limp as an old dish rag.

He needs to hire someone with some energy and with some balls to take the initiative.

I would rather have lost with someone like Dean as our candidate who at least spoke out for us, than to lose with another spin doctor and inside the beltway politician, who is unwilling to take any risks for fear of losing his job.

Kerry is not willing to RISK anything. He reminds me of Lieberman who would not give up his senate seat when he was running with Gore showing how much confidence he had in Gore and in his own party.

They are all beginning to look like clowns.

[Lorien]

35. I agree, Marianne

with an election as important as this one , and with SO MUCH ammo to use against the opposition, it's as if Kerry WANTS to fail. It's extremely unnerving. I'll certainly send him money and work for his campaign, but to be honest, there's very little that I find inspiring about him. I certainly don't feel as if he's speaking for me as a democrat. I hope he really does turn things around, and doesn't follow the Daschel route to becoming another spine-free Dem who is constantly cheered on by the ever faithful who are CONVINCED that there's a solid plan behind those wishy-washy statements.Didn't work in 2002, won't work now.

[Pastiche423]

36. Ha!

I had forgotten waiting on "the plan" as we neared the mid-terms. We were assured that the Dems had something up their sleeves. Just you wait, you'll see, we heard.

I waited. I am still waiting.