Doubt over war record used to wound Kerry

[T_i_B]

More RW spin from the Murdoch owned UK Sunday Times. Make of this what you will.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1010225,00.html

VIETNAM has been the defining issue for John Kerry. His status as a much-decorated war hero has helped to propel him to the top of the pack of Democrat candidates for president. Conservative critics believe he has been given a free ride for too long on his war record, however, and are planning a fightback.

Support for their case is expected to come from a book to be published next month by reporters from The Boston Globe in the senator’s home state of Massachusetts. The book, J F Kerry, the Complete Biography, will question the extent of the senator’s injuries in Vietnam and whether he was entitled to an early release from the war. Vietnam, The Washington Post said yesterday, “is a double-edged issue” for Kerry.

Kerry has not authorised the release of his war records — a strange omission, say his political foes, given the ferocity with which his supporters have demanded to see every last document of President George W Bush’s military service in the Texas air national guard.

“Vietnam is such a crucial part of his background and his campaign, you would think he would want people to see them,” said Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, a conservative journal. “There is going to be pressure on him to release them.”

[maddezmom]

1. JMO, but this is a losing issue for the chickenhawks n/t

[smaug]

3. Oh, this will be good (long screed!)

Speaking as a veteran myself, it appears that the chicken hawks have not discovered that this is VERY much a losing proposition for them.

I've already had someone tell me that Kerry *only* spent about five and half months in 'Ve-et nom' -- I blew up all over the little brat (about 20 years old :D) and explained, extremely profanely AND loudly, the realities of life in Viet Nam to the little turd.

Being in a public place, we had an audience :D, and several older people, both male and female, chimed in, excoriating this young man (not the reaction I think he expected :D. Being in the southern US (Arkansas) the veteran population in this area is rather disproportionate to the rest of the US. I recommended that the mouthy brat go sign up immediately at the US Army recruiter one block over, and go directly to the infantry to learn -- someone with the neocon mentality so young, parroting that trashy rhetoric, AND not serving their country, just pisses me off.

This book will be a serious backfire. I'm not even a Kerry supporter (my candidate was General Clark - hey, I'm from Arkansas!) but this sort of thing will not play well among veterans and their kin. We are beginning to make our voice heard, and to the terror of the Bushevik regime (surprise!) many of us are . . . Democrats!

I have a nephew shipping over with the 39th Brigade, Arkansas National Guard. I'm very worried about him; he's a good man, but he knows that they are not really prepared for what they are about to receive. I think the Army did his company a service: veterans of the current conflict met with them and detailed what they will be facing. He came home Christmas, and told me that everything I had talked to him about man-to-man was right . . . and he was much sobered by the experience. That's why trash like this is unsustainable for the right wing; they are getting exposed for the cowards they are.


I had better stop; the froth on the monitor and keyboard are getting thick :-).

[LuLu550]

5. Hi, fellow Clarkie!

:hi:
When you have Ann Coulter disparaging Max Cleland by telling her listeners he lost his limbs "going into a bar" and basically saying he was too stupid not to pick up a grenade, you know how low the neo-cons will go in trying to make our guys look bad.

[madrchsod]

2. he doesn`t have to

anyone can get them the same way people got bushes..freedom of information act. another non-issue by the right wing morans

[bushisanidiot]

4. Yes, stupid little freepers.. keep talking about Kerry in Vietnam

he only got shot 3 times in combat in Vietnam and because of this was automatically qualified to leave Vietnam, compared to president AWOL who left his service agreement (which never put him in harm's way and never left the U.S.) early because... why? oh, yeah he wanted to help on a campaign or something. Yeah, please point out the difference between the 2 candidates for me one more time.

[LuLu550]

6. they also are not saying

he left VietNam early on his SECOND tour of duty!

[Rowsdower]

8. 1 tour of duty

Kerry's first "tour" was spent on a ship, far from land. It was his "second" tour where he went out on the swift boat. It's scary that someone who supports Edwards knows more about Kerry than some of the Kerry supporters on here.

[Rowsdower]

7. Kerry never got shot

None of his wounds were from gunfire. You should probably learn more about the candidate that you are planning to support.