Kb (and thread), I respect your opinion, appreciate your decision to not take sides and, in general, agree with your position.
The problem is the Kerry camp has invited the inquiry into his record in Vietnam and the challenge has been met.
The qualifications and funding of the challengers of that record is of secondary importance to the facts regarding his service and his fitness to lead today, imo.
Lt. Kerry chose to run on his military record as proof of his fitness to be Commander-in-Chief. He clearly chose to not run on his very liberal Senate record as evidenced by his performance at the DNC.
Appropriately and to its credit, the Bush camp has attacked his Senate voting record (or absence thereof) and, in particular, Kerry's flip-flopping on supporting the War in Iraq. The argument made by McCain and the democrats that President Bush should personally denounce those responding to an invitation to challenge is as big of a red herring and just as specious as Kerry's record in RVN.
While I agree with you that the Kerry's Vietnam service record is a red herring, his lying about that record and his contemporaries (of thirty plus years ago) saying he is unfit to command deserves attention.
Since Kerry chose to lead with a glass jaw, both he and his seconds can't fault his opponents for taking a swing at it, imo, irrespective of how "hamhanded" it appears for them for having done so.
Best,
G |
