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Politics : Don't Blame Me, I Voted For Kerry -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: stockman_scott who wrote (10037)	3/26/2004 10:53:45 AM
From: Venkie	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 81568

Here's the bottom line for me...I am a republican and support Bush 100%Kerry is wishy washy and makes him look foolish.Everyone has their opinions<g<.

To: stockman_scott who wrote (10037)	3/26/2004 12:18:50 PM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 81568

-Deleted-Duplicate

To: stockman_scott who wrote (10037)	3/26/2004 12:19:21 PM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 81568

-Deleted-Duplicate

To: stockman_scott who wrote (10037)	3/26/2004 12:19:40 PM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 81568

An Open Letter to John Kerry By Larry Purdy FrontPageMagazine.com \| March 26, 2004 Benedict Arnold was a war hero, wounded in battle---before he turned against his country. Hitler was likewise a decorated and wounded veteran of the First World War. Being a war hero is not a lifetime . . . exempt[ion] . . . from responsibility for what you do thereafter. -- Thomas Sowell. [1] Not that long ago you wrote a letter to President Bush in which you accused him of reopening the wounds of the Vietnam war for “personal political gain.” Putting aside the stunning hypocrisy of your claim in view of your own nonstop references to your service in that conflict, culminating in your most recent campaign advertisement, please allow me to respond. As a former naval officer who also served in Vietnam, I had thought that tragic war was behind us. I assumed you, too, had put Vietnam behind us. But it has been you---not the President---who has made Vietnam an issue. Speaking personally, I feel you have every right to do so. Let me begin by saying that during my entire twelve month tour supporting the swift boat division in which you served in An Thoi, as well as the Seawolves (Navy attack helicopters), Strike Attack Boats (STABs) and SEALs in My Tho and Dong Tam, I never once heard reports about, much less witnessed, the sorts of atrocities you have accused American servicemen of committing. What I witnessed were young men, often frightened at the prospect of operating in areas largely controlled by the enemy, who did their jobs as skillfully and honorably as they knew how. While I do not presume to speak for them, and obviously I cannot speak for you, I did not know a single person in Vietnam who did any of the things you described. frontpagemag.com

To: stockman_scott who wrote (10037)	3/26/2004 12:27:14 PM
From: JakeStraw	Respond to of 81568

John Kerry sacrifices national interest for personal gain By JOHN FERLINS THE HONOR and valor with which John Kerry once served his country appear to have ended about the same time as his Vietnam service. Since then, our former war hero has aggressively pursued his personal ambitions at the expense of the national interest, using slander, fraud and hypocrisy to support his own political objectives. Kerry’s opportunism knew no bounds when he initially entered the political arena around 1970, nor has integrity been a barrier in more recent days. Kerry certainly had the right to protest the Vietnam War, but he stepped way over the line with his infamous April 1971 testimony before Congress. Wearing his old uniform, complete with combat decorations, the former Lt. Kerry eloquently accused our armed forces of committing unparalleled, widespread wartime atrocities on a “day by day basis.” While isolated cases of war crimes did occur, Kerry exaggerated these instances and negatively characterized our fighting men to the point of fiction, even lies, Naval War College Prof. Mackubin Thomas Owens reported in January. A successful political career was launched by slandering the vast majority of veterans who fought with dignity and restraint. The rest of the world was listening, too. Kerry’s congressional testimony of April 1971, repeated by news outlets throughout the world, dealt a blow to American prestige and gave heart to our enemies. Hanoi was awarded a huge propaganda victory, as were other U.S. adversaries around the globe. It was a vivid demonstration of one man’s personal ambition over the greater national interest. We have witnessed strong marketing of Sen. Kerry’s Vietnam War record to recreate the hero image. In the spirit of full disclosure, a quote from the 1985 memoirs of former North Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap should be added. The former top commander wrote that North Vietnam would have eventually surrendered had it not been for American protest groups, specifically naming John Kerry’s group, Vietnam Veterans Against the War. That was then, but once again we are a nation at war, and once again Kerry’s rhetoric is on a path that demoralizes our troops, tarnishes our national image, and emboldens those who wish to destroy us. Imagine being an American serviceman fighting in Iraq and hearing Sen. Kerry blast the Bush administration for not providing them with the best possible body armor. Not only was the accusation itself a far-fetched fraud, but the “veteran’s veteran” Kerry voted against the $87 billion to continue funding the war effort, which included state-of-the-art body protection and pay increases for our men and women fighting in Iraq. Despite voting in support of the Iraq war, Sen. Kerry has aligned himself with the likes of France, Germany and Russia, all of whom tried to place the U.S. under constraints via the United Nations. Sen. Kerry’s cry to “internationalize” the war effort is a cry for Americans to obtain outside approvals before we defend ourselves. The U.N. has repeatedly shown its indifference to America’s plight as the primary target of the Islamic terrorists. By contrast, some of the U.N.’s most powerful members, supposedly our allies, have remained committed to protecting their financial interests in Iraq. Critics of U.S. “unilateralism,” including Sen. Kerry, might soften their stance if they considered the implications of the $10 billion scandal which recently erupted within the U.N. Oil for Food program. Last month’s events in Spain, and the looming threat of our coalition unraveling, were body blows at the U.S., which cried out for bipartisan defense of U.S. interests. Sen. Kerry’s priorities were different, as he seized the opportunity to enhance his personal electoral prospects. America will always be besieged by those who envy or dislike us simply because we are the world’s super power. We can differ over how we respond to threats, but as was well stated by President Bush, we will not and cannot seek a “permission slip to defend ourselves.” Stay the course, Mr. President. John Ferlins served with the U.S. Marine Corps theunionleader.com