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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 (22190)	5/13/2004 11:25:47 AM
From: American Spirit	Respond to of 81568

Kerry Blasts Veterans Health Care Cuts With Wes Clark Thu May 13, 8:08 AM ET By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) used a focus on veterans' health as a vehicle to tout his war-hero record, while prominent backers trotted out to disparage President Bush (news - web sites) for a far less heroic history. Kerry was wrapping up a four-day swing focusing on health care issues by talking about veterans issues, arguing that Bush has cut funding for Veterans Administration health programs and that's left hundreds of thousands of veterans without care. "The strength of this country comes from people like this who were willing to serve," said Kerry. "They deserve what their country promises them." From his arrival at a noisy airport rally, it was clear Kerry's campaign was drawing the clearest of differences between the history of the two candidates. Kerry was greeted by retired Gen. Wesley Clark (news - web sites), a former rival who set the tone. "Can you imagine having a president who actually answered the country's call and went to war when our country needed him as a young man?" asked Clark. Bush was a member of the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War (*and went awolbush.com), while Kerry earned a string of decorations commanding a swift boat in the Mekong Delta. Clark pointed to Bush's tenure running a professional baseball team as underscoring differences. "John Kerry when he was a young man, he could have had an easy life, he could have worn cowboy boots," said Clark. "He didn't manage a professional sports team using his daddy's name. John Kerry took tough assignments." In addition, Clark said, "He could have chosen an easy life; some people who went to Yale did," a reference to Bush also attended Yale. For his part, Kerry was basking in the backing of Clark, another war hero, and he trotted out Arkansas shipmates from his time in Vietnam. Fred Short, of West Little Rock, and Drew Whitlow, of Huntsville joined Kerry at his opening rally. "When we came together on that boat we came from different backgrounds, different beliefs, different religions, different parts of the country, we had different twangs in our voices," said Kerry. "We were all Americans on that boat." "On Tuesday, Senator Bob Dole and 49 Medal of Honor recipients endorsed President Bush because of his steady leadership and winning the war on terror," countered Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt. Kerry routinely argues that his military background has taught him the lessons needed to protect national security. "Great leaders of our party from Woodrow Wilson to Franklin Roosevelt to John Kennedy showed America the strength to fight the wars we needed to, but how to bring the world together to do the things we needed to do to avoid the war," said Kerry. "Some of us learned that lesson the hard way." Kerry also gave a nod to one of the state's native sons. "Thank you for being part of a great Democratic Party in the state of Arkansas that gave this country leadership over eight years that put America to work, grew our nation, made us stronger and when Bill Clinton (news - web sites) left office not one young American in uniform was dying in a war anywhere in this world," said Kerry. In yet another home-state focus, Kerry was praising Clark at his opening rally when someone in the crowd shouted "Make him vice president." "They told me down here in Arkansas you guys just lay it out, right there," Kerry chuckled.