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Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: redfish who wrote (605477)	8/18/2004 1:15:55 PM
From: Andrew N. Cothran	Respond to of 769670

KERRY WINS NEW HAMPSHIRE, GREETS EMOTIONAL VIETNAM MEDALS ISSUE WITH LONG FACE 01/28/04 MANCHESTER, New Hampshire Decorated Vietnam veteran and Massachusetts Senator John Kerry laid claim to frontrunner status among Democrat presidential hopefuls yesterday by winning the New Hampshire primary, but he now finds himself the target of withering attacks from all sides. Much of the fire Kerry is coming under is relatively friendly, lobbed his way by fellow Democrats. Some is not so friendly, coming from Republican operatives and radio talk show hosts. Surprisingly, some of the heaviest flak is coming not from politicians, but from fellow Vietnam vets who are still angry over Kerry's staunch opposition to the war upon his return stateside. One act in particular has many vets screaming, "foul." In 1971, Kerry, winner of the Bronze Star, the Silver Star, and three Purple Hearts, took part in a demonstration by throwing a handful of medals and ribbons over a fence in front of the Capitol building. The idea, according to protest leader Kerry, was to symbolically "give the medals back to the military." (RealStory @ slate.com) The complaint of many angry veterans and veterans groups: Senator Kerry still has all five of his medals in his possession. He threw not his own medals, which he still possesses, but something else altogether, making his participation in the protest seem cynical at best. Our RealStupid Capitol Hill reporter met with the leader of one group of anti-Kerry vets late last night in a trailer forty-five minutes outside of Washington, DC. This is his abbreviated report, sent as a text message from his cell phone: A modest farmhouse in rural Halfway, Virginia. The plaintive sitar riffs of the Door's classic "The End" slither through galaxies of pungent smoke in the cramped, unlit office of Enlightened Vets Against Kerry (EVAK). A ceiling fan churns silently through the smoke, propeller-like. "Welcome to Saigon. Welcome to 1969," says a voice that seems to emanate from a glowing cigarette cherry in the corner. "Welcome to the end of John Kerry's presidential aspirations." The voice belongs to Willard Yossarian, the group's founder and most vocal member. "Smoke?" he asks. "Yeah sure, let me put down my cell phone," I reply. We have been unable to locate our RealStupid Capitol Hill reporter since that message was sent nearly twelve hours ago. (RealStory @ vetsagainstkerry.com) We have, however, received the following from Kerry campaign headquarters explaining why the Senator still possesses all five of his Vietnam medals: "The Senator felt passionately about the war. He deeply regrets that any fellow veterans may have been offended by his actions in protesting the war. (RealStory @ johnkerry.com) "He acknowledges that what he threw away in protest that difficult day in 1971 was not one nor all of his medals. "He does insist, however, that what he threw over that fence in front of the capitol building was a poignant symbol of his service overseas. "What Senator Kerry threw that day was not his Bronze Star, nor his Silver Star, nor any of his three Purple Hearts, but rather a Duncan Classic Throwmonkey yo-yo that he had carried throughout his tour in 'Nam. (RealStory @ yo-yo.com) "The yo-yo was very dear to Senator Kerry, who is an avid yo-yo enthusiast, and throwing it over the fence represented a sacrifice every bit as heartfelt and meaningful as any witnessed on that day. "It was really a special yo-yo, given to the senator by a wounded comrade during a poker game outside Da Nang. "That very yo-yo may even have saved his life once by deflecting a stray bullet accidentally shot by one of his soldiers while the Senator was performing the old 'Around the World' trick. "Besides, it was the only yo-yo he could really 'Walk the Dog' with." Asked later if the yo-yo just happened to be tied to the Senator's finger when he threw it over the fence, and whether Senator Kerry still possesses that particular Duncan Classic Throwmonkey in his extensive yo-yo collection, his campaign headquarters responded, "No comment." ©2004 RealStupidNews.com