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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LindyBill who wrote (77710)	10/15/2004 4:59:09 AM
From: LindyBill	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793838

Vodkapundit - Mail Bag Posted by Stephen Green · 14 October 2004 Bill writes: I’m an Army battalion commander currently serving in the heart of Baghdad. Its difficult for me to express how important this election is to those of us currently in harm’s way. First, let me say that my brigade combat team has been here 9 months. In this time, we have lost over 20 soldiers and had over 200 seriously wounded. Yet, in my battalion alone I have reenlisted over 100 soldiers. I have less than 20 soldiers a day go on sick call out of over 800. Amazing when you consider the oppressive heat during the summer. I tell you this because our soldiers know they are making a difference, and absolutely believe in this mission. We don’t give a rat’s ass about WMDs and know we are not fighting for oil. Truly, first and foremost we believe that we are defending America by attacking the enemy on his turf. For God’s sake what do people think the likes of Zarqawi/OBL would be doing if they were not on the run trying to prevent us from establishing modern states in the Islamist world? There is no safe haven! This is only true because the US Army and Marine Corps is in his back yard. Also, we are providing hope for people who have been brutally oppressed for a generation. What an insult to tell those of us who know, and are doing the fighting and dying, that this is the “wrong war, wrong time, wrong place”. Imagine the effect on our military if we have a commander in chief that believes our brothers and sisters have died in vain. Like you I am more liberal than the President on most social issues, but these issues can wait, and probably will seem irrelevant if a nuclear devise is exploded in NYC, or we experience a couple of Breslan’s in the United States. I beg, plead that my friend’s on the left or undecided, cast there ballot for the President this election, on only one issue, the war on terrorism. Ask yourself what does Ed Koch, an east coast liberal Jew, know that I don’t know. Sorry for the length, be proud of your military.

To: LindyBill who wrote (77710)	10/15/2004 10:24:28 AM
From: Mary Cluney	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 793838

In this show, they went to Vietnam and interviewed the Vietnamese in the village where John Kerry got his Silver Star. [That was the one where a rocket hit close to Kerry's boat and he supposedly attacked, beaching the boat, jumped out and killed the guy with the rocket launcher.] Roshomon Redux. 1) Now you have the Vietnamese version. In this one they name the boy that was killed. According to them this area was a VC strong hold - with weapons hidden that the Americans never found or even suspected were there. The Vietnamese who were there tell the story from each of their own perspectives - the details do not match up 100% - but do not contradict each other in any meaningful way. But, they did find the body and they knew the victim. They heard a lot of gunfire - but were not able to describe where the gunfire was coming from and who was doing the shooting. They did not provide an accurate timeline of gunfire. 2) There was an original version from Kerry and the men in his boat - their stories were consistent with each other. 3) There are several versions from John O'Neil and various Swift boat veterans - some of whom were on different boats in the same convoy. John O'Neil was not an actual eye witness. He is piecing together his charges from news accounts, John Kerry's own book, US Navy citation awarding John Kerry his Silver Star and other testimony to find contradictions. But here is what we know with absolute certainty. A) John Kerry was in command of one of the Swiftboats in the convoy taking part in a mission where hostile activity took place on that particular day and in that particular area. B) One victim was killed. A loaded weapon was retrieved. According to John O'Neill the victim was a frail, if not wounded, kid that was shot in the back. The Vietnamese that still live there now said the victim was a big (for a Vietnamese - I assume) 26 year old regular soldier with the VC army. C) A lot of gunfire took place - but the time line of the gunfire can not be verified. What we don't have is forensic evidence that proves that John Kerry earned his medal in accordance to the US Navy Citation awarding him the Silver Star. Now contrast this with George W Bush's service in the 6 months that he was assigned to the Alabama National Guards. This is what we know with absolute certainty. 1) George W. Bush at the end of his tour of duty received an honorable discharge. 2) George W. Bush produced pay stubs for his service during the period in question. What we don't have is forensic evidence that George W. Bush ever showed up for duty. Not one colleague that served with him during that period of time could vouch for having seen him there.