Yeah, THIS is going to help him...

[Guest MikeSC]

NANTUCKET, Mass. (Reuters) - Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) hit back at Dick Cheney (news - web sites) on Thursday by raising the Republican's failure to serve in the Vietnam War and asking voters to weigh his two tours of duty against the vice president's five deferments.

 

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, bristled at Cheney's attack on his patriotism during the Republican National Convention in New York and his ability to serve as U.S. commander-in-chief.

 

"Here's my answer," the Massachusetts senator said in excerpts of remarks he will make at a midnight rally in Springfield, Ohio, shortly after President Bush (news - web sites) delivers his acceptance speech at the Republican convention.

 

"I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq (news - web sites)," he said.

 

Neither Bush, who served in the Texas Air national Guard, nor Cheney went to Vietnam. The vice president obtained five deferments and has since said he had "other priorities" at the time.

 

Kerry volunteered for two tours of duty and won three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star while serving on a gunboat in the Mekong Delta.

 

Kerry's political campaign has heavily emphasized his Vietnam record, but his critics say he served only four months in the country. They say he hardly discusses his record during 20 years in the U.S. Senate.

 

Kerry's decorations -- and his subsequent activism against the Vietnam war -- have been questioned in television ads by a group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The Bush campaign has denied any connection with the organization.

 

Cheney launched a withering attack on Kerry on Wednesday night at the convention, saying he had a "habit of indecision" that would jeopardize national security, that he failed to grasp the dangers of terrorism, refused to support U.S. troops on the battlefield in Iraq and voted outside the mainstream during his 20 years in the Senate.

 

"John Kerry says he sees two Americas," Cheney said, playing off the Democrat's contention that there is one America for the rich and another for everybody else. "It makes the whole thing mutual: America sees two John Kerrys."

 

Advisers have been urging Kerry, who has lost ground against Bush in recent polls, to show a more combative side.

 

"We all saw the anger and distortion of the Republican Convention," Kerry said. "The vice president even called me unfit for office last night. I guess I'll leave it up to the voters whether five deferments makes someone more qualified to defend this nation than two tours of duty."

 

Kerry and his vice presidential running mate John Edwards (news - web sites) will kick off the final two months before the Nov. 2 election in the critical battleground state of Ohio where recent polls give Bush a narrow lead. No Republican has ever won the White House without a victory in Ohio.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=..._dc_3&printer=1

Yeah, KEEP the whole Vietnam story in the headlines, John. BRILLIANT move. Maybe you should turf whomever convinced you that THIS attack was a bright move.

 

You just kept the SBVT relevant --- when the convention could've killed their effectiveness.

 

Brilliant, Senator. Just brilliant.

-=Mike

[NoCalMike 0]

yeah I agree, it IS a stupid tactic, even though much of what he says is true, and dead-on. I just think overall the general voting body wants to move on from the vietnam era....and who did what when.

[Guest MikeSC]

yeah I agree, it IS a stupid tactic, even though much of what he says is true, and dead-on. I just think overall the general voting body wants to move on from the vietnam era....and who did what when.

Hell, Kerry is HORRIBLE at "acting tough". His advisors are doing him no favors. Clinton had the CHARM to pull it off. Bush has the charm to pull it off (and, the benefit of having others do it for him).

 

If Kerry keeps doing dumb shit like this, this will be a bigger disaster than I already think it might be. I'm getting a Dukakis vibe from the guy at this point.

-=Mike

...Who's actually having 527 ads running here in one of the least competitive states in this election...

 

...BTW, should I assume that Kerry's not campaigning down here indicates that the Dems have pursued their discussed policy earlier of basically writing off the South entirely (save Florida)?

[NoCalMike 0]

yeah I agree, it IS a stupid tactic, even though much of what he says is true, and dead-on. I just think overall the general voting body wants to move on from the vietnam era....and who did what when.

Hell, Kerry is HORRIBLE at "acting tough". His advisors are doing him no favors. Clinton had the CHARM to pull it off. Bush has the charm to pull it off (and, the benefit of having others do it for him).

 

If Kerry keeps doing dumb shit like this, this will be a bigger disaster than I already think it might be. I'm getting a Dukakis vibe from the guy at this point.

-=Mike

...Who's actually having 527 ads running here in one of the least competitive states in this election...

 

...BTW, should I assume that Kerry's not campaigning down here indicates that the Dems have pursued their discussed policy earlier of basically writing off the South entirely (save Florida)?

If so, he is dumb, and pretty much is wasting John Edwards. I mean I know Edwards isn't going to sweep the south or anything crazy like that, but I am sure he could HELP win some support.....

 

As much as I want Bush to lose, I am starting to lose confidence. I haven't at all been impressed with the Kerry campaign.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

So glad that Kerry goes so out of his way to discuss policy instead of using his Vietnam service as his main election point.

[Guest MikeSC]

So glad that Kerry goes so out of his way to discuss policy instead of using his Vietnam service as his main election point.

Also nice of him to "rebut" a speech he, CLEARLY, did not see.

-=Mike

[Guest CronoT]

So glad that Kerry goes so out of his way to discuss policy instead of using his Vietnam service as his main election point.

Also nice of him to "rebut" a speech he, CLEARLY, did not see.

-=Mike

Mike, that didn't stop the right-wing hack-jobbers from bitching for weeks about Paul Wellstone's memorial. Most of them even admitted, after the fact, that they never even saw the memorial.

[KingPK 0]

And he scheduled the speech for midnight. Who the hell schedules a major political speech (if he wants to rebut Bush, then I'd call it major) for MIDNIGHT? Would have waiting 18 hours killed the guy or something?

 

I'm sorry, but this guy is bringing it upon himself by not just saying "screw Vietnam, it was 30 years ago, let's talk about the here and now" right from the start.

[Styles 0]

So basically his rebuttle is "are you questioning my patriotism? I served in Vietnam!" the same thing we've made fun of him for since the primaries. What shocking new ground.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

He needs to drop the Vietnam and move on to the "misled us to war" part, fast. I don't know why he's so hesitant on that. It's not like there isn't a bunch of people who'll support him for it.

[KingPK 0]

Maybe because they'll throw back the "Well, why did you vote to authorize force against Iraq" thing at him?

[2GOLD 0]

You think Mr. Kerry is fully aware that the Vietnam War wasn't exactly popular? I'm yet to figure out how you can say "I'm proud of my war record" when you spoke out against the war you are proud of the record from.

 

Doesn't seem like you can have it both ways to me.

You either are ashamed of the war you fought in, or you are proud of the war you fought in.

 

He needs to let it go and soon.

[Guest MikeSC]

So glad that Kerry goes so out of his way to discuss policy instead of using his Vietnam service as his main election point.

Also nice of him to "rebut" a speech he, CLEARLY, did not see.

-=Mike

Mike, that didn't stop the right-wing hack-jobbers from bitching for weeks about Paul Wellstone's memorial. Most of them even admitted, after the fact, that they never even saw the memorial.

Except they saw video --- and it showed exactly what the funeral, sadly, became. It's sad, but true, that a few people who chose to politicize it did so.

 

Hell, Ventura walked out over that --- and he's HARDLY a Republican. Or a right-wing zealot.

He needs to drop the Vietnam and move on to the "misled us to war" part, fast. I don't know why he's so hesitant on that. It's not like there isn't a bunch of people who'll support him for it.

He's said --- knowing EVERYTHING we do now --- he'd STILL have voted for it. He'd only shoot himself in the knee doing that.

 

Also, for what it's worth, he looked a little --- err, IMPAIRED --- during that speech.

-=Mike