[Ironbarr]

(CNSNews.com) - Hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is "unfit to be commander-in-chief." They will do so at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday.
Full Story: http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=\SpecialReports\archive\200405\SPE20040503a.html

[Thumper]

Ouch.

[HBK]

Tell me something I don't already know. Nice to have the testimonials of former colleagues, though.

[Russ]

This will be an excellent opportunity for W4RMA to come past and cut some Kerry suck up articles. I can't wait. Too bad he was born when the war was over.

I know a swift boat commander who served his whole 1 year + term in Vietnam. He had some hairraising stories and it was not fun. He is not a fan of Kerry either. It amazes me how a jerk bate like Kerry can now claim pride for service when he disparaged those who served there at the time in the most dispicable way. Hanoi John is not too far off. Another revisionist Baracuda going for political office.

[0007]

Had a friend who was a door gunner in the choppers flying cover for those boats. He had three helos shot out from under him and never a scratch worth a PH.

[w4rma]

The GOP's not-so-impartial hit man
Desperate to denigrate John Kerry's war record, Republicans have trotted out a "nonpartisan" Navy Vietnam vet -- who was a protege of Nixon dirty trickster Charles Colson and whose law firm is closely tied to the Bush White House.
- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Joe Conason

April 23, 2004 | Houston attorney John E. O'Neill, the Navy veteran who has emerged recently as a harsh and ubiquitous critic of John Kerry's military service, tells reporters that he has never really been interested in politics and isn't motivated by partisan interests. In the media, O'Neill is often described (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/politics/2519253) simply as a Vietnam vet still enraged by the antiwar speeches Kerry delivered more than 30 years ago. That was when O'Neill first came to public attention as a clean-cut, pro-war protégé (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4534274/) of the Nixon White House's highest-ranking dirty trickster (aside from the late president himself), Charles Colson.
…
http://archive.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/04/23/o_neill/index.html

Also note that O'Neill did not serve in the 'Nam with Lt. Kerry. He arrived in-country 2 months after Lt. Kerry had cycled out.

A Sterling Record
By Wesley K. Clark
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.

When John Kerry released his military records to the public last week, Americans learned a lot about Mr. Kerry's exceptional service in Vietnam. They also learned a lot about the Republican attack machine.

The evaluations were uniformly glowing. One commander wrote that Mr. Kerry ranked among "the top few" in three categories: initiative, cooperation and personal behavior. Another commander wrote, "In a combat environment often requiring independent, decisive action, Lt. j.g. Kerry was unsurpassed." The citation for Mr. Kerry's Bronze Star praises his "calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire."

In the United States military, there's no ideology — there are no labels, Republican or Democrat — when superiors evaluate a man or woman's service to country. Mr. Kerry's commander for a brief time, Grant Hibbard, now a Republican, gave Mr. Kerry top marks 36 years ago.

Now the standards are those of politics, not the military. Despite his positive evaluations, Mr. Hibbard recently questioned whether Mr. Kerry deserved one of his three Purple Hearts.

In the heat of a political campaign, attacks come from all directions. That's why John Kerry's military records are so compelling; they measure the man before his critics or his supporters saw him through a political lens. These military records show that John Kerry served his country with valor, and that those who served with him and above him held him in high regard. That's honor enough for any veteran.

Yet the Republican attack machine follows a pattern we've seen before, whether the target is Senator John McCain in South Carolina in 2000 or Senator Max Cleland in Georgia in 2002. The latest manifestation of these tactics is the controversy over Mr. Kerry's medals.
…
http://nytimes.com/2004/04/28/opinion/28CLAR.html

[Jeff Timm]

I am very frightened. I get the impression Kerry went out deliberately to build a reputation, just like his hero JFK. In similar boats. But quickly.

And then, he was gone, and never spent any time in the Active Reserve?

Geoff
Who worries about people like that.

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

Nobody knows Kerry like his commanders and colleagues. That there are more than a few is real bad news for the "by the way, I served in VIetnam" kid.


A hit piece by Salon (left of left) and a boot-licking by "I want to be VP" Wesley "I was relieved of command" Clark who, by the way, did not know Kerry prior to 2004, hardly constitute a rebuttal.

And he still doesn't support RKBA.

[RED-DOG 40]

...." Mr. Kerry's exceptional service in Vietnam"....

....:confused: ...:scrutiny:

[BowStreetRunner]

Red Dog, I wonder how hard it was for Clark to choke out those words???
:rolleyes:
BSR

[Antlurz]

One definition of "exceptional" is: "Deviating from the norm"

Ron

[RED-DOG 40]

BSR.....Antlurz,

..I can picture Artie on Laugh-In hiding behind a tree and saying,"Very-Interesting", while watching this "exceptional" person.


:scrutiny: :barf:

[HBK]

You called it right Russ, it only took about four hours. BTW, the special education kids I taught in North Carolina were called"Exceptional children."

[SteelyDan]

Gees, I knew Wes Clark wanted to be VP, but I didn't realize he wanted it THAT badly...

[Cool Hand Luke 22:36]

The Character issue seems to be dogging Kerry. This event looks like it could reopen the deeply troubling questions over Kerry's Purple Heart Awards.

Here's what his immediate Commanding Officer had to say about his first Purple Heart:

Also scheduled to be present at the event is Kerry's former commanding officer, Lt. Cmdr. Grant Hibbard. Hibbard recently questioned whether Kerry deserved the first of his three Purple Hearts that he received in Vietnam. Hibbard doubted the severity of the wound and whether it resulted from enemy fire.

"I've had thorns from a rose that were worse" than Kerry's wound for which he received a Purple Heart, Hibbard told the Boston Globe in April.


Hibbard has said in other interviews that it is not clear if Kerry's boat even took enemy fire in the engagement for which he was awarded the 1st Purple Heart. Kerry was awarded the PH months after the engagement, by another C.O., after Hibbard refused to approve it the first time Kerry put himself in for it.

[thefitzvh]

well... that didn't take long

WTG, w4rma...

:rolleyes:

[Khornet]

as far as I know, no organ of the Repubs has done any attacking of Kerry's Vietnam record. Criticize his postwar actions, current policies, and flip-flops, yes. The other stuff has come from private groups and individuals, not from the Bush campaign. But it is necessary for the Dems to have a bogeyman; otherwise they'd have to address thesubstance of the criticsms.

[Black Dragon]

I'm interested in how the left is going to spin this one. Having over a dozen
of your former commrades saying you are unfit for the commder and chief
position is a major hit. But, of course, the left will spin the living daylights
out of it to the point of turning it into the "tin foil hat" club.

:rolleyes:

What is the Chinese curse........ May you live in interesting times........:scrutiny:

[Obiwan]

Yeah...I heard Lautenberg try to infer that Cheney questioned Kerry's service.

Which of course led to the whole AWOL , deferments, standard load of Bravo Sierra

When all Cheney did was logically question his (Kerry's)VOTING RECORD

And whether it resembles the actions of someone strong on national defense...

Every time someone questions Kerry's ability to lead the nation in a time of war...he brings up his service...

So..if elected...we should expect him tp pursue our enemies....for about 4 months:what:

[7.62FullMetalJacket]

By the way, did you know he served in Vietnam?

[Shooter 2.5]

w4rma

It's the mean old Republicans again. :rolleyes:

You sound like a broken record.

How does that explain the number of Sailors coming forth and saying he's unfit?

[greyhound]

All this fuss for the 8% of voters who have not decided who to vote for IN MAY!:D

I wouldn't vote for John Kerry if he paid me, 45% of voters agree, and 45% wouldn't vote for Bush if he ended poverty.

Have we ever had an election with so passionate a divide?

Kerry's latest gaffe: He said "Love Your Neighbor" was one of the 10 commandments while speaking to a Jewish group. (i.e. attributing one of Jesus's sayings to a Commandment).

Won't get as much play as the "SOB knocked me down" or the "Not MY SUV" gaffes but its the constant mistakes that should worry his supporters.

[Obiwan]

Lieberman For President..

No..I would still vote for GWB...

But at least Joe appears coherent in his positions!

So...it will never happen:(

[Mikul]

I'm going to pass out if Kerry gets the Democratic nomination.