LTTE from Jim Rassmann...

[Sixpence]

"Does this strategy of attacking combat Vietnam veterans sound familiar? In 2000, a similar Republican smear campaign was launched against Sen. McCain. In fact, the very same communications group, Spaeth Communications, that placed ads against John McCain in 2000 is involved in these vicious attacks against John Kerry. Texas Republican donors with close ties to George W. Bush and Karl Rove crafted this "dishonest and dishonorable" ad. Their new charges are false; their stories are fabricated, made up by people who did not serve with Kerry in Vietnam. They insult and defame all of us who served in Vietnam."

[Sabre]

During a session of Congress, Kerry remarked (and not for the first time) that he had spent Christmas 1948 inside Cambodia, and said the memory of being shot at by enemy soldiers celebrating was “seared…seared in my memory.”  In a recently published official biography, Kerry says he spent that Christmas in Vietnam, approximately 55 miles from the Cambodian border; there is no mention of ever being in Cambodia.  As recently as last week, Kerry’s campaign spokesman backpedaled further, saying that Kerry really meant that he had been “near” Cambodia, not “in” Cambodia.  So, either he was lying to Congress then, or he’s lying now.  Given Kerry’s own conflicting statements, and the voluminous testimony from others serving in his unit and in his chain of command (legal testimony in the form of sworn affidavits) that Kerry was never in Cambodia, I would say that his claims of being in Cambodia have been pretty well debunked.

Another area he has backpedaled in is in regards to his testimony before Congress back during the war about war crimes.  In that testimony, he make sweeping claims that war crimes were nearly universal among US servicemen in Vietnam, and that the US had “laid waste” to South Vietnam.  Recently, again, his campaign has come out with a statement that Kerry regrets some of what he said during those hearings (though which parts isn’t clear).

I would ask of all the Kerry supporters: If…IF these claims regarding Kerry’s behavior during and right after his service in Vietnam are true, do you still feel he is better qualified to lead this nation than President Bush?

Personally, it is Kerry’s record in the Senate for the past 20 years that disqualified him as a potential president, even before the current charges about his wartime record surfaced.  Interesting how Kerry mentioned his four months in Vietnam something like seven times in his convention speech, but never talked at all about his accomplishments during twenty years as a senator.

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Sabre

Personally, it is Kerry’s record in the Senate for the past 20 years that disqualified him as a potential president, even before the current charges about his wartime record surfaced.  Interesting how Kerry mentioned his four months in Vietnam something like seven times in his convention speech, but never talked at all about his accomplishments during twenty years as a senator.

SHACK![/SIZE]

[Sixpence]

"Nobody asked me to join John's campaign. Why would they? I am a Republican, and for more than 30 years I have largely voted for Republicans. I volunteered for his campaign because I have seen John Kerry in the worst of conditions. I know his character. I've witnessed his bravery and leadership under fire. And I truly know he will be a great commander in chief."

I think this says alot

[Ripsnort]

Originally posted by Sixpence
[B
I think this says alot [/B]

I think Kerry's Senate voting record says alot...( I have 40,000 more text if you care to read all of his flip flop on the issues, but I think you get my point)

Flip Flopped On Trade With China

In 1991, Kerry Supported Most-Favored Trade Status For China. “Sen. John Kerry said yesterday that he is breaking party ranks to support most-favored-nation trade status for China … ‘I think the president has some strong arguments about some of the assets of most-favored-nation status for China,’ Kerry said.” (John Aloysius Farrell, “Kerry Breaks Party Ranks To Back China Trade Status,” The Boston Globe, 6/15/91)

In 2000, Kerry Voted In Favor Of Permanent Normal Trade Relations With China. (H.R. 4444, CQ Vote #251: Passed 83-15: R 46-8; D 37-7, 9/19/00, Kerry Voted Yea)

Now Kerry Criticizes The Bush Administration For Trading With China. “Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said on Monday Americans workers were paying the price for President Bush's weak stance on trade with China and other countries. … On the bus tour, Kerry singled out the Bush administration's handling of trade with China and said that country was manipulating its currency.” (Caren Bohan, "Kerry Pledges Aggressive Trade Stance," Reuters, 4/26/04)



Flip-Flopped On Iraq War

Kerry Voted For Authorization To Use Force In Iraq. (H.J. Res. 114, CQ Vote #237: Passed 77-23: R 48-1; D 29-21; I 0-1, 10/11/02, Kerry Voted Yea.)

In First Dem Debate, Kerry Strongly Supported President’s Action In Iraq. KERRY: “George, I said at the time I would have preferred if we had given diplomacy a greater opportunity, but I think it was the right decision to disarm Saddam Hussein, and when the President made the decision, I supported him, and I support the fact that we did disarm him.” (ABC News, Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Columbia, SC, 5/4/03)

Kerry Later Claimed He Voted “To Threaten” Use Of Force In Iraq. “I voted to threaten the use of force to make Saddam Hussein comply with the resolutions of the United Nations.” (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Announcement Of Presidential Candidacy, Mount Pleasant, SC, 9/2/03)

Now, Kerry Says He Is Anti-War Candidate. CHRIS MATTHEWS: “Do you think you belong to that category of candidates who more or less are unhappy with this war, the way it’s been fought, along with General Clark, along with Howard Dean and not necessarily in companionship politically on the issue of the war with people like Lieberman, Edwards and Gephardt? Are you one of the anti-war candidates?” KERRY: “I am -- Yes, in the sense that I don’t believe the president took us to war as he should have, yes, absolutely.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 1/6/04)

Flip-Flopped On Eliminating Marriage Penalty For Middle Class

Kerry Said He Will Fight To Keep Tax Relief For Married Couples. “Howard Dean and Gephardt are going to put the marriage penalty back in place. So if you get married in America, we’re going to charge you more taxes. I do not want to do that.” (Fox News’ “Special Report,” 10/23/03)

Said Democrats Fought To End Marriage Penalty Tax. “We fought hard to get rid of the marriage penalty.” (MSNBC’s “News Live,” 7/31/03)

But, In 1998, Kerry Voted Against Eliminating Marriage Penalty Relief For Married Taxpayers With Combined Incomes Less Than $50,000 Per Year, Saving Taxpayers $46 Billion Over 10 Years. (S. 1415, CQ Vote #154: Rejected 48-50: R 5-49; D 43-1, 6/10/98, Kerry Voted Yea)

Flip-Flopped On Patriot Act

Kerry Voted For Patriot Act. The Patriot Act was passed nearly unanimously by the Senate 98-1, and 357-66 in the House. (H.R. 3162, CQ Vote #313: Passed 98-1: R 49-0; D 48-1; I 1-0, 10/25/01, Kerry Voted Yea)

Kerry Used To Defend His Vote. “Most of [The Patriot Act] has to do with improving the transfer of information between CIA and FBI, and it has to do with things that really were quite necessary in the wake of what happened on September 11th.” (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Town Hall Meeting, Manchester, NH, 8/6/03)

Now, Kerry Attacks Patriot Act. “We are a nation of laws and liberties, not of a knock in the night. So it is time to end the era of John Ashcroft. That starts with replacing the Patriot Act with a new law that protects our people and our liberties at the same time. I’ve been a District Attorney and I know that what law enforcement needs are real tools not restrictions on American’s basic rights.” (Sen. John Kerry, Remarks At Iowa State University, 12/1/03)

Kerry Took BOTH Sides On First Gulf War

Kerry Took BOTH Sides In First Gulf War In Separate Letters To Same Constituent. “Rather than take a side--albeit the one he thought was most expedient--Kerry actually stood on both sides of the first Gulf war, much like he did this time around. Consider this ‘Notebook’ item from TNR’s March 25, 1991 issue, which ran under the headline ‘Same Senator, Same Constituent’: ‘Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition ... to the early use of military force by the US against Iraq. I share your concerns. On January 11, I voted in favor of a resolution that would have insisted that economic sanctions be given more time to work and against a resolution giving the president the immediate authority to go to war.’ --letter from Senator John Kerry to Wallace Carter of Newton Centre, Massachusetts, dated January 22 [1991] ‘Thank you very much for contacting me to express your support for the actions of President Bush in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. From the outset of the invasion, I have strongly and unequivocally supported President Bush’s response to the crisis and the policy goals he has established with our military deployment in the Persian Gulf.’ --Senator Kerry to Wallace Carter, January 31 [1991]” (Noam Scheiber, “Noam Scheiber’s Daily Journal of Politics, The New Republic Online, 1/28/04)

Flip-Flopped On Gay Marriage Amendment

In 2002, Kerry Signed Letter “Urging” MA Legislature To Reject Constitutional Amendment Banning Gay Marriage. “We rarely comment on issues that are wholly within the jurisdiction of the General Court, but there are occasions when matters pending before you are of such significance to all residents of the Commonwealth that we think it appropriate for us to express our opinion. One such matter is the proposed Constitutional amendment that would prohibit or seriously inhibit any legal recognition whatsoever of same-sex relationships. We believe it would be a grave error for Massachusetts to enshrine in our Constitution a provision which would have such a negative effect on so many of our fellow residents. … We are therefore united in urging you to reject this Constitutional amendment and avoid stigmatizing so many of our fellow citizens who do not deserve to be treated in such a manner.” (Sen. John Kerry, et al, Letter To Members Of The Massachusetts Legislature, 7/12/02)

Now, In 2004, Kerry Won’t Rule Out Supporting Similar Amendment. “Asked if he would support a state constitutional amendment barring gay and lesbian marriages, Kerry didn’t rule out the possibility. ‘I’ll have to see what language there is,’ he said.” (Susan Milligan, “Kerry Says GOP May Target Him On ‘Wedge Issue,’” The Boston Globe, 2/6/04)

Flip-Flopped On Attacking President During Time Of War

In March 2003, Kerry Promised Not To Attack President When War Began. “Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts … said he will cease his complaints once the shooting starts. ‘It’s what you owe the troops,’ said a statement from Kerry, a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War. ‘I remember being one of those guys and reading news reports from home. If America is at war, I won’t speak a word without measuring how it’ll sound to the guys doing the fighting when they’re listening to their radios in the desert.’” (Glen Johnson, “Democrats On The Stump Plot Their War Rhetoric,” The Boston Globe, 3/11/03)

But Weeks Later, With Troops Just Miles From Baghdad, Kerry Broke His Pledge. “‘What we need now is not just a regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need a regime change in the United States,’ Kerry said in a speech at the Peterborough Town Library. Despite pledging two weeks ago to cool his criticism of the administration once war began, Kerry unleashed a barrage of criticism as US troops fought within 25 miles of Baghdad.” (Glen Johnson, “Kerry Says Us Needs Its Own ‘Regime Change,’” The Boston Globe, 4/3/03)

Flip-Flopped On Death Penalty For Terrorists

In 1996, Kerry Attacked Governor Bill Weld For Supporting Death Penalty For Terrorists. KERRY: “Your policy would amount to a terrorist protection policy. Mine would put them in jail.” (1996 Massachusetts Senate Debate, 9/16/96)

[MrLars]

Originally posted by Sabre
During a session of Congress, Kerry remarked (and not for the first time) that he had spent Christmas 1948 inside Cambodia, and said the memory of being shot at by enemy soldiers celebrating was “seared…seared in my memory.”  In a recently published official biography, Kerry says he spent that Christmas in Vietnam, approximately 55 miles from the Cambodian border; there is no mention of ever being in Cambodia.  As recently as last week, Kerry’s campaign spokesman backpedaled further, saying that Kerry really meant that he had been “near” Cambodia, not “in” Cambodia.  So, either he was lying to Congress then, or he’s lying now.  Given Kerry’s own conflicting statements, and the voluminous testimony from others serving in his unit and in his chain of command (legal testimony in the form of sworn affidavits) that Kerry was never in Cambodia, I would say that his claims of being in Cambodia have been pretty well debunked.

This is all hearsay until you can post a link to the transcript of his testimony/speech to congress. Without that I'm afraid that this just sounds like a cut n' paste from the Hannity site.

[Sixpence]

lol, shall we list the Bush flip flops?

[JBA]

Let me ask the Lawyers out there. My wife is one, so I already know the answer.

If the Swift’s are lying, were is the slander/labial law suit.

Ahhh, there is none, maybe Kerry can't prove they are lying?

[Westy]

"If the Swift’s are lying, were is the slander/labial law suit."


 Really.    

 Which  makes me believe the same applies to "9-11."  If Moore is lying where is the slander/libel suit?

 You'd figure with all this libel and slander there'd be suits galore and there'd be lawyers lined up from here to Howdy Beefburger waiting to get in on the action ($$$$).

[MrLars]

Originally posted by JBA
Let me ask the Lawyers out there. My wife is one, so I already know the answer.

If the Swift’s are lying, were is the slander/labial law suit.

Ahhh, there is none, maybe Kerry can't prove they are lying?

Your wife ever tell you that you don't telegraph your intentions by saying "I'm going to sue"?

Threatening a suit is just a schoolyard tactic. Filing a suit when you have all your ducks in a row is the proper way to go about it.

[Gunslinger]

Originally posted by MrLars
This is all hearsay until you can post a link to the transcript of his testimony/speech to congress. Without that I'm afraid that this just sounds like a cut n' paste from the Hannity site.

READ MY POST.....IT IS AN OFFICAL TRANSCRIPT FROM CONGRESS!

[JBA]

As a public figure you must also prove malice. So it may be false ( such as, “Jennifer lopes had a boob job”) if I print it thinking it true with out intent to harm/malice then no case.

I find it interesting that the DNC has threatened the stations that ran the Ad with slander but not the swifies themselves.

see letter.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1185782/posts

http://www.chronwatch.com/content/contentDisplay.asp?aid=8926



        A group called ''Swift Boat Veterans for Truth'' has produced a commercial that will be seen in only a few targeted states due to lack of funding.  The Kerry camp is in near hysterics over this one-minute ad.  John Kerry claims the ad is packed with lies, but instead of suing those men who are in the commercial for slander and liable, he has threatened the television stations that are considering showing the swift boat commercial.


        In an amazing breach of journalistic ethics, Michael Kranish --a reporter for the Boston Globe--wrote that one of the men in the group was retracting his statement against Kerry.  This was quickly pronounced as totally untrue by Lieutenant Commander George Elliott who reported that the Kranish column was a complete distortion of his words and he stood by his original statement.  What was exposed is that Kranish is on the DNC payroll and should not be reporting as an unbiased journalist on anything that concerns John Kerry.  Is the Boston Globe aware that its reporter is also being paid by the Kerry campaign?

[Edbert]

Ripsnort,

Please post a link to that article you cut-and-pasted.

[midnight Target]

I heard that the Doctor in the commercial who claims to have treated Kerry's 1st wound is not the Dr. on record. Could he be .....






A LIAR?

[JBA]

Originally posted by midnight Target
I heard that the Doctor in the commercial who claims to have treated Kerry's 1st wound is not the Dr. on record. Could he be .....






A LIAR?

WRONG
He is a doctor heard him speak yesterday.
He was senior to the guy who singed the discharge, so he didn't have to sign the papers. But he was the guy who treated Kerry.