How can you tell when a politician is lying? When his lips are moving:
“Thank you for contacting me to express your opposition … to the early use of military force b 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]
Kerry Lied. People Died.
bittern
You want an artless pol, relatively free of dissimulation, I suggest James Earl Carter, Jr., of Georgia. I’ll hear other nominations. But I agree Kerry is pretty bad on trying to have everything both ways. We’ll see if that remains the sine qua non of political success. I’m a Dem.
HH
But he served in Vietnam!
smokey
Served in Vietnam, then joined the anti-war movement and helped undermine the war effort. Again, always trying to be on both sides of the issue.
CadillaqJaq
Kerry has two faces, and Ramesh Ponnuru posted this first in the National Review in October of 2002:
http://www.nationalreview.com/ponnuru/ponnuru102502.aps
Good article then, VERY good today in light of Kerry’s recent “successes.”
bittern
Oh come now. In the olden days, patriotism, if not common sense, required that a young man serve his country regardless of his judgement about the merits of the course. It didn’t ALSO require that he agree forever with the course selected.
the talking dog
Too easy. Kerry has been all over just about every issue he’s ever been involved with; picking this one is, well… TOO EASY!
In a way– this will make it hard to attack his voting record: he has votes he can point to in support of just about any position on just about any issue!!!
The joke in this case, it seems, is that as much as Democratic loyalists claim to overwhelmingly
oppose the Iraq War, Kerry and Edwards voted FOR it, and they seem to be the last two guys standing. So, while Kerry is desperate to back-pedal on the fact that he voted FOR the war authorization, it comes at a time when (at least Democratic) voters seem to find it not very important.
Given how much the American people have demonstrated how much they value character in, say, the last 3 presidential elections, given Kerry’s virtual lack of it, I would say Kerry is probably a shoe-in. (BTW- given how amazingly he seems to be polling against Bush right now, the GOP should be thinking of some serious re-tooling of its approach.)
Jane
Maybe the botox hit his brain and froze it up too.
wallster
Kerry performed his duty heroically in Vietnam, demonstrating his patriotism. He then protested the war, demonstrating his intelligence and willingness to stand up for his beliefs.
You guys can disparage him all you want for “playing both sides of the issue”, but the bottom line is that he deserves admiration for both serving in the war and protesting it.
I, for one, would prefer a President who is willing to make sacrifices for his country but realizes that war is not always the answer to one who weasels out of active service but leads us on misadventures in pursuit of mythical WMDs, resulting in the death of at least 500 soldiers who had the bravery to serve that he lacked.
There are many others like me in this country, possibly enough to vote out your boy despite the massive campaign chest he has accumulated from his rich supporters.
Don’t worry though, stay with your talking points – “Botox”, “$150 Haircut”, and “He looks French!”.
turner
You guys can disparage him all “you want for “playing both sides of the issue”, but the bottom line is that he deserves admiration for both serving in the war and protesting it.”
Kerry’s trying to play both sides and you think it’s admirable. Case in point why the right is so fed up with the antics of the left.
Rivrdog
I’ll grant that Riverine duty like Kerry pulled when he was in ‘Nam was hairy. He gets a point for that. Then he came home and joined the asshat Viet Vets Vs the War, which collectively committed treason, and which was largely responsible for the fact that few of the military that survived the war got the recognition and support they deserved. Subtract all his points and leave him almost 60,000 in the hole.
FYI, I am a ‘Nam vet, a Democrat (who hasn’t found any honest enough to vote for in a long time). There are a lot of ‘Nam vets left, and I haven’t met one of them who likes Kerry, other than that guy from OR that came to him just before Iowa and showed his appreciation. I forgive that guy his trespass, because he owes his life to Kerry AND HIS CREW on the boat (they weren’t one man boats, ya know)