Kerry slams Bush for lack of immediate action on September 11

AFP on Yahoo ^ | 8/5/04 | AFP - Washington

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) slammed US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) for not jumping to action when he heard about the September 11, 2001 attacks.

"First of all, had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to," Kerry said at a conference of minority journalists here.

When told that planes had been flown into the twin World Trade Center towers, Bush was reading to schoolchildren in Florida. He continued to read to them for seven minutes before excusing himself.

Kerry also said that Bush lacks credibility as the leader of the US military, credibility he claims to have earned during his time in combat in Vietnam.

"I come to the job of commander in chief with the rare, gratefully, but important experience of having fought in a war," he said, adding that he would not send US troops into battle without having exhausted every other option.

"And I believe we need a commander in chief who understands the test before you send young people to war. You've got to be able to look parents in the eyes if they lose their son or daughter and say to them, 'I tried to do everything in my power to avoid this, but we had no choice as a nation, as a people, because of the challenge to our country, to our fundamental values,'" he said.

"I believe in my heart of hearts and in my gut that this president fails that test in Iraq (news - web sites)," Kerry said.

[NormsRevenge]

This from a man with buttocks full of rice after he dropped a grenade in a sampan with a bag of rice in it, and then sought a PH.

[bushfamfan]

Talk about a nasty campaign. Kerry's been nasty from the get go. Let him continue on with this. He's going down.

[Izzy Dunne]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

[hapy]

God make him go away. what a liar, what a coward, killed a young unarmed teenage boy in vietnam. He is a pig

[dirtboy]

"First of all, had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to," Kerry said at a conference of minority journalists here.

John Forbes Moore at work. I imagine we'll see all of the talking points from Fahrenheit 9/11 spew from Kerry's lips by the time this campaign is over.

[zook]

There he goes. He stepped in it.

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass., takes questions during the Unity Journalists of Color Conference at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, Aug. 5, 2004. Kerry said Thursday that America remains a nation divided along racial and economic lines, and pledged to 'lift up those who are left out.' (AP Photo/Laura Rauch)

[dirtboy]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

Kerry was a lieutennant - and it shows here.

[MizSterious]

And which party was it that allowed bin Laden to gain strength over eight long years? While Clinton was getting bjs, the 9/11 plans were being made and financed, because Clinton didn't want to risk a drop in polling for something as inconsequential as a lil ol terrorist attack that would kill almost 3,000.

[isthisnickcool]

FreeRepublic poster isthisnickcool slams Kerry for descrimination against wounded teenage VietCong wearing loin cloths.

[blake6900]

Kerry also said that Bush lacks credibility as the leader of the US military, credibility he claims to have earned during his time in combat in Vietnam.

Well, Kerry might be right about this. Bush never shot a VC teen in the back and received a medal for it in the process.

[cardinal4]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

After calling France, Clinton and Teraaaaaaazzzzzaa, you mean?

[clintonh8r]

....thinking of changing screen name to kerryh8r.....

[snooker]

Hate is on the way.

Told you so.

[SandyInSeattle]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

During those seven minutes, the entire apparatus of the federal government was in motion. Does he think the government was just standing still with it's collective thumb up its butt, waiting for the President to tell them what to do? If President Bush had left the room immediately, the result would be Air Force One would be in the air seven minutes earlier. I doubt anything else would have changed.

[NormsRevenge]

U.S. Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry (news - web sites) gestures during a speech at the Unity 2004: Journalists of Color Conference at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, August 5, 2004. REUTERS/Hyungwon Kang US ELECTION

[RockinRight]

Bush was reading to kids when the plane hit. Could you imagine how scared the kids would have been had he jumped up and ran out right then? He was holding his composure to see what had to be done.

[Charles Martel]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

You mean *after* he pissed his pants?

[RightthinkinAmerican]

A better caption: "John Kerry fields softballs tossed ever so gently by his greatest admirers." Kerry said that "I think I can drum up a few more darkie votes by inciting more racial division in the country."

[Flash Bazbeaux]

Did you know that John Kerry served in Vietnam?

[Wally_Kalbacken]

I hear ya on that. He is going to argue, with the benefit of hindsight that he would have done this better, he could have done that better. 

The key to analyzing the truth or falsity of such comments is to look at the record (try Nexis) and search for comments in the 24-48 hours after the attack and the moment that Bush was notified. See if Kerry knew then that he would have done something different. My guess is that his is the first time that he questioned those minutes was today.

[NormsRevenge]

....thinking of changing screen name to kerryh8r.....


naaaaah.. it'll be back in fashion in '08. ;-)

[RightthinkinAmerican]

And the Dims would have criticised him for running out quickly, saying: "did the president think that the government was just standing still with it's collective thumb up its butt, waiting for the President to tell them what to do?

[js1138]

"First of all, had I been reading to children and had my top aide whisper in my ear, 'America is under attack,' I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to,"

President Kerry needs to change his underware.

[Quilla]

What was more important when Kerry missed the recent intelligence briefing? Shoot, he's missed the majority of these briefings. What a hypocrite.

[maestro]

......Kerry was a lieutennant - and it shows here

Yep!

ROTFLOL

[lnbchip]

I don't understand how Kerry is hoping that all of American can just forget their impression of Bush on 911. This joker is trying to convince Americans that everything they thought about the job Bush did in responding to these attacks is wrong. Do you believe this genius wants to remind all of America about the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center Buildings and thinks he can politically benefit from it. Somebody smack this idiot!

[Badeye]

I think if Kerry wants to discuss what was done, and not done on that dreadful day....fine by me.

He's blurting anything that comes to mind in an effort to keep from taking questions about his voting record of two decades.

Something has to have happened in Kerry's internal polling data for him to do this within a week of a national call for civility in political debate.

I think he knows he's losing, and by a larger margin than anyone suspects.

[StarCMC]

OMG - what a total and complete A$$. I cannot even believe I am reading this... I couldn't get past the first paragraph...

[sarasota]

Did it not occur to this knucklehead that the President's position was being secured and his cabinet were gathering to move into action? I just love W's ability to remain calm under these, the very worst of circumstances.

[headsonpikes]

In that circumstance, J Effin would have tripped over a kid or a chair getting the H out of Dodge.

Suffering a contusion or bruise, he would have put himself in for yet another Purple Heart.

Of course, as President, he could have himself awarded the Medal of Honor. Being a humble man, he would decline that distinction.

[kevao]

So which is it, "no immediate action" or "rush to war"? I wish these guys would make up their minds.

[StarCMC]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

Gotten a paper cut and put in for a PH.

[IamConservative]

Those 7 minutes would have been important to Kerry. He would have called her Heinous THK to discuss exactly how to word the surrender.

[SandyInSeattle]

LOL! How right you are.

[finnman69]

Kerry endorsing Farenheit 911 garbage. figures.

[EggsAckley]

If Kerry had been reading to the children in that classroom, the children would have been asleep.

[sphinx]

I wonder what he would have done in those seven minutes.

Teleported himself to New York and stopped the second plane with mystic politician powers.

[GROOVY]

I smell major desperation. They must have internal polls that show Kerry much worse off than the public polls out there now.

[kevkrom]

If President Bush had left the room immediately, the result would be Air Force One would be in the air seven minutes earlier.

Actually, most likely not. There was probably no point for Bush to go anywhere until the plane was near ready to depart, security was double-checked, and communications were up and running. That probably took at least seven minutes -- why rush out when there was nothing he could do?

[bray]

So does this mean you will become transparent about your Medical Records and Mama T's Tax Returns???

Pray for W and Our Troops

[finnman69]

Michael Moore was on Real Time w/ Bill Maher and said that a 'general' told him Bush had a deer in headlights look that he recognized. He continued to say the general told him if had anyone under his command who got that look, he would have relieved thim immediately.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

sKerry would have done this:

When in danger, when in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

[PackerBoy]

Kerry would have left the classroon to dash off a note to the United Nations, asking waht the U.S. should do to appease the terrorists.

[Bea Elysian]

Kerry would have wet his pants in terror, and then would have had to spend the remaining six minutes finding a new pair and coming up with an explanation.

I was watching the tele from the first plane hit; they were saying that it was some kind of accident the whole time. The information just wasn’t available. What’s the president supposed to do run around screaming that the sky is falling? They didn’t have enough information in those seven minutes to make decisions with. The controllers couldn’t even figure out what was going on.

President Bush stayed calm and prepared himself.

[SandyInSeattle]

Good point. So I refine my statement: "IF President Bush had left the room immediately, the only likely result would be that he would be standing around seven minutes longer waiting for Air Force One to take off."

There. That's better!

[Howlin]

And which party was it that allowed bin Laden to gain strength over eight long years?

While John Kerry was on the Senate Intelligence Committee.

[VRWC_minion]

I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to,"

Yes, I would explain that I needed to call the United Nations immediately and ask them what to do.

[Prime Choice]

What rot. The only thing Kerry would have done faster than anyone else is SURRENDER to the terrorists.

[Velveeta]

Out of curiosity: Where was the illustrious Sen. John Kerry on Sept. 11th?