Posted on 08/13/2004 1:42:17 PM PDT by veronica
ST. PAUL - Scott O'Grady, the Air Force pilot who captured headlines in 1995 when he survived being shot down over Bosnia, on Friday said Sen. John Kerry committed "treason" during the Vietnam War.
O'Grady, in an appearance with other military veterans coordinated by President Bush's re-election campaign, said Kerry helped push North Vietnam's proposals for the United States to withdraw at a time when the two countries were still officially at war.
"I see that as treason," said O'Grady, who lives in Texas and has been speaking at veterans events for Bush around the country. He's now retired from the military.
A Bush campaign spokeswoman, Tracey Schmitt, said O'Grady's views were his own.
"The Bush-Cheney campaign does not and has not ever questioned John Kerry's patriotism," Schmitt said.
O'Grady said he was referring to Kerry's 1971 appearance before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In response to a question about how he proposed to end the war, Kerry mentioned that he was involved in peace talks in Paris.
"I have talked with both delegations at the peace talks, that is to say the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government," Kerry told the panel, according to a transcript.
A U.S. law prohibits citizens from negotiating with foreign governments on matters such as peace treaties.
Earlier this year, Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan told the Boston Globe that Kerry had "no role whatsoever in the Paris peace talks or negotiations." Meehan said Kerry had gone to Paris on a private trip and had one brief meeting with Madam Nguyen Thi Binh and others.
Binh, a leader of the Provisional Revolutionary Government, a communist group based in South Vietnam, had a list of peace-talk points, including the suggestion that U.S. POWs would be released when American forces withdrew.
On Friday, O'Grady asserted that Kerry had championed the proposals of the communist regime in North Vietnam about setting a date to withdraw U.S. troops - a situation O'Grady called "treasonous."
"That is my own, personal opinion," he said.
In his 1971 testimony, Kerry told senators that many officials of the American government had said that prisoners of war would be returned if the United States set a date for withdrawal.
"I think this negates very clearly the argument of the President that we have to maintain a presence in Vietnam, to use as a negotiating block for the return of those prisoners. The setting of a date will accomplish that," Kerry testified.
Kerry's Minnesota campaign, asked for a response to O'Grady, put forward Jim Bootz, a Navy veteran from Chaska who has campaigned for Kerry.
"I don't think there's anything treasonous about what he did," Bootz said.
He said Kerry had been trying to help find a solution for the Vietnam conflict.
"It wasn't a radical viewpoint," Bootz said.
"The Bush-Cheney campaign does not and has not ever questioned John Kerry's patriotism," Schmitt said.
It is about time that they did.
blessings, Bobo
Let's replace that RINO Hutchison with O'Grady
They've got three months left to get down and dirty. There's no rush.
I think it's prudent of them to stay above the fray until we're down to the wire, and let everyone else handle the mud-wrestling in the meantime.
Looks like people are moving up the timeline.
Note - Kerry's spokesperson is DENYING he was involved in those Paris talks with the VC and North Vietnamese. Kerry's Senate testimony is that he DID meet with them.
I think they just blew it again.
RonDog, this is one for Hugh Hewitt; mhking - get this to some other bloggers. We got another F'n Kerry Fib!
They certainly are weaving a tangled web for themselves, aren't they?
The T-word! Applicable more recently to the senior Senator (EMK) from my State.
"Kerry mentioned that he was involved in peace talks in Paris."
Come to think of it, wasn't Kerry responsible for the invention of penicillin, which he did right after he parted the Red Sea? How long before he announces that he was 'Deep Throat'? Somebody's going to have to throw a net over this boy.
If the President questions his service, this will move from a question of the Truth to politics. It will blunt the effectiveness of the non partison mission these veterans have. It will be deemed political by the reality he is the President.
Maybe circumstances will arise down the road that make that questioning warranted from the President, but from my vantage point at this time it serves him best to stay out of this.
They can question his actions after the war. They can questions his Senate record. The Vets are the most qualified to speak about His service in 'Nam.
So do I. I can't see any other word for it. Here is a post on treason I made a while back responding to the Teri Schiavo case:
Very well said. This issue is about the right to life and self determination. Freedom to exercise religion has even become a part of it. If you take those three things together you have pretty much covered liberty and the pursuit of happiness too.All are absolutely fundamental ground level issues of what it is to be a human being. All were principles expressly cited as the core reasons to reject Britain's rule over us and become sovereign unto ourselves. Those were the underlying principles that guided every step in writing our Constitution and constitute its very purpose.
If our government wishes to depart from those principles, if the Constitution is to be read as supporting something other than those principles, if half our country is intent on abandoning and defiling those principles then let them state it clearly. Let them declare what is evident in their posture, that they oppose in every way the principles this nation was founded upon.
If they choose not to do that openly, like honorable men, then let us put it to them clearly that their actions are treason, shall be called treason and will be dealt with as treason.
If our elected representatives (those who claim loyalty to this principled nation) have not the stomach to call treason 'treason' and do what duty demands then we must releive them of office and replace them with those who will.
The issue then today is not 'this right' and 'that right' or 'balance of powers'. It isn't 'rightwing' or 'leftwing' philosophy or 'Republican view' or 'Democrat view'. It's 'American' or 'subversive'. 'Loyalist' or 'enemy'. It is quite simply 'patriot' or 'traitor'.
The right to life is as fundamental as it gets and traitors have undermined our law to deny it. The right to speak and worship freely is as human as it gets and traitors are working to destroy that freedom.
George Felos seeks recognition of 'the right to die'. He's a traitor.
The ACLU seeks to end religious freedom. They are traitors.
The whole Democrat leadership, save a few, seek to undermine our President in a war that they voted to fund. They are traitors!No quarter nor refuge, public or private, should be given to traitors of our own country. No deference made to the words they speak. No excuses made on their behalf. No tolerance, save our own compassion for the sanctity and dignity of human life, for their presence among us.
If they seek to destroy the principle of respect for life do they not also seek to destroy life? If they seek to remove all visible sign of religious expression do they not also seek to destroy religion? If they seek to destroy the power of the man who directs our military to defend us, because he directs our military to defend us, do they not also seek to help our enemies destroy us?
That's treason.
461 posted on 11/06/2003 12:27 PM EST by TigersEye ("Where there is life there is hope." - Terri Schiavo)
Let others do so.
Now this is some GOOD stuff! Talk about a guy with absolutely impeachable credibility!!
the anti-war activity is much more damaging to Kerry than any controversy over the medals.
I trust the anti-war/treasonous activity will constitute phase II of the assault.
the pictures of Kerry during this period -- the smug, snotty, effette dirty hippy with the big nose -- alone do great damage to him.
O'Grady and a lot of veterans feel the same way.
I shook Scott O'Grady's hand the other day. Nice guy.
"Treason against the United States shall consist solely in levying war against them, or in ADHERING TO THEIR ENEMIES, GIVING THEM AID AND COMFORT"
Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution (My caps.)
By the above, John F Kerry, as WELL AS Bill J. Clinton are foul traitors.
There is no patriotism to question.
Looks like Kerry did for the UN talks on Iraq what he did for the Viet Nam talks. Sabotaged them!
I have heard Scott O'Grady speak at a convention I attended several years ago. I loved the guy. He was impressive and he is right on about Kerry's treasonous activities.
You go SCOTT!!!!
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