| Kerry also picked up support from Wayne Langhofer, who told the Washington Post he was manning a machine-gun in a boat behind Kerry's and saw firing from both banks of a river as Kerry dived in to rescue Special Forces soldier James Rassmann
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Posted on 08/21/2004 8:42:06 PM PDT by ambrose
Kerry urges Bush to stop mudslinging ads about war record
Updated at 23:30 on August 21, 2004, EST.
EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry urged President George W. Bush on Saturday to "stand up and stop" what he called personal attacks on him about his combat record in Vietnam.
At a fundraiser, attended by about 750 people, Kerry said the attacks by a group of Vietnam veterans and former Swift Boat commanders have intensified "because in the last months they have seen me climbing in America's understanding that I know how to fight a smarter and more effective war" against terrorists.
"That's why they're attacking my credibility. That's why they've personally gone after me."
"The president needs to stand up and stop that. The president needs to have the courage to talk about it."
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group funded in part by a top Republican donor in Texas, has been running ads featuring veterans who served in Vietnam at the same time as Kerry and question his wartime record.
The White House and the Bush campaign have denied any direct connection with the Swift Boat group.
"The president has made it repeatedly clear that he wants to see an end to all" advertising from outside groups, said Brian Jones, a Bush campaign spokesman.
But on Saturday, a former prisoner of war, retired colonel Ken Cordier, resigned as a volunteer from the Bush campaign's veterans' steering committee after it was learned he participated in an anti-Kerry ad sponsored by the Swift Boat group. The ad criticizes Kerry's congressional anti-war testimony in the 1970s alleging U.S. troops engaged in atrocities in Vietnam.
"Col. Cordier did not inform the campaign of his involvement in the advertisement," the Bush campaign said in a statement.
"Because of his involvement (with the group) Col. Cordier will no longer participate as a volunteer for Bush-Cheney '04."
Earlier on Saturday, Kerry's campaign released a video comparing the controversy over Kerry's Vietnam service to attacks on John McCain during the 2000 Republican primaries.
The video, sent via e-mail to supporters, said: "George Bush is up to his old tricks" and shows then-Texas Gov. Bush and Arizona Senator John McCain at a debate in February 2000.
McCain, sitting next to Bush, says when "fringe veterans groups" attacked him at a Bush campaign function, Bush stood by and didn't say a word. McCain said a group of senators wrote Bush a letter that said: "Apologize. You should be ashamed."
McCain, also a Vietnam veteran, said Bush "really went over the line."
"I don't know how you can understand this, George, but that really hurts," McCain said.
The Swift Boat group also was being challenged by a Chicago Tribune newspaper editor who was on the Feb. 28, 1969, mission for which Kerry received the Silver Star. William Rood, 61, said he decided to break his silence about the mission because recent reports of Kerry's actions in that battle are incorrect and darken the reputations of veterans who served with Kerry.
"The critics have taken pains to say they're not trying to cast doubts on the merit of what others did, but their version of events has splashed doubt on all of us," Rood said in a 1,700-word first-person account published in Sunday's edition of the Tribune.
"It's gotten harder and harder for those of us who were there to listen to accounts we know to be untrue, especially when they come from people who were not there."
Rood said the allegations Kerry's accomplishments were overblown are untrue and Kerry came up with an attack strategy that was praised by their superiors. The Tribune said Rood's recollection of what happened that day in South Vietnam was backed by military documents.
Rood wrote Kerry recently contacted him and other crew members, requesting they go public with their accounts of what happened.
"I can't pretend those calls (from Kerry) had no effect on me, but that is not why I am writing this," Rood said.
"What matters most to me is that this is hurting crewmen who are not public figures and who deserved to be honoured for what they did. My intent is to tell the story here and to never again talk publicly about it."
Kerry also picked up support from Wayne Langhofer, who told the Washington Post he was manning a machine-gun in a boat behind Kerry's and saw firing from both banks of a river as Kerry dived in to rescue Special Forces soldier James Rassmann, the basis for Kerry's Bronze Star.
Until now, the Post noted on its website, Kerry's version of acting under fire had come from crewmen on his own boat. It quoted Langhofer saying he was approached by leaders of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth several months ago but declined to join them in speaking against Kerry.
In Roanoke, Va., on Saturday, Democratic vice-presidential candidate John Edwards also called on Bush to end the Swift Boat Veterans ads.
"This is a moment of truth for George W. Bush," Edwards said at a Democratic rally.
"We're going to see what kind of man he is and what kind of leader he is...We want to hear three words: 'Stop these ads."'
What happened to "Bring it on!" ????
Thursday: "Bring it on!"
Friday: "Mommy, please make them stop!"
What this does is make Kerry look like a crybaby...and the press (unknowingly I think) is feeding that fire.
What happened to "spend five minutes with the men who served with him"?
Kerry is delusional....it is Not President Bush who is calling his record in Vietnam to question. WHAT A WHINER KERRY IS!!!!
Hey JohnBoy. Shut up and take your licks like a man!
F**K him! And McCain is not at all far behind either!
Dived in? - that's a new one
Kerry is fighting the last war in more ways than one. Let's hear about your war crimes now, John.
Has they hypocrit demanded his mudslinging ads be stopped. Oh wait, wasn't Micheal Moore treated like royalty at the Democratic convention?
"[C]limbing in America's understanding that I know how to fight a smarter and more effective war..."?
Does he speak French as poorly as he speaks English?
Something like, "Come on you guys! A vet that had to get a purple heart for rice stuck in his butt is getting his feelings really hurt about you mocking his record. How about moving on to slinging mud on his post-war lies and anti-war activities while American POW's were being tortured..."
I wrote to John McCain about his hypocricy today. Why don't we all write to him, see how he feels about that? Of course we aren't his constituency or priority, the media is. But if he gets LOTS of letters politely telling him he is a total fraud, he might notice?
What a wuss. You don't see Dubya whining and crying over Kerry's mouthpieces: moveon.org and Michael Moore. If this rich pansy can't handle the heat he needs to get the hell out of the kitchen.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/8/21/215620.shtml
So a guy aboard Kerry's boat said that HE show the Viet Cong kid. No mention of the fact in the above article.
Yeah, that's sure a good soundbyte LOL.
ROFLMAO....what a pu$$y whiner....As an attorney, he should know a witness's character is subject to investigation and cross examination to test credibility, it isn't a one way street...did he eve have a real job in real life or just life off the government and his wealthy brides all his life?
This is REality Kerry...you opened Pandoras box and to close it you have to sign the 180...
What happened to "Bring it on!" ????
It left with Kerry on the boat to Cambodia to attend a Christmas Eve party with the Buddhists.
Of course, Kerry knows this. It's just their feeble attempt to reframe the issue and put Bush on the defensive. If Bush DID come out and condemn the ads, it wouldn't be enough. Bush would then be charged with political posturing.
Bush is doing what needs to be done--continuing to laud Kerry for his military service, labeling Kerry as unbalanced for insisting the Bush is behind the ads and calling for an end to all 527 ads (always mentioning the great discrepancy in pro-Democrat 527's as compared to pro-Republican ones).
I like your term "delusional". That might be a good word for McClellan to use to describe Kerry's unglued behavior.
His arrogance will be his downfall...he looks out at the vast unwashed (that's us) and thinks we don't see his surrogates coordinating directly with his campaign and the DNC. Throw in the millions of dollars from Soreass who has promised to spend whatever it takes to defeat Dubya...and then compare it to the Swifties who operate on a shoestring and think about how stupid he thinks we are.
| Kerry also picked up support from Wayne Langhofer, who told the Washington Post he was manning a machine-gun in a boat behind Kerry's and saw firing from both banks of a river as Kerry dived in to rescue Special Forces soldier James Rassmann
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And there is no bias at the AP with a headline like this. These guys don't even try and hide their bias anymore.
"Kerry is delusional....it is Not President Bush who is calling his record in Vietnam to question. WHAT A WHINER KERRY IS!!!!"
Yeah! Well you know that this guy....He's got ties to the Bush camp. You know he does. This whole election is a conspiracy. You're obviously blinded by the right to see through the cover up. :) HEHEHE!
Does this mean that Kerry is no longer going to have Michael Moore in his VIP box?
"The president needs to stand up and stop that. The president needs to have the courage to talk about it."
The president needs to protect me. After all, he's working hard to protect all other Americans. Why not me? I deserve to have his job. Look at my manicure and my hair. He should help me have that position. Good grief, somebody put Kerry out of his misery.
Yes, the media libs think they are defending Kerry but are unwittingly making him look weak.
Presidential candidate John Kerry called on President Bush today to ask the SwiftVets to stop saying bad things about him.
Bush replied, Gee John, I thought that we were opponents in a campaign. What makes Kerry's plea for Bush's help even more hysterical is the fact that it would be illegal for Bush to ask a 527 group to follow his wishes. Kerry was last seen running for a nearby river where he pushed a fisherman off his boat and began yelling "I'M A WAR HERO..I'M A WAR HERO....THEY CAN'T TREAT ME THIS WAY!
DIVED IN???
What the he11?
I thought sKerry went up on the bow of the boat, dodging withering fire from the enemy :), and reached down and pulled Rassmann aboard.
Dived in????
Fundraiser?
Article says: ... both banks of a river as Kerry dived in to rescue Special Forces soldier James Rassmann ...
****
NOW I get the hamster story!!! I couldn't figure it out at first .... it was subliminal .... all contrived to underscore the subject -- Kerry is a hero -- (i.e., KERRY DIVES IN and is a hero .... kinda like knight in shining armour mounting his horse ....)
Either Kerry's people had prior approval from McCain to run the ad in which he appears or they risk having McCain stand up and say "I disapprove of the Kerry campaign implying in an ad that I support him. I think Bush is a better president than Kerry would be."
It seems to me McCain should be asked some questions about this. Did he approve this ad???
Same old demoncRAT ploy: Do as I say and not as I do. Ketchupman's playing the victim again and the big bad ole GOP supporters are mean. Note the dripping sarcasm. In reality these ads are working. Let the truth come forward.
I like your idea, but John McCain does not give a rat's patoot about we "little people." We have no power, oh, wait a minute.
Johnny, feeling the flame of Hell on your heels?
YOU betreyed this country. YOU slandered this country. YOU slandered the men who defended this country. YOU did it all for political gain.
The President has better things to do than defend your commie loving butt.
If it is a lie, SIGN the 180.
Be a man rather than a traitorous effeminate coward.
Or, "Mr President, make them stop attacking me so I can focus on the important stuff....like attacking YOU."
No, none at all. AP is known for their fair and balanced reporting. (snort snort)
This lunatic is totally delusional.
Somebody better put him in a jacket before he hurts himself.
Kerry can make it all stop by simply signing the 180.
Now there's a poll for you.
Also a lot of pro-Bush veterans were there too. Cleland totally looked like a chump wearing his John Kerry for President denim shirt. This guy really thinks Kerry is going to win and he'll get a cushy gov't job.
OMG! You're right. I wonder if Kerry also had his hamster rescue video taped ? This guy disgusts me.
don't be so confident... there is some speculation that Kerry had the records "cleansed" years ago...
This media has to be stopped this is so out of hand they control what they want us to believe this is a serious matter that has to be dealt with ASAP!
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The eyewitness accounts from Kerry's supporters keep getting better and better. Now Kerry "dived in" to save Rassman. Not even Kerry had claimed that. Did the AP reporter notice the discrepancy? Did the Washington Post reporter? It is to laugh. The press is so far in the tank for Kerry on this thing that they will publish an account that differs from Kerry's if they think it sounds good for Kerry. 