Posted on 08/25/2004 12:27:20 PM PDT by ambrose
Cleland to Bush: 'Put Up or Shut Up'
By Melanie Hunter
CNSNews.com Deputy Managing Editor August 25, 2004
(CNSNews.com) - Former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland tried, but failed to personally deliver a letter to President George Bush at his Crawford, Texas ranch Wednesday, asking Bush to denounce TV ads run by the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that criticizes Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's military record.
At a news conference following the incident, Cleland called on Bush to "put up or shut up" and denounce the ads.
"These scurrilous attacks on John Kerry's credibility in war, his courage, his valor are false, and George Bush is behind it. That's why I tried to deliver a letter at the president's home, hand it to either him or one of his aides, but that was unsuccessful," said Cleland.
"And I'm sorry it was, because the letter is signed by some nine distinguished members of the United States Senate, all of whom have worn a uniform," he said.
The former senator called Bush's honor into question by accusing him of attacking "a fellow veteran who has distinguished himself" in combat, "regardless of the political combat involved." Cleland called it "disgraceful."
"For those of us in the Vietnam era, we're having to go through Vietnam again," Cleland said. "We're having to go through the divisive aspect of politics ... That is not what we ought to be doing in America."
"Republicans like Sen. John McCain, who have been the subject of scurrilous attacks like this before, say this is dishonest and dishonorable," he added.
Cleland said the president has criticized the military records of three Vietnam veterans in four years.
"[Bush] went after John McCain when [Bush] got behind [in the 2000 Republican presidential race], when McCain won the New Hampshire primary and came south to South Carolina. The slime machine got cranked up. The smear campaign started and McCain actually went on television and asked the president to stop it. He did not," Cleland said.
"And then when the president came after me in Georgia in 2002, [Nebraska Sen.] Chuck Hagel asked them to stop putting me up there with Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, and they did not," he said.
"And now, nine members of the Senate and millions of Americans around the country are asking George Bush to make one phone call to his friends here in Texas and say 'stop this insanity," Cleland added.
The former senator concluded by accusing Bush of "trying to cover up the fact that we have a mess in Iraq, which he created." Cleland added, "He's trying to cover up for the terrible presidency that he's given this country."
"These scurrilous attacks on John Kerry's credibility in war, his courage, his valor are false, and George Bush is behind it."
Another vast right wing conspiricy.
Actually they missed one--Edward M. Kennedy went into the Navy after he was expelled from college for cheating. I wonder why he didn't sign.
...and Amen.
Does not Kerry's campaign now admit the first P>H> was a self inflicted wound?
Johnny. King of the FLIPPERS!
Hey Max, you poor confused misguided a--hole. George Bush doesn't have a dog in this fight. It's between Horseface and the Viet Vets that he disgraced. Deal with it.
Hey Max, you poor confused misguided a--hole. George Bush doesn't have a dog in this fight. It's between Horseface and the Viet Vets that he disgraced. Deal with it.
Don't you love how SKerry uses a triple amputee to do his dirty work. No one can attack him for anything because he's disabled but he can do or say anything and get away with it because he's disabled.
TC Rider to Mad Max: Sorry you got fragged in Nam, now shut up.
Conservative woman who loves cowboy to Cleland, "Buck off"
LOL
And Cleland would know this because....he was there to witness the events and has evidence that Bush is behind it? Hm. Thought not. Really...this is nothing more than a cheap PR ploy. It appears as if Cleland is attacking the credibility, courage and valor of 254 swift boat vets. Should we write a letter to him demanding that he stop?
I don't think SKerry would be happy with less than a firing squad.
moonman to Cleland: Anyone chasing a beer, dropping their own hand-grenades and falling on them, ain't no war hero to me. I know war heros ... John Kerry and you ain't one!
Kind of like the Islamicists that hide behind women and children when they fire RPGs at Americans and blow up Jews...John Kerry's personal hell can not become America's.
But no-one is listening to them so they don't count.
Maybe if Max had watched Traitor John get out of Nam by just shooting himself in the foot, he wouldn't have lost limbs fragging himself to accomplish the same thing.
"MR. KERRY, I CALL ON YOU TO CALL OFF THE VIOLENT KERRORIST PROTESTORS IN NYC AND DISAVOW THEIR ACTIONS, IMMEDIATELY!!!"
I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm sick of them smearing President Bush's honor while screaming at the top of their lungs that they are being smeared. This is just sickening. We're at war, our enemy is listening, and these people are dragging our president through the mud because of their own sleazy pasts.
Try 14 months in Vietnam!!!I got my shoulders crushed by a truck backing up, and knocked out my front teeth when I hit an engineer stake while jumping in a hole in a mortar attack. No purple heart. Never asked for one. Never even thought of asking for one. It's called doing your duty for your country. You're giving something, and should expect nothing in return.
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