The Boston Fog:Kerry Calls The Iraq War A "Mistake" But Says Troops Are Not Dying For A "Mistake"

George W. Bush ^ | October 1, 2004

[RWR8189]

The Boston Fog Report An ongoing examination of John Kerry’s “nuances and shades of gray in both foreign and domestic policy.” (Editorial, “A Primary Endorsement,” The New York Times, 2/26/04) for·a·gainst adverb. 1. To be both for and against something at the same time: e.g. “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.” (Glen Johnson, “Kerry Blasts Bush On Protecting Troops,” The Boston Globe, 3/17/04) "John Kerry's troubling record of contradiction and vacillation spiraled into incoherence last night when he said the President 'made a mistake' in invading Iraq but denied our troops in Iraq are dying for a mistake. The real mistake is John Kerry's decision to play politics with the War on Terror." - Steve Schmidt, Bush-Cheney '04 Spokesman Kerry Calls The Iraq War A "Mistake" But Says Our Troops Are Not Dying For A "Mistake" Kerry Says "The President Made A Mistake In Invading Iraq." (Sen. John Kerry, First Presidential Debate, Miami, FL, 9/30/04) Kerry Says He Doesn't Believe Americans Are Dying For A "Mistake." LEHRER: "Are Americans now dying in Iraq for a mistake?" KERRY: "No, and they don't have to, providing we have the leadership that we put -- that I'm offering." (Sen. John Kerry, First Presidential Debate, Miami, FL, 9/30/04)

[lilylangtree]

That's why the Airhead scares he. Even last night, he said he had "plans" but being the consummate politician, he wouldn't say what those plans were. FLUSH THE JOHNS!

[Imaverygooddriver]

Poodle boy is a mistake. I think the voters in Mass must be masochists or something, between Kenendy and poodle boy. How the hell they can take these two idiots never mind vote for them is something I`ll never understand in a million years.

[eggman]

You need to understand Kerrythink. Clear your mind. A large dose of sleeping pills and a couple of shots should do it. The war was the President's mistake but now that we are in the middle of the mistake it will depend on the outcome of the war as to whether it was a mistake or not but it is not a mistake right now because it could be fixed but only if Kerry is elected.</Kerrythink>

[Nosterrex]

Kerry may have a "global test," but having spent over twenty years in the military as a Navy chaplain, I have another "test." If you can't look a father or mother, husband or wife, son or daughter in his face and say that his loved one died for a worthy cause, you don't send that loved one into harms way. If Senator Kerry really believes that the conflict in Iraq is a mistake, his only moral option would be to pull them out now. You don't send troops to die for a mistake.
The argument that someone else made this mistake, and I'm just cleaning it up may be a pragmatic argument, but it's not a moral one. Troops won't sacrifice their lives for a mistake.

[bushfamfan]

That was actually a good question by Leher. And Kerry flunked that answer too. He is a sleazy, calculating politician.

[hawkiye]

[Beckwith]

Poodle boy is a mistake. I think the voters in Mass must be masochists or something, between Kennedy and poodle boy. How the hell they can take these two idiots never mind vote for them is something I`ll never understand in a million years.

I'm no fan of either, but the $14 or $15 billion those two (especially Kennedy) brought back to Boston for the Big Dig might explain it a little.

[chris1]

Senator:

You should be ashamed of yourself and should stop denigrating the sacrifes of our troops. Our boys and girls are not dying for a mistake, Senator, and it is sad that you feel that way.".

[pray4liberty]

Can somebody post the stats for accidental or crime-related death in the United States? Is it more than 1,052 or any given day/week/month/year?

If so, would a soldier in Iraq be safer than being here in the U.S.?

[lilylangtree]

The way I look at it is that terrorists in about 1 hour took out about 3,000 American lives, and did hundreds of millions of dollars in economic terms. Our military forces have been in Iraq about 15-18 months with about 1,000 lives lost. Of those 1,000 lives, only about 5-600 are actual combat lives; the other is non-combat losses. Now, of course, I haven't lost a loved one there so my perspective would be different.

[pray4liberty]

Our military forces have been in Iraq about 15-18 months with about 1,000 lives lost.

For wartime, that is pretty good stats. Wonder what the car crash fatality rate is. It's probably higher for the same time period.

My point is: the fatality rate in Iraq is overblown, when people are getting creamed here. IF Kerry becomes President we can add domestic terrorism stats to the fatality lists.