Purple hearbreakers (James Webb barf alert)

New York Times ^ | January 18, 2006 | James Webb

[balch3]

IT should come as no surprise that an arch-conservative Web site is questioning whether Representative John Murtha, the Pennsylvania Democrat who has been critical of the war in Iraq, deserved the combat awards he received in Vietnam.

After all, in recent years extremist Republican operatives have inverted a longstanding principle: that our combat veterans be accorded a place of honor in political circles. This trend began with the ugly insinuations leveled at Senator John McCain during the 2000 Republican primaries and continued with the slurs against Senators Max Cleland and John Kerry, and now Mr. Murtha.

Military people past and present have good reason to wonder if the current administration truly values their service beyond its immediate effect on its battlefield of choice. The casting of suspicion and doubt about the actions of veterans who have run against President Bush or opposed his policies has been a constant theme of his career. This pattern of denigrating the service of those with whom they disagree risks cheapening the public's appreciation of what it means to serve, and in the long term may hurt the Republicans themselves.

Excerpt

[balch3]

Webb continues to betray the trust of Ronald Reagan, who made him Navy Secretary. He's quick to jump to the defense of Murtha here. Webb is a decorated veteran of Vietnam himself--but what do we really know about the circumstances of HIS medals?

[balch3]

This is an excerpt. Here's the link to the full article

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/18/opinion/18webb.html

[radar101]

Kind of different than this James webb writing:

"All Things Considered," Senator Kerry and the Swifties
24 August 2004

---

The Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth have a point in their attack on John Kerry's Vietnam service, for by basing his campaign on his wartime credentials, he invited their response. The "Swifties" are giving John Kerry a version of what the military calls a "peer evaluation" - a hard, cool look at a fellow officer that calls him to task for being self-serving. But their conduct invites its own questions, not the least of which is one of relevance.

Should a shaky decoration for gallantry disqualify one for the Presidency? Ask Lyndon Johnson, who as a Congressman convinced Douglas MacArthur to award him a Silver Star for riding as a passenger on an aircraft fired on by the Japanese.

Do erratic tactics reveal an inability to govern under pressure? Ask Jack Kennedy, whose World War II exploits as the skipper of PT-109 began when his boat sank after colliding with a Japanese warship.

Is a highborn aristocrat condemnable when he goes to go to war to fuel his political aspirations? Tell that to Teddy Roosevelt, who recklessly risked the lives of his Rough Riders at San Juan Hill, and incessantly lobbied on his own behalf to receive the Medal of Honor once he returned.

The greater worry is that their attack on Kerry's service may harm the very people the Swifties wish to protect, for their allegations have the potential to negate the service of everyone who was on the boats. If the young John Kerry were so able to manipulate the Navy's system that he unfairly collected five decorations, the system itself has no credibility, and all awards become meaningless. Indeed, one of the Swifties has had to deny the content of his own Bronze Star citation indicating that he was under enemy fire at the same time as was Kerry, in order to further their contention that Kerry's citation was false. This confusing conduct threatens to harm the public's view of those who fought in Vietnam as much as anything that John Kerry did when he came home and turned against the war.

By contrast, Kerry's leadership of Vietnam Veterans Against the War is not only fair game; it speaks to legitimate issues of loyalty, and his actions at that time are the true core of this dispute. For most veterans it was not that Kerry was against the war, but that he used his military credentials to denigrate the service of a whole generation of veterans. The Vietnam Veterans Against the War was a very small, highly radical organization. Their stories of atrocious conduct, repeated in lurid detail by Kerry before the Congress, represented not the typical experience of the American soldier, but its ugly extreme. That the articulate, urbane Kerry would validate such allegations helped to make life hell for many Vietnam veterans, for a very long time.

But against this backdrop we are measuring a sitting President who avoided service in Vietnam altogether, using family strings to gain a spot in the National Guard at a time when the Guard was an undeniable safe haven from war. And if there are a group of former Swifties available to cross every "t" and dot every "i" of John Kerry's Vietnam service, there will be no debates about whether George W. Bush deserved a Silver Star, or earned his Purple Hearts.

The Swifties have made their point, and after thirty years of bitterness John Kerry has earned the karma that they brought him. But most veterans, like most other Americans, are ready to digest this piece of information and move on.

[A.A. Cunningham]

but what do we really know about the circumstances of HIS medals?

Webb was medically retired from the Marine Corps due to the injuries he received in Viet Nam. There's no question about the validity of his awards.

Having said that, he's all wet in his latest op-ed.

[Semper Paratus]

Kerry brought the Swifties on himself by his constant parading around his 'Band of Brothers' and the pandering he did from the convention dias.

He made me sick and I'm convinced the Swift Boat Vetrans was all that stood between him the Presidency.

[freema]

What are these people reading my mind? LOL

Just earlier I proposed starting a Purple BrokenHearts Club Band..........

[jveritas]

I said before that these two moron journalists from CNS news have the political IQ of a chicken because they are throwing a life saver to the Left by moving the debate from Murtha treasonous statements about the Iraq war that have been killing the democrats on the national security issue to this meaningless issue about Murtha war record that will generate sympathy for him.

[rowhey]

Didn't Ollie North once kick Webb's ass during a Naval Academy boxing match?

[Thorin]

James Webb is an authentic American hero, and he is exactly right here.

[Sonny M]

James Webb is one of those guys I could never figure out.

He constantly goes back and forth.

During the Reagan years, he was hard right, after that, he flip flopped so many times, for no reason what so ever that I lost count.

I'm not sure who he backed in 2004, since he ripped the living hell out of both Bush and Kerry.

Part of me thinks he sees himself as some kind of underdog referee who has a need to be on the outside.

Either that, or after years and years, he is starting to figure out how to be media savvy (hint, bashing republicans works and gets attention, bashing dems does not).

[freema]

I'm real tired of people operating under the assumpting that operatives are 'behind' this campaign.

It insinuates that none of us could possibly have a brain to ask if this is another Kerryesque re-do.

Which, precisely, I did, BEFORE CNS brought it up.

If the Democratic party had any integrity, questions wouldn't need to be asked.

[R. Scott]

… extremist Republican operatives have inverted a longstanding principle: that our combat veterans be accorded a place of honor in political circles.

This vet would rather have it read: “…our combat veterans be accorded a place of honor if the honor is deserved, not bought, stolen or just bogus”.

[paddles]

Disagree with the man if you wish, but his decorations were earned the hard way.

[colorcountry]

Break out the tinfoil hats...but can't you see the advantage of the Dems "breaking" this purple-heart story here on FR or on similar sites, with the intent we "talk about" it.

That's all we have to do is discuss it...we've fallen for their trap. Tthen they can slime us as the party of accusations. I don't remember anyone actually accusing him do you?

[kimosabe31]

Interesting article.

[Sonny M]

James Webb is an authentic American hero, and he is exactly right here.

He is a war hero, but he is wrong here.

He has made a mistake and is in error.

[Billthedrill]

I don't think any of us who were in the military consider that it makes us immune from criticism for political remarks. That seems to be the shorthand of the left at the moment, but as usual, applies only to those who agree with them.

Murtha doesn't deserve a free ride on this and he isn't getting one. One wonders what the difference is between questioning the circumstances of his service and the cottage industry in the MSM that grew up around questioning the circumstances of Bush's.

[FlipWilson]

To me the real issue isn't whether Murtha's medals earned in Vietnam are legitimate. He served his country honorably as far as I am concerned.

The real issue is whether past service automatically insulates one from critisim for current acts? Murtha wants to raise the "war hero/ purple heart" shield whenever anyone questions his judgement or actions. Are we to believe that Murtha can say anything he wants, however outrageous, and not be subject to criticism or questioning for those statements simply because he is a war hero or was wounded!?!? By that standard, Duke Cunningham should be cleared of all charges and released immediately as he is a "war hero." But that is not the way our system works, unless of course, one is a democrat and can do no wrong or face no criticism.

While not justified in my opinion, I think Mr. Murtha opened himself up to the same treatment John Kerry received by hiding behind the "war hero/purple heart" shield rather than truly standing up and defending his statements.

[Blzbba]

"but what do we really know about the circumstances of HIS medals?"


Yes, we do. Don't slander a real American patriot, please. Just because he's not in step with Bushbots doesn't mean his wartime past is in question.

[Rider on the Rain]

James Webb is an authentic American hero, and he is exactly right here.

Yes he is an authentic American hero. Whether he is exactly right here is a matter of opinion, and I beleive most patriotic American conservatives are of the opinion that he is dead wrong here.