Kerry: ‘I Was Wrong' On Iraq

CNSNews.com ^ | June 13, 2006 | Nathan Burchfiel

[fuyb]

Washington, D.C. (CNSNews.com) - U.S. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts on Tuesday told an audience at the liberal Take Back America conference that he was sorry for voting to authorize the war in Iraq, calling the entire mission "a mistake."

"We were misled, we were given evidence that was not true," Kerry said. "It was wrong, and I was wrong to vote [for it]."

Kerry, who led an unsuccessful bid for the presidency in 2004, said it was necessary to admit mistakes because "you cannot change the future if you''re not honest about the past." He criticized supporters of the war, who label anti-war activists and politicians as unpatriotic and pessimistic.

"The true pessimists are those who will not accept that America''s strength depends on our credibility at home and around the world," Kerry said. "The true pessimists are those who do not understand that valuing our principles is critical to our national security and it is as critical to our national security as our military power itself."

He said questioning the war and fighting in it are "two sides of the very same patriotic coin" and compared the modern anti-war movement to the anti-war movement in the Vietnam War. Kerry, who served in Vietnam, returned to the United States and offered testimony to Congress, opposing the war and describing horrific war crimes he said soldiers committed there.

He said opposing the war is "a right and an obligation" because it was "founded on a lie [and] can never be true to America''s character."

Kerry also lashed out at war supporters who accuse anti-war activists of not supporting the troops. "The best way to support the troops is to oppose a course that destroys their lives," he said.

Kerry renewed his call for a withdrawal of troops from Iraq, saying that he supports setting a timetable for the removal in Iraq that is not "cut and run." Without saying when he would like troops removed from the war zone, Kerry said he believes "we need a hard and fast deadline."

Kerry made his comments during a speech at the annual Take Back America conference in the nation''s capital. Organized by the liberal Campaign for America''s Future, the conference has also feature U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton and U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. U.S. Sens. Russ Feingold and Barack Obama are scheduled to appear Wednesday.

A spokesman for the Republican National Committee was not immediately available for reaction to Kerry''s comments.

[DocRock]

click the Image to watch the video

Transcript: (John Kerry on "Face the Nation" 9/15/02")

I would disagree with John McCain, that it's actual weapons of mass destruction that may be used against us, it's what he may do in another invasion of Kuwait or in a miscalculation about the Kurds or a miscalculation about Iran or particularly Israel. Those are the things that uh, I think present the greatest danger. He may even miscalculate and slide these weapons off to terrorist groups and invite them to be a surrogate to use them against the United States. It's the miscalculation that poses the greatest threat.

(John Kerry on "Hardball 9/17/02")

But the President, as I also wrote in that article, always reserves the right to act unilaterally to protect the interest of our country.

If you have the bandwidth, here is the LINK to the better, longer and larger video. This is a 3:35 long, 4 Mb .wmv Video.

If you want the entire video, it is over 12 minutes long and is good quality, so it is 24.7 Mb in .wmv format. Click HERE. This is good stuff.

[beaversmom]

"founded on a lie [and] can never be true to America''s character."

Sounds like Kerry is summing up his whole adult life.

[Revererdrv]

That makes Kerry Mr. Wrong. He has been Mr. Wrong for a long, long, time. He will never be Mr. Right.

[MD_Willington_1976]

oh come on now, if he had won, who do you think would be supplying grub for the grunts... Momma T's companies... Heinz MRE's etc...

blah blah.. saddle bag for a face Kerry...

[ConorMacNessa]

GOD BLESS AND PROTECT OUR TROOPS!

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John Kerry - a hero to the NVA.

[potlatch]

Thanks for the pings.

[timestax]

[doug from upland]

Kerry's father was wrong on birth control.

[chiefqc]

It does not matter, tomorrow it will be different.

[BlessedByLiberty]

Do Kerry and the rest of these moonbat liberals realize that by saying they were "misled" by President Bush - someone to whom they feel superior - makes them appear foolishly gullible?

[Frwy]

....and after. Full circle John sKerry we'll call him. I'd love the opportunity to perform a GHW Bush hurl on him. I can't help it if that's too evil.

[Dog Gone]

You are right. Kerry's comments need refuting, which is being done here, and probably will be done by the RNC in due course.

If you want to make unthinking comments in a big font, go ahead. I'll comment on them as I see fit. But I'm not going to run off and hide because of your snarky suggestion.

[johnny7]

LOL...

[outofsalt]

The man is like a fish. He flips & flops and is covered with slime.

[Rocky]

It's like standing between two parallel mirrors. There are thousands of reflections, but none of them is real.

[Nekman]

The problem is.....no matter how much WE understand how ridiculous this type of statement is....it's being said to a rather sizeable subgroup of our country...I call them the A-Moron-icans©.......and thanks to the public education system....we have a large and continuous supply!!!!!

[sgtbono2002]

Yes and do you remember the other Senator on that mission? None other than John McCain.

[Smartass]

Thanks for the PING potlatch...

"Hanoi Lurch" is baaaaack. Gees, won't he ever go away.

 

[Jorge]

Kerry, "I was wrong before I was right about being wrong!"

Kerry's become a parody of himself.

[shalom aleichem]

sKerry is also broaching the "Romney Fault Line". To save a long story, check out this:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2002654563_floyd30.html

Gov. of Michigan (and Mitt's Dad) George Romney had the wind at his back UNTIL he claimed LBJ had "brainwashed" him into supporting the Viet Nam war. His popularity dropped out of sight forever. Some Dems have been whining about being misled. None have used the magic word "brainwashed" (we all know the only Manchurian Candidate is McCain). Media need a history lesson. Or is this one of those sins only commitable by a Republican?