April 6, 2004
CAN RON KOVIC BE FAR BEHIND?:
Former Sen. Max Cleland: How the disabled war veteran became the Democrats' mascot. (Michael Crowley, April 2, 2004, Slate)
Cleland's image as Bush's ultimate victim suits Kerry's campaign all too well. There are no bold new ideas in the Democratic Party today, no coherent policy themes. Even Kerry's supporters are hard-pressed to explain what he stands for. What does define and unify the party is a sense of victimhood—and a lust for revenge. Cleland is compelling not because of anything he's done—he was a mediocre senator and a clumsy candidate—but because of what was done to him. His consignment to a wheelchair only heightens this sentiment. The wheelchair itself is a metaphor for his political trauma. In this sense, Cleland is reminiscent of another fairly ordinary man: Abner Louima, who was brutalized by New York City cops in 1997 and became a symbolic hero to New York liberals convinced Rudy Giuliani's law-and-order regime had gone too far. But New York liberals were never able to get the upper hand on Giuliani. And if the symbolism of Max Cleland defines his campaign, John Kerry won't topple Bush, either.
This will sound harsh, but ask yourself this: would Democrats care about Max Cleland if he had all his limbs? Mr. Crowley is precisely right that he is nothing more than a symbol of victimhood. A prouder man would not allow himself to be so used. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 6, 2004 10:39 AM
Max Cleland was injured by a grenade in a NON-COMBAT area, which just happened to be in Vietnam. He could have just as easily been injured in a National Guard unit in Georgia.
Posted by: h-man at April 6, 2004 11:55 AMI only found out about Cleland's "heroism" a couple of days ago. People like Cleland owe it to Terry Mcaulliffe and John Kerry, who decided to define service downwards by lambasting and demeaning George Bush's service record, for harsh and unsympathetic (but not inaccurate) views like h-man's. If you live in a glass house...
Posted by: MG at April 6, 2004 1:00 PMMax Cleland was injured by a grenade in a NON-COMBAT area, which just happened to be in Vietnam. He could have just as easily been injured in a National Guard unit in Georgia.
That's simply untrue at least according to his XO. In any case what you posted is pretty disrespectful.
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/04/02/con04074.html
Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at April 7, 2004 5:03 AMM Ali Choudhury
I read your citation, and I'm still unclear how Ann Coulter's facts are contradicted. (she admitted that he HAD been in a combat situation, but the incident under discussion happened later)
However, much of the confusion is a result of the use of the term "combat zone". Because I don't have an adequate definition myself, I will withdraw my earlier post and thank you for correcting me.
Posted by: h-man at April 7, 2004 8:30 AMh-man:
From his XO:
Max, the Battalion Signal Officer, was engaged in a combat mission I personally ordered to increase the effectiveness of communications between the battalion combat forward and rear support elements: e.g. Erect a radio relay antenna on a mountain top. By the way, at one point the battalion rear elements came under enemy artillery fire so everyone was in harms way.
As they were getting off the helicopter, Max saw the grenade on the ground and he instinctively went for it. Soldiers in combat don't leave grenades lying around on the ground.
From Coulter:
Cleland lost three limbs in an accident during a routine noncombat mission where he was about to drink beer with friends. He saw a grenade on the ground and picked it up.
Looks like contradiction to me.
I don't agree with Cleland's comments on Bush but if the shoe had been on the other foot and someone like Michael Moore had made the same sort of assertion about a Republican then there'd have been a justifiably huge uproar.
Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at April 7, 2004 8:42 AMM Ali Choudhury
the following was written by Jill Zuckerman in the Boston Globe in 1997
"FINALLY, THE BATTLE AT KHE SANH WAS OVER. Celand, 25 years old, and two members of his team were now ordered to set up a radio relay station at the division assembly area, 15 MILES AWAY. The three gathered antennas, radios and a generator and made the 15-minute helicopter trip east. After unloading the equipment, Cleland climbed back into the helicopter for the ride back. But at the last minute, HE DECIDED TO STAY AND HAVE A BEER WITH FRIENDS. As the helicopter was lifting off, he shouted to the pilot that he was staying behind and jumped several feet to the ground.
Cleland hunched over to avoid the whirring blades and ran. Turning to face the helicopter, he caught sight of a grenade on the ground where the chopper had perched. It must be mine, he thought, moving toward it. He reached for it with his right arm just as it exploded, slamming him back and irreparably altering his plans for a bright, shining future."
Max Cleland did not receive a Purple Heart Award because a Purple Heart is given for injuries sustained in Combat.
He told the pilot he was going to stay awhile. Maybe have a few beers with friends. ... Then Cleland looked down and saw a grenade. Where'd that come from? He walked toward it, bent down, and crossed the line between before and after." (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 5, 1999)
"Cleland was no war hero, but his sacrifice was great. ... Democratic Senate candidate Max Cleland is a victim of war, not a casualty of combat. He lost three limbs on a long-forgotten hill near Khe Sanh because of some American's mistake ..." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Sept. 29, 1996)
Posted by: h-man at April 7, 2004 10:24 AM
h-man:
Apologies. I stand corrected.
Since he didn't get a Purple Heart I guess the XO's wrong.
Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at April 7, 2004 10:32 AMM Ali Choudhury
Please don't apologize. You perceived correctly that I was being silly.
Max Cleland was (is) a hero. Only later has he interjected himself into politics, and in doing that he has harshly critizised President Bush for ONLY being in the National Guard and implied also that even that service was fake or inadequate.
I should never have made the original remark.