August 24, 2004

"I'LL BRING BACK THE 70s":

Kerry Says 'I Stood Up' Against Vietnam War (Carol Giacomo, 8/24/04, Reuters)

John Kerry on Tuesday firmly defended his outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War, saying when the United States was in moral crisis over the conflict in the1970s "I stood up and was counted."

Confronting an issue that has embittered some veterans and helped fuel an election year attack on his military service, the Massachusetts senator said voters "can judge my character" by his Vietnam record.

"Because when the times of moral crisis existed in this country, I wasn't taking care of myself. I was taking care of public policy. I was taking care of things that made a difference to the life of this nation," Kerry told a fund-raiser in this critical battleground state.

"You may not have agreed with me, but I stood up and was counted and that's the kind of president I will be," he added.



"Where's that shark tank?"

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 24, 2004 11:18 PM
Comments

The original AP story (Fournier byline) was much more of a blunt instrument. Both this Reuters version and the current AP version are more, dare I say, nuanced. Still ...

Posted by: ghostcat at August 24, 2004 11:32 PM

Never dreamed that a politician would come along that could fit more 'I's' into one paragraph than Bill Clinton, but Kerry grabbed the award here. He's always been an award hog, though.

Posted by: Melissa at August 24, 2004 11:47 PM

What? No helmet law? Maybe I should reconsider...

Posted by: John Resnick at August 24, 2004 11:55 PM

Kerry lied (to Congress). Hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese died. Or were sent to prison camps.
He certainly did "take care" of them.
Just like he apparently hopes to "take care" of any Iraqis who prefer freedom.

Posted by: Steve at August 25, 2004 12:17 AM

It's not a matter of agreeing or disagreeing with you, Senator. It's a matter of trusting or not trusting you. You've already demonstrated once that you are willing, under the right circumstances, to work for the defeat of your own nation. I trust that you're still so willing.

Posted by: joe shropshire at August 25, 2004 12:41 AM

Last time I looked, when Presidential candidates ran on the Vietnam war, it was Nixon (49 states), McGovern (1 state).

Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at August 25, 2004 12:48 AM

This guy seemes determined to reinact every cliched goofy politician photo including Coolidge in Indian headdress to Dukakis in the tank. Now if he can just get someone to play Sammy Davis Jr. to his Nixon...

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at August 25, 2004 1:12 AM

Careful now, Raoul, Coolidge and Nixon were re-elected.

Posted by: Fred Jacobsen (San Fran) at August 25, 2004 1:44 AM

He really is completely clueless.

"It's not dark yet, but it's getting there"

--Bob Dylan

Posted by: Robert Schwartz at August 25, 2004 1:20 PM
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