September 6, 2004
DUELING KERRY'S:
Vietnam duality challenges Kerry: War emphasis grows thornier (Patrick Healy, September 6, 2004, Boston Globe)
Kerry has made Vietnam far more central to his presidential campaign than in his previous seven political races. Yet interviews with aides, friends, and fellow veterans of Kerry show that his decisions to showcase his war past in the White House bid was far from automatic. As with Brinkley's book, one constant danger always loomed: Talking about his combat heroism inevitably invited talk about his antiwar activism after returning home, most notably his 1971 statement to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that some US soldiers had committed rape, torture, mutilation, and other "atrocities" in Vietnam.The Democrat now finds himself paying a price for those comments and the anger whipped up over the Brinkley book -- a backlash McCain had warned against and some of his own advisers had predicted.
"There was no doubt for John or for me that the far right of the Republican Party would use Vietnam to go after his patriotism, because it's the sleazy stuff they do," said David McKean, Kerry's Senate chief of staff and an adviser.
Yet in meetings with Kerry, McKean and other advisers say, they told the Democrat that he had an extraordinary story of heroism to tell Americans. Campaign advisers say they felt sure of two things: Past Vietnam critics like John O'Neill, now a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, would probably resurface, but Kerry and his allies could neutralize the criticism as they had done before.
The attacks on Kerry by the swift boat group, however, have stunned many in the camp and left Kerry frustrated that the media have not dismissed the charges as unsubstantiated.
Duality? He fought honorably for his country and for South Vietnam then came home repudiated his service and sided with North Vietnam against his own country and the South. That's more than dual. Those are opposite sides. Posted by Orrin Judd at September 6, 2004 11:35 PM
There was an episode of "Cheers" where another obnoxious Bostonian -- mailman Cliff Klaven -- was wired up with electrodes and given shocks every time he started to tell a lie in order to cure him of the habit. Of course it didn't work, but Kerry's handlers should seriously consider the same thing when he goes into debate with Bush; wire the senator up with electrodes and every time he starts to mention "Vietnam" zap him to get him back on message.
Posted by: John at September 7, 2004 12:12 AMTonight on Hanity and Colmes, Colmes brought on a couple of guys from the Toledo Blade who once wrote an article about war crimes in VietNam that, quelle suprise, won a Pulitzer.
I assume that Colmes doesn't freelance this stuff and he is taking orders from the Kerry campaign. So their next attack may well be that Kerry was telling the truth to the Senate in 71.
Its a death wish. They try this one and Kerry may be lucky to get 40%
Posted by: Robert Schwartz at September 7, 2004 2:58 AMKerry has discovered the limitation of nuance.
Geographically, it starts at the Quabbin Reservoir.
Posted by: jim hamlen at September 7, 2004 8:48 AM"left Kerry frustrated that the media have not dismissed the charges as unsubstantiated"
"The media" no longer has the power to dismiss charges as unsubstantiated. That's what Kerry fails to understand, and that's what makes him so sublimely ridiculous.
Posted by: Seven Machos at September 7, 2004 8:48 AM"He fought honorably for his country and for South Vietnam then came home repudiated his service and sided with North Vietnam against his own country and the South. That's more than dual."
That's nuance.
Posted by: Ken at September 7, 2004 1:04 PM