Drudge-Wow!

[sitarro]

A little side note for the dimwits that want to say how little danger an Air Guard pilot , like our President, faced in the states . . . go try to fly an F-102 , you faced death everytime you cranked one of those things up . Flying any aircraft presents a certain amount of danger , but flying a single engine supersonic jet fighter (the first supersonic interceptor) is always dangerous . At least Kerry was closer to the ground .
My father was a 29 year veteran U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and was very proud to support our President . I , like my father , am proud of my President and the incredible political courage and leadership he has shown as Commander and Chief now , in the present and 30 years ago as a fighter pilot .

 

[Avatar4321]

Kath--- as for the retraction, the former Commander says he never retracted his statement and that the Boston Globe reporter that says he did, is lying. A matter-of-fact, the "reporter" is being paid by the Kerry campaign to write a book on Kerry and to cover the Kerry campaign. Can we say, "Conflict of Interest"?

Not only that but Kranish wrote in Kerry's biography that Kerry himself confirmed shooting the guy in the back. So this guy wrote that Kerry's former commander retracted a statement denying that Kerry did something that is in his freaking biography written by the same guy who wrote the article. How messed up is that.

 

[Avatar4321]

Good Grief. Give it up already. "Anti-Kerry Vietnam Vetrans"? If you're a Vietnam Vetran, and you support a guy who didn't serve over a guy who fought and risked his life in the same War you fought.....well, I can have no respect for them. As tough a time as those vetrans had coming home from that war, then to turn on one of their own in favor of a guy who didn't fight at all? Shameful, screw that. Vietnam vets have the right to support anyone they want, but demonizing one of their own is loathesome.

First, normally i dont critisize people from misspelling but Veteran is isnt that hard to spell and its right in front of you in the post you are responding to. Repeated misspelling of that is just a sign of laziness.

Second, just the fact that you cant understand why Veterans against Kerry would support President Bush, who has done nothing but support the troops and verterans, and not support John Kerry, whose lack of character they are first hand witnesses too and whom the second he got home betrayed them and supported the enemy who was slaughtering their fellow soldiers and eventually killed millions in Southeast asia is rather sad.

 

[tpahl]

First, normally i dont critisize people from misspelling but Veteran is isnt that hard to spell and its right in front of you in the post you are responding to. Repeated misspelling of that is just a sign of laziness.

Second, just the fact that you cant understand why Veterans against Kerry would support President Bush, who has done nothing but support the troops and verterans, and not support John Kerry, whose lack of character they are first hand witnesses too and whom the second he got home betrayed them and supported the enemy who was slaughtering their fellow soldiers and eventually killed millions in Southeast asia is rather sad.

My understanding is veterans benifits have been cut in the past 4 years. Is this not correct?

 

[ajwps]

Serving in Vietnam: could cost you your life

Serving in the National Guard during Vietnam: a "nice" alternative to combat

Doing everything you can to discredit your opponent's war record because it is the only way to get around the fact that he fought and you didn't:

Priceless.
American Express... use it when you go AWOL.

What in the world does being in a war zone for four months have to do with being qualified to serve as President of the United States?

John Kerry has no known record for leadership or bravery when it comes to protecting and leading a country in a time of an unconventional war began on 09/11?

All John Kerry has proposed is that he will go to the United Nations to take over and protect the United States and that he PROMISES to make the United States loved among the UN nations (not respected).

With John Kerry has promised Americans:

1) Higher taxes
2) Universal health care where no one but politicians get quality and rapid diagnosis and treatment
3) Disgrace from hightailing it out of Iraq and Afghanastan within one year
4) Dismantling of the US military potential to counter further terrorist attacks
5) Clinton like flip-flopping on every issue. (Today Kerry says one thing and tomorrow his word of honor is forgotten) depending on the political poll winds
6) Beginning of terrorist attacks against America because of the knowledge that Kerry has promised not to go to take America to war
7) Abandonment of our allies who do not have oil and money for the Dem party
8) Theresa Heinz Kerry (shove it)

Everyone agrees, Kerry and Edwards in '04.

 

[ajwps]

My understanding is veterans benifits have been cut in the past 4 years. Is this not correct?

Not at all. The veterans have the same poor benefits that they have had for the past 40+ years.

 

[JIHADTHIS]

To Smirkinjesus & the rest of the Kerry supporters:

Kerry is the one who is running on his "war record" from 30 years age. He's the one who can't give one speech without refering to Vietnam. Since he has decided that this is his central theme, he has opened himself up to this scrutiny. For you and the rest of the Kerry supporters to be whining that Kerry's "patriotism" is being attacked is a load of crap.

Face it. your party picked a shitty candidate, picking Edwards as VP was a major blunder, your convention sucked, and now that the real campaign is starting, the luster has come off of the "war hero"

The public has a right to know whether or not Kerry is a war hero as claimed, or a political opportunist. Having the lawyers at the DNC trying to censor and/or cajole tv stations into not playing a tv commercial that criticizes Kerry leads me to believe that they have something to hide.

By the way, where's Kerry's medical records that he refuses to release?

 

[Stephanie]

im sure these men knew they would get slammed like this and i think they would check with attorneys before they released all this. So maybe there is some truth to what their saying. If Kerry can prove them wrong then he should. KERRY brought this on his self.

 

[JIHADTHIS]

im sure these men knew they would get slammed like this and i think they would check with attorneys before they released all this. So maybe there is some truth to what their saying. If Kerry can prove them wrong then he should. KERRY brought this on his self.

Welcome to the boards Stephanie!

Nice to see that more people want to know the truth as opposed to spin!

 

[MtnBiker]

It is kinda funny, the above could be just as true if you substituted the word Heinz with Bush.

Travis

What's funny is you sidetrack most threads you engage in. The topic of this thread was a question about Kerry's medals.

Please stay on topic.

 

[Annie]

im sure these men knew they would get slammed like this and i think they would check with attorneys before they released all this. So maybe there is some truth to what their saying. If Kerry can prove them wrong then he should. KERRY brought this on his self.

Yes Stephanie, WELCOME! I think there is a lot of truth to what they're saying. My concern since the beginning of this was confirmed this morning with the Boston Globe article on the one 'recant.' Now that from the get go, looks more to be a person that has trouble staying with a decision, but can harm not only his buddies, but backlash on the president, who has nothing to do with it.

What is pissing me off tonight though, is the hypocrisy on the part of the democrats about soft money ads. ACT and MOVEON have run horrendously false ads, MM is a nonstop lambasting machine and Soros has given millions for the DNC to spend for all of August. Now if those ads were a democratic message, well ok. They won't be though, they will be 'anyone but Bush'. Even on the boards the partisans like Bully talk about his 'drinking problem' but cannot acknowledge that Kerry could have more than a few ghosts in his closets. Where are Kerry's medical files?

 

[Shazbot]

Does anyone think that purple hearts or other brave military experience is a big qualification for the presidency? If so why?

I see it as a qualification for promotions within the military, or for a job as a fireman or police officer, but I do not see how it makes a person a better candidate to be president. It does show something about their character I suppose, but their bravery in battle just does not seem like a hugely important trait to me when considering a president compared to other things such as their policy.

I think such recognitions (albeit in their true forms...I doubt all medals and recognitions are given on equal grounds), aside from reflecting character, can also reflect leadership ability. They may not mean much in the way of relevant skills in politics, but being able to make decisions and lead others is key. However, I wouldn't go so far as to base one's opinion of a person on such matters. As for the Purple Heart award...it is only awarded if the recipient was wounded in combat, right? If such is the case, I don't see a Purple Heart (or 3) meaning a whole lot in the argument.

-Douglas

 

[freeandfun1]

My understanding is veterans benifits have been cut in the past 4 years. Is this not correct?

This is not correct. Bush has done more for Veterans in his time in office than any President since Reagan.

Funding for Veterans up 27%, But Democrats Call It A Cut

In Bush’s first three years funding for the Veterans Administration increased 27%. And if Bush's 2005 budget is approved, funding for his full four-year term will amount to an increase of 37.6%.

In the eight years of the Clinton administration the increase was 31.7%

 

[Annie]

Other than being a a rich connected person, no i do not have any answers. I do have another question though...

Does anyone think that purple hearts or other brave military experience is a big qualification for the presidency? If so why?

I see it as a qualification for promotions within the military, or for a job as a fireman or police officer, but I do not see how it makes a person a better candidate to be president. It does show something about their character I suppose, but their bravery in battle just does not seem like a hugely important trait to me when considering a president compared to other things such as their policy.

Why wouldn't you have started a new thread for this, instead of hijacking the original point?

 

[Annie]

It seems that this guy is a bit indecisive of where he was, then or now. In any case, whatever he said about Kerry's service, should be discounted. I believe it was Kerry who allowed this to become an issue, by wrapping himself up in the Vietnam War, but it's not ok to make things up:
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/06/veteran_retracts_criticism_of_kerry?mode=PF
I guess this sums up my feelings on this pretty well:
http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2004/08/cambodia_mon_am.php#c4951

8/7/04
Update from the Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/w..._misquote_on_kerry_globe_stands_by_its_story/

Veteran claims misquote on Kerry; Globe stands by its story
By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff | August 7, 2004

WASHINGTON -- A report that one of a group of veterans opposing Senator John F. Kerry's bid for the presidency had said he made a mistake signing an affidavit questioning Kerry's medals rocketed around the airwaves yesterday, sparking a backlash on conservative radio programs and the Drudge Report website.

The programs asserted that retired Lieutenant Commander George Elliott had been misquoted in yesterday's Boston Globe when he said he had made a "terrible mistake" in signing an affidavit suggesting Kerry did not deserve to be awarded the Silver Star. Kerry was awarded the medal for killing a Viet Cong soldier.

The Globe quoted Elliott, who was Kerry's commanding officer during the war, as saying he was under "time pressure" when he signed the document and still believes Kerry deserved the Silver Star for his service. The affidavit was released ahead of the publication of a new book that questions whether Kerry should have been given some of his combat medals.

Elliott released another affidavit yesterday backing away from his comments this week to the Globe, saying the reporter, Michael Kranish, misquoted him.Globe Editor Martin Baron released a statement saying "the Globe stands by the article. The quotes attributed to Mr. Elliott were on the record and absolutely accurate."

In 1996, when Kerry was running for Senate reelection and faced questions about the circumstances in which he shot the Viet Cong fighter, Elliott came to Boston and defended Kerry, saying he deserved the Silver Star.

In yesterday's new affidavit, Elliott said, "had I known the facts I would not have recommended Kerry for the Silver Star simply for pursuing and dispatching a single wounded Viet Cong." He added, "I do not claim to have any personal knowledge as to how Kerry shot the wounded, fleeing Viet Cong."

At the same time, Drudge also erroneously reported that Kranish, a 20-year Globe veteran, had written the introduction to a Kerry-authorized campaign book, "Our Plan for America: Stronger at Home, Respected in the World."

In fact, Baron said, Kranish had no connection to the Kerry campaign book and did not write its introduction.

Baron noted that earlier this summer Kranish worked with PublicAffairs -- the publisher of the Boston Globe biography of Kerry, "John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best" -- to write a short introduction to a second project: an independent, unauthorized review of publicly available documents dealing with the platform and policy statements of Kerry and Edwards. That project was in no way connected with the Kerry-Edwards campaign, Baron said.

"When PublicAffairs subsequently struck an agreement with the Kerry campaign to do an official campaign book, Kranish's relationship with the project immediately ended," Baron said.

Peter Osnos, publisher of PublicAffairs, said both Drudge and Amazon, the online bookseller peddling the upcoming Kerry-Edwards book, had made a mistake in suggesting Kranish had written its introduction.The problem is the following was something that was written prior to this Boston Globe article being released:

http://www.dailypundit.com/archives/014754.php#014754

Photocopies of "Kerry/Edwards: Their Plans and Promises," recently sent to a few reporters and reviewers before the book's planned release, are now collector's items.

That's because the 287-page bound manuscript, culled from the Kerry/Edwards Web site and introduced by Boston Globe reporter Michael Kranish, won't be published, after all, by PublicAffairs.

What the hell? Has the Kerry Kampaign hired the entire Boston New York Times outright

"As far as I can tell, if there's any malign intent here, it was someone making Drudge think Michael was somehow doing something for [Kerry's] campaign," Osnos said.

The Globe book, "John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography," is an unauthorized biography. The work draws on extensive interviews with the candidate, all conducted before 2004. After he emerged as the presumptive Democratic nominee, Kerry declined to cooperate with further interviews.

Amazon, the online bookseller, apparently contributed to the confusion with a listing for the Kerry-approved campaign book indicating Kranish as the author. PublicAffairs' officials said yesterday that Amazon had agreed to revise the listing immediately.

Kerry campaign spokesman Michael Meehan said Kranish had no connection to the campaign.

© Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company

 

[007]

A little side note for the dimwits that want to say how little danger an Air Guard pilot , like our President, faced in the states . . . go try to fly an F-102 , you faced death everytime you cranked one of those things up . Flying any aircraft presents a certain amount of danger , but flying a single engine supersonic jet fighter (the first supersonic interceptor) is always dangerous . At least Kerry was closer to the ground .
My father was a 29 year veteran U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and was very proud to support our President . I , like my father , am proud of my President and the incredible political courage and leadership he has shown as Commander and Chief now , in the present and 30 years ago as a fighter pilot .

Ain't no shit there Bub. I spent eight years in the Air Force myself, and I can tell you this, the F-102 that President Bush flew was lovingly refered to as the "THUD", because that's the noise they made when they FELL OUT THE SKY. They were too heavy, under powered, and their flight control surfaces where inadequate. They were prone to flat spins from which the pilot could not recover. These jets were dangerous just to fly. The Prez had to have guts to fly one of those things.

 

[007]

Personally, I think with all that surrounds kerry, with so many that can contradict what this moron says about himself being a decorated war hero, I don't see kerry as hero of anything to do with any war. He negated what ever he may have done when he came home and dishonored the men he deserted bitching and whining about the war with the likes of Hanoi jane.

The only people kerry may be a hero to would be all the other men in America that would also like to marry a billionaire, because they don't personally have what it takes to make that kind of money on their own.

The man is a kreepy opportunist, and I don't trust him. The White House is the absolute LAST place this nut should be, dragging along his little kegger pal edwards.

 

[popefumanchu]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Matt Drudge cannot be trusted with the truth. He's nothing but a Republican gossip and propaganda henchman. He also reported that Kerry had an "intern problem." What happened to that one Matty old boy?

acludem

According to an independent media research agency plotting media bias, Drudge is dead center on the political spectrum.

 

[Merlin1047]

Jim Rassman, the man who claims that Kerry rescued him from the water on the night in question, insists that the boat was under fire. Further, 14 of Kerry's boat crewmates appeared with him on stage at the Convention and support his campaign.

1. There were only five people on board kerry's boat during the Rassman episode. Kerry's Swift Boat had a crew of six and Rassman went overboard during this incident.

2. There were five boats in the group which was attacked. That would account for the other witnesses. One boat was disabled by a command detonated mine. Three boats came to the aid of the disabled boat and defended the wounded crew. Kerry hauled ass so fast that he lost Rassman overboard during kerry's escape. When kerry finally came back for his crewman the area was secure as no follow-up ambush had been initiated. The bullets hitting the water that Rassman witnessed had to be coming from the gunners on board the three boats whose skippers did NOT run.

 

[Merlin1047]

Good Grief. Give it up already. "Anti-Kerry Vietnam Vetrans"? If you're a Vietnam Vetran, and you support a guy who didn't serve over a guy who fought and risked his life in the same War you fought.....well, I can have no respect for them.

Here's a little flash for you bud - I neither require nor desire any respect from the likes of you. If your only criteria for measuring one's service is as shallow and stupid as you state, then your respect or lack thereof is totally meaningless.