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Home Front: Politix
Powell Bitchslaps "Hero of Chappaquidick"
2004-04-06
US Secretary of State Colin Powell rebuked a leading Democratic senator for comparing the war in Iraq to Vietnam and suggesting President George W. Bush’s policies had incited hatred against the United States.

In a rare foray into politics, Powell said Senator Ted Kennedy, an outspoken Bush opponent and supporter of Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry, should be "more restrained and careful" when discussing Iraq and the war on terrorism.

At the same time, Powell also stressed that American democracy was enhanced by debate and admitted that he had not seen all of the Monday speech in which Kennedy made the comments.

"I was in Haiti and didn’t see the whole speech, but I must say that Senator Kennedy, I think, should be a little more restrained and careful in his comments because we are at war," Powell said in an interview on a nationally syndicated radio broadcast.
"Never go on the record when you’re drunk, stupid, and full of hate - lesson #1"
"Debate is appropriate, and that’s the beauty of our open, democratic system, but I think this is also the time that we rally the nation behind the challenge that we face in Iraq and Afghanistan and other places in the world," he said on the "Tony Snow Program."

In the speech, Kennedy likened the Iraq invasion and occupation to the 1961-75 campaign in Vietnam, which claimed the lives of 58,000 US soldiers and an estimated three million Vietnamese.

"Iraq is George Bush’s Vietnam, and this country needs a new president," Kennedy said, adding that by going to war, the United States had angered key US allies, made America "more hated in the world" and complicated the war on terrorism.

The Kennedy speech has infuriated Bush’s Republican camp, which has accused Kennedy of using the most desperate of election year politics.

Posted by:Frank G

#14  Funny how JFK was responsible for the Bay of Pigs and his brother became the Pig of (chappaquidick) Bay. Go figure.
Posted by: B   2004-04-07 10:35:40 AM  

#13  My father in law hated JFK,percisly because of the Bay of Pigs.
Posted by: Raptor   2004-04-07 10:31:44 AM  

#12  Teddy would make an excellent head of the National Highway Transportation Administration in a Kerry presidency. No one else in public life is so closely associated with exposing the dangers of drinking and driving. A grass roots campaign to draft him for position would be appropriate.

Also, after Kerry reorganizes the ATF, Ted might make a good leader for the Bureau of Alcohol.
Posted by: GKarp   2004-04-07 12:32:25 AM  

#11  Powell or Teddy, who is the better authority on VN? I can't decide.
Posted by: Super Hose   2004-04-06 11:02:20 PM  

#10  steve d., yes, JFK did set us up for 'Nam, as well as bay of pigs fiasco. TK is a fat f*cking embarrassment to the country, can anyone say "big dig?".
Posted by: Jarhead   2004-04-06 8:47:15 PM  

#9   Frank G "Hero OF Chappaquidick"

Instant classic!

Why is this man STILL in the government today? The "Father of the HMO" And everyone thought Florida had dumb people in it. Kerry and Kennedy, what is that? One mistake ok, but TWO like those clowns?
Posted by: 98Zulu   2004-04-06 7:44:58 PM  

#8  Teddy (along with Charles Rangel) are acting as Defensive linemen for the Democratic party. They come from safe districts and can say anything they want without repurcussions. They just hope to poison the political atmosphere against Bush and keep Kerry's ability to deny going dirty. It's all very clever, and very transparent.
Posted by: ruprecht   2004-04-06 7:35:17 PM  

#7  I should have reflected on that comment earlier. Reagan and Bush Sr did what had to be done too. Big oversight on my part.
Posted by: Bill Nelson   2004-04-06 6:22:33 PM  

#6  "Irag is George Bush's Vietnam "
I knew Powell wouldn't take that crap. Secretary of State, not withstanding, he is first and foremost a soldier who does remember the lessons of Vietnam. He would bitch slap Bush if Dubya did even less than he is now. For the first time since NAM I do believe we have a President with the guts and fortitude to do what must be done.
Posted by: Bill Nelson   2004-04-06 6:20:37 PM  

#5  I was born in the 70's, so I may be off-base here...but didn't Ready Teddy's big brother get us heavily involved in Viet Nam in the first place. What a pathetic piece of crap...
Posted by: steve d.   2004-04-06 6:20:31 PM  

#4  I will revise my comment, above.

Judging from what's going on in Iraq at the moment, I guess Kennedy's "green light" signal was geared toward something else. "Irag is George Bush's Vietnam . . . hint, hint, hint . . . let 'er rip my Arab brethren."

But I'm probably just being conspiratorial and pessimistic.
Posted by: ex-lib   2004-04-06 6:09:07 PM  

#3  Uh-hem. "Bitchslap" reminds me of an Islamotwerp concept. Otherwise--GREAT POST. I think Kennedy's message is a "hidden" signal to the campaign funding giants of the Arab world, et al, that it's a "green light" regarding Kerry. Kennedy probably gets a cut.
Posted by: ex-lib   2004-04-06 5:56:12 PM  

#2  is that a Barney Frank & Associates reference?
Posted by: Frank G   2004-04-06 5:47:30 PM  

#1  At least, when Senator Kennedy is running his anus for a mouth in public, we can be certain while he is doing so he is not trolling the housing projects of DC looking for little black boys to sodomize.
Posted by: Anonymous   2004-04-06 5:45:59 PM  

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