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Home Front
Kerry Lashes Out at Republican Criticisms
2003-04-05
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry lashed out at top congressional Republicans on Friday after they assailed him for saying the United States, like Iraq, needs a regime change. "The Republicans have tried to make a practice of attacking anybody who speaks out strongly by questioning their patriotism," the Massachusetts senator said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "I refuse to have my patriotism or right to speak out questioned. I fought for and earned the right to express my views in this country."
However, you did make an odious statement, Johnny.
In a speech Wednesday in Peterborough, N.H., Hair-boy Kerry said Bush so alienated allies prior to the U.S.-led war against Iraq that only a new president can rebuild damaged relationships with other countries.
We didn't alienate them, they alienated us.
"What we need now is not just a regime change in Saddam Hussein and Iraq, but we need a regime change in the United States," Kerry said.
That's the odious part.
Several leading Republicans said Kerry's comments were inappropriate with U.S. troops fighting in Iraq. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., said the statement amounted to "petty, partisan insults launched solely for personal political gain." House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, called Kerry's words "desperate and inappropriate." Said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., "Once this war is over, there will be plenty of time for the next election."
So they weren't impugning his vaunted patriotism, but his judgment.
Kerry dismissed the attacks, telling an Atlanta political gathering Thursday that patriotism is not mutually exclusive with questioning the war. One day later, he delivered an even sharper rebuke to the GOP complaints. "If they want to pick a fight, they've picked a fight with the wrong guy," Kerry said in a telephone interview.
The wrong guy because he won't get the nomination?
The lawmaker said this round of charges and countercharges is not the first time Republicans have made a "phony issue of patriotism." He cited last year's campaign against former Georgia Democratic Sen. Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm in the Vietnam War.
Republicans didn't question Mr. Cleland's patriotism, they pointed out his lack of common sense.
Kerry also mentioned recent GOP criticism of ineffectual Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-Ineptistan S.D., who said Bush's diplomatic efforts had failed "miserably" because he didn't secure a U.N. resolution for the war.
Yep. They were pretty deserving of criticism, too...
Following a speech to the New York State United Teachers convention in Washington, Kerry said, "I'm not going to let the likes of Tom DeLay question my patriotism, which I fought for and bled for in order to have the right to speak out."
"I've been riding the fact that I was in Vietnam for years, and I intend to keep riding that fact. I'm going to make all the political hay out of that fact that I can!"
Neither Hastert, Frist nor DeLay served in the military. In response to Kerry, DeLay spokesman Jonathan Grella said, "There's a difference between loving your country and leading it. Demanding regime change in America isn't unpatriotic - it's vile."
Not having the Vietnam bike to ride, they're not allowed to say that, of course...
Kerry said Republicans have no right to criticize him when they are cutting funds to veterans hospitals. His comments come on the eve of a trip to Iowa, where rival Howard Dean's strong anti-war stance has played well with the state's leftists Democrats. Dean also has been critical of Bush and Kerry, suggesting that the senator waffled in his position on the Iraq war.
Not the first time, either. During Gulf War I The Washington Times reported that
A constituent who wrote to Senator John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, about the Gulf War received two replies, one out of each side of the “Kennedyesque” senator’s face. Walter Carter wrote during the Congressional debate to urge Kerry to support the request that Congress approve the “use of all necessary means” against Saddam in Kuwait.

The first reply he received, dated January 22nd, thanked Mr. Carter for expressing his opposition to the war and added, “I share your concerns.” The letter went on to point out Kerry’s January 11th vote against the resolution giving President Bush immediate authority to go to war against Iraq.

The second, dated January 31st, thanked Mr. Carter for expressing his support for Mr. Bush and stated that Kerry wholeheartedly supported the President. “From the outset of the invasion, I have strongly and unequivocally supported President Bush’s response to the crisis and the policy goals he has established with our military deployment to the Persian Gulf.”

Mr. Kerry’s press secretary said the two letters were the result of a computer malfunction.
Dean also addressed the New York Teachers group Friday and said although he probably would not have used the words that Kerry did, "I have not criticized Senator Kerry for that, nor am I going to. It certainly would be unusual for me to line up with Tom DeLay, and I don't intend to start now."
Is this the best the Democrats have to offer?
Posted by:Steve White

#20  For Anonymous, we should be clear: every American should thank the Vietnam vets. They suffered, they worked hard, and it wasn't their fault that the war was lost. We should honor these men and women every day.

I don't even care that Kerry uses his service in his political life; hell every politican who can do so will.

However, Anonymous, you might do well to recall that our liberal-left friends are equally adept at using the shame game, the race game, the shout down game, and the silencing game to further their ends.
Posted by: Steve White   2003-04-05 22:51:24  

#19  Every time 'jfk' opens his yap, just remember he's been known in MA as Sen. Spaceshot for a great many years!
Posted by: MommaBear   2003-04-05 18:28:18  

#18  Anonymous:
This morning I drove my son to his HS for three hours of detention since he skipped class a few weeks ago to walk around town with like-minded people against the war. He's better than you tho, because he reads, knows his history, etc. We've had good discussions where I've explained my side and he, his. He's never called any pro-war person a Nazi, howerver, like you called Ashcroft Reichsfuerer. If the US were a Nazi state, I'd have dropped him off at the local GESTAPO HQ, and he knows that.

But you still haven't answered anyone's comments on your statements. Why? Please justify why JFK used "regime change" Nobody's questioning JFK's patriotism, just his judgement and two-facedness. Please refer to 2 different letters sent to constituent. JFK's problem is that he listens too much to his Old Europe wine and cheese crowd.
Vituperation and bile is your MO.
Posted by: Michael   2003-04-05 15:15:52  

#17  Horrors! That racist, J-E-W loving, Nazi Bush and his Christian Fascist lackey AshKKKroft just called me unamerican!

But I never say anything bad about THEM!

America is so unfair!
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-04-05 15:14:42  

#16   Once again the Chicken Hawk GOP politicians--most of which NEVER served in the military ("Daddy, can I get into the Texas Nat'l Guard?") wrap themselves in the flag and disparage anyone who questions their actions by calling them unamerican and unpatriotic.

Old news.

Care to dig up something more effective?
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2003-04-05 14:18:30  

#15  Michael Moore? Is that you? Smells same...
Posted by: Frank G   2003-04-05 14:02:49  

#14  Once again the Chicken Hawk GOP politicians--most of which NEVER served in the military ("Daddy, can I get into the Texas Nat'l Guard?") wrap themselves in the flag and disparage anyone who questions their actions by calling them unamerican and unpatriotic. I'm sure the unusual secrecy is justified--yep, just like no one knew what was going on in Dachau "Ve thought it vas a faktory" Never underestimate the American citizenry's desire to be hoodwinked by the GOP and their big business fatcat masters
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-04-05 12:56:21  

#13  The problem is his wording - a "regime change". That indicates a revolution, or another type of change in government. Kerry was stupid (cubed) to issue such a statement, and even more stupid to stand behind it. As another here pointed out, a change of President would be an "administration" change, not a "regime" change. Kerry's mouth has put him in deep hot water, and not for the first time. He deserves all the attacks he's the target of. His mouth is his most dangerous weapon, and it's often used for self-inflicted wounds.
Posted by: Old Patriot   2003-04-05 12:50:20  

#12  "If they want a fight, they've picked a fight with the wrong guy". I must say I absolutely agree with Kerry, He is the wrong guy. Thank goodness we have the right guy in the White House right now. So you see Anonymous sometimes, we can even agree with the opposition .We're not shaming you into silence,you have the right to speak and you did, and you will, just as we have the right to speak. The problem is you didn't like what you heard. As far as the unusual secrecy of this administration, I 'm one of those everyday people who is as curious as you are and wants to know what's really going on, and that's OK ,normal human reaction for all of us. We're a bunch of intelligent americans but sometimes just plain common sense is enough to figure out that sometimes some secrecy is needed for our success and security. I want to know some,but I don't want to know everything because the wrong guys will probably know it too.
Posted by: sonnie   2003-04-05 11:47:44  

#11  4/5 Anonymous: Their goal is to
    shame
everybody into silence until the habit of speaking our minds is lost.

Shame can only exist as long as someone does something bad that they know is bad, and they are called to account for it. If one has nothing to be ashamed of, then one cannot be silenced.

Shame, in fact, is the coin of the realm of the Liberals, with their "morally better than thou" attitude and accusations that are calculated to "shame" people into giving in. Why else would Kerry try to deflect criticism off of himself by FALSELY accusing the Administration of cutting VA funds ("SHAME ON THEM!"). That accusation is CALCULATED to try to shame into silence his accusers! Thus, while defending Kerry, Anonymous throws out an accusation of the Right of using bad tactics, when KERRY HIMSELF commits the very same tactics Anonymous condemns!

Anonymous, you are so F**king stupid, it's a miracle you know enough to breathe...
Posted by: Ptah   2003-04-05 11:28:11  

#10  Okay, the instant that the seal on the podium says "President FOR LIFE of the United States of America," I'll start to worry. But until that instant, no reasonable person could use the word "regime" to describe American policits, when that word conjures up certain images of places like Cuba, NK, just about any ME / African country, etc.

Kerry's just looking for some headlines and pretending to be populist along the way. He's got more faces than Clinton/Gore combined, he just doesn't stand a chance of getting an Oval Office BJ, that's all.
Posted by: (lowercase) matt   2003-04-05 10:25:57  

#9  "Their goal is to shame everybody into silence until the habit of speaking our minds is lost."

Damnit! Where's that habit of speaking my mind at? I had it just yesterday!
Posted by: John Phares   2003-04-05 10:23:33  

#8  Anonymous - Free speech cuts both ways. Big Ketchup has discovered that the Left no longer has a monopoly on the media outlets in this country.

I don't think he should apologize, for the record. I think Big Ketchup should keep talking so that the people of this nation can understand full-well what he's about.

As for regime change... we got it in the Congress in 1994 and in the White House in 2000.
Posted by: eLarson   2003-04-05 09:19:00  

#7  Regime change? Sounds like Kerry is engaged in a "martyrdom operation" himself.

Now, Anonymous and his fellow American fedayeen should realize that unusual secrecy is quite usual during war, especially terror war. Involving "everyday people" in war plans is not exactly a formula for success. Just for perspective, to earn the title "Reichsfuehrer" generally requires stronger methods than "shame".
Posted by: Mark IV   2003-04-05 08:52:53  

#6  Anonymous, you can clearly speak your mind if you hadn't already lost it...
Posted by: Frank G   2003-04-05 08:37:42  

#5  Agreed here as well. This isn't the first time he's tried to have things both ways - recall his "heroic" protest when he threw his Viet Nam war medals back to show his anti-war bonafides? Turns out they weren't his! His are nicely mounted in his office to be brought out and shown at politically benficial times. D-Masshole indeed!
Posted by: Frank G   2003-04-05 08:35:16  

#4  Unlike much of the ruling cabal in this country, Kerry put his life on the line. He is right in his assessment that those who speak in opposition to the policies of this administration are branded as everything from un-American to treasonous by the political right and their radio and television apologists such as Limbaugh, Novak, et al. For now we still have the right to speak our minds, but the unusual secrecy of this administration makes it clear that they don't feel the need to involve everyday people in their thoughts. The ambitions of Reichsfuhrer Ashcroft and his secret police are contrary to the very freedoms they claim to defend. Their goal is to shame everybody into silence until the habit of speaking our minds is lost.
Posted by: Anonymous   2003-04-05 08:34:05  

#3  Agree with Ptah ....... GREAT WORK, BarCodeKing! HIGH FIVES!!!
Posted by: NamVet   2003-04-05 08:03:16  

#2  Great Call, BarCodeKing!!!
Posted by: Ptah   2003-04-05 05:33:29  

#1  Kerry is wrong.

The budget for the Veterans Administration is being INCREASED in FY 2004 from $57,486,000,000 to $60,692,000,000. How do I know this? I went to thomas.loc.gov and read up on "H.CON.RES.95 - Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2004 and setting forth appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2003 and 2005 through 2013. (Reported in House)." The relevant information is on the third page:

(15) Veterans Benefits and Services (700):

Fiscal year 2003:
(A) New budget authority, $57,597,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $57,486,000,000.

Fiscal year 2004:
(A) New budget authority, $60,710,000,000.
(B) Outlays, $60,692,000,000.

Any claims you hear from Democrats about the Republicans cutting funds to the VA are, to put it bluntly, lies.
Posted by: BarCodeKing   2003-04-05 03:41:49  

00:00