Kerry visits troops in Mosul

[leftchick]

http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,11877942%5E1702,00.html

FORMER US presidential hopeful John Kerry has visited US troops stationed in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, scene of a major suicide attack against on a US base in December.

Mr Kerry ate dinner with soldiers at Camp Freedom, a former Saddam Hussein palace, and met Brigadier General Carter Ham, commander of troops in northern Iraq, and local provincial governor Duraid Kashmula, the US militarty said in a statement.

"Thanks for what youre doing," the senator from Massachusetts told soldiers. "The folks back home really appreciate your courage and sacrifice."

He arrived in Baghdad on Wednesday and is expected to make to more stops besides Mosul to meet soldiers and officials.

[still_one]

1. Kerry says we "appreciate their sacrifice", BULL!

The first four years of * you could say was a fluke, but not the second term

This is a war that we did not have to go into. Iraq was NOT a threat

All the reports from the media indicate that most of the people in the armed forces voted for *

In addition, most people in this country do NOT give a damn about their so-called sacrifice. The only ones affected are the immediate family

When I see parents interviewed saying their son died a hero, and they are so proud of him, tells me the blindness of it all

These are WASTED lives on both sides

YA PAYS YOUR MONEY AND YA TAKE YOUR CHANCES

I for one do not appreciate this death machine killing on my behalf

[leftchick]

3. "Camp Freedom" says it all...

:puke:

[MSgt213]

4. The best way we can show our appreciation is to bring our men and women

home. This is a fuck up of our own making. It did not have to be. This is not a case of the troops defending us from an attack. This is a sacrifice of lives through arrogance, greed and incompetence. We have fucked up the Iraqi peoples country beyond repair and despite our leaders rhetoric we cannot liberate people from themselves. All we have done is changed one fucked keeper for another. If we really appreciated our troops and if we really cared about the Iraqi people we would demand our leaders figure out a way out of this mess or start putting some of them in fucking jail. That's not going to happen though because we are too busy worrying about being afraid as if we are the only ones in the world who have ever felt fear.

[The Zanti Regent]

38. My son came home...to the VA Cemetary...

My only child, dead at 19.

Thank you very much Bonesman Kerry and your pal President AWOL!

[MSgt213]

2. Has anyone seen this headline any where else

Kerry cheered in Baghdad, decries Bush team's 'blunders'
Once criticized for war stance, he says force alone won't win

Baghdad -- Sen. John Kerry, whose seemingly shifting positions on the U.S. war in Iraq plagued him throughout his presidential campaign, came to this war- torn capital Wednesday to see for himself whether the country was moving toward stability or deeper into chaos.

Kerry, who repeatedly charged during the presidential campaign that President Bush had botched the war effort, was greeted warmly by U.S. soldiers in Baghdad.

"I've been visiting a lot places like Des Moines and Green Bay, and it has been great," the Massachusetts Democrat said during an informal lunch meeting with a small group of reporters and representatives of nongovernmental organizations. "But we are at war, and I think you can't really make all the judgments that you need to make without digging in."

He declined to compare the growing insurgency with the one he faced in South Vietnam as a Navy gunship lieutenant more than three decades ago. But he insisted that superior firepower alone wouldn't quell the uprising disrupting Iraq.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2005/01/06/MNG2VALREG1.DTL

[still_one]

5. where were you Mr. Kerry when you gave * the authority to go into Iraq?

You even said during the campaign that you would have done the same thing

Sorry, but your a jerk Mr. Kerry, and responsible, along with congress, and * for this nightmare!!!

[MSgt213]

6. Well here's the rub if Kerry hadn't voted the way he did he would have

never been the democratic presidential candidate. The democratic leaders wouldn't have launched a coordinated defense of his decision. The republicans had a plan to attack him on his vote no matter what it was, but we would have had weak ass pundits not willing to defend him to saved their own ass. I know this is a what if, but from what I seen I think it is more likely then not.

[still_one]

7. I disagree

Dean was right on top until the media decided to choose our candidate for us. They did the same thing with Clark, and even did it in 2000 to McCain in 2000, by painting him as unstable, and having quite a temper

[MSgt213]

8. The media was able to this because no democrats stopped them

Name one democrat who told them clowns they weren't going to pick our candidiate for us. Name one group of democrats who when Dean got in trouble fanned out over the airwaves and in print and defended him.

[Warren Stupidity]

9. and then we would have lost the election, I see your point n/t

[barbarag]

11. authorization/war

Read the bill - Kerry along with others gave GWB authorization to use force - not instant war - GWB stated the vote was a vote for peace - quit blaming Kerry for Bush bull****. Kerry is not responsible for all of Bush LIES = in the campaign he said he would give the pres. authoriz to use force if necessary - quit falling for repug propoganda. Read Kerry's Senate speech. He clearly states that the UN should inspect first - Bush did not allow them to do their job intentionally so he could have this war - the only one responsible for this war is BUSH AND HIS CRONIES. So called religious - they forgot the 4th commandment THOU SHALT NOT KILL.

[CWebster]

16. Yet he still perpetrates the myth

rather than challenge it.

[vs the introvore]

36. really? he perpetrates it?

rather than perpetuationializating it.

[Kolesar]

22. welcome to the Democratic Underground message board!

:hi:

[Deja Q]

21. It adds cred to the idea that Kerry was a plant. 'flip-flopper' is most

apropos. Especially when he tucked tails one day after the election, which is stinging when you consider his 'never surrender' mantra.

Kerry was decidedly in the background. Then Dean made an outburst; which isn't nearly as bad as *'s antics, and the M$M slaughters him. Then, surprisingly quickly, Kerry's ratings skyrocket. (Now I wasn't always keen on Dean, I was a Kucinich supporter once I looked beyond the image.)

Maybe he wasn't a plant. But being DLC, if he is, is more than enough these days. But if he voted for the war, did his own two-face dance regarding the election... I'm fed up with him and anyobdy would be a damn fool to vote for him in 2008.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. Kerry cheered in Baghdad, decries Bush team's 'blunders'

Same story posted yesterday with a different headline.
I like yours better! I can just hear the freeper pain!

[jmcgowanjm]

10. Khaybar, Mr Kerry, Khaybar

According to IRR010505
Wednesday in Baghdad

In 16 separate attacks

82 US KIA

I didn't count the WIA

The heaviest fighting to date in Fallujah
35 miles West

IRR010605
In a dispatch posted at 10:45am Mecca time Mafkarat al-
Islam reported that extremely massive and fierce fighting
was under way in the neighborhoods of ash-Shuhada',
and al-Jubayl in al-Fallujah. US aggressor troops broke into
the southern part of the city and seized control of the an-
Nazal neighborhood as Resistance fighters withdrew from
that district into ash-Shuhada' where they were at the time
of reporting waging extremely grueling combat with the
American attackers on the edge of the ash-Shuhada'
and al-Jubayl neighborhoods. US troops are backed by F-18
and F-16 fighter bombers and are using heavy artillery,
tanks, armored vehicles, and laser-guided
missiles.

FullScale Frontal Assault Combat
Nothing like this has happened since Berlin
and Kerry hears what?

Message to Kerry:
The new Leaders of the Democratic Party
stepped up to be counted in DC
yesterday.
You might as well stay in Iraq, Kerry
You're history

[barbarag]

12. Iraq

Do you see GWB going to Iraq? Absolutely not. Bush wants this war and more war. Your anger is directed in the wrong direction.

[canadianbeaver]

13. you said it................n/t

[jmcgowanjm]

45. Anger? I was angry when the DNC let 121200 go by

I was angry when Bush41 pardoned
the IranContra folks-the same ones who are
now running our ForeignPolicy-
and the DNC did-waitforit-nothing

Now I'm attacking any "leader"
who shows hypocrisy/ignorance
and tries to pass it off as statesmanship.

Every Rep/Sen who did not stand up with
RepTubbs and Sen Boxer should
be removed from Congress
and have their passports taken.

"To many Democrats, John Kerry’s have-it-both-ways
letter ends whatever hope he may still harbor to be a
national political
leader"

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2005/010605.html

Kerry has signed his political
obituary.

And BTW-Iraq's not the last-it's the next.
And I was right that the CVN Abraham Lincoln is
allowing KOPASSA to attack GAM/Aceh's
Resistance. What would Kerry have to say about this?
Who cares, he's history.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11873415%255E2703,00.html

[gratuitous]

15. Don't those troops know how much Kerry hates them?

Honestly, it's like they don't even get Faux News or Rash Lardbutt over there!

[SKKY]

17. Say what you want about the guy, but 2 things stick with me about...

...John Kerry:

1. He left a life of priviledge and comfort to fight in Vietnam. Where were Bush and Cheney?

2. He cares more about these troops than any of the clowns in office now.

[merwin]

18. EXACTLY. You are so right! n/t

Even though he doesn't believe the war should have ever been started, like it or not we are in it. He is telling the troops they are doing a wonderful job, which they are. He is also telling the * administration that they're doing a terrible job and should never have gotten into this mess.

He's not contradicting himself with this, he's being concise and clear... Republicans just can't fathom the thought that you can support the troops but not the war. Too deep for them.

[SKKY]

19. The funny thing about this is that you would think Repubs would...

...quickly grasp this concept. I mean, is "Love the troops but not the war" really that different from their "Love the fetus, but not the child" position? I refuse to criticize Kerry, although I do think he made a few mistakes and listened to bad advice from his campaign manager (Yes Cahill, I'm winking in your direction). I like him, respect him, and would vote for him again every day of the week and twice on Sundays.

[TankLV]

25. and don't forget "love the sinner, not the sin" crap regarding gays.

plus funding for churches as long as this particular dollar bill isn't going into the churches coffers for religion, nevermind that it frees up church funds to be used for RELIGIOUS purposes, while at the same time stopping ALL funding for family clinics that may also provide abortions, because in this instance they can't be separated into separate accounts.

[bumblebee1]

34. and too nuanced!!! n/t

[HannibalBarca]

Nope

1. He was only in Vietnam for 4 minutes where he shot a 98 year old grand mother who threw an apple at him, George was heroically defending Texas against imminent Vietcong invasion and lulling the enemy into a false sense of security by staggering around in a drunken stupor and uttering seemingly nonsensical words in an attempt to convince the evil doers of that generation that America was weak and stupid. Cheney was a woman.
2. Bush isn't a clown, he was rejected by Clown college.

[SKKY]

31. Ah...Silly Me...Gotta get my time-line straight then...

[The Zanti Regent]

41. He does NOT care about my dead son, my only child...

If he cared about my only child, he would have stood up and said NO to war.

Now it is too late for my boy and what little faith I had left in America is gone forever...

[Deja Q]

20. 'Camp Freedom', for one, is an insult. So is Kerry 'never surrender' for

being there.

Coming from Kerry, 'appreciating sacrifice' is as hollow as *'s own comments.

And, last I recall, more than HALF the US hates this war. They've realized that there was nothing deserving OF the sacrifice in the first place, and thanks to our so-called leadership, the hornet's nest has been badly poked and prodded.

What am I supposed to think, Mr. Kerry? Apart from that we're there now, stuck there, to have our fellow pawns soldiers pay the price for a situation they were compelled to be in? (those who do what they're told is one thing. Those who do the telling are the ones we need to worry about. Always support the troops. But we always need to be wary of who tells them what to do, and when, and why.)

I pity the troops' situation, the war was unjust and the pot has been stirred. I wish them all well. Some of them have done bad things (Abu Gharib) but I'm not going to label them all as being such... but I digress.

I also wish an end to bloodshed. I wish that everybody would put aside the blind hate just for a few minutes so they can discuss things. Prefarably with a 3rd party because the Iraqis surely will not trust the US.

[maseman]

24. Look at it this way...

This must be REALLY crawling under Bush's skin. Here is the man whom he narrowly beat (if he actually did win that is) over in the quagmire Iraq being applauded by troops.

Anything in the next fours years to make * agitated is good.

[SKKY]

32. Oh Mase, you and I are so singing on the same page of music...

...Stir the pot up as much as we can!

[leftchick]

44. I don't believe it gets under his skin at all...

His arrogance won't let him even acknowledge reality. The only thing that gets to him visibly is the disloyalty of his staff and impertinent reporters.

[jmcgowanjm]

46. "Discussion" going on in Fallujah right now

Ok, if the US stops using DU, Mark77(Napalm to
the rest of the world), cluster bombs, gas, thermobarics(
w/ some nuke material included?), then
the Iraqiis will agree to... what?, stop attacking
every foreign soldier who has invaded their
sovereign territory?

http://rense.com/general61/dup.htm

Update on this from another source:
This latest-the fifth armored assault
on the Fallujah Resistance-was thrown back as well.

The greatest armored assault since Berlin. Defeated.
Stalingrad keeps coming to mind. Guess who's
playing the role of Hitler.

A "Great Victory" in Fallujah and no footage?
No photos?

[Kolesar]

23. Maybe he is looking for a soldier to come to Washington & testify

Find a man to stay up all night writing a speech then come to a Senate hearing and lay it all out there in front of network tv cameras.

[Larkspur]

26. Is Kerry running for President of Iraq?

Maybe he could bore the insurgents to death with is boring speeches.

[Swamp Rat]

27. We can speculate he is giving his time to our troops because:

1. He honestly cares about them.

2. Bush asked his Bonesman partner to hide out for a while.

3. The alien lizards gave him a pod while he was sleeping.

4. He wants to be Pontius of Iraq.

5. Or maybe, when the military revolts against the PNAC coup, they will have Kerry to turn to and vice versa.

What is he trying to accomplish by going there? Feel free to add to this list.

[Southsideirish]

28. Is he there now to avoid the election approval in the Congress?

I don't get his timing.

[MoroccoSplash]

29. He Should Have Gone When It Mattered

It is too late for this.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

30. He did 'go' when it Mattered

1968 Vietnam.

[politicasista]

33. You guys are mean and evil!

:mad: :argh: :cry:

[daleo]

35. Regardless of what Kerry means it to look like,

Most rubes will see this as a tacit endorsement of Bush's Iraq war and the legitimacy of Bush's possibly fraudulent election win.

After all:
- he is in Iraq saying nice things about the troops, so he must really support Bush's war.
- he is not in the U.S. going on record about the presidential election challenge, so he must support the validity of Bush's election.

I don't even know if the rubes would be wrong.

[IndianaGreen]

37. "Thanks for what you're doing"

And what precisely are they doing that we should be grateful for, Senator? Are our troops defending us in Iraq? I don't think so. Are they fighting for freedom and democracy? Ask the Iraqis about that one, but suffice it to say that it is peculiar to send troops half way around the world for fight for something that we are severely lacking in America.

If you care about the troops, Senator, you should be demanding that they be withdrawn at once from this shameful and criminal mission.

[Seabiscuit]

39. My sentiments exactly, IndianaGreen!

[The Zanti Regent]

40. My only child died for nothing.

That's what he died for. Not One Fucking Constructive Thing.

I want to know why Kerry is silent. Why did he lay down and die? Why did he let my only child die in vain for nothing?

Kerry still sits on millions of campaign dollars, held back to ensure the election of his Bonesman Buddy and a Nazi Republican Congress!

Tomorrow the Goodwill truck will come and take my child's bed and things away. Except for the Bible he got from his church. I burned that worthless book of fairy tales along with the flag that was put on his grave. I never want a flag on his grave ever again, I don't want that evil rag defiling his grave! And I'll never forgive the TV Preachers who poisoned his mind.

And that goes double for the presstitutes of the M$M who kept lying about Sadaam being the brains behind 911.

[IndianaGreen]

42. There is plenty of blame to go around, but perhaps the worst offenders

were the American press. They acted as mouthpieces for Bush and they help spread the propaganda about Iraq having WMDs. Had they done half the work that the press did during Watergate this war would have never taken place.

My sister lives in Kettle, Kentucky. They just held a big parade for their national guard unit as they marched off to Afghanistan, another hell hole of a quagmire. As it is often the case in small communities in rural America, they went out of a sense of duty, but with great trepidation and no illusions about the nature of the mission they were about to embark. Scenes such as that will repeat themselves across this country as the Pentagon scrapes the bottom of the barrel in search for fresh canon fodder. We owe a duty to our fellow citizens that are called to go to war, as well as those that have fallen, and the ones that returned damaged, to pressure our elected officials to bring this war to a swift end. There is no time for "stay the course" strategies that will accomplish nothing more than increase the number of the dead and wounded.

I hope that we can convince our compatriots of the need to prosecute and punish those public and military officials responsible for this senseless war.

[jmcgowanjm]

43. AP Operation Mockingbird Cointelpro

http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=COINTELPRO

[jmcgowanjm]

47. Were the ExitPolls faked, do they exist, how do we know?

http://onlinejournal.com/evoting/010705Landes/010705landes.html

what does it mean when the exit poll system appears to 
break down, as it has recently? Maybe the networks are not
only engaged in selling a service, but executing a sort
of "squeeze play" to boot. For instance, in this past election
it looked like Kerry was going to win. Then everything
changed. Maybe, deals were getting cooked during the
day. Mitofsky said that when all was said and done,
everything checked out fine; the exit polls matched the
election results. Really? Where's the
proof?

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2004/975