McCain Fights Old Foe Who Now Fights Kerry

[NNN0LHI]

Senator John McCain came to the defense of a fellow Vietnam War veteran, Senator John Kerry, on Friday by attacking the credibility of a North Carolina veteran who has dedicated himself to defeating Mr. Kerry in his campaign for president. Mr. McCain, an Arizona Republican, called the man, Ted Sampley, "one of the most despicable people I have ever had the misfortune to encounter."

Mr. Sampley, a businessman from Kinston, N.C., has gained some attention in recent days for operating a Web site devoted to attacking Mr. Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, for his opposition to the war in Vietnam after his military service. The Web site, www.vietnamveteransagainstjohn kerry.com, includes pictures from the 1970's showing Mr. Kerry at antiwar protests. One shows Mr. Kerry at a rally, sitting several rows behind Jane Fonda, who was so outspoken against the war that she was labeled a Communist by her political opponents.

<snip>

In 1993, Mr. Sampley was convicted of misdemeanor assault and sentenced to 180 days' probation for attacking a legislative aide to Mr. McCain.

<snip>

In defending Mr. Kerry, Mr. McCain — who has campaigned for President Bush this year — said of Mr. Sampley: "I consider him a fraud who preys on the hopes of family members of missing servicemen for his own profit. He is dishonorable, an enemy of the truth, and despite his claims, he does not speak for or represent the views of all but a few veterans." Mr. Sampley is not the only person actively seeking to discredit Mr. Kerry. In recent days, a picture showing Mr. Kerry at a podium with Ms. Fonda has circulated on the Internet. But the picture is a hoax, according to the photo agency that owns the original, Corbis. In the original photo, Mr. Kerry is standing alone at the podium.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/14/politics/campaign/14VET.html

Thanks to Feanorcurufinwe who posted this in the GD/Primary form. It will die there quick so I have posted it here.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Interestingly...

Goodfellow Sampley's website seems to not be there.

[salinen]

2. Is McCain taking time out

from campaigning for chimp to campaign for Kerry?

[Burma Jones]

4. No, McCain is just an honest guy

That's why he could never be President

[KalicoKitty]

3. Here is the link

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com/

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. 
[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
here] to review the message board rules.

[UpInArms]

8. considering the source

NewsMax.com also known as SnoozeTrash, I would put that in the circular file.

[JoFerret]

9. The POW people are beyond being reached by reason

because the war was as it was they hold this obsessive grip on the POW in the face of all evidence and investigation to the contrary. The time and determination money spent on looking for the ghosts is enormous. They are beyond the reach of reason. This guy is an ill-motivated nutter.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. Thanks for your submittal,....

...but I think I'll stand behind Kerry and McCain on this one.

[Stainless]

11. I found the site and signed the guest book!

It appears to me that John Kerry was doing exactly as he should have at the time. He had changed his position on the war as many of us did. I was not in Vietnam but rather in the Army Reserve. In basic training I saw some photos of dead Vietnamese soldiers that a Drill Instructor had smuggled out of the War Zone. Later, back home, a returning soldier from a long range reconn patrol unit showed me a leather pouch that contained some dried up and mummified fingers that he said belonged to Vietnamese soldiers he had killed. Several other acquaintances told me stories of shooting civilians because they were out and about before curfew was over or shooting a farmer's Water Buffalo for no good reason. One guy told me about shooting whales from his gunners position on a Chinook helicopter! Yes, these things happened in Vietnam and some of our soldiers came home and talked about it. I think it took a lot of courage for Mr. Kerry to do what he did in the early seventies.

[KC21304]

5. And what a shame that we have some here on DU

who peddle this same trash. I hope that is changed after we get a nominee, who ever he is.

[mobuto]

6. Good for John McCain

These clowns who manipulate the families of MIAs are despicable. Its nice to see McCain's sticking to his principles in the defense of his opponent. He's wrong on an awful lot of issues, but he's a good man.

[tedoll78]

12. This is an awesome tool..

to be used in the Fall election.

Whenever Bush attacks Kerry on something over Vietnam, Kerry should equate Bush's comments to Sampley's and then cite these McCain comments.