Kerry dodging the medal question

[Valjean]

Kerry was asked about throwing his medals away.

Instead of copping to the fact that he DIDN'T throw away his medal, he changed the subject.

Message to ALL democrats. If someone asks you a tough question, ANSWER IT. And do it with confidence. Don't shy away from ANY answer that you give. It makes you look like a wimp.

Oooh, and his hair is VERY fluffy ;-)

[JasonDeter]

1. WRONG. He gave a very in your face answer. eom

[seventhson]

2. Kerry's asnswer was bull dooky. And here is why. THIS Vietnam Vet says:

This incident was a disgrace. A Nam Veteran reads him out here:

A must read for Kerry supporters and opponents:


http://www.counterpunch.org/willson1015.html

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

27. Great article. Must read for all the Kerry apologists.

Thanks.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. Wrong. It is of paramount importance in a debate to take a question

meant to weaken you or throw you off and turn it around to your advantage.

Kerry did just that with command.

[aldian159]

4. Judo Chop!

Same concept, using your adversary's strength against him.

[seventhson]

5. But a lie is a lie

Kerry lied about tossing his medals and he had to dance to keep that lie alive tonight, The fact that he successfully covered up his lie is reprehensible and is symptomatic of why he is unfit to be president.

[seventhson]

6. Excerpt from Letter from a Vietnam Veteran to Kerry on the medal lies

Your critics had suspected that your activities, both in the war, and in years following, were prompted, at least in part, to an intense political ambition, even as you addressed your Yale law school graduating class with an anti-Vietnam War speech shortly prior to enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Your career in the Senate has revealed your all consuming ambition, but that is quite typical of politicians.

The first hint of a bit of disconnect in your style was when during your first Senate campaign you denied returning your war medals, with a thousand other veterans, in protest of the war during Dewey Canyon III. That was a bit of a shock, since for most veterans who returned their medals in that emotional ceremony on Friday, April 23, 1971, it was a very proud and healing moment. Your 1984 campaign response: You had returned the medals of a WWII acquaintance at his direction. All those 13 years everyone thought you had had the courage and leadership to return medals that to veterans who returned them represented medals of dishonor drenched in the blood of innocent Vietnamese who did not deserve to die for a lie, any more than our fellow US Americans. I guess you knew then that you were to be running for office.

The second hint occurred at the celebration party you organized for us "doghunters" at your friend John Martilla's Beacon Hill house in Boston in late June 1985, 6 months into your term as a junior Senator. In the wee hours of the morning, you made two comments that troubled me: (1) you stressed your initials as "JFK" that would help you one day in your quest for the White House, and (2) that after War Department briefings (and perhaps CIA as well) about the need for funding and training contra terrorists in Afghanistan and Nicaragua you had a new appreciation for their importance in furthering U.S. policies. That did not mean that you necesaarily voted for Contra aid but that once in power, information becomes part of an elite circle preempting genuine democracy. I had driven in from Greenfield for that celebration party, and after those remarks I immediately left the party

[dreissig]

13. A Proud and Healing Moment

Civilians don't realize that throwing medals back is a really big deal. When Kerry claims after the fact that he was just spoofing, this doesn't have any credibility. Civilians have a tough time with this issue, but it's not that difficult.

After you tell Uncle Sam where to stick his Silver Star, there's only one honorable follow-through: Take it down from your office wall. (Unless, of course, you don't give a rat's ass about military honor.)

[ACPS65]

7. Are you kidding?

Two big rounds of applause.

More "bash Kerry" threads. They're sweating.

[JohnKleeb]

8. I liked it

Good on him for mentioning that Bush cut from the VA. I think he was right. I thought it was good if not ok, far from bad.

[Nicholas_J]

9. Because

He never, ever, stated that he threw his own medals away, the media has always made the statement that he did, and he has always corrected them by stating that they were the medals of other people and that as an after thought, he threw away his combat ribbons, which were in his pocket when he threw away the medals of other decorated soldiers.

Besides, given the massive support he had from Veterans in Iowa, it seems not to be an issue with those who would be most offended by it, if any offense were taken.

By the way, secret weapon in South Carolina. Kerry has ten times as many veterans actively backing him and stomping for him in that state,as he had in Iowa. South Carolina has the largest number of Veterans in the U.S.

[dreissig]

10. Military Honor

Military honor is a big deal, a lot bigger than civilians realize. Kerry's lame excuse that he threw back someone else's medals, not his own, sounds terrible. There's no good answer to the question, Did you throw your medals back?

Kerry can dance but he can't evade that question forever. Eventually some amputee is going to nail him with it.

[seventhson]

11. That is not true IMHO

There are sources which say that Kerry gave a speech that day stating that he said "WE threw our medals away today because..."

READ the letter above and see if his companions at the time did not believe he had done it.

He PRETENDED to throw his m3edals away and went on national tv to say "WE THREW THEM AWAY..."

Shameless IMHO


But I will get you a source on it if you do not believe me.

[blm]

15. Never learned about the collective "We" when referring to a group?

I think I learned it in 3rd grade.

[seventhson]

17. What part of "WE threw OUR medals away..."

is NOT a LIE if you are not one of the collective "we" who threw their medals away.

Did he learn to LIE like that in third grade?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

24. He was speaking for the group- and he did throw his ribbons

and "medals" can be meant to encompass all awards.
I do not deny that some will see it as a lie, but it is a weak point.

[blm]

26. IF you're speaking FOR a group of people, you use "We..."

You can't change the rules to make your case.

[mitchum]

16. Does he keep his medals in Geronimo's skull?

Go ahead, run with it

[Valjean]

12. Great

Thats great, then he should had SAID SO. Clarify the issue and set the record straight. You don't have to be defensive about it. If they are making a big issue out of nothing, than just say so.


But it seems that Kerry actually LIKES the image of throwing away his medals when it comes to liberals. But when it comes to everybody else, he just ducks the issue.

Get your story straight and STICK TO IT!!!!!

[dreissig]

14. Kerry Lies Like a Politician

Honesty about military awards is a basic part of the military ethos. Just as it's disgraceful to wear a medal you did not earn, it is disgraceful to continue to display a medal you threw back. This shouldn't be as difficult for civilians to understand as it seems to be. Kerry the politician is claiming to be Kerry the soldier, but he's straddling the fence. The question that demands a straightforward answer is this: John, did you throw your medals back or not?

[seventhson]

19. agreed

Kerry, to me , is a pitiful excuse for a candidate

[sandnsea]

29. "I threw my ribbons"

"I threw the medals of a vet who couldn't be there."

What don't you understand about this?

[sangh0]

30. Where is the lie?

Kerry never said he threw away HIS medals, and the fact is, he DID throw away (some of) his medals.

[seventhson]

18. Here's the lie and the quote:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=164230&mesg_id=164636&page=

[sangh0]

31. I see the quote. Where's the lie?

Kerry never said he threw away all of his medals. He threw away other people's medals and some of his own (his ribbons)

So where's the lie?

[JI7]

20. he was NOT asked about HIS medals

he was asked how he would feel about a soldier throwing away their medals. it was obvious the guy asked because of kerry's protests, but he asked in non personal way. and kerry handled it as perfect as can be.

[Monument]

21. I thought his response was fantastic

I'm a Kerry supporter, but I thought that was one of his best responses.

I thought he wavered a bit on the first two questions, but I think his answer to that question was masterful. Kerry disrespecting the troops? No way. Regardless of what you say, that guy killed men with his hands and risked his life to save his men. He respects the uniform and to paint it otherwise is silly.

[isbister]

22. Kerry already answered this

the last time I saw was in a piece the Boston Globe did...last summer I think.

[GalleryGod]

23. I Was there. One More Time for the Newbies & Interlopers.

I was 20 feet away from Kerry on the day of the Medal toss. He tossed his RIBBONS first; and then loudly and clearly he stated he was throwing the medals of others "that could not be with us today".

Since you have such a bug-in-the-butt about Kerry,Frenchie...

Please Delineate where YOU served and WHEN? :scared:

[seventhson]

25. Funny, I remember reading that Kerry was alone when he threw his ribbons

One of the main stories I have relied on has been scrubbed from the Boston Globe site (need a subscription now to access the archives), but I DO remember that Kerry said at one point that he came back later, when nobody was around, and threw his ribbons.

I still do not believe him.

I suppose if you were there, though, you are an eyewitnerss.

It still does not excuse his saying essentially "WE threw OUR medals away" - and I still think he is trying to have it both ways in typical prevaricating Kerry style. Just like his vietnam war movie reenactments filmed by his men for him in hostile territory. Screwy.

[copithorne]

28. Part of what is true about Wesley Clark's response last night

I think a lot of people think that Wesley Clark should have bit into Peter Jennings' question about Bush going AWOL. Maybe in terms of playing the game of politics he should have. Maybe the guy just has too much class. I don't think so.

But all this stuff about trying to find gotcha moments about the personal history of a candidate from thirty years ago is such crap. It has nothing to do with voters. It has nothing to do with the future of our country. Partisans can chew on it and try to use it for advantage. And maybe some people justify their votes that way. But I expect in most cases, that's just a handy excuse people give for voting for other reasons they have a hard time explaining.

In any event, this kind of stuff sickens our political life.

The media is now wholly incapable of focusing on issues that matter. If partisan citizens, who follow politics closely are also unable to focus on issues that matter than how can we expect the vast majority of citizens to focus?

I don't care what John Kerry did with his medals thirty years ago. I care that right now he is unable to clearly and forthrightly criticize this stupid and abominable war.

[John_H]

32. Kerry threw his medals at the grassy knoll gunman, but missed and

hit Wes Clark as he climbed aboard a black helicopter whisking him off to a meeting with Roswell aliens to acquire the technology Acxiom would later use to violate the civil liberties of all Americans, except for the Stephens Group.

[bigtree]

33. I hope they keep asking.

It's one of the events in John Kerry's life that I most admire; his activism against Nixon's war. His and the actions of others at that time helped define the opposition to that political fiasco that was the Vietnam war. To see these soldiers camped out in Washington for what they believed in helped galvanize the nation against the war.

And that action is reflected in his lifetime commitment to his country, the soldiers and veterans, and peace, as expressed in his recent brokered agreement with Vietnam.

I want to hear him recall all of his courageous actions in regard to that conflict, over and over again.

[seventhson]

34. It does nothing for me

it reeks of hypocrisy