The news media would not be discussing the AWOL issue if Dean were ahead

[genius]

Personally, I'd like to see them nail Bush as a deserter. Would anyone here object to the military enforcing the penalty for desertion in time of war? I think because of Dean's questionable condition, he would get the worst end of a record comparison with Bush. Edwards has a good reason for not going to Vietnam - they ended the draft before he would have been drafted. Kucinich also had a valid excuse. Unless we go idealistic and nominate Kucinich or Edwards who would win big on economic and social issues, Kerry or Clark would be good choices on the military issue.

[BeyondGeography]

1. And neither would the DNC

eom

[genius]

2. That's right

Oh, congratulations on your guy's win in OK.

[BeyondGeography]

4. Thanks, friend

[lastknowngood]

3. Kerry didn't start this and would not have he hasn't the guts

it was Michale more and the general.

[NV1962]

5. Correcto!

But raising the issue to the level of a "discomforting allegation" that media still refuse to dig into (speaking of lazy bums who want their stories served as effing press releases from a candidate!) is not enough.

We need to show and nail down the naked truth of his symptomatic duty dodging three decades ago: Bush is still an untrustworthy, lazy and morally corrupt fluke who slipped over a banana peel and didn't stop sliding along until he somehow managed to land in the WH.

The dodger stained the seal on the carpet in the Oval Office: time to clean the house.

[sandnsea]

6. You think so?

This was in an email the RNC is sending out:

"Late Tuesday night, Mr. Kerry fired back. On Fox News, he subtly slashed at Mr. Bush by implying that joining the National Guard was just another way of dodging the draft.

"I've never made any judgments about any choice somebody made about avoiding the draft, about going to Canada, going to jail, being a conscientious objector, going into the National Guard," Mr. Kerry said. "Those are choices people make."

Kerry is the one who brought this out in 2000. He absolutely would have brought it up, but since Michael Moore did and Clark dropped the ball, he picked it up and ran with it. Sorry. Clark didn't know how to make hay with this and Kerry did.

[NV1962]

10. Oh, are you saying Kerry making hay?

What, for another straw man perhaps?

Puh-leez... "Hinting" and "implying" and "intimating" don't constitute an accomplishment to pound your chest for... I mean, with all those medals for valor, that toraxial thumping could really hurt... Wouldn't want to see the lieutenant bleeding again wouldn't we!

:evilgrin:

[59millionmorons]

17. wait a minute

Kerry's first response to this was he doesnt know enough of the facts. This had nothing to do with Kerry. This was pushed by Mcauliffe after Clark AND Kerry passed on it. Let's get that straight.

[Cocoa]

7. this could have been brought up with Dean ahead

dems could expect Bush to attack Dean's own record, and raise the AWOL questions to preempt the RNC's attacks.

[genius]

8. I think Bush would win against Dean on this issue.

REmember Bush would have the press on his side and might show videos of people skiing.

[TexasPatriot]

9. i think there are 2 to thank for this issue

1) Michael Moore for starting a fire (and getting the General burnt)
and
2) General Clark for refusing to back down when Jennings confronted him on it even though it was burning him.

When it was obvious it wasnt fair - how many hundreds of Clark supporters emailed links and information to the press... and once Terry got into the act - then it was 'policy' - the reporters knew what the questions were and where the facts lie - and man doesnt bunnypants look like a dork.

[isbister]

11. Thank Jennings

He brought it up.

I think it would've came up eventually, whether Jennings mentioned it or not.

[AnnitaR]

12. Clark gets berated for it, but Kerry will get the glory for it.

So typical of the way this campaign has turned out.

The media whores never cease to sicken me. When Clark was on MTP Tom Brokaw made it clear how appalled he was that Clark didn't dismiss the notion of Chimpy being AWOL. Now they run a whole piece on the nightly news just because Terry McC mentions how he'd love to see KERRY be the one to debate Bush.

Un-freakin-believable!!!!!

Folks, I give up.

[Justitia]

13. welcome to the Dean Doppleganger ward

Where everyone pretends to be you. My empathies.

[CWebster]

14. Alpha male posturing.

That is what this aircraft deck strutting and macho military medals display is. With young people dying everyday trapped in another unjust quagmire that both pathetic and cowardly men backed, they both need to get booted off the stage.

[HFishbine]

15. Here's why your assumption is wrong

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=584&ncid=584&e=5&u=/nm...

MADISON, Wisc. (Reuters) - Democratic White House hopeful Howard Dean (news - web sites), who missed service in Vietnam because of a bad back, said on Wednesday President Bush (news - web sites)'s military records were "fair game" in the election campaign.

The White House has defended Bush's record in the Texas Air National Guard far from the battlefields of Vietnam after Democrats accused him of going "AWOL." snip

"Certainly my military record was fair game and I think the president's is as well," the former Vermont governor told reporters. "What's fair game in this campaign is anything that was asked of me to be asked of everybody else."

(more)

[IndianaGreen]

16. The Democrats will be making a BIG mistake if they reopen the Vietnam

The Democrats will be making a BIG mistake if they reopen the Vietnam debate.

Any discussion of service, or lack of service, in Vietnam will open the Pandora's box about the Vietnam war.

If you want to talk about Kerry being a hero in Vietnam, I will be happy to talk about the Vietnamese side of the story, and some of the sordid aspects of US military operations in Vietnam, and the even sleazier history of American involvement in Vietnam since World War II.

You want to talk about 58,000 dead Americans? You will also have to talk about the 3 million dead Vietnamese.

Vietnam is a ghost that should not be reawakened!

I give you a hint: Vietnam was a Democratic war!