Kerry will mount defense of Iraq war criticism

[globalvillage]

Globe article on Kerry speech

Kerry will mount defense of Iraq war criticism
Senator's speech to call attacks on dissenters unfair
By Raja Mishra, Globe Staff | April 22, 2006

In a symbolically charged speech, US Senator John F. Kerry plans to declare today that Iraq war critics are patriots unfairly tarred by the Bush administration as disloyal.

The speech comes on the 35th anniversary of Kerry's antiwar testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in which he famously asked, ''How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"

Kerry's 11 a.m. speech at Faneuil Hall is billed by his aides as a major address on patriotism, dissent, and Iraq. It comes as President Bush's approval ratings are at an all-time low and the interim government in Iraq is paralyzed by sectarian squabbling, while the toll among Iraqis mounts and the US military death count stands at 2,384.



http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/04/22/kerry_will_mount_defense_of_iraq_war_criticism/

[babylonsister]

1. Thank you, Senator Kerry!

:patriot:

[LSK]

2. unfortunately, nobody will see it

:shrug:

[acmavm]

5. That's why I've sent it to everyone I can.

They may not read it, or all of it. But they'll know that the tide is turning and the truth (like they said on X Files I believe) IS OUT THERE!

[WildEyedLiberal]

14. Tell your friends to watch CSPAN tomorrow at 7

I am gonna send the text link to all my friends - this message needs to get out! Go Kerry!

[LSK]

35. thank you!!

:hi:

[Selatius]

3. Will the corporate news media give him more than cursory air-time?

Or will they ignore him and simply broadcast whatever the right spews?

[AndyTiedye]

6. Probably Not Even Cursory Airtime Except Maybe on CSPAN

[LSK]

7. CSPAN is airing the DNC meeting

Might be played later thou.

[flpoljunkie]

9. CNN studiously avoiding any mention of JK's speech, and we get this swipe

from the only AP article I've seen on Kerry's Faneuil Hall speech today:

By ANDREW MIGA
The Associated Press
Saturday, April 22, 2006; 5:15 AM

WASHINGTON --Invoking bitter memories of the public tumult over the Vietnam War three decades ago, Sen. John Kerry is accusing the Bush administration of stifling dissent about its failed Iraq policies by branding critics as unpatriotic.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/22/AR2006042200405.html

[rusty_parts2001]

4. He's giving the speech Al Gore gave

two years ago. About time, Senator........

[fedupinBushcountry]

8. I guess

you never paid attention to anything Kerry has said in the last 4 years, to bad , you missed a lot.

[itzamirakul]

10. Well, I certainly paid attention when Kerry said he had thousands of

lawyers ready to go out to the polls to make sure that all votes were counted and that all registered voters were given the opportunity to vote and then the POS QUIT! He did NOTHING that he swore he would do, so those of you who want to continue to support this punk, please plan on enjoying one more Democratic Presidential defeat.

If Kerry runs again, he will deliver the Presidency to the Republicans AGAIN just as he did in 2004.

Right now, John Edwards seems like the best bet to me, but I am hoping that someone even stronger will appear on the Democratic screen.

[Dr Ron]

11. Thanks for your uninformed commentary

Now back to the real business of fighting the war and saving this country

[WildEyedLiberal]

13. All of that is patently false

A) He did and does have lawyers in Ohio. Sadly, in this country, you can't win a court case without EVIDENCE. Do you have iron-clad court admissible evidence of systemic election fraud? If so, please do contact Don McTigue - Kerry's lawyer who is STILL EMBROILED in a case in Ohio.

B) This speech is about the absolute vitality of dissent and truth in America and the shameless and cheap lack of true patriotism of those who would suppress it. Do you oppose this message?

Interesting that no one is bringing up 2008 but the few and far between disruptors. Why might that be?

[Name removed]

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[Vektor]

21. Nice rhetoric.

But still, childish, non-constructive, totally unwarranted, and completely unsubstantiated.

Again, read the speech, and be glad someone is defending your civil right to talk a bunch of shit.

[WildEyedLiberal]

24. Nice non-response

That's all you can post in response to the TRUTH in my post? My, if I am such a sucker, surely you could disprove my FACTS about Ohio.

[itzamirakul]

33. Kerry pulled his few lawyers sent to Ohio in just a day or so after they

arrived and Blackwell the GOP in charge of elections walked away clean with the theft. It was all smokscreen and lies. It was all crapola.

What the hell was the point of saying he would send lawyers when thousands of Ohians COULD NOT EVEN VOTE. The machines "were broken" or some other weak excuse was given. African American voters stood in line up to 8 hours to try to vote and still could not get into the polls. I don't see you screaming about THAT!

Proof is now coming out that the vote was stolen in Ohio but nothing is being done about it. Why doesn't the jackass talk about THAT? If he cared so much about becoming President, he would have continued to talk about the stolen votes from the day after the election until NOW.

[WildEyedLiberal]

36. Well, that's actually a blatant lie

Shows how much you know!

Can you prove the stolen votes? Many people - Kerry INCLUDED - have talked about the voter suppression in inner cities. How are you going to count votes that weren't cast? Of course, since you care about this issue so much, you know Kerry co-sponsored the Count Every Vote act in 2005 to end exactly all that voter suppression, right?

Where's this proof? If it's actually admissible in the courtroom - which, by the way, has much stricter standards than internet blogs - please do forward it to Don McTigue, who, for the second time now, is Kerry's lawyer still in Ohio.

Now please stop lying and disrupting here.

[itzamirakul]

38. Oh, excuse me...Are you the moderator here? Otherwise, I don't believe

that you have the right to tell me to stop posting here.

Ifg I wasn't telling the truth you wouldn't be so upset.

What about all the African Americans in Cleveland whO DID NOT GET TO VOTE in the 2004 elections? I don't see you responding to that.

And if you want some research done...do it your darned self. Why should anyone believe what YOU post as being the absolute truth.

You know, they say that DeLay sent his Brownshirts in to obstruct voting in certain states. I am beginning to believe that some of those brownshirts my be posting on this board.

[WildEyedLiberal]

41. HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

More straw men. Now you are talking about voter suppression. How exactly do you plan on reversing that in a court of law? No, tell me. Oh, and Kerry has spoken out against it, and co-sponsored the Count Every Vote Act to ensure that each precinct has enough election machines. Did you know that? You should, because I told you upthread.

You certainly do refuse to acknowledge truth, and when forced to account for your lies, you invent a new strawman. Karl Rove would be PROUD.

I DID the research. Kerry is involved in Ohio. It is you who refuse to acknowledge truth. You are clearly a disruptor who is not interested in facts or dialogue.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

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[WildEyedLiberal]

46. It is the only appropriate response to your abject stupidity

The suppression issue has been addressed time and again... can you read? I'm starting to doubt.

[Vektor]

47. Total disruptive attack, again.

Yes, you are creating straw men on a non-related topic thread, and then calling everyone names.

THAT is what's pathetic.

[Vektor]

42. You ought to be GRATEFUL...

Some of us are humane enough from trying to stop you from further humiliating yourself by continuing to post childish attacks, and absolute fabrications.

Do some research ourselves, love? Didn't you just accuse us all of being paid shills? Surely you'd know we know all there is to know about Kerry if he's paying us :rofl: then, wouldn't we? What's it gonna be? Uninformed clueless supporters, or paid shills? Can't have both. Wanna contradict yourself again?

Edited to add: I wonder how much we'll get paid for schooling these guzzlers, then?

[itzamirakul]

48. Try using spellcheck. The word is grateful.

Thanks for the advice, but I know what it true and what a total jerk Kerry is and I know that he did not follow through on his campaign promises.

[WildEyedLiberal]

49. Try reading facts.

You have been utterly, thoroughly exposed as a lying fraud on this thread. I know it must hurt your fragile ego, but really - you are making a huger ass of yourself by the second. It's really pitiful to watch.

[Vektor]

50. Hahaha, can't you come up with anything original?

After 20 misspelled posts? Back to the petty insults?

[Name removed]

56. Deleted message

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[WildEyedLiberal]

58. I wish I were getting paid to deal with these tools

I wonder what the RNC pays for people to disrupt liberal message boards with lies and anti-Democrat slurs?

[Vektor]

37. Ok. That proves you know nothing about the situation.

Kerry did NOT pull his lawyers. Investigations are STILL underway. Everyone who is anyone knows this. You have no accurate information to contribute to this discussion, just petty insults, you just demonstrated that.

Stop, before you make a complete fool of yourself.

[itzamirakul]

40. Yes, there are investigations still going on in Ohio, which is why it was

recently disclosed some financial dealings that Blackwell had with certain stock groups. But these are NOT KERRY'S LAWYERS!

And what about all the African Americans who did not get to vote? Why isn't Kerry screaming about THAT? For that matter, it is very telling how all of you Kerry defenders keep skipping that very telling point.

I think you are showing yourselves to be something other than liberal democrats.

[WildEyedLiberal]

43. Yes, they are his lawyers, and this is a provable falsehood

You. Are. Wrong.


The suppression issue has been addressed in THREE SEPERATE POSTS. If you READ instead of posted your inane lying bile, you would have SEEN IT BY NOW.

[itzamirakul]

51. No, it has not been addressed. But voter supression is something that

prejudiced people do not WANT to discuss.

But the fact is that Kerry is a jerk who quit after promising not to give up easily and he will NEVER AGAIN get the Democratic nomination unless the Republicans decide to give it to him again. But they won't because they have decided to give it to Hillary and I am sure that all of you will be supporting her in 2008.

[WildEyedLiberal]

52. More lies

I've brought up the Count Every Vote act at least three times in this thread.

Can you read?

[Vektor]

54. Oh, give it up.

Now, accusations of racism? You really are floundering. And more name calling? Wow. Is this Romper Room?

Instead of going off topic with name calling and paranoid accusations, why don't you start a thread about the oppression of minority voters?

Or is that too much effort, and you are only using minority voters as a pawn in your attack of people posting on a non-related thread?

[Vektor]

45. Again, you know nothing.

or you'd know THIS:
"But these are NOT KERRY'S LAWYERS!

Is straw man horse shit.

[itzamirakul]

53. Straw man, brick man, horse manure man...whatever...

Kerry has not been paying lawyers for three years to investigate the voting theft in Ohio.

I don't see you presenting any proof that he has.

[WildEyedLiberal]

55. Wrong!

[itzamirakul]

57. I used to think that only Republicans were stupid enough to drink the

KoolAde, but I see now that there are many so-called Democrats that buy into that cherry koolade philosophy also.

Thousands of Democratic voters were prevented from voting yet all you find valuable to scream about is another Democrat who does not like "your boy" Kerry.

How very intelligent.

[karendc]

39. Shows what YOU know

If you actually read, you will know he did far more than send lawyers in, and that he has followed the situation closely. You are repeating talking points from people who do not know.

THREE lawsuits
legislation
Support for Dem candidates there
contact with Conyers et al

[Vektor]

15. Kerry launched a hell of a defense of our right to dissent today.

Full text of the speech here, in case you want to educate yourself about what a real leader looks like:
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2723

BTW - childish insults like "POS and PUNK" in lieu of real, adult, intelligent discourse say a HELL of a lot more about you than they do the victim of such a petty tirade.

[WildEyedLiberal]

16. Indeed, and it was ever so

None of these keyboard warriors would have the actual courage to spew their venom at a real human being - it's far easier to act tough behind the anonymity of a computer screen. :eyes:

[Name removed]

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[karendc]

31. Speaking of thinking...

how's that going for you?

So, Kerry QUIT. Proof? Here's my response to the notion of quitting:

Three lawsuits in Ohio, one continues.
Countless investigations.
Serious work in the Senate on issues like voting reform, Alito, and ending the War.
Contributions to Dem. candidates to take back the House so real change can begin...

[Vektor]

32. I guess by "thinking"

he meant "regurgitating a slew of RW talking points about a great heroic man every time a twinge of penis envy kicks in."

Sad, really.

[Noisy Democrat]

27. This is 2006, and Kerry is saying what needs to be said

This is about the Iraq war, not 2004. But for the record, I understand that Kerry has had people investigating what happened in Ohio, that he has been supporting lawsuits there, etc. They just didn't find anything that could justify challenging the results of the election.

[Vektor]

17. Um, hardly.

Go ahead and provide text of Al's speech so we can all remind ourselves how different they are.

I guess if you are going to make such an assertion, you have Al's speech and a side by side comparison of the two to back that assertion up, right?

Also, having a similar view on the war does not equate "speech theft".

[welshTerrier2]

18. well, that's not quite true, is it??

I loved Gore's speech to MoveOn ... there is much to like about Al Gore ...

but there remains one huge, gaping hole in his position on Iraq ... Gore has not called for an immediate or near-term withdrawal of American troops from Iraq ... this is most unfortunate ...

to argue that Kerry's speech today is Gore's speech two years ago is just not right ... Kerry's speech sets a very specific May 15 condition for withdrawal; I don't believe you'll find this critical element in Gore's speech ...

and to both Gore and Kerry, I would say that it's well past time to directly confront bush about Iran ... neither has done that ...

[kerrygoddess]

28. Kerry has spoken up about Iran

There's stuff on my blog, but I can't look for the links right now.

[welshTerrier2]

30. what is needed

is more than calls for diplomacy or the usual "we have to use war only as a 'last resort'" ...

what is needed is bold leadership that demands bush disclose to the American people exactly what he's currently up to in Iran ... what is needed are demands for hearings ... and what is needed is a "mantra" that bush has NO CONGRESSIONAL AUTHORIZATION to wage war in Iran and that he must return to the Congress if he wishes to do so ...

if Kerry has done and said these things, I salute him and I stand corrected ...

[Dr Ron]

25. Kerry was criticizing Bush on Foreign Policy for years

This includes the years when Gore was quiet.

This was hardly Kerry's first speech taking on Bush.

On Wednesday July 31, 2002 the New York Times reported:

Before the war, Kerry spoke out against Bush going to war many times.

At the onset of the war, Kerry protested by calling for regime change in the United States.

Kerry spoke out against Bush every step of the way.

[Dr Ron]

12. Full text at The Democratic Daily

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2723

[kerrygoddess]

34. Great OP/ED from Kerry today too

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2722

[Moderator]

59. Locking....

This thread has become inflammatory.
A reminder to all....personal attacks
are not permitted per DU rules.