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Kerry Pushes Back at Vietnam Critics
BOSTON (AP) - Fighting back, John Kerry called on the White House Thursday to condemn criticism of his Vietnam War record and released a television commercial featuring a veteran who says the Democratic presidential candidate "risked his life to save mine.""All those Viet Cong were shooting at me. I expected to be shot. When he pulled me out of the river, he risked his life to save mine,' Jim Rassmann says in the 30-second commercial. According to everyone else there were no enemy fire..... and Kerry had fled the scene until he knew it was safe. Kerry was wounded in Vietnam, and received five medals. But his service has recently come under question in commercials paid for by supporters of President Bush. I guess people who dont want someone who's entire career is based on fabrications and who engaged in borderline Treason might be called Bush supporters.... The White House has refused to call on backers of the ads to stop running them. In remarks to cheering firefighters, Kerry said, "More than 30 years ago I learned an important lesson. When you're under attack the best thing to do is turn your boat into the attack. That's what I intend to do today." Is that why he is not answering the charges but instead attacking the messenger? Kerry's campaign also arranged to have several members of his Navy swift boat crew attend the speech to firefighters. The event Thursday was scripted to resemble Kerry's nationally televised acceptance speech, where veterans stood behind him. Staged... just like his 're-enactments' of his vietnam combat.... The new Kerry ad began airing in three states where an anti-Kerry veterans group has run a commercial claiming Kerry lied about the incident and other aspects of his military service. Kerry's response came as The Washington Post reported that a Vietnam veteran who claims Kerry lied about being under fire during a Mekong Delta engagement that won Kerry a Bronze Star was under constant fire himself during the same skirmish, according to the man's own medal citation. Thurlow, also like Kerry, commanded a Navy swift boat during the Vietnam War. He swore in an affidavit last month that Kerry was "not under fire" when he rescued Rassmann from the Bay Hap River. Thurlow told the Post that he got the award for helping to rescue the boat that was mined. He said he believed his own award would be fraudulent if it was based on coming under enemy fire. He speculated that Kerry could have been the source of at least some of the language used in the citation. Members of Kerry's crew have said Kerry is telling the truth. Rassmann said he has vivid memories of enemies firing at him from both banks. Yet people 10' off the water could not see as well as he could from the waterline or Kerry could from 500+' or so away. All Kerry has to do is release his military records like Bush had. Yet he refuses to do so. Doesn't it only take filling out one little form? Posted by: CrazyFool 2004-08-19 |
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