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| Iraq War Vet Criticizes Bush on Dem Response Radio | |||
| 2004-05-02 | |||
| An Iraq war veteran expressed disappointment with President Bush on Saturday, saying the nation's leaders refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of continuing violence in Iraq. "I don't expect our leaders to be free of mistakes. I expect our leaders to own up to them," said Army National Guard 1st Lt. Paul Rieckhoff. In his weekly radio address, meanwhile, Bush said the United States will successfully pursue its work in Iraq in the face of a violent insurgency that seeks to undermine a peaceful transfer of power to Iraqis on June 30. "Despite many challenges, life for the Iraqi people is a world away from the cruelty and corruption of Saddam's regime" and "we will finish our work," Bush said. Rieckhoff's comments, distributed by Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign, were the Democratic response to the president's weekly radio address. Usually, a public official gives the response. "Our troops are still waiting for more body armor. They are still waiting for better equipment. They are still waiting for a policy that brings in the rest of the world and relieves their burden," said Rieckhoff, who was a platoon leader in Iraq. Rieckhoff called his comrades in Iraq "men and women of extraordinary courage and incredible capability. But it's time we had leadership in Washington to match that courage and match that capability."
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| Posted by:Steve White |
| #9 John Kerry Mark 2024. |
| Posted by: Matt 2004-05-02 2:37:12 PM |
| #8 This is the political equivalent of getting some mental defective to wear a bomb belt. When I served, disrespect of the President could cost you your commission. In fact you had to annually actively reaffirm your support of the chain of command. Perhaps this beknighted opportunist is looking for an early out from the Guard. I kept my mouth shut under Carter and God knows the dental problems caused by clenched jaws under the Clintons. Only a fool or someone with naked political ambition would do something like this. |
| Posted by: RWV 2004-05-02 11:53:22 AM |
| #7 ..I saw LT Rieckhoff on FNC yesterday - struck me as a thoroughly arrogant little pr**k. He's gonna be real popular at the next drill. Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2004-05-02 10:09:13 AM |
| #6 Rieckhoff was on Fox yesterday and the guy interviewing (can't remember who) point blank asked him if, like Kerry did when he came back from Nam, he had political ambitions. He answers "I don't have enough money to be in politics." Maybe he thinks he will have a backer now. |
| Posted by: AF Lady 2004-05-02 8:45:01 AM |
| #5 Yeah, he wrote every word. Sure he did. The fact that he contacted Kerry's people tells me all I need to know. Like qno, I think this will backfire. Particularly if some of the other people from his unit weigh in. He sounds like a professional whiner. The fact that he's returning to the university (presumably to teach) gives me a hint he's part of the LLL. Probably joined the NG for college money and got pissed when they actually expected him, as a member of the Army, to go to war. Begone, fool. I don't even care if the chains of the Democratic party set lightly upon you or not. |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2004-05-02 3:20:59 AM |
| #4 "Our troops are still waiting for more body armor. They are still waiting for better equipment. They are still waiting for a policy that brings in the rest of the world and relieves their burden," said Rieckhoff, who was a platoon leader in Iraq. Who says that the U.S. is doing everything?? And who are these that he's supposed to be speaking for? As far as I'm concerned, the guy's complaints are his own. If he's speaking for others, let them stand up and be counted. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-05-02 2:10:26 AM |
| #3 So well said Dane. |
| Posted by: Lucky 2004-05-02 1:57:12 AM |
| #2 Here's JFnKerry(D) on his perception of the National Guard implying criticism of Bush: ââIâve 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.â -- JFnKerry(D) This implies an association of National Guardsmen with being a CO, with draft dodging flight to Canada or jail... as if the choice to volunteer is 'Not' serving your country. I bring this up because out of the 1/4 million Americans who've served in Iraq the (D)'s are trotting out one... a single... one individual National Guard Lieutenant who's service in a nation of tens of thousands of square miles probably allowed him to see tens of square miles... in a nation of 25 million people his service probably allowed him to meet at least 25... who as a junior officer was outranked by thousands of leaders... Yet with this complete lack of any possible perspective, any possible authority or responsibility, in spite of previous disparagement of the National Guard by JFnKerry(D)... the NewsMedia tramples themselves to give this obscure exception a chance to pontificate on issues he could know nothing about. Why is this transparent misrepresentation easily demonstrated to reveal the biased lies of the NewsMedia. Because the thousands of officers with supportive views of the Liberation of Iraq are ignored... while this exception is paraded. |
| Posted by: DANEgerus 2004-05-02 1:31:20 AM |
| #1 He contacted Kerry staffers say no more. Backfire to start in 5,4,3,2,1 |
| Posted by: qno 2004-05-02 12:44:11 AM |