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| "Col. Kurtz, John Kerry on Line One!" |
| 2005-01-31 |
| "MEET THE PRESS" transcript, for the "No Horse Too Dead To Beat" file: MR. RUSSERT: Now, the New York Daily News editorial wrote an editorial, and it said this. "As for Kerry, he might ask why the Swifties' attacks have been effective. The answer is his propensity to exaggerate. ... It's looking more likely that he exaggerated, if not worse, when he claimed through the years that he was in Cambodia on Christmas Eve '68. He said the memory was `seared' into him, but it's now clear Kerry was elsewhere, at least at that time. He has yet to explain. Until he does, the Swifties will have a powerful weapon in their arsenal." And they refer, Senator, to a speech on the floor in which you said that you were there, that the president of the United States was saying you were not there, that there were troops in Cambodia. You have the memory seared in you. In a letter to the Boston Herald, you remember spending Christmas Eve '68 five miles across the Cambodian border. You told The Washington Post you have a lucky hat given to you by a CIA guy "as we went in for a special mission to Cambodia." Were you in Cambodia Christmas Eve, 1968? SEN. KERRY: We were right on the border, Tim. What I explained to people and I told this any number of times, did I go into Cambodia on a mission? Yes, I did go into Cambodia on a mission. Was it on that night? No, it was not on that night. But we were right on the Cambodian border that night. We were ambushed there, as a matter of fact. And that is a matter of record, and we went into the rec-- you know, it's part of the Navy records. It's been documented by the other guys who were on my boat. And Steve Gardner, frankly, doesn't know where we were. It wasn't his job, and, you know, he wasn't involved in that. But we did go five miles into Cambodia. It was on another day. I jumbled the two together, but we were five miles into Cambodia. We went up on a mission with CIA agents--I believe they were CIA agents--CIA Special Ops guys. I even have some photographs of it, and I can document it. And it has been documented. MR. RUSSERT: You'll release those photographs? SEN. KERRY: I think they were shown. I gave them to the campaign, but... MR. RUSSERT: And you have a hat that the CIA agent gave you? SEN. KERRY: I still have the hat that he gave me, and I hope the guy would come out of the woodwork and say, "I'm the guy who went up with John Kerry. We delivered weapons to the Khmer Rouge on the coastline of Cambodia." We went out of Ha Tien, which is right in Vietnam. We went north up into the border. And I have some photographs of that, and that's what we did. So, you know, the two were jumbled together, but we were on the Cambodian border on Christmas Eve, absolutely. MR. RUSSERT: Nixon was president-elect, not president, at that particular time. He wasn't sworn in until... SEN. KERRY: In 1968, he wasn't sworn in yet. MR. RUSSERT: But he was president-elect, not president. SEN. KERRY: That's correct. MR. RUSSERT: Many people who've been criticizing you have said: Senator, if you would just do one thing and that is sign Form 180, which would allow historians and journalists complete access to all your military records. Thus far, you have gotten the records, released them through your campaign. They say you should not be the filter. Sign Form 180 and let the historians... SEN. KERRY: I'd be happy to put the records out. We put all the records out that I had been sent by the military. Then at the last moment, they sent some more stuff, which had some things that weren't even relevant to the record. So when we get--I'm going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn't in the record and we'll put it out. I have no problem with that. MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180? SEN. KERRY: But everything, Tim... MR. RUSSERT: Would you sign Form 180? SEN. KERRY: Yes, I will. But everything that we put in it, Tim--everything we put in--I mean, everything that was out was a full documentation of all of the medical records, all of the fitness reports. And I'd call on those who have challenged me, let's see their records. I want to see the records of each of those people who have put up a challenge, because some of them have some serious questions in them, and it hasn't been appropriate... MR. RUSSERT: So they should sign Form 180s for themselves as well? SEN. KERRY: You bet. |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #17 I'm sure you're right. I am much relieved that he was prevented from reaching office. The embitterment has already occurred - I even ended up in a pointed and heated "debate" with a clueless fool at the grocery store a few days ago. A bona-fide Bush Hater with no, and I mean zero, knowledge of events or issues, just a burning visceral hatred of a man he's never met, knows next to nothing about, and upon whom his future depends. It was surreal. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-01-31 9:26:57 PM |
| #16 .com, I believe that the Vets for Truth had some bigger ammunition ready had Kerry been elected. Kerry's post Vietnam actions were far more troublesome than his "bandaid heroism". I guess the Bush campaign was smarter than many and believed in victory without pulling the dirtiest laundry out (which would have enbittered parts of the US electorate). Kerry might have become the first U.S. President to face impeachment hearings BEFORE being inaugurated (if such a thing is possible). Again, we can only thank the people of Ohio for their wisdom. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-01-31 9:18:23 PM |
| #15 Lol! I think you've definitely got it, TGA. The name was not in common usage in the war - and at least 75% of Skeery's tales ring like lead. Indeed, he's an amazing confabulation of bullshit, lies, and ideological (and if tested fairly, sans the "Do you know who I am?" BS, probably clinical) insanity. And he was only a 1.5% swing away from being the President - back here in the real world. Boggles. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-01-31 9:09:58 PM |
| #14 Actually I think the name Khmer Rouge wasn't in common use in 1968, they called themselves the Communist Party of Cambodia. It was only after Lon Nol came to power when Pol Pot's nationalist and maoist faction (that had not fled to North Vietnam), came to be known under the household name of Khmer Rouge. I think indeed that Kerry is America's Baron Münchhausen (historic German figure known for his bombastic fairy tales). |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-01-31 9:03:58 PM |
| #13 TGA, I think the "Khmer Rouge" part of the story is a new detail that the interviewer, Tim Russert, just missed and didn't follow-up on. Kerry is just making this up as he goes along. |
| Posted by: Matt 2005-01-31 8:48:48 PM |
| #12 Well it seems that I have to correct myself. Just looked up the big atlas. Ha-tien is right on the coastal border between Vietnam and Cambodia so you would go north(west) indeed up de Cambodian coastline. I just don't get why nobody asked Kerry why he peddled arms to the Khmer Rouge. They did support the Vietcong back then. |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-01-31 8:40:42 PM |
| #11 It was different back then. When I was in Nam, the CIA "spooks" (as we called them) had a different map. It's seared, seared in my mind. The Cambodian coast then was northwest of Saigon and east of Laos. I told you about the montagnards, didn't I? Plucky little guys! Carried one on the boat. He gave me a lucky spear..... |
| Posted by: John Fn Kerry 2005-01-31 7:58:44 PM |
| #10 TGA's got a point (as usual). Just checkd the globe and the only way to get to the coast of Cambodia is via the Gulf of Thailand. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-01-31 7:14:50 PM |
| #9 "We delivered weapons to the Khmer Rouge on the coastline of Cambodia." "We went out of Ha Tien, which is right in Vietnam. We went north up into the border" Soooo? |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-01-31 6:36:00 PM |
| #8 TGA - no, you're going against the river current, away from the coast. Going with the river current toward the sea is downriver or down the river. |
| Posted by: Desert Blondie 2005-01-31 6:04:47 PM |
| #7 Yes but you wouldn't go to the coast when going upriver? |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-01-31 5:53:42 PM |
| #6 WHY would the CIA deliver weapons to the Khmer Rouge??? Because the Vietnam War was just a big plot to enrich the Military / Industrial Complex, see? The CIA was arming our enemies to keep it going. Oh, and to pay off the Khmer Rouge for the heroin they used to fund the arms. What importance did the Khmer Rouge have in 1968 and didn't they support the North Vietnamese then? Yes And then, can somebody educate this geographically challenged German who can't reconcile "Cambodian coast" with "going up North from Vietnam"? Vietnam curls around the bottom of Cambodia, so if you were going "up the river" to Cambodia, you would be going north. |
| Posted by: Steve 2005-01-31 4:33:37 PM |
| #5 Hey, wait a second. I was the guy in Cambodia...and a black guy and a bunch of spaceshots took me in on a PBR. And, no, I didn't give away any "lucky hats". I got something for you to sear in your memory right here, douchebag! |
| Posted by: Josiah 2005-01-31 4:22:40 PM |
| #4 Fortunately, it's a bit late. |
| Posted by: Mrs. Davis 2005-01-31 4:13:53 PM |
| #3 Glad to see someone finally stuck him on the Form 180. Unfortinately, it's a bit late. |
| Posted by: Dishman 2005-01-31 4:02:21 PM |
| #2 Ok, maybe I'm just too dumb to grab it but... WHY would the CIA deliver weapons to the Khmer Rouge??? What importance did the Khmer Rouge have in 1968 and didn't they support the North Vietnamese then? And then, can somebody educate this geographically challenged German who can't reconcile "Cambodian coast" with "going up North from Vietnam"? |
| Posted by: True German Ally 2005-01-31 3:28:06 PM |
| #1 A quesion for Senator Kerry: On what dates were you in Cambodia, and under whose orders? And if I may have a follow-up; what was the substance of your "mission"? Further, will you present all evidence known to you or in your posession, including the photographs and this hat you keep talking about, for forensic evaluation? |
| Posted by: Mark E. 2005-01-31 3:11:53 PM |