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| Cleland backs John Forbes Kerry's Sense of Humor |
| 2006-11-02 |
| HT to Denny at GrouchyOldCripple in Atlanta, one of the most humorous un-PC sites on the web. Denny, who's in a wheelchair, calls Cleland "Stumpy" lol. Denny's unrelenting on this Dem hack Former Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) on Tuesday voiced his support for Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), who became embroiled in controversy after comments he made Monday appeared to imply that American troops in Iraq are uneducated. "John Kerry is a patriot who has fought tooth and nail for veterans ever since he came home from Vietnam," Cleland, who lost three limbs in Vietnam, said in a statement. "He has stood with his brothers in arms unlike this [Bush] Administration which exploits our troops to make a political point and divide America." During a campaign rally for California gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides Monday, Kerry said, "Education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." Conservatives criticized Kerry for implying that U.S. soldiers join the military because they're stupid and can't succeed elsewhere. Calling his critics "right wing nut-jobs," Kerry said in a news conference Tuesday that his comment was a "botched joke" intended to make fun of the president. Cleland said anyone who thought Kerry's comment was insulting the troops has "a partisan political agenda and that's the bottom line." he would know... "John Kerry should apologize to no one for his criticism of the President and his broken policy in Iraq," he added. "George Bush is the one who owes our troops an apology." Echoing Kerry's reaction Tuesday, Cleland said criticism of the "botched joke" is "textbook Republican campaign tactics." Numerous Republicans on Tuesday called for Kerry to apologize for the comment from Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz), who also served in Vietnam, to President Bush himself. "The members of the United States military are plenty smart, and they are plenty brave," Bush said during a campaign appearance in Georgia Tuesday evening. "And the senator from Massachusetts owes them an apology." High-profile Democrats, including members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have remained silent on the matter. |
| Posted by:Frank G |
| #17 Thanks, BA. I wish I could talk to Kerry for 5 minutes I probobly wouldn't understand what he said but maybe I'd get my .02 in. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2006-11-02 22:26 |
| #16 War Eagle to you too, Deacon, and my condolences on your loss. I graduated in 1996, so I'm more of a newbie than most here in the 'burg. 9/11 (and carpooling with a couple of muslims I still wonder about) changed everything for me. I was really too young to remember 'nam, and barely remember Tehran 1979, which is where this all started in my book. I have no military experience whatsoever, but truly appreciate and honor those who do and whom are serving as we type. |
| Posted by: BA 2006-11-02 20:04 |
| #15 Agreed, Deacon. My uncle/godfather was a young sgt in the light infantry regiment deployed thinly, with no artillery backup, to stop the elite German Nordwind attackers at Bastogne. They took over 42% casualties in a matter of weeks. And during that time he was awarded a Silver Star, multiple Bronze Stars, multiple Purple Hearts. Came home with permanent nerve damage from the bitter cold - they didn't have even hot meals for the first weeks, temperatures never got above freezing. Came home with the memories of having 3 squads shot up around him, of taking out several pillboxes, wounded, as his buddies died in the attempts. Kerry's 'decorations'? I am loathe to set the precedent of ever disparaging military decorations, lest those who honorably earned them be in any way impacted. But in his case ..... |
| Posted by: lotp 2006-11-02 19:31 |
| #14 War Eagle, BA. I was at Auburn in the 70's. I lost my best childhood and teen frien in Vietnam on March 19, 1969. Lance Corporal Clyde Northington (my cousin) was in Co. A 9th Marines when they walked into an ambush in the Aw Shit Valley. He exposed himself to enemy fire to rescue and treat wounded buddies then led an attack on a machine gun position that was eliminated. He was killed a short time later by a mortar round. He EARNED his Silver Star. I have no use for people like Kerry and Cleland. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2006-11-02 19:08 |
| #13 Besoeker: I guess I'm an anomoly. Grew up outside of Atlanta (and went to Auburn), but I don't hunt. Do love deer meat, though! Mummmm, mummmm! |
| Posted by: BA 2006-11-02 12:45 |
| #12 "Cleland said anyone who thought Kerry's comment was insulting the troops has a partisan political agenda and that's the bottom line." How fucking arrogant of a statement is that? How many people that actually voted for that stiff were insulted by the insinuation of his comments as delivered? How many of those same people, even after his tortured explanation, believe that war is no joking matter and is beneath the dignity of a US Senator? How many think crass remarks about the intellect of a sitting war-time President shouldnÂ’t be considered legitimate criticism of foreign policy? One Senator does not make up a political party but the response from KerrysÂ’ apologists is emblematic of the party that has no real viable alternatives and therefore continues to choose politics over principle. |
| Posted by: DepotGuy 2006-11-02 12:32 |
| #11 mcsegeek1, right you are, Michael J. Fox is also a whore. |
| Posted by: wxjames 2006-11-02 12:14 |
| #10 BA: Bagged a broken horned 6 pointer in Area CC2 at Benning on Sunday. How's your hunting? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2006-11-02 11:27 |
| #9 Agreed, geek, and it is clear enough. Of course, I guess that's the problem with us Neanderthals (and Neanderthal-ettes) here at the 'burg, we're just TOO honest and not nuanced enough. As a lifelong resident of Georgia (except for a brief stint at Auburn for college), let me quote the Dixie Twits and be the first to say, "I'm completely embarrassed that this politician, Max Cleland (and Jimmuh Carter), is from my home state." |
| Posted by: BA 2006-11-02 11:25 |
| #8 A man who uses the sympathy garnered from his horrible war injuries as a pure political tool is nothing more an a whore. Real heroes would never do this. Yes, I said it. Max Cleland is a political whore. Clear enough? |
| Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-11-02 11:20 |
| #7 I think you are referring to an Ann Coulter article. Beer drinking and one of his buddies dropped a grenade. Cleland picked it up w/o realizing the pin was out. Cleland admitted it was a noncombat situation, though I don't know if he mentioned alcohol was involved. Irregardless, Cleland did receive a Silver Star for actions before the grenade mishap. |
| Posted by: ed 2006-11-02 09:26 |
| #6 John Kerry is a patriot... So was Benedict Arnold and Jefferson Davis, up to a point. Sort of went down hill quickly after certain events transpired. Personally, I think that was when Kerry, while still a commissioned reserve naval officer, met with representatives of the North Vietnamese government during the war. How about using the same standard of inappropriate joke that the Donk's had for Secretary of the Interior Watt during Reagan's administration? Oh, thatÂ’s right, fundamental tenet of the Socialist left, one set of rules for me and another set of rules for thee. |
| Posted by: Procopius2K 2006-11-02 09:20 |
| #5 Wedding? |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2006-11-02 09:17 |
| #4 ...IIRC, wasn't Cleland hurt during an explosive accident during a party? Mike |
| Posted by: Mike Kozlowski 2006-11-02 09:07 |
| #3 High-profile Democrats, including members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, have remained silent on the matter. So we see where they stand on the issue. Only The Savior Of The Country™, Ms. Hillary, spoke up calling for Kerry to apologize. |
| Posted by: Bobby 2006-11-02 05:46 |
| #2 "John Kerry is a patriot who has fought tooth and nail for veterans ever since he came home from Vietnam," ...OK, so he was fight for North Vietnamese veterans. So what? They were vets, right?! |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2006-11-02 05:15 |
| #1 That's cuz Maxi Pads has his nose up Skerry's rectum |
| Posted by: Captain America 2006-11-02 00:38 |