Reply #4: Updated LTTE [View All]

[T Roosevelt]

Neither weak nor wrong
I am disappointed that a columnist such as Mr Brown would continue to perpetuate the misperceptions regarding Senator Kerry's position on defense.

The postwar funding vote was admirable when one understands that Kerry supported an alternate bill that would have asked the wealthy to sacrifice some of their tax cuts to pay for our troops, something that Mr Bush has not done.

Kerry stated his position regarding the UN clearly on Meet the Press (4/18):

"In fact, I say the following and I say it very clearly, I will never cede the security of the United States to any institution and I will never cede our security to any other country. No country will have a veto over what we need to do to protect ourselves."

Only the neoconservatives are associating Kerry with the spectres of McGovern and Dukakis, which until recently had been used only in reference to Howard Dean.

McGovern lost not because of a perceived weakness on national security, but because he proposed to raise taxes. Dukakis lost because he allowed the Republicans to define him. Kerry is no Dukakis, as much as Mr Brown would have us believe.

Disregarding facts and ignoring international opinion to invade a country that was not a threat does not equate to strength in foreign policy.

Rather than attack Kerry through misdirections, perhaps Mr Brown should spell out exactly what qualifies Mr Bush to defend this country. That will be a much more difficult challenge.