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Kerry 'Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief', Say Former Military Colleagues

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ps1074 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:17 AM
Original message
Kerry 'Unfit to be Commander-in-Chief', Say Former Military Colleagues
(CNSNews.com) - Hundreds of former commanders and military colleagues of presumptive Democratic nominee John Kerry are set to declare in a signed letter that he is "unfit to be commander-in-chief." They will do so at a press conference in Washington on Tuesday.

"What is going to happen on Tuesday is an event that is really historical in dimension," John O'Neill, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy as a PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) boat commander, told CNSNews.com . The event, which is expected to draw about 25 of the letter-signers, is being organized by a newly formed group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

http://www.cnsnews.com//ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=\SpecialReports\archive\200405\SPE20040503a.html
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dudeness Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:19 AM
Response to Original message
1. um..excuse me..
you are electing a POLITICAL leader not a military dictator..this is absurd.
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Malva Zebrina Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:21 AM
Response to Original message
2. tch--how awful
I hope Kerry has someone in the wings ready to defend against this with purpose and vigor.

Awful and terrible to smear Kerry in this way--with a group formed to do Bush's dirty work, I am certain someone in the White hOuse is behind this
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rfranklin Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:42 AM
Response to Reply #2
15. John O'Neill is the same Republican operative that has been...
going after Kerry since 1972. I bet we can get "hundreds" of vets to sign a petition saying that Bush is unfit for any political office, including dogcatcher.
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AnnitaR Donating Member (958 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:21 AM
Response to Original message
3. You have to be fucking kidding me??????
I am throwing shit at my monitor right now!!!!!!!

I am too angry for words right now!

How the hell are they planning on explaining Kerry's pristine military records????

Oh wait... I forgot nobody gives a damn about the truth anymore!!!

Keep drinking the paint folks!

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
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Direckshun Donating Member (303 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:22 AM
Response to Original message
4. """PRESUMPTIVE""" Democratic nominee?
What's up with that adjective?
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DaveSZ Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:26 AM
Response to Reply #4
7. w
"The event, which is expected to draw about 25 of the letter-signers, is being organized by a newly formed group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth."


Wow, that has Rove written all over it.

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Scooter24 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:29 AM
Response to Reply #7
8. lol.
I was thinking the exact same thing.

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soup Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:46 AM
Response to Reply #4
20. Not thrilled with it myself.
They can sure make it sound dismissive. Guess since he hasn't been formally nominated at the Democratic convention, it's proper to phrase it that way.

note:
Since all the votes weren't counted in 2000, *jr. falls under the category of presumptive president and tends to act in a most presumptuous manner.
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unblock Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:24 AM
Response to Original message
5. how about finding people who knew SHRUB from that same era
Edited on Mon May-03-04 05:24 AM by unblock
as if a drunken fratboy would make a good commander-in-chief????
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Scooter24 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:25 AM
Response to Original message
6. Argh...
Edited on Mon May-03-04 05:28 AM by Scooter24
What have these people been drinking? Battery Acid? Kerry has, and will always have, more military experience than Bush. Argh....

I say we do the same for Bush. My god, we already have all the major law schools sign a joint letter against this war. In our letter, why not include some signatures of those already in Iraq.
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DaveSZ Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:30 AM
Response to Reply #6
9. http://www.swiftvets.com/Index2.htm
Edited on Mon May-03-04 05:31 AM by DaveSZ
"SwiftVets.com is a tax exempt non-partisan public advocacy “527”organization consisting of, and limited to, former military officers and enlisted men who served in Vietnam on U.S. Navy “Swift Boats.” or in affiliated commands.



While swiftvets.com is separate and distinct from the Swift Boat Sailors’ Association, there are many individuals who are members of both. Swiftvets.com essentially serves as an informational clearing-house and internet repository of information related to the swiftvets.com mission."



"We believe it is incumbent on ALL presidential candidates to be totally honest and forthcoming regarding personal background and policy information that would help the voting public make an informed decision when choosing the next president of the United States.



Now that Senator John Kerry is the presumptive nominee of his Party for president, numerous questions have been raised concerning Mr. Kerry’s service in Vietnam and concerning his subsequent antiwar activities. Our mission is to provide solid factual information relating to Mr. Kerry’s abbreviated tour of duty as a member of Coastal Division 14 and Coastal Division 11. Since many who are involved with Swiftvets.com themselves had swift boat duty and knew John Kerry personally, they are in a unique position to provide such information."
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Scooter24 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:40 AM
Response to Reply #9
14. Yeah...
The most they can do is provide their opinion or perspective. It doesn't equate to fact unless they have pyhsical proof.

Our word vs. Kerry's word. They are just another GOP PAC. Tell them to take a number and wait their turn because we are already knee deep with the other PAC's.
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symbolman Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:32 AM
Response to Original message
10. CNS Snooze is a RIGHT WING PUB
I had to tell the big idiot running it to quit sending me all this negative BULLSHIT about Kerry..

the guy is obsessed and thinks he's being fair.. I think he's nuts myself..

I don't see this as being a real story.. look at the way it's worded.. Bad wordsmithing if I've ever seen it..

their right wing slip is showing...


I frankly don't believe a word of it..
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vi5 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:34 AM
Response to Original message
11. 19 of 23 people he served with?
He only served with 23 people? Where are these band of brothers of his?

I hope the media will cast just as critical an eye on his commanding officers flip flops as to why he gave a glowing recomendation and reports back then but now some 34 years late is saying something different.
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historian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:35 AM
Response to Original message
12. Hmmmmmmmm
So if Kerry is unfit, that implies Bush is fit? If one is going to judge past actions then Bush is a huge loser - he never even went. besides, we have all seen his wisdom by first alienating the world (un in particular) then crawling back asking for help; we have a mission accomplished asinine photo op which is now coming back to bite him and, to top it all off, we have returned Falloujah to a former Hussein general.
Welcome back Hussein.
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seaglass Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:39 AM
Response to Original message
13. Nice news source, a division of the rw Media Research
Center with links to Free Republic and a number of rw news outlets.

John O'Neill is a rw partisan happily being used by the RNC. There is no doubt that there are Viet Nam Vets that do not appreciate Kerry's stance against the Viet Nam war.

So what.

Unless they can say that Kerry did not risk his life to save a fellow crewmate I care nothing about what they have to say.
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trumad Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:43 AM
Response to Reply #13
17. Isn't it against DU rules to link to right wing rags?
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ps1074 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:48 AM
Response to Reply #13
22. I agree on the news source but
you have to give it to the repubs they know how to play dirty.

IF what is said in this article turns out half true it could be a major blow to Kerry. It will be all over Fox news and soon on the other cable news.

The timing is good too - several days after Cheney declares Kerry unfit to be comander in chief. Tuesday is a good day for announcments. Wedndesday and Thursday the story will be gaining steam just in time for the Sunday talk shows.

I do believe it is a coordinated effort between this goup and the white house.

These guys don't have to prove anything. Their goal is to cast a doubt about Kerry's vietnam service and they might very well do that.
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Iceburg Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:42 AM
Response to Original message
16. Dirtytime is here already. Time to call on the neurologists for a
professional opinion of *'s signs, symptoms and differential diagnosis.
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nolabels Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:44 AM
Response to Original message
18. Does anyone suspect there could a few hundred people that could..........
Edited on Mon May-03-04 06:05 AM by nolabels
be found to declare shrub unfit for dog catcher. Talk about scraping the bottom of the barrel. I suspect they might a little hesitant to run on bushco's record.

Ancient Chinese proverb: Don't throw dog crap into the wind, it might come back to slap you in the face :evilgrin:

on edit: had to tone down the language, them four letter words are sooooooooooooo bad and immoral.

While I was out sniffing around to show why it would be immoral to use four letter words, I found this

For Immediate Release
June 26, 2003
STATEMENT BY THE PRESIDENT

United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Today, on the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United States declares its strong solidarity with torture victims across the world. Torture anywhere is an affront to human dignity everywhere. We are committed to building a world where human rights are respected and protected by the rule of law.

Freedom from torture is an inalienable human right. The Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment, ratified by the United States and more than 130 other countries since 1984, forbids governments from deliberately inflicting severe physical or mental pain or suffering on those within their custody or control. Yet torture continues to be practiced around the world by rogue regimes whose cruel methods match their determination to crush the human spirit. Beating, burning, rape, and electric shock are some of the grisly tools such regimes use to terrorize their own citizens. These despicable crimes cannot be tolerated by a world committed to justice.

Notorious human rights abusers, including, among others, Burma, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, and Zimbabwe, have long sought to shield their abuses from the eyes of the world by staging elaborate deceptions and denying access to international human rights monitors. Until recently, Saddam Hussein used similar means to hide the crimes of his regime. With Iraq's liberation, the world is only now learning the enormity of the dictator's three decades of victimization of the Iraqi people. Across the country, evidence of Baathist atrocities is mounting, including scores of mass graves containing the remains of thousands of men, women, and children and torture chambers hidden inside palaces and ministries. The most compelling evidence of all lies in the stories told by torture survivors, who are recounting a vast array of sadistic acts perpetrated against the innocent. Their testimony reminds us of their great courage in outlasting one of history's most brutal regimes, and it reminds us that similar cruelties are taking place behind the closed doors of other prison states.

The United States is committed to the world-wide elimination of torture and we are leading this fight by example. I call on all governments to join with the United States and the community of law-abiding nations in prohibiting, investigating, and prosecuting all acts of torture and in undertaking to prevent other cruel and unusual punishment. I call on all nations to speak out against torture in all its forms and to make ending torture an essential part of their diplomacy. I further urge governments to join America and others in supporting torture victims' treatment centers, contributing to the UN Fund for the Victims of Torture, and supporting the efforts of non-governmental organizations to end torture and assist its victims.

No people, no matter where they reside, should have to live in fear of their own government. Nowhere should the midnight knock foreshadow a nightmare of state-commissioned crime. The suffering of torture victims must end, and the United States calls on all governments to assume this great mission.
(snip)

http://www.phrusa.org/waronterror/letter_071503.html
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riverwalker Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:46 AM
Response to Original message
19. O'Neill never served WITH Kerry!
Edited on Mon May-03-04 05:48 AM by riverwalker
he "arrived TWO MONTHS AFTER he (Kerry) left"
http://www.erickerickson.org/archives/001773.html

O'NEILL: I have no choice, Wolf. I would far rather be home or on the other side of a TV camera than being on television.

I haven't been on television in many, many years, had very little involvement in politics. But I was in Coastal Division 11 with John Kerry. I arrived about two months after he left and I had the same small boat he did. His allegations that people committed war crimes in that unit and throughout Vietnam were lies. He knew they were lies when he said them. And they were very damaging lies.


They should be called:
ShitLoadLiars4bush.com

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RoyGBiv Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:47 AM
Response to Original message
21. O'Neill

What the hell is O'Neill's thing anyway? We know he's been after Kerry for 30 years now. Why? Anyone know?

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DaveSZ Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:52 AM
Response to Reply #21
23. Kerry kicked his ass on the Dick Cavett show.
That's why.

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riverwalker Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:52 AM
Response to Reply #21
25. maybe the Dick Cavett debate?
they debated in the 70's on Dick Cavett, maybe thats when it started. Did Kerry make a fool out of him?
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Cooley Hurd Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon May-03-04 05:52 AM
Response to Original message
24. Locking...
CNSnews.com is a highly biased news source, so biased as to not be credible. Besides, John O'Neill (not the WTC security chief, but another John O'Neill) has been an antagonist of Kerry's since 1971. :eyes:

Sorry, but this doesn't belong in the Late Breaking News forum...

Thanks! :hi:
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