Romney Joined Bush-Cheney Smear Campaign On John Kerrys National Security Record In 2004
By Ben Armbruster and Igor Volsky
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Back in 2004, President Bush ran a smear campaign against challenger Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) which undermined his service in Vietnam and questioned Kerrys ability and determination to protect the United States just three years removed from the 9/11 attacks from another terror strike. If we make the wrong choice, then the danger is that well get hit again, then Vice President Dick Cheney said at the time.
And while Romney complains about Obamas alleged politicization now, he willfully participated in the Bush-Cheney smear campaign on Kerry in 2004. During an August 9, 2004 (accessed via Lexis/Nexis) interview on Fox News, Romney suggested that Kerry would twiddle his thumbs when dealing with terrorism and in September 2004, also on Fox News, Romney said Kerry is too much of a flip-flopper to protect the country:
ROMNEY: (M)ost has already been said about John Kerry. I think people know pretty well that hes a guy who has a hard time finding which side of a position to come down on. But Im going to focus on the fact that our nation needs strong leadership. Were under attack, militarily, economically. Our very way of life is under attack. And we need to have the kind of steady, strong leadership, which is represented by Dick Cheney, and by of course, President George W. Bush.
In his speech at the 2004 Republican National Convention (RNC) in New York City, Romney said America is under attack from almost every direction, later adding, On the just war our brave soldiers are fighting to protect free people everywhere, there is no question: George W. Bush is right, and the Blame America First crowd is wrong.
The Washington Posts Greg Sargent also notes that during his speech at the 2008 RNC, Romney blasted Obama as untrustworthy when it comes to combating the threat from radical, violent jihad, which he contrasted with John McCain, who, apparently unlike Obama, understands that radical, violent Islam is evil, and will do everything he can to defeat it.
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http://thinkprogress.org/security/2012/05/01/474817/romney-joined-bush-cheney-smear-campaign-on-john-kerrys-national-security-record-in-2004/