Bush: Kerry Brags About Abandoning Troops

[trogdor]

http://apnews.excite.com/article/20040713/D83Q3HD80.html

(Bush goes to wingnut country hoping to keep them in his column by telling bullshit stories about Kerry.)

MARQUETTE, Mich. (AP) - Courting conservative voters in Michigan's rural Upper Peninsula, President Bush said Tuesday that rival John Kerry abandoned support for U.S. troops in Iraq and then bragged about it.

"Leaders need to stand up with our military," Bush told a cheering crowd, kicking off a two-day tour of three crucial key states that he lost in 2000 to Democratic Vice President Al Gore.

Kerry said Monday that he and running mate John Edwards were proud of the fact that they opposed the $87 billion aid package for Afghanistan and Iraq "when we knew the policy had to be changed." Kerry said the Bush administration should have gotten other allies to help with the war in Iraq.

"He is entitled to his view," Bush said, adding that Kerry should not have gone on to "brag about it."

[TahitiNut]

1. Bush* is a Lying AWOL Jody Sleazebag

He's killed more US troops for a LIE than anyone in the past 30 years.

[mom cat]

14. dimson had his chance tto stand up for the troops

and went over the hill instead. I hope he goes down to the worst defeat in history! :dem:

[displacedtexan]

2. Doing a double take here.

"Leaders need to stand up with our military" was said by Bush*?????

Vets aren't buying this bridge in Brooklyn!

[skordane]

3. Talk About Abandonment

Bush abandoned the Alabama National Guard and the country while he froze for 7 1/2 minutes while the country was under attack.

[trogdor]

5. Welcome aboard, skordane!

See, voting NO wouldn't have deprived our troops of a damn thing. Congress would only have to go back and remove all of the bullshit pork and sweetheart deals they put in that our side objected to. Leave it to Bush and the GOP to manufacture an emergency where none exists.

[mom cat]

16. Welcome to DU! I like your spirit!

Watch out. it's addictive.:hi:

[0007]

31. Welcome home skordane

Now do a Yankee doodle dandy and hit junior in his money maker with a dead stinky mackerel.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. Georgie didn't brag about going AWOL

at least, not to the wrong people.

Still, I'd like to see him "stand up with our military" as John Kerry did. What's Dumbyass gonna do when the vets return home, and have to try to make ends meet with the great new McJobs he's created?
Give 'em medals?

[lawguyry]

6. Sickening

Shrub's continuing use of the "troops" as a shield against debate, or dissent against his decision to use them, and put them in harms way is just reaching a disgusting level. Kerry's disagreement with Bush's policy = abandoning the troops. Just lovely. How does he get away with this?

[trogdor]

8. Easy.

He only talks to people who already agree with him, and/or are too stupid to know better. If that gets you 271 electoral votes, you win. Simple as that.

[mom cat]

19. Hi! and welcome to DU! We have a lot of newcomers lately!

:hi: :kick:

[daleo]

7. He delivered a turkey once

I can't recall him standing up with the military other than that.

He and Cheney are just shameless about this military stuff. It truly is a wonder to behold.

[Jim Sagle]

15. A plastic turkey at that.

[JI7]

9. Bush is proud of troops dying under his failed policies

the 87 billion dollar bill passed and yet things are still fucked up because of bush.kerry and edwards were right that the policy needed to change. but bush refuses to admit he was wrong and because he enjoys seeing them die. fucking asshole. he even makes fun of them dying for wmd that can't be found.

[Disturbed]

17. BushCo's Hypocrisy

“Having been here and seeing the care that these troops get is comforting for me and Laura. We are -- should and must provide the best care for anybody who is willing to put their life in harm's way.”-- Walter Reed Army Hospital, 1/17/03

(That same day the Bush Administration cut off access to its health care system from approximately 164,000 veterans.)

[yellowcanine]

10. Shrub is losing it early. At least Poppy didn't lose it until late

October when he called Al Gore "Ozone Man". Bush knows this election is slipping away. What the hell is he doing on the Upper Peninsula anyway? If he needs to be there he has lost Michigan already and might as well head over to Wisconsin and see if he can do any good there.

[llmart]

43. As I posted on another thread...

the Upper Peninsula is Michigan redneck country. These people aren't all that educated and they are going to vote for him anyway. It's not the most populous place anyway. He only goes to places where he knows he's supported. He won't win Michigan.

[prolesunited]

11. Here's some examples of just how Bush

"supports" the troops:

Support the Warrior Not the War: Give Them Their Benefits!

The recent rally cry "Support Our Troops" seems to me little more than a perverted, propaganda ploy to "Support the War." But we can support our troops, without supporting the war, by rectifying some of the following conditions.

The House of Representatives have recently voted on the 2004 budget which will cut funding for veteran's health care and benefit programs by nearly $25 billion over the next ten years. It narrowly passed by a vote of 215 to 212, and came just a day after Congress passed a resolution to "Support Our Troops." How exactly does this vote support our troops? Does leaving our current and future veterans veterans without access to health care and compensation qualify as supporting them?

The Veteran's Administration, plagued by recent budget cuts, has had to resort to charging new veterans entering into its system a yearly fee of $250 in order for them to receive treatment. It is a sad irony that the very people being sent to fight the war are going to have to pay to treat the effects of it.
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/0328-11.htm


Bush Honors Veterans By Slashing Veterans Affairs Budget by $1 Billion

I read today in an article by the Associated Press that President Bush’s 2006 budget (if he is re-elected) has a provision in it that will cut funds for Veterans Affairs by 3.4% or roughly $1 billion. The total VA Budget is $28.7 billion a year.

Let’s put this in perspective.

Many (although not all) veterans are pro-Bush, pro-Republican, and pro-Iraqi war. They are patriotic in the sense that patriotism is often confused with "supporting your President in time of war no matter what." President Bush therefore can take advantage of this fact and can continue to cut the VA program with little regard about whether or not a majority of veterans will vote for him. A majority will. After all, he is the Commander-in-Chief and as Commander-in-Chief he gets to distribute a load of his P.R. and give a load of campaign speeches to orchestrated and controlled groups of our young men and women currently serving in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines as well as prime time TV coverage at the War College. This plays well on TV on the nightly news and on the major newspapers’ front-page photos of President Bush.
http://irregulartimes.com/solvingveterans.html


Bush's real record on the military
"Our veterans gave America some of the best years of their lives, and stood ready to give life itself. For all that, America's 25 million veterans have the deep respect of their fellow citizens and the enduring gratitude of a nation they so nobly served."
President Bush Remarks at Veterans Day Breakfast, 11/11/01

President Bush likes to talk about the tremendous sacrifice offered by American veterans to defend the country. But words are all he's offered them in return. Bush's record has been one of disrespect towards the nation's military, cutting health care expenditures for veterans and other benefits for members of the military and their families.
http://www.democrats.org/specialreports/veterans/

[UpInArms]

12. Hackworth has a great column out - worth a read

http://www.sftt.org/cgi-bin/csNews/csNews.cgi?database=Hacks%20Target%20Homepage.db&command=viewone&op=t&id=74&rnd=559.659471704044

excerpt:

The old saying that war is a racket has taken on an even more shameful meaning. In Bosnia, for example, Halliburton was given tens of thousands of dollars to refurbish several U.S. military camps and fulfilled the assignment by bringing them right up to snuff ­ only a few months before these same camps were then bulldozed down!

But the minute concerned citizens rightfully question wrongdoings like those mentioned above, we’re immediately slammed by a battalion of frothing-at-the-mouth self-proclaimed patriots for bad-mouthing the president or his administration and for not supporting our warriors.

These irresponsible assaults often prolong change and always deep-six any opportunity for rational dialogue. They’re also particularly offensive to me, since I’ve spent my life trying to keep our soldiers alive on battlefields by standing tall and demanding hard training, good equipment and great leadership.

If a policy is wrongheaded, feckless and corrupt, I take it personally and consider it a moral obligation to sound off and not shut up until it’s fixed. And I hope more of you will commit to this critical mission as well.

That’s what supporting the troops is really all about ­ making sure American grunts get the right stuff! Not mindlessly clicking our heels and saying “Yes, my leader.” That’s what the Nazis did, and we all know the chilling results.

[playahata1]

39. Hack, as usual, is on point.

Unlike Bush and Cheney, he has been there, down in the trenches. He knows what these people need. He knows what soldiers go through every day, both in and out of battle.

I trust David Hackworth's word over anything George Bush vomits out of his piehole.

[bluedeminredstate]

13. ABANDON?????

I guess if a Senator doesn't agree with every bill that the GOP puts forth, word for word, then they are screwing old people/abandoning the troops/ making SS unstable/ over-taxing Americans / allowing homos to take over the country/ ruining the court system, etc.
This is such an offensive, sleazy statment - Kerry should DEMAND an apology. He won't get one, but he should be outraged and address this.

[Solly Mack]

18. Bush just can't stop exploiting the military for political and monetary

gain. Must be a sickness. Perhaps America could urge that Bush get help quickly.

[mom cat]

22. Sorry. The cure rate for psychopathic liars is zip. He shouldn't take up

the professional time that should go to those destroyed by this was and dimson's other soul crushing "initiatives".

[Solly Mack]

25. I wasn't thinking of curing him...just locking him away in a padded room

for the remainder of his life.

[The_Casual_Observer]

20. chimp needed to be in some kind of a "war" during the election

needed to have troops fighting someplace. It must have been part of his grand campaign strategy. Otherwise, what would he be talking about? the economy? health care? education? social security? He damn well doesn't want to dwell on those things.

Instead, he simply throws darts about how the other guy isn't supporting our grand war effort and has turned his back on our men in uniform. This is wearing pretty thin. I look forward to the day when he will be out of the news and out of my life.

[Khephra]

21. This fuck has to go

EVEN if this wasn't a war that wasn't needed, Bush's administration has fucked over our vets more than any other admin!

Sorry about the foul language, but fuck, fuck, fuck Bush's policies!

[TEXASYANKEE]

23. I can't wait for the debates.

When Shrub brings up this incredible lie and Kerry can shoot him down and stomp all over him.

[NWHarkness]

24. Marquette is "wingnut country"??????

That's Democratic turf, a highly unionized college town.

[MallRat]

32. Thanks, you beat me to it.

12 of the 15 U.P. counties went for Bush in 2000, but Marquette went for Gore.

-MR

[trogdor]

34. U.P. is wingnut country.

Marquette is the local "capital" of U.P. as it were, like Utica (lots of blue-collar Democrats) is to Oneida County, NY (which supported Bush 2:1 over Gore). It's likely to be the only place where a suitable meeting place can be found.

[NWHarkness]

44. Gee thanks

As a lifelong Michigander, I wouldn't know anything about the state without someone from New York to expain things to me.:eyes:

[NWHarkness]

45. Gee thanks

As a lifelong Michigander, I wouldn't know anything about the state without someone from New York to explain things to me.:eyes:

[knitter4democracy]

47. Yeah

I felt the same way. Since when is Marquette, home of Northen Michigan University, the largest indoor ice arena, and the Olympic Winter Training Facility home only to Republicans? Bush needed a big facility (the ice arena), and Michigan's a swing state. He's got the money to go to the UP, so he's trying to outmanuver Kerry on that. Duh.

[Mari333]

26. Every soldier that died or was wounded was killed by Bush. for nothing.

http://www.bringthemhomenow.com

[Solly Mack]

29. True

[Betty The Younger]

27. I just went through the AP photos from the link on other thread

photos of bush getting group hugs and picks of cheering crowds and him with his daughter. NOT ONE of Kerry or Edwards in the whole group. Liberal media?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=index&cid=480&pg=1&cap=0

[bobthedrummer]

28. Yeah, he could make that kind of statement in Marquette, even at NMU.

But he wouldn't want to address the loss of $50mn+ to the local economy after the closing of K.I. Sawyer AFB years ago.

OTOH, if he was in Menominee, MI. he could have paid a visit to the former site of Captain Medina's (Lt. Calley's superior officer during MY LAI) helicopter factory.

Cheney them all......:puke::grr::puke:

[Beetwasher]

30. People Intuitively KNOW Disgusting Shameless Negative Attacks

when they see them. I hope he continues w/ this approach. It's disgusting and shameless and people get it.

[quaoar]

33. What's next?

Will Bush accuse Kerry of abandoning the Kyoto accord? Of raping the national forests? Of wasting billions on missile defense?

Bush just has no shame.

There is no lie too outrageous, no slander too sleazy for him to utter. It will get much worse before it's over.

Expect push polls in battleground states: "Would you still favor Kerry if you knew he was a transvestite?"

[progressivebydesign]

35. In the classy words of our illustrious V.P.

Go fuck yourself! '

What a scum! How about some real journalism out there? How about SOMEONE pointing out the MANY ways in which Bush has screwed over the military and the vets. That coward isn't fit to carry John's dog tags. :grr:

[BeFree]

36. Remember when pukes used to say:

Quit throwing money at a problem.

On the largest foreign aid bill ever brought before congress, Sen. Kerry voted NO. Kerry decided enough was enough and that the sum of $87 BILLION would be mismanaged by the government and therefore turn out to be a huge waste of tax-payer money.



Remember when boosh said he didn't go for nation building? Flip-flop, bigtime. Whatever happened to true conservatism? Boosh ain't no conservative, who knows what he is?

[Hobarticus]

37. Pull their bennies, cut their pay, pat 'em on the back on their march

into the grinder, and then extend their time in theater. Maybe hum a few bars of Toby Keith while you're at it.

THAT's supporting the troops, alright.

Is anybody really falling for this, anymore?

[deacon]

38. Like he did during his stint in the service? n/t

[JohnLocke]

40. FUCK YOU, MR. BUSH!

[MaineDem]

41. Cheney yourself, George!

How dare you!!! You lying POS.

[AlinPA]

42. Kerry should call the slimy bastard Bush* an AWOL shirker. Every

day. Take off the gloves now. The slimy bastard Bush* is a liar.

[DeepModem Mom]

46. NYT BUSH WAR-ROOM ARTICLE TELLS HOW THIS CROCK BECAME A STORY --

"In Bush's War Room, the Gloves Are Always Off"

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/14/politics/campaign/14repubs.html?hp

After sitting impatiently through what seemed to be a typical stump speech, they found one: Mr. Kerry said he was "PROUD" of votes by him and his running mate, Senator John Edwards, last fall against the president's requested $87 billion appropriation for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is a vote that Republicans have used to make a case that Mr. Kerry has been failing to support the troops after voting to authorize the war.

Within an hour or so, Mr. Bush's team, at the campaign's headquarters in a corporate office building in suburban Virginia, across the Potomac River from the White House, had sent a release via E-MAIL TO HUNDREDS OF JOURNALISTS, supporters and campaign surrogates. The e-mail message included the new quote and one from September, when Mr. Kerry implied it would be "irresponsible'' to vote against such spending. THE QUOTATION, along with the idea that Mr. Kerry's position on the money had evolved, FOUND ITS WAY ONTO FOX NEWS AND into articles in THE WASHINGTON POST, USA TODAY, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE BOSTON GLOBE and THE ASSOCIATED PRESS....

(KERRY, the article states,"WAS ACTUALLY REFERRING TO MR. EDWARDS when he said: 'I'm proud to say that John joined me in voting against that $87 billion when we knew the policy had to be changed.'")

***

After Republicans sent an e-mail message about the comment to their vast list of reporters, Mr. Schmidt followed up with TELEPHONE CALLS TO SELECT REPORTERS TRAVELING WITH MR. KERRY to make sure they noticed it. "THE NEWS OF THE DAY," MR. SCHMIDT PROCLAIMED in one phone call to a reporter, "IS an evolution on the $87 billion. Now John Kerry said he was proud."....On Tuesday, Mr. Bush's aides, while careful not to credit themselves for persuading reporters to jump on the quote, were clearly pleased that it popped up in many articles. Even so, they were not entirely satisfied. Mr. Schmidt said he would ask some of the campaign's SURROGATES TO BRING IT UP AGAIN DURING TELEVISION APPEARANCES....But in the end, surrogates were not necessary. Mr. BUSH, apprised of the quote by campaign aides, brought it up in a speech in Michigan on Tuesday....That SOUND BITE was featured prominently near the beginning of "WORLD NEWS TONIGHT" ON ABC on Tuesday. The program's average, nightly audience far outreaches any single newspaper: MORE THAN EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE.

[Ganja Ninja]

48. I say take the gloves off and call a deserter a deserter.

If he can't prove otherwise by producing his service records and all of his service records then he can take it and shut up.