I must have heard the term "decorated war hero" 50 times this morning...

[NNN0LHI]

...in reference to Clark and Kerry on cable news. I must say it has a nice ring to it. Take that Chimpy! What are you going to do now? Try another fake aircraft landing in another fake flight suit maybe?

Don

[creativelcro]

1. "decorated" WOW. Sounds like they're talking about a xmas tree...

Well, apparently, they are in good company :) :


World War I Pigeons Decorated For Heroism in Battle

http://www.ris.net/~tony/pigeons/hero.html

[NewYorkerfromMass]

2. Freepers discuss the dilemna here

A fair discussion too:

"To question everything about Kerry's record in VN is a dangerous tactic for W and repubs. It will only lead to a much closer/harder look at W's record. Better just to accept JFK's war record & move on, without trying to belittle that service. Deal with the facts & forget the spin & smear - it will probably backfire.

Don't forget - the majority of people in the US during VN - didn't approve of the conflict. Kerry can also gather support from the war protest crowd. Has anyone really explored in depth what W felt & did about VN?"---------

"I'm sorry, but if I were Rassman, I would know exactly how I was being used and I would let Kerry do it. I wouldn't lie for him, but if the campaign called me and asked me to go to Iowa to stand on the podium with Kerry, I'd do it. I would feel a debt to him."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1062801/posts

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. Oh man...

I hope that posting that stuff, by those freepers, didn't leave too big a wound. ;-)

[NNN0LHI]

5. Can you imagine what is going through Roves mind right about now...

...trying to figure out a way to handle this?

Don

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. 'Alls I know' is I am real proud of Kerry. ... to have him represent me...

Damn proud. I can identify with someone who has repeatedly had the courage to stand up for his beliefs as he has. I want a figure like this to look up to. To want him to be my leader- represent something more than rhetoric. And I am far from alone.
The veteran support for Kerry is a real and tangible force. Rove is definitely crapping.

[stopbush]

11. Look for shrub to be awarded some f*ckin' medal for the Iraq

fiasco. I can just see Myers pinning the thing on bush now.

"Hey, now I'm a decorated war veteran, too, Kerry. An' I didn't protest against our righteous war against godless communism in Vi-ETnam like YOU did. Wanna make sump-in of it?"

[NNN0LHI]

13. It would not surprise me one bit. I don't put nothing past them n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. Yeah. It takes a special man to hold up plastic turkeys

in a mess tent. A real special kind of 'man'.

[Democrats unite]

4. It's hard to spin something that doesn't spin!

eom

[creativelcro]

6. For me, military credentials mean nothing. I don't kow how the

internal system works. You can only know how it really works if you are part of it and know what is not said. I know how the academic world works. Some people look good on paper to the casual observer, but if you know how to read between the lines you get a very different picture. I don't know how to read between the lines of military resumes. Therefore I don't care how many medals people have.

[Clark Can WIN]

9. For many it does

you can ignore it or try to rationalize it away, but that's a very dangerous tack in this election.

[bigtree]

10. Probably looked pretty hairy on that boat in Vietnam

I'll bet that no one had time to think of medals while they were under attack. Only a few Americans each year bother to serve. They do so for a variety of reasons but I don't believe that you can give away so much of your life merely for the vanity of a possible medal. Most, I believe serve out of a profound love of their country and out of love and care for their countrymen and women. They put themselves at the point of our debate and deserve the highest honor for choosing to serve where others would or could not. I don't have to read between the lines to have the highest respect and gratitude for each and every one of our soldiers, with or without medals. They all deserve distinguished service medals, in my book, for the life choice they have made, and for the love and care that they have shown for our safety and well-being. They deserve all of our respect and gratitude.

[mikehiggins]

16. A friend from those days

called the swift boats like Kerry commanded "toto"s as in "target on the water" (I know it doesn't fit but you try making sense after a six hour stint in a bar with a guy just back from active combat). You needed big hairy, ahem, personality to do it.

Kerry was brave to fight the fight, and then to fight for the peace. I expect it will come back and bite him on the ass but that's the way it goes, ain't it?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

17. Yes. The boats were loud and easy targets

They definitely expected "incoming" as a matter of course.

Here's a website: http://www.mwweb.com/ndc/SwiftBoats/Swifthome.htm

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. And Kerry's mentioned

Picture of yours truly "RD2 Joe Muharsky" water skiing behind PCF 94 March 1969. Pictured is signed by Senator John Kerry who was a LTJG in Coastal Division 11.

http://www.mwweb.com/ndc/SwiftBoats/Swifthome2.htm

[quinnox]

7. Yea, it is a potent asset

Clark might have more of an advantage though in this area, because of his general's rank and his southern roots.

At least with Kerry, they can try to Dukakisize him, the NE ultra-liberal label.

Note I am a Kerry guy, but I like to be objective.

[LandOLincoln]

12. They can "MacArthurize" Clark,

which they're also attempting to do. ("He was fired", "he's a psycho,") yadda yadda yadda.

I'm a strong Clark supporter, and I like to be objective too.

[CWebster]

15. As someone who considers the actions of war as barbarism

rather than heroism, it makes me want to retch.

[edzontar]

18. In the end, it is nothing but packaging....

"Now with war decorations," etc....

In the past, guys like McGovern hardly talked about it.

I liked them better.