Kerry was "for signing it" before he was "against signing it." He probably used disappearing ink.

Woody

Posted by Woody at May 24, 2005 11:42 AM

GM, I am confident you will stay on this like a duck on a june bug. Kerry: a)lies like a rug, b) is slippier than a greased pig, c)has a phonier resume than The Great Imposter. All that aside, this needs to come out so that the Dems will have to accept the truth. Ah, Truth, what a commodity. All proclaim it. Some are lying. All say their opponents are lying (some sugar-coat it, but still the same).

King of the Blogs III will keep at it and put out the word.

Thanks GM.

Posted by tad at May 24, 2005 12:24 PM

And this is so important to you why?

Say what you will about the man...but he was there. And he fought. Unlike a certain other elected leader who saw National Guard duty as country club duty and showed up when it suited him. Not to mention a rather murky relationship with honesty.

You don't like Kerry because of his antiwar statements and activities? Fine. I don't have a problem with that. But on the other hand, George Bush is held up as some sort of paragon of patriotism, and I think you guys are just fooling yourselves. But I mean that in the nicest possible way...
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Jim, I'm not speaking for G.M., because this is his issue. This is my take only.

Kerry made the big deal about his military service and started his campaign with that awful salute. That set the standard to measure him. His military claims did not measure up to the record--most of which he still hides. Serving is good. Claiming to be a hero after reporting three superficial wounds to get out of combat is not good. Lying about your fellow soldiers is not good.

Finding fault with W. does not forgive Kerry for misleading the public and for not being faithful to his fellow soldiers.

I believe that there are bigger fish to fry, but sometimes you have to stay focused on one thing and stay on it if only to shed light on a person and reveal his true character. Otherwise, they skip to the next lie and next story never being held accountable or being exposed for what they are.

In my opinion, Kerry has not been a good citizen. He cozies up to the enemies and rarely takes our side. He loves himself first and second and the U.S. last.

Even the left can do better than Kerry. I'm glad that the American people felt that the country could do better than Kerry, too.

Woody
++++++++++
What Woody Said.
GM

Posted by jim hitchcock at May 24, 2005 04:53 PM

"Say what you will about the man...but he was there. And he fought."

And he shot himself.

Posted by BronxPundit at May 24, 2005 07:24 PM

Jim writes: "Say what you will about the man...but he was there. And he fought. Unlike a certain other elected leader who saw National Guard duty as country club duty and showed up when it suited him. Not to mention a rather murky relationship with honesty."

Jim, don't get me wrong, I don't make this an issue because I don't think he was there, he was, he was in combat. My problem is similar to Woody's problem, Kerry made his Vietnam service the issue and Kerry (and company) made Bush's National Guard service an issue with the full cooperation of the MSM. Having made it an issue, he is obligated to deal with the issues as they come up. He has yet to be honest about his "wounds" in the line of duty. I was in the Army in 1970 and met a number of Vietnam vets with visable scars for which they refused the Purple Heart. I may be wrong, and I actually hope I am, but I have a very strong suspicion that Mr. Kerry's wounds were solely to get out of combat and return stateside where he could exploit his service for political purposes. Do I have any proof? Nope, but all the indicators point that way.

Kerry is the only officer that I know of to ask for return after three minor wounds, some of which don't seem to really qualify; vis-a-vis his first patrol in which he fired a blooper (40 mm grenade launcher) too close to his own position and "wounded" himself. His wound in the buttocks was similar in that it was destroying an enemy cache of rice, not while under fire.

These and other doubts make it an issue. As for Bush, I believe he has signed the 180 and all records available have been forthcoming, Dan Rather's authentic but fake documents not-withstanding.

Lastly, I believe that he received a less than honorable discharge. I really do hope I'm wrong on that, I would hate to think that someone with a general discharge or less actually got the nomination from one of our major political parties.

Kerry continues to make the SF-180 an issue with his comments on MTP and in other venues. I think I'll keep the pressure on...not that it will make a big difference, I'm just a very little fish in a great big pond. But, just as your side promulgated the story's about Bush and Cocaine, but have yet to come up with any evidence (though doubtlessly still pursuing it)I will continue to push this issue. Fair enough?

As far as not liking Kerry, you are absolutely correct. And? I'm don't think Kerry is unpatriotic, I just think he is dishonest about his war record and I would like the truth. Your side deserves that as well.

If I'm wrong about it and the proof is there, you will see a major mea culpa on this blog. Crow eaten like you have never seen it eaten before, and thats a promise.

Posted by GM Roper at May 24, 2005 07:53 PM

GM, I think you and Woody make some very fair points, and in a very fair way. I'm not sure if it was originally Kerry's intention to portray himeslf as a `hero', or if it was simply a label bestowed upon him by his political handlers...but I'd say it's a fair observation that he did nothing to hinder it, either.

Never have really considered a purple heart a sign of heroism, anyway...they're given to people basically unlucky enough to get wounded. And a big point is that medal accreditation in Vietnam was ridioulously political...how often have we heard stories of non line officers dropping in on the troops for a `photo op' during a battle, only to write themselves up for an award?

I'm idealistic enough to believe that the real heroes were the guys that went out on the line, day after day, and served out their full tours. In that regard, Kerry was most certainly not someone I would even consider all that good of a trooper.

I do find it a humorous to note how badly the Right needs their boogeymen...the Ted Kennedys, the Jane Fondas, and so on and so forth. And I say that with full realiztion that the left does it too...we need the clowns on the Right (the Pat Robertsons, et al...to justify our beliefs.

But, that's what makes politics so much fun, huh?
++++++++
Well stated sir, well stated!!!!
But the Boogeymen vs. Clowns? Hmmmm, let me think on that one (not that your aren't correct of course.) Ted Kennedy really is a Boogeyman... have you seen his photo here? http://www.gmroper.com/archives/2005/04/daisy_cutter_co.htm.
GM
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(Jim left out Hillary.)

Jim, I appreciate your comments and the fact that we can discuss this with civility rather than the rantings and name calling engaged in by others. You once wrote that you may not agree with everything that I say but now you understand why I believe what I do by giving thought to the comments. It's a two-way street, and I appreciate your clear and thoughtful remarks.

Woody

Posted by jim hitchcock at May 24, 2005 08:36 PM

I try to think of Hillary as little as possible. I fear a run by Hillary in '08 as much as you hope for it (and rightly so). I'd love to see a female president in my lifetime...but Hillary? Naw. Don't think so. As smart as she is, I've never found her convincing. While it could be argued that her husband was the consumate politician, she just strikes me as a political animal.
___________________

How about a black female for President...say, someone with experience as a Secretary of State? (NOT Congressmen Sheila Jackson Lee or Cynthia McKinney.)

Woody

Posted by jim hitchcock at May 24, 2005 10:31 PM

Why is it taking so long to sign the form? Is it really in the mail? Possibly, but Kerry already has proven unfit for office by putting things off so long. He just does not pass the smell test and the more I see of him the less I like John Fraud Kerry. I tell ya it is just seared in my memory all the unanswered questions and eyewitness accounts of guy who played on both sides of a war. He is a hero to the communists but not to his country.

Posted by Alnot at May 25, 2005 12:39 AM