WP: Vietnam Issue Cuts Both Ways

[kskiska]

Wednesday, August 25, 2004; Page A01

The controversy over John F. Kerry's service in Vietnam and his days as an antiwar protester entered its third week yesterday with both Kerry and President Bush vulnerable to the political fallout from an episode that has unexpectedly come to dominate the coverage of the presidential campaign.

Privately, key Democratic strategists fear that attack ads against Kerry will undermine the Democratic presidential nominee's character and credibility, no matter whether the charges are accurate, because they dovetail with an argument Bush's campaign has tried to pound home in its advertising -- that Kerry is unreliable and untrustworthy. Many of the charges have been rebutted by veterans who served with Kerry and by military records.

But some Republican strategists see the potential for a backlash developing that will hurt the president, who they say must overcome doubts about his leadership on Iraq and the economy and can ill afford voters concluding that he and his campaign orchestrated the attacks on Kerry by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

"This potentially undercuts the Kerry message by damaging the messenger," said one GOP strategist, who declined to be identified because of concerns about retribution from Bush's advisers. "But if the election is fundamentally about Bush, I don't see how his cause is advanced" by a debate about Vietnam.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30002-2004Aug24.html

[susanna]

1. Someone finally thinks about it.

What a bunch of short-sighted losers. I believe that Proverbs in this case, is true, and that they will reap what they have sown.

Bottom line: Kerry showed up and was actually in combat. * didn't, and wasn't.

[Erika]

2. The Closest Bush came to Vietnam was Alabama

working on a GOP election.

[Judi Lynn]

8. He said he was going to Alabama to work on an election

I haven't had enough time to do as much reading as I'd like, but I haven't seen anyone coming forward to vow for his presence in any Alabama campaign, either.

Does any DU'er have any memory of if anyone has even backed him up on the Alabama campaign?

[Born Free]

12. the bush coward must be smoke out of hiding

During 2000 campaign an author's career was destroyed by the media , his book banned, and he ended up killing himself all because he claimed he had someone that knew bush was arrested for cocaine use during his Vietnam War era days. Now that same corporate controlled media is treating a book author as reputable even though the statements he makes are not consistent with reality. This issue will not go away! The bush team is using this as a "character" issue and once the true character of both candidate is shown to the American people, the bush coward will be toast - his only claim is his character, he hides behind God to cover all the poor decisions he continues to make. Once Christians learn he is using them as well. Remember what happened to Jimmy Baker? Many Christians will not tolerate this fraud.

[Wickerman]

3. What brilliant writing - all that crap - two pages worth, and nary a

mention of Bush and *his* problems with Vietnam - like in, not going and not even honoring his country club assignment.

[Piperay]

10. I kept reading and reading to

get to the part about how bad this is for chimp cause of being AWOL .... yeah .... well, still waiting to come across it. :argh:

[DeepModem Mom]

11. E-MAIL: [e-mail], [e-mail] -- AWOL!

I don't care if the WP addressed AWOL months/years ago, as Michael Dobbs said in his online chat the other day. It needs to be addressed again NOW, bigtime! As the USA Today article yesterday strongly told us, many, many questions remain unanswered.

[Piperay]

13. THANKS

I will! :thumbsup:

[lancdem]

4. Good article

I'm always struck by how anonymous comments from GOP strategists include the phrase "concerns about retribution."

[Jackpine Radical]

5. And there you have it...one more little testimony to the utter

viciousness of the enemy:
"one GOP strategist...declined to be identified because of concerns about retribution from Bush's advisers"

[Feanorcurufinwe]

6. 'Some say this, others say that, but since we won't give you their names

you'll just have to trust us that it's true' -- Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei


But what have Dan Balz and Jim VandeHei done to convince us they are worth trusting?

[gratuitous]

7. Key Democratic strategists fear . . .

I'll start the quote from the article, and then finish it myself, since the Post can't be bothered to tell the truth:

"Privately, key Democratic strategists fear that attack ads against Kerry will undermine the Democratic presidential nominee's character and credibility, no matter whether the charges are accurate, because they" know that the media won't do their jobs and dismiss inaccurate charges as the politically-motivated hatchet job that it is; the media are afraid to call out the hatchet men because then they won't get invited to all the best parties.

That about cover it? Democrats have to fear even untrue charges, because they know the media can't be bothered to denounce them. It's far more entertaining (to the media whores) to mount a spurious controversy, and then bitch about the Kerry campaign's "slow" or "ineffective" response to a pack of lies.

[lottie244]

14. Key Dems should stop "fearing" and get out there with the truth!

There was absolutely no reason to run from what Kerry did in the 70's. Most people don't even know the real truth about his testimony before Congress. At least get that much of the truth out there, especially the fact that Kerry was not alone in his position and that he was speaking on behalf of hundreds of Vets who wanted their stories told. They knew that they were a part of something evil and vile and untruthful and they wanted their Congress and the American people to know it too and to stop the war and save our soldiers lives by bringing them home.

Jane was right!!!

Screw the rest of you who did not serve and who did not have a family member killed or maimed in Viet Nam!!!

[The Magistrate]

9. These Reporters, Sir, Are Imbeciles

The dissolving of the Bush supporters' smears vindicates Sen. Kerry as a man whose word can be relied on, and a man of courage and leadership.

The people concluding these Bush supporters move at his beck and call in their smears is the least of the usurper's worries. The people have already concluded that; no one, anywhere, thinks for one minute these "independent" groups do not co-ordinate with the campaigns, whatever the law, or even the actual facts, might be. The real dangers are two-fold. First, the more the wretch and his paid minions deny this thing that the people know in their bones, the more times they move people to grimace and sneer, "What a lying son of a bitch!" Second, they have opened the way for discussion, exposure, and attack, on Bush's draft-dodging cowardice: his determination not to be anywhere near combat, the favoritism that secured his safety, and his departure from the service before his time. These things speak directly to the issue of character and courage, and the contrast is all in favor of Sen. Kerry, who volunteered for combat, and performed in an exemplary manner under fire.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"