Kerry citation a 'total mystery' to ex-Navy chief

[TSIDTPIG]

http://www.suntimes.com/output/elect/cst-nws-lips28.html

Former Navy Secretary John Lehman has no idea where a Silver Star citation displayed on Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry's campaign Web site came from, he said Friday. The citation appears over Lehman's signature.

"It is a total mystery to me. I never saw it. I never signed it. I never approved it. And the additional language it contains was not written by me," he said.

The additional language varied from the two previous citations, signed first by Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and then Adm. John Hyland, which themselves differ. The new material added in the Lehman citation reads in part: "By his brave actions, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty, Lieutenant (jg) Kerry reflected great credit upon himself...."

Asked how the citation could have been executed over his signature without his knowledge, Lehman said: "I have no idea. I can only imagine they were signed by an autopen." The autopen is a device often used in the routine execution of executive documents in government.

[rooboy]

1. A man with no idea, who says "I never saw it"...

is just the sort of man you want heading up a 9/11 commission.

[Octafish]

11. Lehman's a turd of the BFEE. Remember, they wanted KISSINGER first...

Before Kean and Iran-Contra coverup artiste Hamilton, the unelected moron wanted Kissinger to head the 9-11 coverup commission. What hell awaits these men.

Bush picks Kissinger to head official probe: new stage in the September 11 coverup

By the Editorial Board
28 November 2002

The nomination of former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger to head the official US commission into the September 11 terrorist attacks guarantees that the inquiry will be a whitewash, not an independent investigation. Bush’s selection of Kissinger is a statement of the administration’s contempt for the public and its implacable opposition to any serious investigation into the most deadly terrorist attack in the nation’s history.

With this choice, the US government is thumbing its nose at international public opinion, choosing a man who is notorious around the world for his direct role in orchestrating some of the most bloody interventions carried out by Washington over the past five decades.

Kissinger’s appointment makes a mockery of the independence of the commission. He is a former close associate of many of those whose actions before and on September 11 should be investigated. He was in charge of US foreign policy from 1969 to 1976. During the last two of those years, Donald Rumsfeld was White House chief of staff, then secretary of defense. When Rumsfeld moved to the Pentagon, Richard Cheney, now vice president, succeeded him as White House chief of staff. The current president’s father, the senior George Bush, was head of the CIA.

The appointment was immediately accepted by congressional Democrats, who chose former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell—who has made a second career as a US diplomatic representative to regional trouble spots (Northern Ireland, the Middle East)—to serve as vice chairman of the commission.

CONTINUED...

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2002/nov2002/kiss-n28.shtml

[loudsue]

2. What in the hell is THIS about!

Now they're going to say John Kerry "FAKED" his Silver Star??

Does the Silver Star show up on the Navy's document that shows what medals were received during Kerry's term of service?

I'd like to see what other people's Silver Star citations say.

:kick::kick::kick:

[leftchick]

8. well it is the suntimes....

doing the WH dirty work much like the washington times...

[Tuttle]

3. Sounds like Kerry must have faked it, then

unlike our great and powerful pResident - who has had NO ONE come forward to say they served him: the almighty W during the final 18 months of his hitch...

Tut-tut

[AngryAmish]

4. Navy Secrery John Lehman is a "total douchebag"

[leesa]

5. Well, if their practice is to use an autopen, then he probably doesn't

know about alot of silver stars he handed out. Another non-issue from the GOP.

[papau]

14. non-issue given practice of using an autopen - who did something wrong?

??

:-)

[Hobarticus]

6. Ex-Navy chief turned scumbag....

So, we can figure that anything that crossed his desk during his tenure is worthless, by that reasoning. Great job, *hole.

Anyone who knows of any young people considering a career in the armed forces really needs to hammer this home to those kids before they sign their names on the dotted line: when it become politically convenient, all your sacrifices will be maginalized and trvialized, depending on who needs to get elected.

Scumbags. Scumbags all. I'm not a vet, and I'm uber-pissed for these men and women.

[Spiffarino]

7. This clown is a Freeper. Please ignore.

<asshole>"Kerry citation a 'total mystery' to ex-Navy chief"</end asshole>

[Tuttle]

12. Hey, he joined today!

I read some other posts of his - he seems totally 'objective' NOT!

Tut-tut

[Spiffarino]

15. Yep. Just another RW zombie...

...with a teeny-peeny. :nopity:

[jonnyblitz]

30. yeah i noticed that yesterday.

all in due time..snicker..

[displacedtexan]

9. You're new. We ID Reichwing scribes here.

Thomas Lipscomb Alert!

[Cocoa]

10. Lehman from the "respected" "bipartisan" 9/11 commission?

the same Lehman that backed up Dick Cheney's lies about Iraq's ties to al Qaeda?

[yardwork]

51. The same Lehman who was up to his eyeballs in Iran-Contra

back in Reagan and Pappy Bush's days.

[leftchick]

13. perhaps Lehman could remember bush*s questionable ribbons..

They really should not go into this at all if they don't want a major ribbon scandal for aWol* to surface.

[Octafish]

16. Lehman wasn't even Sec of the Navy when Kerry served.

D'oh. Sun-Times is Ruppert Murdoch's rag.

Not sure of the exact dates of Kerry's service, but he served under one or more of these fellahs:

Paul R. Ignatius September 1, 1967 - January 24, 1969

John H. Chafee January 31, 1969 - May 4, 1972

John W. Warner May 4, 1972 - April 8, 1974

[loudsue]

17. Thanks Octafish!

Aren't there some official papers somewhere in the Dept. of the Navy that can correct this??

I agree with a previous poster: The military better start letting people know that their sacrifices are going to be "marginalized" by some office-stealing president someday...THAT is the BIG story!!!!

:kick::kick::kick:

[Octafish]

18. My pleasure, loudsue. You're correct about the Big Story!

The unelected psycho is capable of doing anything. Where is the press -- because of its importance to democracy, the only business named in the Constitution?

There are many good people working in the media. The problem is the ownership -- all are driven by the profit motive. And that's where our problem lies.

BTW: Several of my friends in the media are sore afraid that there won't be an election come November. Seeing how the guy stole an election, failed to stop 9-11 and lied us into an illegal war, they know what Bush is capable of doing.

[loudsue]

28. My biggest fear is what's happening w/ the voting machine battles

California, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico and Washington, to name a few. While Bev, Andy, Pat, RedEagle, etc. are busting their tails trying to "rake leaves in a windstorm"....Diebold, ES&S and the other crooks w/ unlimited funds and influence keep buying off or blackmailing public officials. They're typical of the corporate mafia thugs that are taking over government, military, schools, "faith based initiative" churches, etc.

I become more 'shocked and awed' every day at the marvelous battle that the BBV Patriots are waging in this war...these guys are absolutely incredible, and have done/ARE DOING a remarkable job.

But without a fair vote, we're even seeing the complicit corporate media (who obviously know about the computer fixes) calling States, like California (!), "swing states", and "close races". THAT is where the battle for the White House is taking place....in the voting machine industry.

With that said, your friends in the media have good reason to be sore afraid. I just wish they'd stir up some protests!! If every protester in New York right now sang this important tune in unison, we might get somewhere. But it's going to take MILLIONS, PROTESTING NOW, to avert a fiasco come November.

:kick::kick::kick:

[MaineDem]

19. That was my first thought, too!

I remember Lehman as SecNav and it certainly wasn't while I was in high school (class of '69.)

This has to be baloney!

[Octafish]

20. Perhaps the document was issued during the turd Lehman's tenure...

... Perhaps someone in Kerry's office asked the Navy for a copy and they sent one out. Some "autopen" automatically signs the guy's name on it.

But yeah. I, too, remember the time. And the greasy rat Lehman's time was during Reagan admin:

John Lehman February 5, 1981 - April 10, 1987

[AlCzervik]

41. I looked at the pdf from Kerry's site

and the silver star is signed by Admiral John Hyland.

http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:i2KsIRT-pmgJ:www.history.navy.mil/seairland/appenb.htm+John+Hyland+Admiral+in+the+navy&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

So the suntimes and newscorp should cut the shit.

[Joanne98]

21. He was probably drunk all the time

That was back in the good old days of three martini lunches. People went to lunch and never came back. Watch Joe McCarthy in the UnAmerican Activities hearings. He was drunk everyday. It was NORMAL back then.

[flordehinojos]

22. Lehman? The guy who was APPOINTED by the Bush White House to Lead the 9/11

Commission?

I've heard him deflect so many of the testimony during the 9/11 commission investigation that could have led to some serious answers about 9/11 as opposed to the white wash that the commission came up with, that I wonder just what the heck he is up to now !!!! He is toeing the Bush line, just like Dole did last Sunday on the Wolf Blitzer program !!!! Lehman is agood hypocrite and a good liar.

And to think that people of his ilk and character are lauded as honorable in this country! uggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh!

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

23. Desire to post anti-Kerry swill by "DUers" a "total mystery" to me. n/t

[TSIDTPIG]

32. Is it not good to keep an eye on what the media is saying?

Why attack the messenger? My opinion is the same as the ones posted here by the more respected and admired DUers.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

37. As a new poster you may generate a little more credibility, when you

post articles that trash Kerry, if you provide some commentary along with it. If you predominantly post such articles and "contrarian" viewpoints, especially as a new poster, you will receive appropriate skepticism as to where you are "coming from."

[homelandpunk]

39. Here's you: "Golly...journalists are credible...let's hear more on this."

And retired government employees are paragons of democratic virtue, right? Explain your acronym.

[alarcojon]

24. Well, at least the poster

is willing to engage with us on the points we've raised - NOT.

[BrotherBuzz]

36. It's difficult to engage someone in conversation...

when they have both hands in their pants playing soldier. ;)

[w4rma]

25. These attacks by Repukes on Sen. Kerry's honorable military record

are the most sickening, disgusting, dishonorable, dirty, low-down, most evil actions I've had the dispeasure of watching. And for these ultra-wealthy media moguls to give these attacks the credit that they are giving them disgusts me.

[UTUSN]

26. A-hole LEHMAN Knows That NO SecNav or Any Administrator WRITES CITATIONS

There is formulaic language, phrases that conform to the requirements of the different awards, with just enough description of the incidents to individualize it. It's done by staff. Administrators sign what's put in front of them. A-hole.

[tencats]

27. I have it that Lehman wrote this years later in 1986!

Lieutenant Kerry's silver star dates from a February 1969 Vietnam reconnaissance mission. Years later, 1986, Secretary of the Navy John Lehman wrote yet another citation for Kerry's Silver Star. That additional citation reads "By his brave action, bold initiative, and unwavering devotion to duty, Lieutenant Kerry reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." Why does Lehman add this 16 years later???

[tishaLA]

35. I'll pretend your question is sincere

Apparently Kerry lost his original citiation for his Silver Star and asked for a replacement. He was in the Senate when he asked for the replacement and, those in the know say, it is not at all uncommon that he has changed language because it was being issued to Sen. Kerry, not just LtJG Kerry. Kinda a bit of puffery that happens everyday in the real world, but since freepers never get praise--since they are all assholes and fucktards--they would never be recipients of flowery prose. Nor would they understand it.

[Algorem]

29. I have no idea

why anyone would believe this Reaganut POS.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[TSIDTPIG]

34. Oh please.

I am of the belief we need to confront this crap in the media and not stick our heads in the sand. Ignoring it will not make it all better.

[Name removed]

38. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

45. original poster has been "tombstoned"

[mzmolly]

33. If it was signed by an *auto-pen* then there are several such citations

awarded legally with his "signature"

"The autopen is a device often used in the routine execution of executive documents in government."

More freepers hoping for a story where none exists. Next ... :boring:

[displacedtexan]

42. As I posted above, the autopen is carefully monitored...

at least by the Kerry campaign.

Someone would have to deliberately stuff a bogus doc into a stack of papers to be signed, walk them to the autopen operator, and fish the bogus doc out later... all in the presence of watchful staffers.

I'm not buying this crap.

[wurzel]

43. You mean after all this time he can still remember?

Ludicrous!

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[skip fox]

46. My problem is simple. I can't call up the article. This is not

unusual for me, but I'd really like to verify this item before I add to the growing
Swift Boat file (under New Charges).

As an old poster, let me say that I agree. We NEED to know what the opposition
is saying. No doubt about it. TSIDTPIG is right and the poster that advised that
he or she give context to avoid legin skepticism. Ah well. (But we're all thinking
that TSIDTPIG will rip off his or her mask and tell us "TSIDTPIG" stands for
something vile and stupid. Such is the common behavior of so many invading
Freepers.)



Until then, I'd give him or her slack. Even welcome. :toast:



If my faith is misplaced, all I have is a child sticking out his or her tongue at me.
But if I'm right, we'll have another useful voice at DU.

Dig?


Would someone please verify link so I can add to:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x70318

[TacticalPeek]

48. It is in the 'Elections' section at the Sun-Times site.

Kerry citation a 'total mystery' to ex-Navy chief

August 28, 2004

BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB


Former Navy Secretary John Lehman has no idea ... etc

snip

Kerry senior adviser Michael Meehan could not be reached for comment on Kerry's records.

Thomas Lipscomb is chairman of the Center for the Digital Future in New York.


----------------

This gives the appearance that Mr. Lipscomb is not a reporter for the paper.

After googling ("Center for the Digital Future" in google news), my judgment is that Lipscomb is a right wing disinfo artist.

[haele]

47. Lehman was Secretary of the Navy from 1981 to

1987.

Common sense tells one that this has to be for a replacement medal and citation. If this was for the original, it would be like having a citation for valor during the War of 1812 with George Washington's signature on it...

If I were Kerry or on his campaign, as soon as this news broke, I point out that this is for a replacement medal and Lehman would probably not have paid attention to it because at that point of time, it was purely administrative. As SecNav, he probably signed off on hundreds of similar replacement requests every year...

Haele

[karlrschneider]

49. Well, jeez, doesn't the U.S. Treasurer personally sign every dollar bill?

:eyes:

[DoYouEverWonder]

50. It's amazing how people who can't remember what they did

last year, remember the minutest details about everything Kerry did and did not do, 30 years ago.