Do me a favor, don't defend Kerry's war record. Just get in their face...

[LynneSin]

...with Bush's war record.

The Bush regime expects us to get all flustered everytime one of their supporters question us Kerry supporters about John Kerry's war record in Vietnam.

I've done all this research and realize that all of this anti-Kerry war record crap is all another well funded organization from right-wing neo-cons. They learned their lessons back in 2000 when Bush ran against another decorated Vietnam war veteran John McCain. Knowing that Bush could never compete with someone like McCain when it came to his war record, the Bush campaign strategists instead decided to pull an Atwater and question everything about McCain's record whether it was true or not. And what we got from this tactic is one of the most disgusting primaries in history when the Bush campaigned used this strategy to help pull a win for Bush in the state of South Carolina in the 2000 primaries. That primary helped turn the momentum around from McCain to Bush and ultimately gave Bush the nomination.

Well, once again the Bush regime faces the same exact issue with John Kerry. Decorated Vietnam War Veteran vs. a guy who got a free pass to the guard and then failed to show up. And in this tactic, the Bush regime knows it is better to get us Kerry supporters on the defense then to have us out there questioning Bush's dismal wartime record.

So please, everyone - do me a favor. When someone bad mouth's Kerry's record - don't even waste your time defending Kerry. Just roll off the list of what Bush did during his wartime record. The free pass to the national guard, the skipped physicals, the failure to even show up for such a cush job. And if they then bring up Bill Clinton - ask them if Bill is running. Take what they are doing and slam it right back into their faces.

And then walk away!

Nuff said

[lebkuchen]

1. Someone around here has posted....

Kerry: 3 silver stars
Bush: 3 DUIs

That works for me!

[readmylips]

5. Kerry's Band of Brothers....Little bush....

band of drinking buddies. (per Letterman)

[KurtNYC]

7. Medals include

1 Silver Star and 3 Purple Hearts. Not 3 Silver Stars.

http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/jksilverstar.pdf

[noahmijo]

2. The other thing with Bill and his service is the fact that

He's never tried to come off like some big tough war hero guy or war president unlike *.

[wtmusic]

3. 4 months vs. 0 months

The GOP is (officially) distancing themselves from swiftboat vets--they really, really don't like the comparison.

[LynneSin]

6. Of course they are - they're having the Neo-con bigwigs do the dirty work

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/05/14/gannon/index.html

On closer inspection, the ostensibly nonpartisan "Swift Boat Vets" seem to have another pair of significant sponsors with deep and long-standing Republican connections in Missouri. Both are officers of Gannon International, a St. Louis conglomerate that does lots of overseas business in, of all places, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.


Ties to Gannon can be traced via the Swift Boat Vets Web site (as an alert reader advised me last week). On April 14, the site was registered under the name of Lewis Waterman, Gannon's information technology manager, at 11301 Olive Boulevard in St. Louis, the firm's headquarters address. Although Waterman wouldn't discuss why he had set up the Web site, he didn't deny that his boss, Gannon president and CEO William Franke, had asked him to do so.

[wtmusic]

10. Hmm

No doubt it's financed by "well-intentioned" Republicans, but I doubt it's supported by the WH. If the WH had thought this tack was valuable they wouldn't hesitate to acknowledge it publicly (a little too close to Junior's AWOL controversy for comfort).

[LynneSin]

11. Of course the White House folks aren't going to publically support this...

but have they done anything to stop it? Do you see Karl Rove calling the 'Swiftboat Veterans' group and asking them to stop it.

This is Willie Horton my friend, total Willie Horton. Why would anyone in the White House bother with the dirty work when they can rely on good 'well-meaning' friends to do it for them.

[wtmusic]

16. Well the McCain development is very interesting

unless they want to risk alienating McCain voters in AZ, they may have to take a stand.

[k in IA]

15. He also served a tour on a ship before his second tour

where he was on the swift boat.

[DinahMoeHum]

4. "Where's BUSH's war records?. . . Where are HIS medals?. . ."

"Where are HIS buddies in the service? Give us some names here. . ."


Botton line - Bush is a fucking coward who didn't have the stones for either fighting a war OR protesting against it.


:kick:

[LynneSin]

9. I think Boondocks says it best!!!

[Ilsa]

8. I do both;

I defend against the lies and slander, then I mention that Bush's AWOL record on that matter is still highly suspect and they are fools to even bring the subject up. That usually shuts them up!

[sangh0]

12. The Repukes strategy is to throw mud and blow smoke to distract

Because they have no acomplishments to campaign on, they will raise false issue after false issue in an attempt to get us to spend time defending unsupportable attacks, instead of focusing on getting OUR message across.

The way to victory in a campaign, is the same as in war - TAKE THE INITIATIVE. If we spend our time RESPONDING to every wacko, we will have no time to PROMOTE our ideas. The trick is to use proxies, like McCain to respond to the attacks, while Kerry is out promoting the Democratic agenda. And what we should do, as LynneSin wisely pointed out, is to turn their attacks around. COUNTER-ATTACK

[LynneSin]

13. Amen & Alleluia

We don't have enough time to defend their lies! Thanks for the support

:loveya:

[skygazer]

14. Another method

Is to hit them with their own language - "Why are you so against veterans?" "Why do you hate our military?" Use a shocked voice, raised eyebrows. I tried this with an acquaintance and it worked very well. She backed right off and started stuttering, didn't know what to say.

[sangh0]

17. That's how you fight back

which is much better than just playing defense.

Kudos!

[RememberWellstone]

18. Excellant point.

hypocrits. Why do hate veterans Mr. repoob??

[LaRoucheYouth4Kerry]

19. Defeat the Bush Propoganda machine

Bush and Cheney are the dumbest scumbags to occupy the white house this century. They have NO millitary record, they are all a bunch of chicken hawk draft dodgers, and they dare get on John Kerrys impeccible millitary record??

[Bernardo de La Paz]

21. Yes! Seize the memes and make them your own!

Yes, this can be very effective. So effective, you don't have to raise your voice, just keep it somewhat below their foaming at the mouth level. The Republicans have been explicitly trained by their think tanks to control the language and frame the debate. Seize the memes and make them your own!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

20. Calmly wind them up (within bounds of personal safety) n/t

[ChipperbackDemocrat]

22. Amen Lynne!!!!

I have a taste for roasted chickenhawk.

The Right-Wing Dead Wrong All-Stars have done it again. But I disagree with Franken a little bit. This thing hasn't backfired on our adversary yet. It'll only backfire when we make the argument and make it stick.

It is time to bring Bush's desertion record out in plain site along with all the chickenhawks from Cheneyall the way to the Big Boil (a.k.a. known as Rush Pillbaugh.). We need a few television ads bringing this out into the open.