Ex-Ga. senator toasts Kerry, roasts Bush at labor picnic

[JI7]

<Cleland lost three limbs in Vietnam and uses a wheelchair. A former member of the Carter cabinet and later a senator from Georgia, he has been one of John Kerry's staunchest supporters as the Democratic candidate's Vietnam war record has been subjected to partisan political attacks.

He said John Kerry's Vietnam was a place where the senator from Massachusetts distinguished himself as a hero. But the war in the Middle East is readily becoming President Bush's Vietnam, implicitly comparing this to President Lyndon Johnson and his escalation of the war in Southeast Asia.

Cleland accused Bush of taking "America to war because he wants to," and pledged that under Kerry, the nation would go to war "only because it has to."

Bush's war has killed nearly 1,000 U.S. troops and wounded 10 times that many, Cleland said, with most of the casualties coming after the president declared that the war was over.

And even as the casualties mount, Bush is closing 11 Veterans Administration hospitals, including one here, Cleland said. >

http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/lorain/1094463100117872.xml

[Judi Lynn]

1. We owe Max Cleland a huge "thanks" for knocking himself out for Kerry's

campaign. The article said the crowd mobbed him! What's not to love, anyway? He's one fine Democrat.





Isn't it great seeing him getting right back in the saddle, after having been assaulted by the Republican thugs?

[LynnTheDem]

2. Imagine belonging to a group

like the republicans, who willingly readily mock ANYONE who has lost 3 limbs for ANY reason.

That he lost 3 limbs in a WAR, while wearing a US MILITARY UNIFORM makes it worse...but mocking ANYONE for losing 3 limbs is SICK.

Do they also go to veterans' hospitals--the few that are still open-- to mock other soldiers???

Do they do weekend trips to the burn and trauma centers to mock children and adults there?

How about them "mental retards", as so many rightwingnuts phrase it; do the republicans mock them, too?

Just WHERE do republicans draw their sick little minds at mocking and ridiculing people???

IS there any such line?

Didn't think so.

[TomClash]

3. Remember Ann Coulter . . .

. . . said it was Max's fault that he lost his three limbs because "he dropped the grenade."

It's not enough to fight in Vietnam for your country. It's not enough to be a grunt for your country. It's not enough to prepare for one of the premier battles of the War at Khe Sanh during the Tet Offensive. It's not enough to give three limbs for your country because another soldier accidently dropped a live grenade. The armchair Republican patriots hiding under Mommy's skirt will always blame you - one way or another.

[unblock]

5. the only good vet is a dead vet

yup, that's their attitude. if you DIE, then they'll honor you. but come back barely alive, missing 3 limbs, awarded 3 purple hearts, medals, honors, whatever; it doesn't matter.

they will mock you and accuse you and claim you're a traitor and cast doubt on your honor and medals. so if you go to war, you better make sure you die over there, otherwise the republicans will never forgive you.

it's absolutely astounding to me how the vets and the military can stand by these sh*ts.

[Roy Robertson]

8. Nope, not even...

If you die over there, they'll sneak your coffin back into the country in the middle of the night. Full military honors? They won't even go to your funeral. You're an inconvenience, an embarrassment, a dirty little secret, a skunk at their garden party.

[ima_sinnic]

7. "support the troops"--?? these cretins have no idea what that means

--they have proven that, for the reTHUGliCONs, "support the troops" is nothing but an empty catch phrase, all wind and no substance. They "support the troops" about as much as white slave owners supported the slaves--an apt analogy because for BushCo, the troops are nothing but underpaid, underappreciated, disposable "fodder units."

Stinkin miserable hypocrites, and cowards to boot, who would pee their pants, turn tail and run yelling for mommy if put on a real field of battle.

[0007]

4. Thanks for the fine article.

It is beyond the imagination how the repukes trashed this war hero, and yet they wrap themselves up in the American flag.

[readmylips]

6. Thomas Barnett...Warfare Stratigist...(democrat)

Some of us made comments about the C-Span presentation he held this week. We thought he was a repig but turned out he's a democrat supporting Kerry, and he's very smart about the future America needs to take in warfare.

Dr. Barnett in his presentation made some jokes about Ann Coulter..about her negativeness and suggestion of converting Jews and Muslins to christianity...big, big mistake.