Kerry hits Swiftliars in speech at AFI "Check the schrapnel in my leg"

[bigtree]

Was live on MSNBC. Should hit news cycle later.

[k in IA]

1. They showed it live on CNN and MSNBC but not FAUX.

The MSNBC anchors said Kerry's campaign is going to do a commercial defending his service against the Swift liars.

[Zynx]

2. "If they want to have a debate about service in Vietnam, I have three word

s: Bring it on!" Good stuff John.

[michigandem2]

3. GOOD JOB!!!! nt

[bigtree]

4. From the speech posted at his site

Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn’t interested in the truth – and they’re not telling the truth. They didn’t even exist until I won the nomination for president.

But here’s what you really need to know about them. They’re funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They’re a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won’t denounce what they’re up to tells you everything you need to know—he wants them to do his dirty work.

Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam.

As firefighters you risk your lives everyday. You know what it’s like to see the truth in the moment. You’re proud of what you’ve done—and so am I.

Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: “Bring it on.”

I’m not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America—then, now, or ever. And I’m not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me.

And let me make this commitment today: their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security – the issues that really matter to the American people.

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/speeches/spc_2004_0819.html

[deutsey]

6. Good job, Kerry.

:thumbsup:

Keep it up.

[Maine-i-acs]

7. Buchanan and Scarborough were ripping Kerry for not doing this -

on scarface's show last night. Not sure if it was current or taped. But basically the two of them were saying crap like "If he was as brave as the stories say, he would be defending himself against these allegations ..." blather, blather.

Why do I watch that crap? Know thy enemy ...

[Zynx]

8. "Know thy enemy" The same reason I go onto the NRO website.

It's hard to stomach that BS, but it's good that we do.

[blm]

21. Kerry gave Bush the rope to hang himself...AGAIN.

Kerry knows EXACTLY what he is doing.

The right got sucked into a battle Kerry knew they couldn't win, so he let them spin themselves into a knot they will have great difficulty extricating themselves from with credibility that has been shot to pieces.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

24. I Agree BLM

The whores have built up this story so much, it's been present in so many news cycles, that Kerry's response is going to resonate.

What do you want to bet that the Republicans are NOW going to start backpedaling, hard, and maybe even Bush flip-flops and condemns the ad?

DTH

[enigmatic]

31. It's too late for them to condemn the ad...

They had their chance and W blew it, bigtime.

So sad, heh...

[Kahuna]

29. Timing is everything. NOW is the time to lower the boom on

these weasels.

[AirAmFan]

34. Another rope metaphor--Muhammad Ali's 'Rope-a-Dope'

Kerry did not respnd to the 'Swift Vets' initially. He rested on the ropes, letting the Swift Vets take their best shots and lulling them into thinking their smear was working.

Letting weeks pass without a denunciation of the smear from the White House has let Kerry convert a surrogate's smear into something directly attributable to Dubya.

Now Kerry is charging into the center of the ring ready to nail Dubya himself, and not only for the Swift Vets smear.

[DemNoir]

35. When are people going to realize it!

Kerry knows exactly what he is doing at all times. He let the attack against him build up enough force so that when he turned it around it would strike back at them with devastating force.

[Mixxster]

33. "Buchanan and Scarborough were ripping Kerry for not doing this -"

That's weird considering that I saw Buchanan a week or so ago say he thought that Kerry should have just ignored it.

[buycitgo]

41. you got it..........they wanted him to ignore it, like Dukakis did

they WANTED to give the liars' story time to sink in, for the smears to take hold

did you see the townhall last night on CNN?

some ASS began a question by saying that he served in Vietnam for LONGER than four months, and the audience ERUPTED with applause, and some laughter. this was an audience that later BOOED the pugliar, so it was bipartisan.

this tells me that there's somewhat of a backlash out there for Kerry's service, and I'll bet that those Ohioans have seen a LOT of that ad.

question is, did he wait too long?

AND, are they going to start going after BUSH's flight physical, the REAL weakness in his Guard service....NOT the nebulous AWOL charge?

[buycitgo]

40. you know they WANT him to do it

why? they always have ulterior motives

don't ever trust a thing they say

and isn't it amusing that draft dodger Buchanan has the GALL to even comment on this at all?

[ochazuke]

11. Pow. Simply pow.

This speech is great: the SBVT liars have done nothing more than give Kerry an opportunity to prove that he is an Alpha Male.

And dub just looks like a coward now.

[geek tragedy]

15. I love the smell of testosterone in the morning!

Bring it on, Bunnypants!

[ScreamingMeemie]

18. Shazaam! That and Thurlow being a liar, proven now, should do it.

:hi:

[ljm2002]

26. Most excellent! n/t

.

[farmbo]

5. Yee Haa! The long-awaited counterattack begins!

Give'em Hell Johnny.

This will be fun.

[opihimoimoi]

9. The Swift Boat ads is gonna backfire big time....

[DemBones DemBones]

10. GOOD! And About Damn Time!

Kerry must show strength and answer his attackers.

[kentuck]

12. Link from AP

http://dailynews.att.net/cgi-bin/news?e=pri&dt=040819&cat=news&st=newsd84ib0s80&src=ap

[charlie105]

17. That link does not work.

:(

[kentuck]

20. Sorry. It works for me.??

??

[incapsulated]

13. "Kerry Defends Military Record"

By RON FOURNIER

BOSTON (AP) - Sen. John Kerry accused President Bush on Thursday of relying on front groups to challenge his record of valor in Vietnam, asserting, "He wants them to do his dirty work."

Defending his record, the Democratic presidential candidate said, "Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts."

"Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam."

[IdaBriggs]

14. I Love John Kerry --

and the freepers are in a panic! :) (Its pretty funny!)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1194386/posts?q=1&&page=1#1

[Jo March]

27. They are such a bunch of lunatics over there at FR

They are so trying to spin a way that this all didn't happen. What's next? Saying that Kerry made up Vietnam just so he could go to war and get a medal or two?

What's wrong with those people?

[IdaBriggs]

Same as us -- they want to believe...

...in their candidate, despite all "evidence" to the contrary. I think it is referred to as "drinking the kool-aid" ala Jim Jones.

Let's be fair (I'm feeling very generous) -- the only reason I wouldn't back JFK at this point is if I personall witnessed him committing an "immoral" act with an unhappy looking four legged animal while simultaneously singing the praises of Osama and using an AK-47 to shoot handicapped orphans. Anything less than that in the "bad news" category is automatically assumed to be smear politics! (Yes, I have drunk the kool-aid, and it was DE-LICIOUS!) :)

[Sparkly]

28. Why are they saying Kerry's records haven't been released?

There are extensive records, including the medal citations, on his website.

[IdaBriggs]

38. Stubborn. They confuse him with Bush. :) n/t

[Old and In the Way]

44. Just read the thread

Very troubling. A couple of observations-

(1) Not a word about Bush's service during that time.....I guess I can assume they find a person who gets a special fix to avoid VietNam and then walks away from his commitment of higher character to lead this country? Bush's real biography caught up with him on 9/11/01.

(2) Do they really think the issue is about the extent of the wounds? Seems to me that the difference between scratches, limb loss, or death is a matter of a few inches. Being on a swift boat wound make one a real target, where's the respect for a man that volunteered for that duty?

(3) A couple of posters are repeating the Ann Coulter meme about Cleland's triple amputation. How sad that they'd dishonor someone who'd sacrificed 3 limbs for his country by repeating the slander of a nuerotic, dysfunctional wackjob.

(4) Talk about projection....they are clamoring for an FOIA to investigate Kerry's records. Have at it. They can save themselves a lot of thime if they check his website, though. But this one in particular caught my eye. Here's a guy writing LTTE's:

THE UNDOCUMENTED CANDIDATE


Every document requested from President Bush has been released.

John Kerry has avoided releasing any of his official documents relating to:

Attendance in private and public intelligence meetings.
Attendance when the senate was in session.
His and his wife’s IRS returns.
His military records.


Come on already, we even have President Bush’s DENTAL records from the National Guard! yes, we do have his dental records....and that's the only thing we have that shows he made it to Alabama.

[DrFunkenstein]

16. According To "Tour Of Duty" It Wasn't In His Leg...

Which reminds me of my favorite phrase:

"George Bush and Dick Cheney aren't worth the shrapnel in John Kerry's ass."

[bigtree]

22. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam

In the next weeks, the crew conducted 18 missions and engaged in numerous firefights. On Feb. 20, a rocket-propelled grenade hit the boat, sending shrapnel into Kerry's left leg and earning him a second Purple Heart.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/politics/20040721-1117-vietnam2.html

[Connie_Corleone]

23. I guess Kerry saying...

"And I still carry the shrapnel in my ass from a wound in Vietnam..." wouldn't sound as good as leg or thigh.


:silly:

[devinsgram]

19. Now thats our MAN!!!!!!!!!!!

Just watch the Bullies run!! As Truman said, "If you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen." Just like * , all cowards.

[gasperc]

25. gave them just enough rope to hang themselves

and with Thurlow's affidavid contradicting his bronze star testimony

ouch!!!!!!!!!!

smash the fuckers

[Voltaire]

30. Sigh

I suppose now there will be a congressional inquiry into whether its real shrapnel or not.

[NightOwwl]

32. This quote is powerful:

'Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: “Bring it on.”'

He uses 'our' instead of 'my', putting Bush on notice that by not renouncing the ad, he is insulting every man and woman who served in Vietnam.

Oooh, CNN reporting on it now!

[geek tragedy]

36. "Our service" = a reference to the aWol issue

Let's compare service records, Bunnypants.

[NightOwwl]

46. That's even better!

:bounce:

[DU GrovelBot]

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[buycitgo]

39. never mind

[zulchzulu]

42. Time to stomp on Limbaugh's head too

I just heard his first bit today about the speech. Someone needs to call the Pill Popper up and smack him down hard.

Whar an ass.

[Guaranteed]

43. I'm proud of you, Kerry.

Very, very well done.

That should finish them, right there.

[shawmut]

45. Here is some video from his stop in Boston today

http://www1.whdh.com/

[SoCalDem]

47. He should say that with an xray in his hand.. and then hold up

*'s pathetic little DENTAL xray of when he had his teeth cleaned..

Visual aids help :)