Should Kerry Use The American Legion Speech To Fight The Swiftboat Liars

[ruggerson]

My feeling is yep. He needs a "turn the corner" moment. When he stands before the American people and gets angry and responds with human emotions about this. He needs to get pissed off, so that people can see him as a FIGHTER who will defend himself (and by extension, us).

He needs a Bill Clinton "Sixty Minutes" event to be able to move forward and get back on the offensive.

What better venue than his upcoming American Legion speech, which will be heavily covered, since he is giving it DURING the GOP convention.

[annxburns]

1. All he has to do is say what he said to the

firefighters in Boston. That was great.

[snyder]

2. You're Goddamn Right He Should

[vickie]

4. I vote yes. And he most certainly should be strong, passionate

and powerful in his delivery. These people are despicle and need to be put down.

If all goes well, this will be a turn the corner speech on this matter.

then later on that evening, the press will look forward to the speech by pork chop Cheney. He's such a wretched man. The sight of he and Bush turns my stomach.

[Inland]

3. He should be able to make it part of a vet and for policy speech, yes

[DU9598]

5. Yes, but ...

Please don't say "bring it on" again.

[snyder]

7. Bush BROUGHT It On

Kerry said that "bring it on" thing a while back, and definitively linked the Swiftliars to Bush. The Swiftliars have not pulled their ads, so it's time for Kerry to do what he said he would do and go after Bush's military record.

[ochazuke]

6. Dissention in the ranks

O'Niel, Thurlow and the rest of those liars are doing something that no veteran should do: smear a fellow vet decades after they had their chance to give their version of events. Losers!

I think lots of vets will be open to such a message.

Anyway, yes, attack. You can't not defend yourself. Maureen Dowd is calling Kerry 'lame' even after his firefighter speech. People are saying 'how can he defend the country if he won't defend himself?' I don't know where these people get their news, but obviously Kerry hasn't said it enough yet.

[Inland]

8. Kerry can defend vets, combat and their reps, and himself, all

without looking defensive in THIS context. Just tell the entire story an it will be fine.

[TWiley]

9. It is easy to make a mistake when angry.

The republicans would immediately jump on anything that could show John Kerry as being emotionally unstable.

One slip and it would all be over.

Though not an exact comparison, the experience of McGovern comes to mind.

A turn the corner moment would be wonderful. Unfortunately, I feel the media will only shine the best of light on the shrub.

I will feel fortunate to see any good coverage of John Kerry during the RNC. If it is negative, WHAM, it will hit the screen.

[speedoo]

10. Yes, but he must attack dumbya, not the Swiftliars.

He must not lower himself to attack other veterans, even though they are liars, even though O'Neill and others are complete s***bags.

He must attack dumbya as the evil one behind it, doing the same thing to Kerry that he did to McCain and Cleland. Pointing out that attacking one veteran is attacking all veterans.

This is a huge opportunity, but he has to attack with a scalpel, not a machete.

[volosong]

11. KERRY SHOULD DECLARE VICTORY ON THE TOPIC, AND WE

Should continue the fight on another level. Let Kerry focus on the "real" issues and others mop up after the sieve boat leaked and sank.

I'm preaching to the choir here in Mass. Maybe some of you could get something like this into the media:

America Owes Veterans An Apology

Triple amputee and Vietnam hero Max Cleland sat in his wheelchair in the broiling hot Texas sun waiting for George W. Bush to do the right thing. In his hand was a letter signed by 9 US Senators, all war heroes, entreating the President to specifically ask the swift (sieve) boat vets to cease their campaign of smear and smut.

This was no “stunt,” but a valid appeal against an unprecedented campaign of character assassination designed to distract the American people from the real issues. George W. Bush hid, as he always has, whether from military duty in Vietnam or from discussing his record of a failing economy, environmental desecration, rape of the middle class, social unrest, and of course IraqNam. Never has a President done so badly and fooled so many so easily.

A transcript of Kerry’s 1971 testimony proves that the attack ads are misleading: Kerry relates only hearsay recollections; he blames the nature of war and the country and not the soldiers for any atrocities; he decries search and destroy tactics and free fire zones; and he opposes continuation of an unwinnable and morally questionable war. It never was about "honor;" it has always been about truth and realistic and intelligent policy.

Another truth is if there had been more like John Kerry, there would be fewer names engraved on the Vietnam Wall. If attempting to stop the needless slaughter of American lives is “treason,” then cowardice and hypocrisy are virtues and genocide is charity.

Tragically, many Vietnam veterans were treated despicably and humiliated after returning from Vietnam. Those shameful events rather than John Kerry are the likely cause of their pain. America and not John Kerry owes them much more than an apology.

However, if a veteran simply cannot vote for John Kerry, then that decision should be respected. But for a veteran (or member of the middle class) to emotionally vote for someone like Bush with his resume of cowardice and dossier of veteran bashing policies, that is to administer a truly "self-inflicted wound."

[snyder]

13. No! This IS "The Real Issue"

I am so sick and tired of Democratic "high mindedness." What rank bullshit to declare that something which wiped away a hard-won lead and erased the message of the DNC is somehow "not an issue." This goes straight to Bush's character, and Kerry should kick Bush in the nuts, get him on the ground and grind his heel into Bush's head until there's nothing left to grind. You want high minded? Run for student council.

[autorank]

14. Amen n/t

[ruggerson]

15. I agree totally

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. He should never attack another Vet

Besides he's too busy attacking the Bu$h administration.

That's what this is all about.