WP, Broder: "I went to war for Bush; I came home to vote for Kerry."

[DeepModem Mom]

Great column --


Quiet Calls for Change

By David S. Broder
Thursday, September 16, 2004; Page A31

MANCHESTER, N.H. -- Over many years of covering campaigns in New Hampshire, I've lost track of the number of times I've attended political events in the basement meeting room of the Manchester public library, which makes itself available to all candidates and parties. Never have I been to a quieter rally than the one I happened upon Monday afternoon.

Former senator Max Cleland of Georgia, the man who nominated John Kerry for president in Boston this summer, played host to three young people concerned about the Iraq war -- two veterans of the fighting and the wife of a soldier currently deployed -- along with perhaps 50 middle-aged and elderly voters and seven TV cameras. For most of the hour, you could have heard a pin drop....

***

I have no idea what it means in the larger scheme of things, but Cleland said he has been struck by the slow trickle of Iraq war vets now volunteering to speak out. "It is hard for them to do this in public," he said. "Americans obey their commander in chief and do their duty. But then they speak their minds -- just like John Kerry did 35 years ago."

The serious mood was broken by Sam Poulton, who rose in the second row, wearing a VFW cap, to poke fun at himself. He turned to face the audience and cameras. "I want you to look at this face," he said. "I'm 56 years old, a proud reservist. I was ordered back to Iraq. It's something when my son and I are both deployed. I went to war for George W. Bush; I came home to vote for John Kerry."

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24762-2004Sep15.html

[cthrumatrix]

1. powerful story...when you mislead people on war this happens

[xchrom]

2. may this story reach a much

wider audience.

[21winner]

3. Broder is called the dean of DC pundits.

This is important. Perhaps the tide is turning.

[seaglass]

4. Sam Poulten was a delegate to the DNC and spoke there

using the same quote.

He has always been a Dem stalwart, I don't really see the power in this article - perhaps if they had previously been Bush supporters it would mean more.

On edit: Just in case you don't believe somen anonymous poster on the internet:-)

http://www.eagletribune.com/news/stories/20040725/FP_002.htm