McCain deplores anti-Kerry ad

Debaser · 08-05-2004, 11:35 AM

McCain deplores anti-Kerry ad
Republican senator urges Bush to repudiate it
The Associated Press
Updated: 11:37 a.m. ET Aug. 5, 2004

WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry’s military service “dishonest and dishonorable” and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well.

“It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me,” McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, referring to his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush.

The 60-second ad features Vietnam veterans who accuse the Democratic presidential nominee of lying about his decorated Vietnam War record and betraying his fellow veterans by later opposing the conflict.

“When the chips were down, you could not count on John Kerry,” one of the veterans, Larry Thurlow, says in the ad.

The ad, scheduled to air in a few markets in Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin, was produced by Stevens, Reed, Curcio and Potham, the same team that produced McCain’s ads in 2000.

“I wish they hadn’t done it,” McCain said of his former advisers. “I don’t know if they knew all the facts.”

Asked if the White House knew about the ad or helped find financing for it, McCain said, “I hope not, but I don’t know. But I think the Bush campaign should specifically condemn the ad.”

Later, McCain said the Bush campaign has denied any involvement and added, “I can’t believe the president would pull such a cheap stunt.”

The White House did not immediately address McCain’s call that they repudiate the spot.

Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, said Kerry’s record and statements on the war on terrorism — not his service in Vietnam — are fair game. “The Bush campaign never has and will never question John Kerry’s service in Vietnam,” he said.

In 2000, Bush’s supporters sponsored a rumor campaign against McCain in the South Carolina primary, helping Bush win the primary and the nomination. McCain’s supporters have never forgiven the Bush team.

McCain said that’s all in the past to him, but he’s speaking out against the anti-Kerry ad because he believes it’s bad for the political system. “It reopens all the old wounds of the Vietnam War, which I spent the last 35 years trying to heal,” he said.

“I deplore this kind of politics. I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam. I think George Bush served honorably in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.”

McCain himself spent more than five years in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp. A bona fide war hero, McCain, like Kerry, used his war record as the foundation of his presidential campaign.

The Kerry campaign has denounced the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, saying none of the men in the ad served on the boat that Kerry commanded. The leader of the group, retired Adm. Roy Hoffmann, said none of the 13 veterans in the commercial served on Kerry’s boat but rather were in other swiftboats within 50 yards of Kerry’s.

Jim Rassmann, an Army veteran who was saved by Kerry, said there were only six crewmates who served with Kerry on his boat. Five support his candidacy and one is deceased.

© 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

homechicago · 08-06-2004, 01:29 PM

again, I'm an independant who will vote for Kerry.

McCain is a class act, and a man who says what he means, and I would vote for him as president too, if he ran again.

He got raked over the coals for being a POW. McCain is what is good about Americans, and the people who attack him and Kerry, are what is bad about Americans.

These guys remember clear details about what they think happened 35 years ago? One of them said just this past May he couldn't clearly remember details about the war, but several months later, he knows all. Pretty petty, and disgusting.

tear stained glass · 08-06-2004, 03:09 PM

I'm waiting for Nimrod's Son and Corganist to come here and say they knew Kerry during the war and that he was perpetually doped up and cursing the flag.

sppunk · 08-06-2004, 03:26 PM

McCain lost the primary because of these ads that Bush's team put out. I'm not surprised at all.

The Omega Concern · 08-06-2004, 03:30 PM

god bless John McCain, im sorry he got tortured for those years.

But that doesnt make him an authority or even intelligent on these matters.

I dont need him telling me what to think about these men who have something to say about John Kerry...I can make up my own mind about their motives.

I do know John Kerry requested his own purple heart (that's like, never done by the person, usually its a 3rd party)...so, that all falls in line with my view of him being a shallow Ivy Leaguer who's gold digging narcissism is a pathetic, albiet accurate, reflection of the American culture.

sppunk · 08-06-2004, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Omega Concern
god bless John McCain, im sorry he got tortured for those years.

But that doesnt make him an authority or even intelligent on these matters.

I dont need him telling me what to think about these men who have something to say about John Kerry...I can make up my own mind about their motives.

I do know John Kerry requested his own purple heart (that's like, never done by the person, usually its a 3rd party)...so, that all falls in line with my view of him being a shallow Ivy Leaguer who's gold digging narcissism is a pathetic, albiet accurate, reflection of the American culture.

He was nominated by a crewman of his.

These guys in the ads were the same ones who appeared in the ads against McCain - that Bush paid for, along with ads in '02 senate races.

The Omega Concern · 08-06-2004, 04:24 PM

he has 3 purple hearts in which not one of the injuries required more than an hour of hospitilization and all these guys are exposing about John Kerry is the shallow narcissist he appearently has always been.

he got a cut on a finger and wanted a purple heart for it, so he applied on his own. That's just lame.

Many men have had far worse injuries and refused Purple Hearts so as not to diminish its meaning.

But our cunning Democrat candidate rakes in the awards and then goes on to commit military heresy in front of Congress.

ahhh, yup. Kerry will lose this election. He's more pathetic then even Bush.

I_was_aborted · 06:23 PM

Omega, you are a pretty silly.

Even the main man attacking Kerry is now saying his claims are unfounded.....

http://cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com/news/sto...20040728RSB105

Veteran Backs Off Attack on Kerry's War Record

BOSTON (Reuters) - John Kerry's commanding officer in Vietnam has backed away from attacks on the Democratic presidential candidate, saying he made a mistake in accusing the U.S. senator of having lied about his wartime record.

George Elliott, who was one of Kerry's superiors in Vietnam when he was awarded medals for heroic actions, had signed an affidavit suggesting Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star.

In the document, Elliott said, "I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back."

But in Friday's Boston Globe, Elliott said: "It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here."

Elliott told the newspaper he thinks Kerry did deserve the medal.

"I still don't think he (Kerry) shot the guy in the back," Elliott is quoted as saying in the Globe.

Kerry used his nominating convention in Boston in July to paint himself as a decorated war hero capable of leading the nation in troubled times and a man better qualified to be commander-in-chief than President Bush.

But Elliott and other members of a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, oppose Kerry.

This week they launched a television advertisement accusing the Democrat of having lied about his service in Vietnam and hurting other veterans by criticizing the war after returning home. Next week the group will publish a book, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry."

Elliott was not immediately available for comment.

Kerry, arguing his combat experience in Vietnam qualifies him as a strong leader on national security issues, has surrounded himself with other veterans who have said the candidate did heroic deeds to save his own crew mates.

The new attacks on Kerry sparked an angry response from Republican Sen. John McCain, also a Vietnam veteran, who called the attack dishonorable and dishonest and urged the Bush administration to also denounce the ad.

The administration distanced itself from the advertisement on Thursday but did not condemn it.

"We have not and we will not question Sen. Kerry's service in Vietnam," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

After reading quite a few of your posts they seem to all have some weird neanderthal type ignorance to them.

Nimrod's Son · 08-06-2004, 06:24 PM

I don't like John Kerry, and I think many of his post-war actions were deplorable, but the man did serve his country and nobody should try and take that away from him.

Corganist · 08-06-2004, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by I_was_aborted
Omega, you are a pretty silly.

Even the main man attacking Kerry is now saying his claims are unfounded.....

Not that I lend a whole lot of credence to all this second-guessing of Kerry's war service, but I would be remiss in not pointing out that the "main man" said he was misrepresented in that article, and has re-affirmed his earlier statements.

http://humaneventsonline.com.edgesui...unfit_aff.html

That said, I think that all this focus on trying to say John Kerry is somehow being disingenuous about his war service is pretty low and silly. I think there's more to be gained by latching onto some of the things (ie. "atrocities") that Kerry claimed he did/accused others of once he was back on American soil. Those actions, IMO, raise many more questions about his leadership quality than the petty claim that he didn't deserve his medals. He did fight, and by all indications did so bravely. He should get credit for that much.

Besides, if he didn't win any of the medals, what would he have had to throw/not throw on the White House lawn?

Debaser · 08-06-2004, 10:51 PM

not one person in those ads served on the same swift boat that Kerry commanded. i love how just because they were in the same theatre of operation as kerry in vietnam, they say that they've served with him. Out of the 11 under his command, 10 of them support Kerry fully and call him a hero, and one has passed away. The doctor in the ad that claims to have treated him never did.

why don't we compare kerry's war record vs. bush's? kerry actually went to vietnam, earned a silver star, a bronze star, & three purple hearts. bush just hung out in the air national guard in america and disappeared for 4 months and all records of that missing 4 months have "accidently" disappeared or been destroyed when the media tried to look them up to confirm or dismiss the strong rumors that he went awol or was dishonorably discharged.

omega, you are one dumb motherfucker, that is all.

08-05-2004, 11:35 AM	#1
Debaser ghost Location: @SactoMacto Posts: 12,201	McCain deplores anti-Kerry ad McCain deplores anti-Kerry ad Republican senator urges Bush to repudiate it The Associated Press Updated: 11:37 a.m. ET Aug. 5, 2004 WASHINGTON - Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerry’s military service “dishonest and dishonorable” and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well. “It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me,” McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, referring to his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush. The 60-second ad features Vietnam veterans who accuse the Democratic presidential nominee of lying about his decorated Vietnam War record and betraying his fellow veterans by later opposing the conflict. “When the chips were down, you could not count on John Kerry,” one of the veterans, Larry Thurlow, says in the ad. The ad, scheduled to air in a few markets in Ohio, West Virginia and Wisconsin, was produced by Stevens, Reed, Curcio and Potham, the same team that produced McCain’s ads in 2000. “I wish they hadn’t done it,” McCain said of his former advisers. “I don’t know if they knew all the facts.” Asked if the White House knew about the ad or helped find financing for it, McCain said, “I hope not, but I don’t know. But I think the Bush campaign should specifically condemn the ad.” Later, McCain said the Bush campaign has denied any involvement and added, “I can’t believe the president would pull such a cheap stunt.” The White House did not immediately address McCain’s call that they repudiate the spot. Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush-Cheney campaign, said Kerry’s record and statements on the war on terrorism — not his service in Vietnam — are fair game. “The Bush campaign never has and will never question John Kerry’s service in Vietnam,” he said. In 2000, Bush’s supporters sponsored a rumor campaign against McCain in the South Carolina primary, helping Bush win the primary and the nomination. McCain’s supporters have never forgiven the Bush team. McCain said that’s all in the past to him, but he’s speaking out against the anti-Kerry ad because he believes it’s bad for the political system. “It reopens all the old wounds of the Vietnam War, which I spent the last 35 years trying to heal,” he said. “I deplore this kind of politics. I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam. I think George Bush served honorably in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.” McCain himself spent more than five years in a Vietnam prisoner of war camp. A bona fide war hero, McCain, like Kerry, used his war record as the foundation of his presidential campaign. The Kerry campaign has denounced the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, saying none of the men in the ad served on the boat that Kerry commanded. The leader of the group, retired Adm. Roy Hoffmann, said none of the 13 veterans in the commercial served on Kerry’s boat but rather were in other swiftboats within 50 yards of Kerry’s. Jim Rassmann, an Army veteran who was saved by Kerry, said there were only six crewmates who served with Kerry on his boat. Five support his candidacy and one is deceased. © 2004 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

08-06-2004, 06:21 PM	#8
I_was_aborted Minion of Satan Location: chicago Posts: 5,440	Omega, you are a pretty silly. Even the main man attacking Kerry is now saying his claims are unfounded..... http://cnn.aimtoday.cnn.com/news/sto...20040728RSB105 Veteran Backs Off Attack on Kerry's War Record BOSTON (Reuters) - John Kerry's commanding officer in Vietnam has backed away from attacks on the Democratic presidential candidate, saying he made a mistake in accusing the U.S. senator of having lied about his wartime record. George Elliott, who was one of Kerry's superiors in Vietnam when he was awarded medals for heroic actions, had signed an affidavit suggesting Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star. In the document, Elliott said, "I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back." But in Friday's Boston Globe, Elliott said: "It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here." Elliott told the newspaper he thinks Kerry did deserve the medal. "I still don't think he (Kerry) shot the guy in the back," Elliott is quoted as saying in the Globe. Kerry used his nominating convention in Boston in July to paint himself as a decorated war hero capable of leading the nation in troubled times and a man better qualified to be commander-in-chief than President Bush. But Elliott and other members of a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, oppose Kerry. This week they launched a television advertisement accusing the Democrat of having lied about his service in Vietnam and hurting other veterans by criticizing the war after returning home. Next week the group will publish a book, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry." Elliott was not immediately available for comment. Kerry, arguing his combat experience in Vietnam qualifies him as a strong leader on national security issues, has surrounded himself with other veterans who have said the candidate did heroic deeds to save his own crew mates. The new attacks on Kerry sparked an angry response from Republican Sen. John McCain, also a Vietnam veteran, who called the attack dishonorable and dishonest and urged the Bush administration to also denounce the ad. The administration distanced itself from the advertisement on Thursday but did not condemn it. "We have not and we will not question Sen. Kerry's service in Vietnam," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. After reading quite a few of your posts they seem to all have some weird neanderthal type ignorance to them. Last edited by I_was_aborted : 08-06-2004 at 06:23 PM.

08-06-2004, 06:24 PM	#9
Nimrod's Son Master of Karate and Friendship Location: in your butt Posts: 72,943	I don't like John Kerry, and I think many of his post-war actions were deplorable, but the man did serve his country and nobody should try and take that away from him. __________________ - Nimrod's Son: Problem Solver!

08-06-2004, 01:29 PM	#2
homechicago Apocalyptic Poster Location: THIS IS IT! Posts: 2,921	again, I'm an independant who will vote for Kerry. McCain is a class act, and a man who says what he means, and I would vote for him as president too, if he ran again. He got raked over the coals for being a POW. McCain is what is good about Americans, and the people who attack him and Kerry, are what is bad about Americans. These guys remember clear details about what they think happened 35 years ago? One of them said just this past May he couldn't clearly remember details about the war, but several months later, he knows all. Pretty petty, and disgusting.

08-06-2004, 03:09 PM	#3
tear stained glass Minion of Satan Location: el lay Posts: 7,650	I'm waiting for Nimrod's Son and Corganist to come here and say they knew Kerry during the war and that he was perpetually doped up and cursing the flag.

08-06-2004, 03:26 PM	#4
sppunk Netphoria's George Will Location: Fenway Park Posts: 37,125	McCain lost the primary because of these ads that Bush's team put out. I'm not surprised at all.

08-06-2004, 03:30 PM	#5
The Omega Concern Banned Location: stay, far, away Posts: 8,997	god bless John McCain, im sorry he got tortured for those years. But that doesnt make him an authority or even intelligent on these matters. I dont need him telling me what to think about these men who have something to say about John Kerry...I can make up my own mind about their motives. I do know John Kerry requested his own purple heart (that's like, never done by the person, usually its a 3rd party)...so, that all falls in line with my view of him being a shallow Ivy Leaguer who's gold digging narcissism is a pathetic, albiet accurate, reflection of the American culture.

08-06-2004, 04:24 PM	#7
The Omega Concern Banned Location: stay, far, away Posts: 8,997	he has 3 purple hearts in which not one of the injuries required more than an hour of hospitilization and all these guys are exposing about John Kerry is the shallow narcissist he appearently has always been. he got a cut on a finger and wanted a purple heart for it, so he applied on his own. That's just lame. Many men have had far worse injuries and refused Purple Hearts so as not to diminish its meaning. But our cunning Democrat candidate rakes in the awards and then goes on to commit military heresy in front of Congress. ahhh, yup. Kerry will lose this election. He's more pathetic then even Bush.

08-06-2004, 10:51 PM	#11
Debaser ghost Location: @SactoMacto Posts: 12,201	not one person in those ads served on the same swift boat that Kerry commanded. i love how just because they were in the same theatre of operation as kerry in vietnam, they say that they've served with him. Out of the 11 under his command, 10 of them support Kerry fully and call him a hero, and one has passed away. The doctor in the ad that claims to have treated him never did. why don't we compare kerry's war record vs. bush's? kerry actually went to vietnam, earned a silver star, a bronze star, & three purple hearts. bush just hung out in the air national guard in america and disappeared for 4 months and all records of that missing 4 months have "accidently" disappeared or been destroyed when the media tried to look them up to confirm or dismiss the strong rumors that he went awol or was dishonorably discharged. omega, you are one dumb motherfucker, that is all.