NationStates Jolt Archive

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Bush on Saturday described John Kerry's tour of duty in Vietnam as more heroic than his own service in the Air National Guard, saying his Democratic rival had been "in harm's way."

But the president told NBC's "Today" show that both sides should drop the debate over their wartime service, saying, "I think that we ought to move beyond the past. ... The real question is who best to lead us forward."

Asked if he believed that he and Kerry "served on the same level of heroism," Bush replied, "No, I don't. I think him going to Vietnam was more heroic than my flying fighter jets. He was in harm's way and I wasn't."

Excerpts of the interview, conducted on Saturday for broadcast on Monday, were released by NBC.

The president continued to defend his own service in the Air National Guard, saying, "On the other hand, I served my country. Had my unit been called up, I would have gone."

Kerry's war record in Vietnam has dominated the 2004 presidential campaign in recent weeks, after advertisements by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth accused him of lying about the events that led to his decoration for bravery.

The White House on Thursday said it would file a lawsuit to try to force the Federal Election Commission to crack down on the ads. Bush says he does not believe Kerry lied about his record, but he has refused to condemn the ads directly.

Kerry accuses the Bush campaign of colluding with the Swift Boat Veterans on the ads, a charge the White House has denied. But its case was hurt this past week when a top lawyer for the Bush campaign, Benjamin Ginsberg, resigned after disclosing he was providing legal advice to the veteran's group.

After Ginsburg's resignation, 50 percent of Americans said they believed the Bush campaign was behind the Swift Boat Veterans ads, according to a survey by the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.

Pollster Adam Clymer said Ginsburg's resignation heightened the belief that the Bush campaign had supported the ads, but the controversy could fade from public view when the Republican National Convention begins next week.

Federal election rules bar organizations that take unrestricted donations from coordinating their activities with campaigns or political parties.

The issue has also caused tension with Republican Sen. John McCain, another Vietnam veteran and influential lawmaker who has urged Bush to condemn the ads and get them halted.

McCain is backing Bush for the White House, but the Arizona senator has defended his friend Kerry and threatened to raise the issue with Bush when they campaign in Iowa next week.





Im shocked bush said this.
makes me gain respect for him.

This is a surprise?

Most Republicans, almost the entire time, have said that Kerry Served honorably... the only reason all this crap like the swiftboat ads started showing up is because John Kerry's primary campaign point is that he served in Vietnam... and that's basically all we hear about, and with that it seems like John Kerry can say anything he bloody well wants about his service in Vietnam, whether or not it's true, simply because he can resort to saying "you DARE insult an American War hero? You Unamerican disgrace!"

And frankly... we're sick of it.

The Swiftees main complaint against Kerry is what he did after he got back from Vietnam. The lies Kerry told about his service just make their job easier. :)

lol and the time he posted his shipmate's record instead of his own on his website sure didn't help anyway :)

Dude, Kerry, we love you and thank you for serving in Vietnam... but you don't have to Lie about it lol... we'd respect you a lot more, and heck, I might even change my vote to you, if you just played it out fairly.

How can you gain respect for Bush?

Didnt you read this:

Kerry accuses the Bush campaign of colluding with the Swift Boat Veterans on the ads, a charge the White House has denied. But its case was hurt this past week when a top lawyer for the Bush campaign, Benjamin Ginsberg, resigned after disclosing he was providing legal advice to the veteran's group.

Do you not see that Bush is supporting the people who make these bogus claims?

Thats all they are too...bogus.

Everyone knows that they are full of crap.
Even non partisan groups who investigate media spin.

www.spinsanity.org.

Thats all they are too...bogus.

Kerry's "Cambodia in Christmas 1968" claim got torn to shreds by the Swiftees. Now his Silver Star with a Combat V citation is being investigated. All in all, the ads seem to have much more substance than the other (liberal) 527 ads.

Speaking of which, the fact that many anti-Bush attack ads aired by 527's were funded by the Kerry-linked Tides Foundation doesn't seem to disturb liberals. Why is that?

Kerry's "Cambodia in Christmas 1968" claim got torn to shreds by the Swiftees. Now his Silver Star with a Combat V citation is being investigated. All in all, the ads seem to have much more substance than the other (liberal) 527 ads.

Speaking of which, the fact that many anti-Bush attack ads aired by 527's were funded by the Kerry-linked Tides Foundation doesn't seem to disturb liberals. Why is that?

Why arent liberals disturbed? ... Duh!
Because those 527's attack Bush.. so obviously they are the good guys... sheesh
:rolleyes:

So a 527 criticizing Kerry, possibly linked to the Bush campaign is illegal, while 527's openly linked to the Kerry campaign criticizing Bush are fine? That's an incredible double standard.

So a 527 criticizing Kerry, possibly linked to the Bush campaign is illegal, while 527's openly linked to the Kerry campaign criticizing Bush are fine? That's an incredible double standard.

sorry, I couldnt find an emoticon that denoted sarcasm better than :rolleyes:
I was being sarcastic in my post

were the swiftboat liars the ones responsible for that suspicious fire that destroyed Bushs military records just in time for the election?

were the swiftboat liars the ones responsible for that suspicious fire that destroyed Bushs military records just in time for the election?

theres no proof to link him to the fire so what your doing is speculation.
people dont believe we landed on the moon either
there will always be haters
then theres the players :D

But the president told NBC's "Today" show that both sides should drop the debate over their wartime service, saying, "I think that we ought to move beyond the past. ... The real question is who best to lead us forward."
I agree with Bush for once. I can't see how everyone is not already sick to the teeth about this unimportant non-issue.

Kerry's "Cambodia in Christmas 1968" claim got torn to shreds by the Swiftees. Now his Silver Star with a Combat V citation is being investigated. All in all, the ads seem to have much more substance than the other (liberal) 527 ads.

Actually, if you check his records, he was in Cambodia in January 1969, so I think all you can accuse him off is embellishing it - and of course 'January in Cambodia' doesn't have the same catchy sound-bit as 'Christmas in Cambodia'. Or 'Holiday in Cambodia' for that matter. So hardly torn to shreds. He was out by a couple of weeks.

I think now the heats heading back towards the Bush camp on this, all Bush is doing is trying to distance himself as much as posible from the issue. hence the sudden 'Kerry is a Hero' speech. He's had months to say this, so why now? Because he's worried about a possible backlash.
He should be worried too, if a senior republican senator with McCains standing looks to attack him. That's not going to look too good to the voting public.

Go Senator McCain, the voice of reason in a Republican hole.

I forget who it was I saw interveiw McCaine(might have been on NPR, that would explain the lack of visual memory on my part).
But the interveiwer covered my opinion on the swifties pretty clearly.
"I didnt serve in vietnam, they did, so did Kerry.
I believe Kerry has every right to talk about the war as he saw it.
I also believe the Swifites do to, who am I to tell these men to sit in silence.
I recognize you(McCaine) relate on a different level, but as for me, I respect Kerry and the swifites, and honestly a vietnam record wont sway my vote one or the other."

Now please if you heard the interview keep in mind I am paraphrasing, this was the guys POINT.
I didnt serve, I dont know, they want to bad one of their own, fine.
I know Kerry served, I know he was their and at the very least did his part.
I know the same judgement was used to give his Medals that was used to give any of the swifites theirs, os since they are not showing where errors were made in their commendations I can not see fualt with Kerry's.
Does any of it effect my vote?
I know a guy who did 3 tours in vietnam, and requested a fourth and was denied.
I assure you he loves this country, however I also assure you, you wouldnt vote for him.
You wouldnt even want him to know what neighborhood you live in.
God bless our veterans, but come off it, 4 months in vietnam does not make for a good platform for president.
Our choices this election are....limited.

were the swiftboat liars the ones responsible for that suspicious fire that destroyed Bushs military records just in time for the election?

No. It was the same far left-wing carpetbagging bitch who destroyed so many of the White House records while she was living there.