John Kerry Discounts His Youthful Testimony
Just watching Senator Kerry talking to Tim Russert. I wasn't surprised by any of his campaign points and rhetoric, but I was surprised when he expressed regret with his testimony delivered after returning from Vietnam. It was weird though, he didn't explain well enough if it was the content of his statements or the intent of his testimony.
I wish that they'd discussed this a lot more....it was a confusing message and needed more clarification. Did he dismiss his former testimony to quell the idea that he's anti-military? I understand that he's forty years older and has a different perspective and that he's tired of competing with the "legend of his younger self"...but it seemed like a true sellout of his former position.
Did anyone else see this? Comments?
I wish that they'd discussed this a lot more....it was a confusing message and needed more clarification. Did he dismiss his former testimony to quell the idea that he's anti-military? I understand that he's forty years older and has a different perspective and that he's tired of competing with the "legend of his younger self"...but it seemed like a true sellout of his former position.
Did anyone else see this? Comments?
Comments
http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4772030/
And the relevant passage from the section of the interview I referenced:
MR. RUSSERT:_ You committed atrocities.
SEN. KERRY:_ Where did all that dark hair go, Tim?_ That's a big question for me._ You know, I
thought a lot, for a long time, about that period of time, the things we said, and I think the word is a bad word._ I think it's an inappropriate word._ I mean, if you wanted to ask me have you ever made mistakes in your life, sure._ I think some of the language that I used was a language that reflected an anger._ It was honest, but it was in anger, it was a little bit excessive.
MR. RUSSERT:_ You used the word "war criminals."
SEN. KERRY:_ Well, let me just finish._ Let me must finish._ It was, I think, a reflection of the kind of times we found ourselves in and I don't like it when I hear it today._ I don't like it, but I want you to notice that at the end, I wasn't talking about the soldiers and the soldiers' blame, and my great regret is, I hope no soldier--I mean, I think some soldiers were angry at me for that, and I understand that and I regret that, because I love them._ But the words were honest but on the other hand, they were a little bit over the top._ And I think that there were breaches of the Geneva Conventions._ There were policies in place that were not acceptable according to the laws of warfare, and everybody knows that._ I mean, books have chronicled that, so I'm not going to walk away from that._ But I wish I had found a way to say it in a less abrasive way.
MR. RUSSERT:_ But, Senator, when you testified before the Senate, you talked about some of the hearings you had observed at the winter soldiers meeting and you said that people had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and on and on._ A lot of those stories have been discredited, and in hindsight was your testimony...
SEN. KERRY:_ Actually, a lot of them have been documented.
MR. RUSSERT:_ So you stand by that?
SEN. KERRY:_ A lot of those stories have been documented._ Have some been discredited?_ Sure, they have, Tim._ The problem is that's not where the focus should have been._ And, you know, when you're angry about something and you're young, you know, you're perfectly capable of not--I mean, if I had the kind of experience and time behind me that I have today, I'd have framed some of that differently. Needless to say, I'm proud that I stood up._ I don't want anybody to think twice about it._ I'm proud that I took the position that I took to oppose it._ I think we saved lives, and I'm proud that I stood up at a time when it was important to stand up, but I'm not going to quibble, you know, 35 years later that I might not have phrased things more artfully at times.
MR. RUSSERT:_ The Boston Globe reports that your commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Grant Hibberd has suggested that you perhaps didn't earn your first Purple Heart and question whether you should have left Vietnam after six months._ In order to deal with those kinds of issues, when I asked President Bush about his service in the Texas Guard, he agreed to release all his military records, health records, everything._ Would you agree to release all your military records?
SEN. KERRY:_ I have._ I've shown them--they're available to you to come and look at._ I think that's a very unfair characterization by that person._ I mean, politics is politics._ The medical records show that I had shrapnel removed from my arm._ We were in combat._ We were in a very, very--probably one of the most frightening--if you ask anybody who was with me, the two guys who were with me, was probably the most frightening night that they had that they were in Vietnam and we're...
MR. RUSSERT:_ But you'll make all your records public.
SEN. KERRY:_ They are._ People can come and see them at headquarters and take a look at them._ I'm not going to--but I'll tell you this._ I'm proud of my service._ I'm proud of what we did._ I know what happened._ And the Navy 35 years ago made a decision and it's the Navy's decision and I think it was the right decision.
MR. RUSSERT:_ Your wife said recently--a few years ago--that you had bad nightmares, which were very frightening, about Vietnam._ Do you still have nightmares?
SEN. KERRY:_ No, I don't._ I don't, but I did for a period of time._ You know, movement or sounds might jostle you into a kind of awareness._ I don't know a lot of people who were in combat who haven't had them, but, no, I don't anymore, I'm glad to say._ I don't even have nightmares about George Bush and this election, Tim.
MR. RUSSERT:_ We're going to take a quick break._ We have a lot more questions with John Kerry, the Democratic candidate for president, right here on MEET THE PRESS.
Granted, he says he would have framed and phrased some things differently. (He regrets times when coming across as "angry," discounting some of the language he used to articulate his position.) But contrary to your original assessment of "selling out," he generally upholds his testimony. I think that should be clear to everyone reading the transcript. (I totally understand how misunderstandings could happen listening to the broadcast.)
Yup, he's a politician, alright.
Originally posted by Aquatic
At least it wasn't subliminable.
wy problems with that:
1. he was 27, not a kid, a MAN
2. no one comes home from war a "kid", they may go as "kids" in the eyes of some, but they certinly are MEN (or women) when they come back.
3. Harvard doesnt give MBA's to KIDS!!!
It seems to me that MR Kerry has run out of excuses, this is pathetic.
why do grass roots Democrats stand for this guy, even if he beleives what you beleive, he cant win anything in the real america (outside of Kenedy country)?
I would realy like an answer
is he hillarys fall guy to clear up '08?
no one could honestly, after that interview think he has the cherisma to be president. On russert today, he looked like an oil painting with a voice track. Am I alone here? at least bush looks semi natureal speaking.
Which one is the Democrat again?
First off, I completely understand the VARIOUS reasons why Kerry would want to distance himself from his "youthful" comments. I certainly wouldn't want to be locked into anything that I said five or ten years ago, let alone twenty or forty. Understood. Kerry needs to tune down his "protester" image and turn up his "soldier" persona. Check.
Still, go read the transcript.
Bottomline, all things being unequal, it shall be interesting to see if this Sunday morning commentary rolls into one of next week's "issues" on the campaign trail. The thing I love about our Sunday morning political shows is that they generate so much great chatter for the rest of the week....better than football!
Anyway, Kerry will be damaged on some level, to some psychographic, by this performance.
Read the transcript, it's interesting.
He did say that he found some of the phrasing a bit too dramatic.
Still, he said that he is proud that he stood up and stood for something, and, that people shouldn't be afraid to take a stand in similar circumstances today should similar circumstances arise.
Originally posted by a_greer
It seems to me that MR Kerry has run out of excuses, this is pathetic.
why do grass roots Democrats stand for this guy, even if he beleives what you beleive, he cant win anything in the real america (outside of Kenedy country)?
I would realy like an answer
You sound like you actually believe tha tBush PR machine and its constant Kerry slander.
And, what's strange, you list a paltry quote out of context about his idea of his youth (I'm 40 and I know that though I was a man at 27, I look back and I see a kid) and then you rant about how unbelievable it is that a Democrat would vote for him
When there is a list as long as my body of Bush's horrendous calamitous misdeeds that have cost innumerable lives and put our great country in the world-opinion shiithole, as well as, excacerbated terrorism and contributed directly to world ecological degradation . . . . why don't you rant about how unbelieveable it is that ANYONE would vote for a man with that kind of showing?!?!
WAKE UP!!!
Originally posted by groverat
Kerry was getting shrapnel removed from his arm, Bush was snorting coke.
Which one is the Democrat again?
good point
Originally posted by a_greer
good point
How can something false be a good point?
Bush did not snort coke?
Gosh, I wonder if Bush will regret this......
Originally posted by a_greer
1. he was 27, not a kid, a MAN
What is a MAN exactly? Sorry, but according to my definition I don't know many 27 years olds who qualify. Whether they're friends or people I've met in my travels. I'm 27 myself. We just don't have enough life experience yet. At least in my circle of friends, we're just starting to get married, few if any have kids, and we're just starting to establish ourselves career wise. In other words, there's a lot more we have to learn. In my opinion, we're still kids.
Originally posted by Scott
How can something false be a good point?
while I am a bush supporter, i found his point quite ironic, Bush did use drugs, at least once, not saying kerry didnt, but kerry s RUNNING on WAR, as opposed to Clinton who ran on being a soft spined typacly weak liberal draft-dodger.
Originally posted by Arty50
What is a MAN exactly? Sorry, but according to my definition I don't know many 27 years olds who qualify. Whether they're friends or people I've met in my travels. I'm 27 myself. We just don't have enough life experience yet. At least in my circle of friends, we're just starting to get married, few if any have kids, and we're just starting to establish ourselves career wise. In other words, there's a lot more we have to learn. In my opinion, we're still kids.
but he was harvard educated, and a war veteran, sound like a kid to you?
Originally posted by ShawnJ
Let's raise the level of discussion here, shall we?
But htere is nothing to disuss here: Kerry stated that he thought his wordng was a little harsh.
Then the Conservatives here started throwing around idiotic characatures such as 'soft whimpy' Dems and trying desperately to make Kerry into the image created by the BushCo.ImageMakers Inc.
There is nothing to discuss, let this thread blue folder to the bottom.