Help me counter a freeper on the O'Neill-Kerry-* 'Nam debate....

[sablescort]

I need to find out who first brought up the subject of service in Vietnam, the BFEE or us Dems?

I've been fighting the freepers on a deaf political board and enquiring Dem minds would love to know who started it...

edited to fix some errors

[LynzM]

1. Hrm...

Can't help you with that specifically, but good luck and welcome to DU! I started here the same way, looking for info!

[Skittles]

2. um

Dems brought up our dipshit president's* NON-SERVICE in Viet Nam due to his being AWOL FROM HIS CUSHY GUARD JOB.

[sablescort]

8. I was thinking the repukes would bring up *'s AWOL services...

but looks like I was wrong...

Damn there goes my ammo :(

[blm]

9. Actually, I think it goes back to when certain GOP leaders questioned

the patriotism of Democrats (Daschle) who dared to speak against Bush. Kerry said he and Daschle and others didn't need lectures in patriotism from those who when it was their turn to serve failed to do so.

[fryguy]

3. do you mean in 2004?

or who brought up service in Vietnam period? That would be Bush senior back in 92.....they made the issue about Clinton defering to attend Oxford and its been on the radar scope ever since.....

[papau]

7. Indeed for 20 years as a politician in Mass Kerry was known for NOT

talking about his service - seemed embarrassed by public recognition of his bravery.

[WoodrowFan]

4. the RW with Clinton in 1991.

Well before the 1992 election was even geared up, they were attacking Clinton as a "draft dodger." Of course in 1988 the left attacked Quayle for his National Guard "duty" (in a National Guard press office unit).

But Bush played up his National Guard service and has even made off-hand references to "seeing war" so it's fair to say he raised it himself.

[sablescort]

13. do we have a source saying that AWOL actually said

that he has "seen war" while sitting on the dentist's chair?

[WoodrowFan]

16. quote

I believe the quote was "I've seen war and I've raised twins and I'd rather go to war" or such such lamo quote.


http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blbushtwinjokes.htm

http://www.realchange.org/bushjr.htm

[Nite Owl]

5. I believe Peter Jennings

brought it up in a debate. He asked Wes Clark to separate himself from Michael Moore's comments that Bush was AWOL. It rolled from there in the press. Kerry said very little at the time. Ask him how many Purple Hearts did Bush get in Texas? What medals did he recieve? Not perfect attendance that we know.

[jedicord]

6. I think it was the Repubs...

They brought it up with Clinton, calling him a draft dodger.

[seabeyond]

10. actually skittles first

repugs brought up clinton. and then they challenged gore as we challenged bush. and then this fiasco is a product of getting a vet in to challenge bush awol. bush awol was challenged cause he was running on being a military man. not representing his role properly, which is just par for this administration

has been on going.

[Lindacooks]

11. The best argument is that O'Neill

is lying when he said he served with Senator Kerry. He didn't. He joined Senator Kerry's unit a few months after Kerry was discharged. So when he yammers on and on and on about 'insignificant wounds' and 'poor soldiering', he's lying through his teeth, just like all other repukes.

[alcuno]

12. * brought it up by dolling himself up in military garb, showing up at

bases in his costumes and being toted onto an aircraft carrier.

[T Roosevelt]

14. There's also this on O'Neill, Nixon, and others

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/4/22/1551/39504

More on O'Neill and Margaret Wilson
by kos
Thu Apr 22nd, 2004 at 01:55:01 EDT

We found out earlier today that John O'Neill, the guy Bush trotted out to attack Kerry's military service, also did Nixon's dirty anti-Kerry work (in addition to clerking for Rehnquist). A partisan hack spanning multiple administrations.

We also found out that he's a partner at the Houston firm of Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson and Fulkerson. One of his co-partners is Margaret Wilson, who was George Bush's general counsel 1998-2000.

Well, there's more about good ol' Margaret. She was a lawyer at Vinson & Elkins before she worked for Bush. Vinson & Elkins was Enron's main law firm -- the very firm that facilitated Enron's frauds. Vinson & Elkins was also the firm that spawned Al Gonzales -- Bush's current general counsel.

In other words, Vinson & Elkins and COPWF are the very embodiment of the Houston good ol' boy Republican network. That this network spawn Kerry's harshest critic should be of no surprise (his career was probably made thanks to the Nixon dirty work). Thus, there should be no illusions that O'Neill is in any way an independent and impartial critic of John Kerry.

[sablescort]

15. I hit back at the freeper with this one

I'm going to wait until the freepers reply. If they dont ....they totally lost their argument on O'Neill-Kerry.

[49jim]

17. Interesting that

all the "media" has been flaunting this O'Neill guy.....so they found one guy to criticize Kerry....I'm still waiting for the one guy to come forward that saw/served with Bush in Alabama.

[sablescort]

18. Trudeau still has the $10,000 reward for

someone who was with * during his AWOL Bama duty....

[Bandit]

19. Why does it matter?

I believe the Democrats have been bringing up Bush*'s "service" for quite some time so it is only natural that Kerry's service was referenced as a comparrison.Tell them Democrats brought military service first last and in between and that we are proud of the Democrats service records and can they say the same thing?

[sablescort]

22. thank you...

for the a good answer.

[bobbyboucher]

20. Who gives a shit, Kerrey has Silver Star, Bush

has silver fillings.

[Snotcicles]

21. THERE WERE WAR ATROCITIES

ON April 5 2004 the Toledo Blade won a pulitzer prize for uncovering war atrocities in 1967. The Tiger Force went on a seven month rampage. YOU MUST CHECK THIS OUT.

[Jackpine Radical]

23. Are you trying to suggest that Kerry had anything to do with

Tiger Force? If so, you're wrong. Tiger Force was an Army unit. Kerry was in the Navy. What's your point?

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SRTIGERFORCE

[Snotcicles]

25. suggesting no such thing

My point was that Kerry was correct about war atrocities. The republicans are painting him as if he was wrong to speak out.

[Jackpine Radical]

26. Oh, holy cow, I sure missed what you were driving at.

Of course there were atrocities, and of course Kerry was right. I'm a VN vet, and I can't imagine any vet not knowing about little My Lais all over the place, POWs being tortured & killed, etc. Thanks for the Blade story.

And a belated welcome to DU.

BTW--before I opened the link, I had assuemd you had picked up something relating to the scandal of BOB Kerrey & were erroneously attributing it to John Derry.

Sorry all around--I was certainly wrong(bone)-headed in my interpretation of & response to your post.

[yardwork]

27. Welcome to DU!

Please continue to share your excellent research with us!

[Demonaut]

24. uh, welcome to DU