Someone explain this Kerry Purple Heart flap....

[vi5]

They are questioning his first Purple Heart since it supposedly wasn't from a big wound and would let him leave service early.

But he got 2 other purple hearts.

Can someone explain to me how with a straight face they are able to question his FIRST purple heart. By sheer virtue of having to say it was his FIRST purple heart it gives way immediately to the fact that he got MORE THAN ONE!?!?!?

This is starting to get insane.

[democrat in Tallahassee]

1. and he got a silver star and a bronze star

isn't that like demeaning the troops. republicans are bastards!

[ewagner]

2. Last night on News Night

Aaron Brown was just as troubled by the insanity of the charges. He raised the same points as you. Kelly Wallace, the reporter, was making a bigger deal out of the slow release of the documents by the Kerry Camp. This is an old cable news technique...the story becomes the story...........

sigh

[HFishbine]

3. It has to do with three needed to get sent home

Apparently they must think that if they can delegitimize one of his PHs, they can whine that Kerry shouldn't have been removed from combat.

[vi5]

8. Thank you....I did not know about the 3 being needed.....

Thanks.

[DarkPhenyx]

4. It's the "Clinton" factor.

They can't get him on anything real so they have to start grasping at straws like his medals, or the houses he owns, and try to create an issue.

[JI7]

5. it's an attempt to weaken kerry's military service

as they did with mccain during the primary. because bush has no military record and he is running as some tough war president. and not only does bush lack a military record but his national guard service is in question.

so they are attacking kerry for all these little details. to put out some perception among those who don'tpay attention much. as they did with mccain and questioning his service. mccain was a pow for like 5 or more fucking years but they questioned his service.

same thing with max cleland.

[KC21304]

You are absolutely right.

All Kerry needs to say is, " We knew it was coming. These are the same people who smeared 2 great war heroes, John McCain and Max Cleland during election campaigns. They will stop at nothing."

[Catfight]

6. No explaining needed...

I'm sure Kerry will point the finger back to Mr. Awol. They have nothing but desperation and character assassination on the Bushie side.

Bush still needs to explain his own record. They try to be masters of diversion! Only idiots fall for these childish tactics.

[LuLu550]

The people you are talking about are nuts

there is no logic to anything they say or believe. "Our guy is good, your guy is bad." any evidence you have of our guy not being good is a lie, any evidence you have of your guy being good is a lie or unworthy of consideration.

They are crazy and there is no understanding them. Don't even try or you will go crazy, too.

[Robb]

7. Hockey fear

...at some point the GOP knows someone is going to mention his purple hearts in the same sentence as "hat trick", and they're going to have to be reminded that Kerry can skate and * can't walk and chew gum? :shrug:

[joefree1]

9. Those crazy guys over at the republican party

Aren't they just a hoot!

[onehandle]

10. A wound is a wound in action. (and link to snopes debunking)

He was in ACTION. Under ENEMY FIRE!

F*ck those chickenhawks!
_________________________________

John Kerry was (first) wounded in his first significant combat action, when he volunteered for a special mission on 2 December 1968:

"The "stinging piece of heat" Kerry felt in his arm had been caused by a piece of shrapnel, a wound for which he was awarded a Purple Heart. The injury was not serious — Brinkley notes that Kerry went on a regular Swift boat patrol the next day with a bandage on his arm, and the Boston Globe quoted William Schachte, who oversaw the mission and went on to become a rear admiral, as recalling that "It was not a very serious wound at all.""

http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp

[smb]

11. Documentation

The documentation for the first one is the weakest, so that's the easiest target for the charge that they were Frank Burns Purple Hearts.

[bobbieinok]

12. so they 'think' he faked all 3 so he could leave VN?????

WWWD? isn't that what W would do???

IF he were 'such a coward,' WHY did he ask to be sent to VN???

[WI_DEM]

13. my question would be, "how many purple hearts did Bush get?"

especially during that year he was AWOL.

[dolstein]

14. But he needed 3 purple hearts to end his combat duty early

I believe it was navy policy at the time that someone who had been wounded three times could end his Vietnam tour of duty early.

[bobbieinok]

15. repeating post #12

[dolstein]

16. I was simply answering the question

NT