Kerry's PUBLIC Testimony-Returning MIA's From Viet Cong & "Negotiating"

[KittyWampus]

Nothing secret here. He spoke to Congress.

I suppose the Right wants us to believe that the young anti-war activist Kerry was really trying to undermine Peace Negotiations so the war would actually LAST LONGER.

............................................................................................................................................................................

(The same POW's who were so "devastated" by this attempt to get them freed sooner rather than later?)

Kerry, the Congressional Record, 1971

The Chairman: Do you support or do you have any particular views about any one of them you wish to give the committee?

Mr. Kerry: My feeling, Senator, is undoubtedly this Congress, and I don't mean to sound pessimistic, but I do not
believe that this Congress will, in fact, end the war as we would like to, which is immediately and unilaterally and,
therefore, if I were to speak I would say we would set a date and the date obviously would be the earliest possible
date. But I would like to say, in answering that, that I do not believe it is necessary to stall any longer. I have been to Paris. I have talked with both delegations at the peace talks, that is to say the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government and of all eight of Madam Binh's points it has been stated time and time again, and was stated by Senator Vance Hartke when he returned from Paris, and it has been stated by many other officials of this Government, if the United States were to set a date for withdrawal the prisoners of war would be returned.

I think this negates very clearly the argument of the President that we have to maintain a presence in Vietnam, to use
as a negotiating block for the return of those prisoners. The setting of a date will accomplish that. Mr. Kerry: Senator, if I may interject, I think that what we are trying to say is we do have a method. We believe we do have a plan, and that plan is that if this body were by some means either to permit a special referendum in this country so that the country itself might decide and therefore avoid this recrimination which people constantly refer to or if they couldn't do that, at least do it through immediate legislation which would state there would be an immediate cease-fire and we would be willing to undertake negotiations for a coalition government. But at the present moment that is not going to happen, so we are talking about men continuing to die for nothing and I think there is a tremendous moral question here which the Congress of the United States is ignoring...

The Chairman: The congress cannot directly under our system negotiate a cease-fire or anything of this kind. Under our constitutional system we can advice the President. We have to persuade the President of the urgency of taking this
action. Now we have certain ways in which to proceed. We can, of course, express ourselves in a resolution or we can
pass an act which directly affects appropriations which is the most concrete positive way the Congress can express itself.

But Congress has no capacity under our system to go out and negotiate a cease-fire. We have to persuade the Executive to do this for the country.

Mr. Kerry: Mr. Chairman, I realize that full well as a student of political science. I realize that we cannot negotiate
treaties and I realize that even my visits in Paris, precedents had been set by Senator McCarthy and others, in a sense are on the borderline of private individuals negotiating, et cetera. I understand these things. But what I am saying is that I believe that there is a mood in this country which I know you are aware of and you have been one of the strongest critics of this war for the longest time. But I think if can talk in this legislative body about filibustering for porkbarrell programs, then we should start now to talk about filibustering for the saving of lives and of our country. (Applause.)

And this, Mr. Chairman, is what we are trying to convey.

[KC21304]

1. Kerry has to call a press conference next week

and read his 1971 testimony, his speech to congress before the IWR vote, and answer unlimited questions. It would help if he would have someone planted to ask him all about the flip-flop ads so he could rebutt them. I think the reading of those two speeches would blow Bush/Cheney out of the water for good.

[KittyWampus]

2. What WE Need To Do Is Inform Media Kerry Was Working For MIA's

back then just like he has HIS WHOLE CAREER IN SENATE!

[A_Possum]

3. I tend to agree

I'd like him to be speak proudly of his work in 1971; it was courageous and thoughtful and he put a lot on the line.

Of course, if he called a press conference, it would be spun as "desperately defending himself" so I don't know about that. Depend on how he came across. Maybe something like, "I'm sick of this revisonist fantasy sh*t about Vietnam, and damn proud that I tried to bring our boys home against Nixon's dirty tricks."

[KittyWampus]

4. His Speech Today Touched On His Work For Veterans

he really HAS been consistently there for them.

[KittyWampus]

5. Well, This Can't Compete With Zell

:kick: