Kerry Takes Bush to Task on his Veteran’s Day Speech

[kerrygoddess]

Kerry Takes Bush to Task on his Veteran’s Day Speech
November 14th, 2005

John Kerry took Bush to task on his Veteran’s Day Speech, on the Senate Floor today. In a fiery rhetoric, Kerry blasted Bush today, on the lies he spewed in his speech, last Friday — from the rush to war based based on faulty intelligence data, to the spin Bush put on Kerry’s own statements, John Kerry pinned Bush on the carpet.

The following is the text of John Kerry’s Floor Statement:

MR. PRESIDENT, Veterans Day is sacred - or it is supposed to be. Veterans Day is a day to honor veterans, not to play attack politics. The President, who is Commander in Chief, should know and respect this.

Veterans Day originally marked the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, when the guns of World War I, the war to end all wars, finally fell silent. Instead of honoring that moment, instead of laying a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, instead of laying out a clear plan for success in Iraq, the President laid into his critics with an 11th hour rhetorical assault that dishonored America’s veterans and those serving today, even as he continued to distort the truth about his war of choice.

Perhaps most striking of all is that his almost desperate sounding Veterans Day attack on those who have told the truth about his distortion was itself accompanied by even more distortion.

Does the President think that the many generals, former top administration officials and Senators from his own party who have joined over two thirds of the country in questioning the President’s handling of the war in Iraq are all unpatriotic too? This is America, a place where we thrive on healthy democratic debate. The President does not have a monopoly on patriotism, and this is not a country where only those who agree with him support the troops and care about defending our country. No matter what the President says, asking tough questions isn’t pessimism, it’s patriotism. And fighting for the right policy for our troops sends them exactly the right message to the troops: that we take the decision to put them in harm’s way seriously, and that our democracy is alive and well.

MORE - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1145

[karynnj]

1. Incredible speech - Makes me want a Kerry Presidency

more than ever.

[ginnyinWI]

2. I missed it but read it just now on Dem Daily

I looked wonderful! He tells it all, A to Z. I don't see what the lefty freepers could object to in this--but I suppose they'll find something.

[karynnj]

3. I just read it too - I missed it picking up my youngest

from school. I hope they replay it. Like you, I agree it is an absolutely stunning indictment of the Bush administation. I can see why he was such a good prosecutor. I love the way he repeats the misleading phrase at the beginning of several passages in a row.

I really hope they will replay it.

[beachmom]

4. I just read the speech, too on KG's blog

All I can say is Wow!!! He hit a home run on this one. And it's all the stuff that's been annoying us since the 2002 vote. This idea that a yes vote meant you were voting for the war * waged is the biggest lie ever. But you know what -- history will set the record straight. When I think back to Vietnam (which was before my time), I blame LBJ for escalating the war. I don't start naming Congressmen and Senators for the Gulf of Tonkin amendment. I throw the responsibility on the president because he's the CIC. Sorry, that dog don't hunt. Was the IWR a declaration of war? No way. There should have been another Congressional vote to officially declare war on Iraq. I doubt THAT would have passed.

[karynnj]

5. You're right

It's true we don't blame anyone other than LBJ and Nixon. So much of what we read is just Democratic partisan posturing. I wonder if any on the Edwards thread, will realize that Kerry was not even in the same position as Edwards and that this indictment is every bit as sincere as Edwards' we all make mistakes position. Edwards was ok with going to war when we when, Kerry spoke against it on the eve of invasion.

[frogmarch]

6. How will anyone

who heard Kerry's speech, or read it, dare criticize him? That was the most awe-inspiring speech Kerry has ever given, which is saying a lot! He said it all.

Kerry is magnificent!

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

7. Would anyone have a video of this?

Missed it, at work :cry:

[jillan]

8. Was this speech before or after * speech today in Alaska?

[TayTay]

9. Before. Sen. Kerry delivered it around 3:45 pm (EST)

That Friggin Idiot got off his plane and spewed at around 7:00 pm (EST), I think. His comments were lame, as usual.

[Island Blue]

10. "Got off his plane an spewed..."

That cracked me up for some reason! :rofl: