Bush campaign Letter to Kerry -- Here it is:

[newsguyatl]

August 25, 2004

Senator John Kerry
304 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Kerry,

We are pleased to welcome your campaign representatives to Texas today. We honor all our veterans, all whom have worn the uniform and served our country. We also honor the military and National Guard troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan today. We are very proud of all of them and believe they deserve our full support.

That’s why so many veterans are troubled by your vote AGAINST funding for our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, after you voted FOR sending them into battle. And that’s why we are so concerned about the comments you made AFTER you came home from Vietnam. You accused your fellow veterans of terrible atrocities – and, to this day, you have never apologized. Even last night, you claimed to be proud of your post-war condemnation of our actions.

We’re proud of our service in Vietnam. We served honorably in Vietnam and we were deeply hurt and offended by your comments when you came home.

You can’t have it both ways. You can’t build your convention and much of your campaign around your service in Vietnam, and then try to say that only those veterans who agree with you have a right to speak up. There is no double standard for our right to free speech. We all earned it.

You said in 1992 “we do not need to divide America over who served and how.” Yet you and your surrogates continue to criticize President Bush for his service as a fighter pilot in the National Guard.

We are veterans too – and proud to support President Bush. He’s been a strong leader, with a record of outstanding support for our veterans and for our troops in combat. He’s made sure that our troops in combat have the equipment and support they need to accomplish their mission.

He has increased the VA health care budget more than 40% since 2001 – in fact, during his four years in office, President Bush has increased veterans funding twice as much as the previous administration did in eight years ($22 billion over 4 years compared to $10 billion over 8.) And he’s praised the service of all who served our country, including your service in Vietnam.

We urge you to condemn the double standard that you and your campaign have enforced regarding a veteran’s right to openly express their feelings about your activities on return from Vietnam.

Sincerely,


Texas State Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson
Rep. Duke Cunningham
Rep. Duncan Hunter
Rep. Sam Johnson
Lt. General David Palmer
Robert O'Malley, Medal of Honor Recipient
James Fleming, Medal of Honor Recipient
Lieutenant Colonel Richard Castle (Ret.)

###

8/25/04
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| Paid for by Bush-Cheney '04, Inc. |
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[A_Possum]

1. Lies. Kerry's real testimony...get it OUT THERE

Kerry, the Congressional Record, 1971:

"Mr. Kerry: Well, Senator, frankly it does not appeal to me if American men have to continue to die when they don't have to, particularly when it seems the Government of this country is more concerned with the legality of where men sleep than it is with the legality of where they drop bombs. (Applause.)...

...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...

...But I think if we can talk in this legislative body about filibustering for porkbarrel 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."

[ET Awful]

2. More lies and distortions . . . does it never stop?

What a load of pigshit.

[seabeyond]

3. yada yada yada

shrug

[JohnKleeb]

4. umm

that 87 billion went not to the troops but to Haliburton. The attrocities did happen, believe it or not. Bush gutted veterans benefits. I respect these guys for their service but Bush doesn't give a fuck about vets.

[JI7]

5. so argue on the FACTS of what Kerry said if you have a problem with it

but they can't do that because kerry was right about the war. which is why they lied about his military record. and then distort even what he said afterwards.

[wndycty]

6. Here is the problem with the "response"

. . .they bring up his testimony, which is one of the SBV main bones of contention so are they (THE BUSH CAMPAIGN) now using this as an opportunity to validate what is coming from the SBV and thus coordinating their message. . .I mean isn't that what the new ad campaign is about?

[Connie_Corleone]

14. It just makes them look more

in cahoots with SBVs by bringing up Kerry's 1971 testimony.

[wndycty]

19. Exactly. . .either they are going to distance themselves or embarace SBV

They cannot have it both ways. Someone needs to call them on this.

[Cocoa]

7. it's a total non sequitur

first of all, Cleland and Rassman are not there to see the Texas Land Commissioner or those other people, whoever they are, and second, their letter does not address anything Kerry's boys are talking about.

[lancdem]

20. Exactly

[MallRat]

8. So does this mean Bush-Cheney SUPPORTS 527's after all?

"You can’t have it both ways. You can’t build your convention and much of your campaign around your service in Vietnam, and then try to say that only those veterans who agree with you have a right to speak up. There is no double standard for our right to free speech. We all earned it."

FLIP.
FLOP.

[wndycty]

13. Exactly they have come to the defense of the SBV

They are free to do so, but that contridicts what they have been saying.

[JuniorPlankton]

9. Dis-gus-ting!

[Proud2BAmurkin]

10. What a monumentally stupid response.

Karl must be on vacation, or getting senile.

[annxburns]

Holy crap ....

they released a campaign statement. What a disaster for the Bush campaign.

[SaveElmer]

11. Very Lame...

And another dodge!!!

This is rebounding on Bush I don't think they know how to respond yet...

Just like Iraq, Bush has no exit strategy!

[WI_DEM]

12. that will be a major question in the debate and Kerry should be

ready to pounce on Bush when he addresses it.

[ItsMyParty]

15. who are the yahoos who wrote the letter--this isn't from Bush/Cheney

.this is from some local dog catchers down there. Max didn't give them the letter he gave it to the boy who dresses up and plays CIC. Oh, and Bush can hardly be called a "veteran, too"----he's a "desserter during a time of war, too", but not an honorable veteran.

[RetroLounge]

16. More right-wing bullshit.

"And that’s why we are so concerned about the comments you made AFTER you came home from Vietnam. You accused your fellow veterans of terrible atrocities – and, to this day, you have never apologized"

Stupid fuckers never read the testimony, or they would know he didn't say that.

This letter was written for them, obviously.

RL

[annxburns]

22. Duh, some veterans did commit atrocities

250 were convicted of war crimes.

And you think this is going to ring true after Abu Graib?

[Spazito]

17. Here is Cleland's letter to bush, his is awesome, bush's is trash, imo

Dear President Bush:

We, the undersigned members of the United State Senate call on you to specifically condemn the recent attack ads and accompanying campaign which dishonor Senator John Kerry’s combat record in the Vietnam War. These false charges represent the worst kind of politics, and we agree with both Senator John McCain and Senator Kerry that a firmly established service record in the United States Military is fully above reproach. As veterans of the armed services, we ask that you recognize this blatant attempt at character assassination, and publicly condemn it.

Our outrage over these advertisements and tactics has nothing to do with the tax code or campaign finance reform efforts of this nation. Our pain from seeing these slanderous attacks stems from something much more fundamental, that if one veteran’s record is called into question, the service of all American veterans is questioned. This administration must not tacitly comply with unfounded accusations which have suddenly appeared 35 years after the fact, and serve to denigrate the service of a true American patriot. The veterans serving today should never have to expect this kind of treatment, when the wars of their generation have passed into history. We brothers and sisters in arms expect our Commander-in-Chief to stand up and reject this assault upon John Kerry’s honor, the honor of American veterans and that of the United States Navy.

As you yourself have said, there is nothing complicated about supporting our troops. The leader so of this nation should make it clear that the members of our military will not only be supported when they wear the uniform, but also when they return home to the land they fought to defend. Their valor and their wounds, both physical and psychological, make them heroes for as long as they live, a status which should not and must not change simply because they seek to enter public service. We who wore the uniform, served in different branches of the military join together today to defend a fellow veteran from attacks we know to be false, and politically-motivated slander. Such attacks have no place in our democratic process.

Mr. President, as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, we believe you owe a special duty to America’s combat veterans when they are under false and scurrilous attacks. We hope you will recognize this duty, and speak out against this group and their efforts to smear the reputation of a man who has served this country nobly.

Call on this group to cease and desist. We can return this campaign season to a discussion of the issues on either side, and restore faith in the political system. As Americans, we should expect nothing less.

Sincerely,

Daniel Inouye

Ernest Hollings

Tom Harkin

Frank Lautenberg

Tom Carper

Jon Corzine

Daniel K. Akaka

Jack Reed

Bill Nelson

[Lex]

18. This asshat doesn't realize that free speech doesn't extend to LIES.

"You can’t have it both ways. You can’t build your convention and much of your campaign around your service in Vietnam, and then try to say that only those veterans who agree with you have a right to speak up. There is no double standard for our right to free speech. We all earned it."


Veterans can agree or disagree with Kerry. Fine.

But NONE of them have a right to LIE about his record.

[Claire Beth]

21. Why am I NOT surprised....

they would come back with more lies??

[Keirsey]

23. Dubya's support of our veterans?

Bush Proposed Doubling Costs Of Prescription Drugs For Veterans
This year Bush proposed increasing prescription drugs costs for veterans. The Bush plan would have included a new $250 enrollment fee and a co pay increase from $7 to $15 for veterans earning over $24,000. On July 21, the House Appropriations Committee agreed to a Democratic amendment to reject the Bush fee increases and recoup the $264 million in costs by reducing administrative funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Bush Decided To Cut Benefits For Middle-Income Veterans
On January 16, 2003, the Bush Administration announced it would cut access to health care benefits for 160,000 middle-income veterans due to budget constraints. John Pettyjohn, an Oklahoma veteran who served in Vietnam, said of the cuts, "On one hand, we're sending our sons and daughters out to war and possibly to die, yet on the other hand we're punishing a certain class of veterans who've made money in their lives. The government made a promise to us. What they're doing now is wrong."

Active duty:

Pentagon Planned To Cut Pay Of Troops Serving In Iraq And Afghanistan
On April 2, 2003, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to increase pay for soldiers in "imminent danger" areas by 50 percent. Pay for families of active-duty troops was increased 150 percent. The increase was the first to imminent-danger pay since the first Gulf War, and the first to families since 1997. The increases were temporary, and set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year on September 30. Bush's Defense Department effectively decided "to cut the pay of its 148,000 U.S. troops in Iraq, who are already contending with guerrilla-style attacks, homesickness and 120-degree-plus heat" by opposing renewal of the pay raises.

After criticism from Democrats, the Pentagon announced that current salaries for troops in Iraq and Afghanistan would not be cut, but such efforts may come at the expense of troops serving elsewhere.
Bush Budget Cut Millions From Education Funds For Military Children
Bush's 2004 budget cut $200 million from Impact Aid, a program that helps military children receive a quality education. The military portion of Impact Aid would fall in Bush's budget from $635 to $435 million. Bush tried to cut $3 million from Impact Aid in 2003 as well.

Bush's Tax Cut For The Wealthy Excluded Military Families
Bush's 2004 tax cut failed to extend a child tax credit to 200,000 low-income military families. Soldiers whose "with taxable incomes below $26,625 are ineligible for the increase in the maximum child tax credit from $600 to $1,000 that was part of a tax bill signed into law in May." Among those whose families are left out of the Bush tax cut are soldiers serving in combat zones.

[Keirsey]

27. bottom line

Bush refused to address the issues in the letter.

chickenshit chickenhawk

[TNOE]

36. Yea, This is what I wanted to see

thanks for the post!

[PretzelWarrior]

24. Kerry's response to Bush campaign letter:

Dear lovable losers:

Eat my dust because I'm leaving you behind right here and now. I made my campaign about my fighting spirit and my war hero credentials because your candidate had the temerity to show up with his enhanced crotch on an aircraft carrier a mile off the coast of San Diego and proclaim through implication that he is the military president.

I'm merely providing a bar againt which to measure the service (or lack thereof) of the current president who throws our troops into open-ended conflicts without regard for their safety, morale, and eventual return to their homes.

This guy wants to stand in front of military uniforms? He's gonna get a full battalion of military guys who vouch for me

[geek tragedy]

25. No coordination there. Nope.

Just picking up on the Swiftvets talking points and defending them.

Nope. No coordination at all.

Hit 'em hard, John!

Nice lies about Kerry's voting record as well.

[lancdem]

29. That whole letter defending the SBVT

is issued by the Bush-Cheney campaign. Are these people that stupid?

[geek tragedy]

32. Especially after saying he wants to get rid of all 527's

and that he had nothing to do with it.

There's a word for this kind of behavior Flap-flup? Flim-flam? I know it will come to me eventually . . .

[desi]

26. So AWOL lacks the character to personally reply to Kerry, Cleland

and Rassman and chooses to hide behind HIS surrogates. A coward during Nam and still a coward today.

[geek tragedy]

28. So he now he's all for protecting the right of 527's to smear Kerry/

Can't they choose a theme for more than one day?

[ApolloCreedLives]

31. That's a flip flop!

[Pirate Smile]

30. I love the line that Bush made sure the troops had all the equipment

and support they need - are you kidding me? The Humvees were not armored up, back-door draft, lies and extensions about when they will get out of Iraq, and on and on and on.

Great - lets tie this to Shrub and the Iraq War.

[Inland]

33. Schizophrenic

[Feanorcurufinwe]

34. Bush too cowardly to sign his name.

[LynnTheDem]

35. Is bush's admin really so UNAWARE OF FACTS???

Doesn't it worry Americans that the bushCartel DON'T KNOW governmental things that they certainly should know all about???

1. Kerry voted for separating out the $ for troops and paying that immediately, and then debating further over the $ for reconstruction, EXACTLY as the MAJORITY of REPUBLICANS ALSO DID; as the VAST MAJORITY OF AMERICANS WANTED DONE.

-do bushCartel NOT KNOW THIS???

-do bushCartel NOT KNOW how to read THEIR OWN LEGISLATURE???

2. BUSH threatened to VETO HIS OWN BILL and not pay one single penny out for our troops if he didn't get exactly what he wanted.

-does bush NOT KNOW HE DID THIS???

3. WHAT KERRY SAID when he spoke to CONGRESS is a matter of OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL RECORDS.

-Is the bush administration UNAWARE of this?

-Does the bush administration NOT KNOW HOW to find/read/comprehend their own OFFICIAL CONGRESSIONAL RECORDS?

4. Could they show where Kerry criticized bush's non-service??? Do they mean like the same way bush's SBLs LIED and continue to LIE about Kerry's service???

-are they unaware of the definition of LIE?

-do they not know the difference between asking for evidence versus telling LIES?

5. IN FACT, bush has CUT VETERAN'S BENEFITS THREE TIMES.

In FACT, bush tried to CUT HAZARD and COMBAT PAY for our troops while our troops were IN COMBAT in Iraq & Afghanistan.

IN FACT bush refused to subsidize hospitals to stop them from CHARGING WOUNDED SOLDIERS from having to PAY their OWN MEALS, until a huge fuss was made of it; then bush gave in, but only a temporary subsidy which ENDED and wounded troops are AGAIN PAYING their OWN HOSPITAL MEALS.

And let's not forget the FACT that bush rushed our troops to "last resort" war for a "not imminent future threat" WITHOUT enough RIFLES and AMMO and FOOD and WATER and BODY ARMOR and and and.

-Does bush NOT KNOW this??? Has he FORGOTTEN all the times he tried to NICKLE AND DIME our troops and veterans the last 4 years???

This letter shows very clearly; these people are either so stupid they don't know their own legislature...or they do know, and are lying for partisan purposes.

Either way, why would anyone want them to remain in governmental positions???

[Kimber Scott]

37. Everybody has the right to speak freely - not lie.

Ask Martha Stewart.

[ScreamingMeemie]

38. This line cracks me up:

"You said in 1992 “we do not need to divide America over who served and how.” Yet you and your surrogates continue to criticize President Bush for his service as a fighter pilot in the National Guard. "

Really...? he criticized him? Where? :eyes: