Reply #3: Good memory.

[Octafish]

In those statements Sen. John Kerry was supporting the candidacy of Gov. Bill Clinton, who did what he could to stay out of uniform. There are a couple of letters documenting his thinking at the time. In the one where he changed his mind, he realized avoiding the draft threatened his "political viability."

I respect that Clinton did everything then above-board. He wrote to people and expressed his perspectives. He left a paper trail documenting what he did and why. He said, then, that he had changed his mind because if he wanted to be a political leader, he would have to demonstrate that he was willing to assume the same risks as anyone he might have to command.

Howard Dean did exactly the opposite in many ways. Dean, a son of priviledge, showed up with a doctor's note and an X-ray. He stated what needed to be said for the record. He got a medical deferment. The thing was false, however, as Dean was fit for service. Proof is that he spent that winter skiing, hitting the moguls for 80-plus days.