GREAT Kerry photos....shows why Kerry WILL beat bush* (pics)

[diamond14]

Kerry regularly mentions his Vietnam War combat experience, during which he received three purple hearts, the Silver Star and Bronze Star.



"We came here to undertake one last mission, to search out and destroy the last vestige of this barbaric war," Kerry told the cheering mass.




On April 23, 1971, Kerry led members of VVAW in a protest during which they threw their medals and ribbons over a fence in front of the U.S. Capitol.



At a jammed Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on April 23, 1971, Kerry took his case to Congress. With television cameras lining the walls and Kerry dressed in his green fatigues decorated with his Silver Star and Purple Heart ribbons, he gave testimony that defined him and made possible his political career. In a style, reminiscent of John Kennedy, Kerry asked, "How do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Vietnam – How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"



During Memorial Day weekend, he joined a throng of antiwar protesters on the green in Lexington, Mass., where he and hundreds of others were arrested.


and in 2004....KERRY IS THE MAN !!!!!

Go Kerry.....
http://www.JohnKerry.com

[Jacobin]

1. All pre-Botox and IWR vote, I notice.

Yes. A much better picture back then. Unfortunately, we have to deal with what he is today.

[liberalhistorian]

3. And "what he is today"

is still a helluva damn sight better than the Boy King Impostor currently occupying the WH!

[Jacobin]

5. I'm having trouble trusting that idea that I would like to believe

Mr. FlipFlop, War was Correct is freaking me out.

I feel myself turning green..........

[aquart]

10. Yes, and if he gets the nom, I'll vote for him.

But not in the primary.

He is completely comfortable with granting a President total power.

I'm not.

[aquart]

8. He was quite a guy.

So was Hubert Humphrey before he became Johnson's enabler.

I don't know if it's against the rules here, but something was said about Humphrey that year the Democratic machine pushed him into the nomination over Eugene McCarthy. I read it in a column but I don't know whose: "All whores were once virgins."

Humphrey was the choice of the party. But McCarthy was the man thousands of volunteers nationwide wanted.

Humphrey lost.

[calimary]

27. Hey! Watch it on the Botox! I'm considering it myself!

That said, I have some discomforts with Kerry myself, but I like the reminders of him as a longhair. My husband and I were longhairs.

And he's INFINITELY preferable to the First Schmuck. Even with the nits about him that I'm still trying to figure out ways to justify not picking...

I remain a Dean supporter, but my vote IS transferable.

[liberalhistorian]

2. All his campaign would have

to do is put the picture of him receiving his medal next to a picture of the Chimp in his "flight suit", and then a pic of the Chimp partying hearty while Kerry and others were fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, and it would really take off!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. Kinda like this?

[Emillereid]

14. Actually I wish Kerry made less of his Vietnam war experience

and more of his anti-Vietnam war activities. In my view those men who refused to fight in that ugly, illegal, immoral war that killed an estimated 3 million Vietnamese are my heroes.

[liberalhistorian]

29. While I understand what you're trying to say,

I must respectfully disagree. While Vietnam was indeed wrong and senseless, the men (a lot of them no more than boys, really, and my uncle was one of them, he served two years there as a Marine beginning at the ripe old age of 19) who served in that war were, for the most part, doing what they thought was best for the country.

The president and military and everyone on down the line in leadership sold them a bill of goods on how important it was to protect south Vietnam from Communism and that if they didn't, Communism would overtake the U.S. and other similar garbage.

And frankly, the majority were lower-income and/or minority, those whose families couldn't afford to keep them out of Vietnam through college deferments or daddy pulling strings (as in Dubya's case) and who really didn't think they had much of a choice once they were drafted.

And they suffered through some really horrible conditions and horrible events that have scarred far too many of them to this very day. Far too many Vietnam vets are homeless, mentally ill, etc., etc., something that ought to make all of those responsible who are still alive (are you listening, McNamara?) hang their heads in shame, if they have any shame to begin with, that is, which I doubt.

58,000 young men and women lost their lives because of a senseless, stupid, wrong, foreign policy, most of whom would have been contributing, productive members of society and who should have been given the chance to be just that. And this is not at all to denigrate those who refused to serve, that was admirable and courageous.

[Emillereid]

30. I was an active antiwar activist during Vietnam and I can tell you

that there was plenty of opportunity to learn what the real deal was with Vietnam. There were thousands who refused to be drafted -- some went to Canada, some went to jail, some even went into the army to organize against the war and ended up in the brig. There were a lot of other more creative solutions.

Obviously I don't denigrate most of the kids who got drafted and didn't feel like they much choice - but I just don't want to make heroes of them either. And frankly Kerry should have known better -- he enlisted for Christ sakes. Like I said before I'd think more of Kerry if instead of touting his Vietnam was experiences, he boasted of his active anti-war activities instead.

[liberalhistorian]

31. I wasn't at all trying to make

heroes of them, just trying to show that they were also victims. And anyone who's been to the Wall in Washington cannot help but feel an overwhelming sadness for all the needlessly lost lives and overwhelming anger at those who sent other people's sons off to a war they knew was senseless and wrong.

And had I been old enough at that time, I know I would have been one of the anti-war activists (I vaguely remember an anti-war rally my parents took me to when I was four years old, I was born in 1965). I went to Kent State, I was very active in a lot of progressive/liberal groups, including the May Fourth Task Force (where I got to meet and work with many of the wounded students, their families, and the victims' families).

But I also have a lot of respect for my uncle for what he and those like him endured.

And we have to be realistic and recognize that, unfortunately, Kerry's anti-war activism will not play as well as his Vietnam service, particularly in this militarily-sensitive time.

[mb7588a]

40. See or read "Born on the Fourth of July"

for the best account of what it means to have served voluntarily in something so stupid. They are to be honored for doing such a thing, not ridiculed or told by us what they should do, merely for political gain.

[liberalhistorian]

25. OMG, that is

just PERFECT! Someone should make up some campaign posters with that.

[flpoljunkie]

4. Here's a great b&w collage which includes some of your photos...

[bushisanidiot]

23. Great graphic!! It Gave Me Chills! :)

he's clearly a good man and makes the chimp look ..well, like a chimp!! hahahaha!!

[calimary]

28. Anybody standing with John Lennon can't be all bad.

GOD I MISS JOHN LENNON!!!!!!!

[nightperson]

38. That collage

totally works. The John Lennon photo puts it over the top. I hope to see more use of such strong material. The Bush campaign can't ever get a mile near it. Totally devastating.

[Duder]

6. More current...

[economic justice]

7. Some of those pictures will come back to haunt him <eom>

[Emillereid]

11. I surmize that you're a Kerry supporter -- please

help me understand how this man who appeared to have such a clear, articulate vision against the Vietnam War would vote for a resolution giving up his constitutional obligation as a Senator to 'declare' war and hand it over to any president, especially the dufus that now occupies the White House. It smells of expedience and cowardice. But I take the constitution very seriously -- in fact, if I had my druthers I would amend the constitution in such a way that the Senate could not give up this mandate and that except in some well thought out dire emergencies, the president would not be allowed to wage war without an explicit declaration from the Senate.

I mean even if he and the others believed that Hussein had WMDs, etc. -- why give a blank check. Why not make the president make the case for a declaration of war, make sure that Iraq was indeed an imminent threat to our security (not this preventive war crap). It seemed to me that the Congress just wanted to have the responsibility taken out of their hands. But it was put in their hands for good reasons -- the declaration of war should be a measured, ponderous, deliberative decision. Just because the Senate washed it's hands of the decision making responsibility, doesn't mean that the senators can wash the blood of so many innocent Iraqis from their hands. If Kerry would at least admit it was an onerous mistake -- something so I can figure out a way to really support should he become our candidate.

[diamond14]

20. the reTHUGlican spinners try to paint the resolution to justify bush*

but most people NEVER read the resolution....have YOU read the resolution????

the resolution was NOT an authorization for bush* to bomb Iraq....


Presidents can and have had "wars" without congressional resolutions...Vietnam, Bosnia, Granada, Columbia, Gulf War 1...and many many more...congress did not give bush* any 'extra' authority...the resolution re-iterates authority that a President already has vested in the office...it gave bush* no additional authority...

the entire congress voted for the resolution (except for a few noted exceptions)...the main reason was that the resolution offered the support-of-congress for the pResident to go back to the UN, and insist on more inspections.....which the shrub did not do...the shrub distorted that support, totally insulted the UN, was determined to use anything to go to war....

as John Kerry so poignantly put it: "Who'd have known that bush* would have f**ked it up so bad" (the entire media would not pursue that issue...but focussed on hammering Kerry on use of the 'F' word).....

-----------------------------
here's a news report
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/clips/news_2003_0902d.html

-snips-

Certainly a strong show of force was all that would have gotten inspectors back into the country.

As nearly as I can figure it, Kerry's position was to get inspectors back in the country and then see if America's national interests could be safeguarded short of war.

-------------------------

and here are a lot more news article on Kerry & Iraq, and TV shows with Kerry talking about his position on Iraq....
http://www.johnkerry.com/issues/iraq/index.html

[TLM]

12. Too bad Kerry lied about throwing his metals....

Mr. Kerry, how do you ask a man to be the last man to die in Iraq?


How do you ask a man do die for YOUR mistake?

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. He didn't throw his metals?

I heard he did.

[Buffler]

19. Didn't do it

he threw someone elses. His hang on the wall in his office.

[diamond14]

21. no, Kerry threw the RIBBONS, not the medals...all medals come

with ribbons, and the ribbons went over the fence in protest to the Vietnam wall.....


BTW, many Vietnam Veterans have left their ribbons AND medals at the Vietnam Wall in protest....and some have been left by their families...


my cousin died in the Vietnam War, 19 years old, medic...died saving other people's lives ....his Dad left the medals at the Wall in protest....Silver Star (for valor on the battlefield) and Purple Heart...the medals mean little in an unjust war.....his Dad died from grief a few years later...

[WiseMen]

34. He did not claim to throw his medal. Just the opposite. Many medals

and ribbon were handed off for the throw-fest, esp by wounded who
could not participate. Kerry said that he threw some for a fellow
vet who couldn't. He never lied about that.

Why would someone who risk his life over an over for his comrades
have to lie about that. What kind of persons propagate this type of trash.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

13. As Bob Dole showed us, being a veteran does NOT.....

give you a right to the Presidency; but it SURE DOES HELP!

John Kerry can beat Bush BIGTIME!

[flpoljunkie]

15. Here's another one on the NH campaign trail today...a nice moment

[in_cog_ni_to]

17. What a CUTE baby! n/t

[Buffler]

18. Medals

On April 23, 1971, Kerry led members of VVAW in a protest during which they threw their medals and ribbons over a fence in front of the U.S. Capitol. Except for Kerry who kept his medals, which hang on the wall of his office today.

[bushisanidiot]

22. Apparently, He Threw His Ribbons, Not His Medals. Rove's Disinformation

campaign loves spinning it like he "threw someone else's medals" or some other such lie. I guess if you lie often enough, eventually, morons will believe it.

[Dhalgren]

24. Why can't all of us have candidates that we

support and at the same time show support and honor to those that are not our first choice? I am not a Kerry supporter, and I have problems with his IWR vote, but I would never belittle his service to his country, both in Vietnam and in the streets at home protesting Vietnam. Kerry has been a fine man his whole life, as far as I can tell, and just because I might prefer a different candidate to him, is no reason to try and tear him down. Sorry for the rant.

[liberalhistorian]

26. Anyone else notice that,

in the first picture, the one of him receiving his medal, he looks a little like David James Elliott (Commander Rabb) on JAG?

[adadem]

35. Yes he does n/t

[question everything]

32. Has anyone mentioned the interview with Teresa Heinz Kerry on Newsweek?

Apologies if others have. We just got our copy in today's mail.
For some reason I cannot find the story itself online and cannot provide the link though it is mentioned on its home page http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032542/ scroll down in the middle under "web exclusive stories"

[Kahuna]

33. Kerry's not gunna beat bush...

Clark is. :7

[IndianaGreen]

36. The Kerry in those pictures is not the Kerry that is running for President

The Kerry in those pictures, and in the one photo in which he appears with John Lennon, would have never voted for PATRIOT Act or for IWR.

So, don't ask me to vote for Kerry because he is not the same Kerry that appears in those pictures.

[hellhathnofury]

37. Did Kerry actually throw his medal's away?

[genius]

39. I love those pictures.

But is he as liberal now?

[JI7]

41. yes, but

i think he is also more realistic in the things he can do and how he can get things done. he understands with the republicans in control of congress things will be tough so we have to win back congress and get support of republicans to pass things we want. like when kerry worked with mccain on pow/mia cases in vietnam. he has also attended many international meetings on the environment. these are things you usually don't hear about in the big media, but they are important in helping get things done.

[JohnKleeb]

42. I think he is

His position on medical marijuana isn't Dennis's which is the best but its far from Dracoian and I would call it fair. Kerry is a liberal and his record doesnt hide it, thats why I am willing to support him should Kucinich drop out and for the mean time support them both equal.