John Kerry, I appreciate you and salute you. I'm also glad you're out.

[Jackpine Radical]

I'm a guy of your age, and an antiwar Vietnam vet. I won't forget what you did for us in the '70's. I won't forget VVAW. I also won't forget the '80's and what you did in investigating Iran-Contra. Too bad they undercut you, too bad they undercut Walsh, too bad Congress didn't impeach Reagan. You took the fight as far as you possibly could, and I won't forget.

In '04 I rode with Howard Dean as far as that ride would go. Your people did some things I didn't like in Iowa, but when the Dean boat went down I came aboard yours. Max Cleland helped pull me aboard with his one good arm. I looked in your eyes during your acceptance speech, and thought I saw the old Thousand Yard Stare. I wasn't the only one who saw it. A lot of vets came out of the wilderness and signed on with you at that moment.

There was a time when you knew what to do when you were attacked, John. A time when you would pick up whatever weapon was handy and charge your attackers, take the fight onto their territory and chase them down and kill them. I know. I saw that home movie from the Swiftboat. But you must have forgotten what you once knew. Or maybe you were just tired. Or maybe you listened to the armchair Admirals when they told you not to go into that shit-filled rice paddy and dirty yourself in the fight.

Whatever the reason, you let us down. No, the fight wasn't fair, and maybe you would have won if the referees were honest. They stole Ohio and no doubt Florida again too. But we always knew it was going to be a dirty fight, an uphill fight against a rigged system. We would have come with you, John. But you stopped. You dropped your weapons and slogged away.

We will always respect you, we will always love you. You have important work yet to do, and maybe your best days are still ahead. Maybe in the Senate, maybe in a vital Cabinet post in the coming Administration.

But John, I'm honestly relieved that you're not going to ask me to trust you to lead me up Hamburger Hill one more time.

[LSK]

1. psst: thats Howard Dean, not John Dean

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Urk!!

Senility. Thanks.

[ProSense]

2. Who accidently mistakes John Dean for Howard Dean? You'll edit this I'm sure. n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

5. I've just been reading John Dean's book

Conservatives Without Conscience. A little associative spillage there.

[LSK]

6. dont have to be rude about it n/t

[Just-plain-Kathy]

3. Kick and recommend....

You're right, Kerry didn't fight hard enough.

[racaulk]

7. Agreed

I was also a "Deaniac" who joined the Kerry camp after Dean conceded defeat. I have much love and respect for John Kerry and I'm proud to have supported his Presidential campaign. I know he has much work left to do, but I think for now the best place for him to do it is in the Senate, just as he has been doing for a long time.

Thank you, Senator Kerry. You made the right choice. :patriot:

K&R

[Phredicles]

8. Well said.

I'm liking Senator Kerry these days rather more than I did Candidate Kerry. I think this decision is for the best.