Mixed Feelings, Vietnam Vets Appear as Divided as Other Voters

[Rose Siding]

this is the end of the article- the rest is mostly stress inducing

McCloskey, the former congressman, has first-hand experience with the politics of war records. He challenged Richard Nixon for the Republican presidential nomination in '72, and is a highly-decorated Marine veteran in Korea, where he earned the Navy Cross, a silver star, and two purple hearts.

"It wasn't important in '96: You had this marvelous war veteran, Bob Dole, one of the finest men I've ever known in politics, running against the guy who had dodged combat in his youth," McClosky says. "And in 1972, you had George McGovern, who had a silver star, who's a real war hero, a quiet, modest man, never made much of his war hero, against Nixon who never heard a shot fired in anger."

McCloskey is surprised Kerry's war record has become such an issue.

"If you're a veteran, you can have great reasons to hate George Bush, who dodged combat, or to hate John Kerry, for some reason that he said the war was wrong at a time when people were fighting and dying," McCloskey says. "My guess is that this whole political campaign won't change the minds more than 5 percent of the veterans."

http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/Nightline/Vote2004/veterans_kerry_bush_vote2004_040815-1.html

*McCloskey, former eight-term repub Congressman

[Ernesto]

1. Pete was one of many old time repugs that

had integrity. Too bad they have turned into a well orchestrated partisan pack of hyenas... Poor bastards just couldn't get over a little thing called watergate.

[NNN0LHI]

2. To hell with any Vietnam vet who votes for Bush

I turned 18 in 1973 and would have been drafted and sent to that meat grinder to kill and perhaps be killed in 1974 if it were not for the real heroes of my time like Kerry who had the guts to stand up and say stop the insanity. Anyone who thinks Vietnam was a good idea is a complete fucking idiot.

Don

[jukes]

3. some of us are still trying

to justify what they did. i accepted myself on this issue a long time ago. i realize i shd have been wearing black pajamas rather than tigerstripe. i also realize i was too young to make a rational decision & was dreadfully misled.

[bemildred]

4. Welcome home troop, rest your mind.

Nobodies keeping score on that one anymore.

[jukes]

5. that's how i feel

unfortunately, others are still looking for a palatable vision of it. those are the bush supporters among vets. if they can justify this 1, then they really didn't do what they did.

there's no nobility in war. they need to face it, realize they were duped, & quit supporting the conmen.

[bemildred]

6. Well said.

The truth sets you free.

[Cha]

7. Yeah! Like you can't change your mind about

if it's a just war or not after going over and fighting in said war.

We all know it was a wrong war after the fact..Kerry just came out against it with first hand knowledge.

I just hope Kerry is able to bring about a Peace in Iraq.

[francisurquhart]

9. I Hate to Say It

But if we don't neutralize this "Unfit for Command" and the rest, it'll turn bad.

I think that the anti-war protests (which aren't widely known among the general public) are the biggest program.

It all fits with the GOP's narrative. He's for it before he's against it. And having Scott O'Grady call Kerry a "traitor" the other day certianly didn't help- it's hard to attack someone like Scott O'Grady. We're just lucky Hurricane Charley came when it did.

We should have nominated Dean. When you go through Kerry's entire record, even the most fair-minded person has little choice but to conclude that the man is nothing more than a shameless oppertonist.

I mean, it takes some nerve to make your name as a leading opponent of a war and then, three and a half decades later, run for Preisdent largely based upon your combat record.

I'll vote for him, but I'm going to have to get drunk before I do. In any case, in order to make this work, we're just going to have to rely upon Bush hatred to get through.

[0rion]

11. +1

[lottie244]

8. That's because there are good soldiers and evil soldiers.

the evil ones know who they are. They know what they did. And they hate anyone who exposed them.

[goforit]

10. You have got to be kidding!!!

You have to be able to some light in the tunnel.

[0rion]

12. I wonder how the Iraq War will play out 40 years from now....

with veterans from this war who have come home disillusioned.....