CSPAN Now...Kerry replay of 1971 testimony to Congress

[cally]

3:43 PST

Just watch and see what you think of Kerry. Try to remember the Viet Nam era and what his testimony meant.

[burythehatchet]

1. very useful program

meanwhile,

on CNN - Gay marriage

on Fox Michael jackson

on MSBNC - Laci

[yardwork]

2. And we wonder why the Bush regime is in power?

[burythehatchet]

3. Everything he is saying is as relevant today as it was then

remarkable

[burythehatchet]

5. "a mystical war against communism...er..terrorism

[WillyBrandt]

4. Wow--this is amazing

[burythehatchet]

8. His record will win him the popular vote

It is a exposition of the how liberalism prevails in the long run. Always.

I remember feeling the same way when they did an npr segment on the "hippies" who protested the construction of nuclear power until they found a way to dispose the waste. They warned that it would be a huge problem. Ask the people in the SW desert if they now agree with that assessment.


The kids getting applauded in the senate

[cally]

6. This is the Kerry I remember from my youth

This man knows war and the dangers of imperialism.

[burythehatchet]

9. Wow, you knew him then?

I'm an immigrant and never saw this. It was just after I arrived in 1970

[cally]

12. Not personally,

I knew his public persona. Sorry for the misstatement.

[burythehatchet]

13. That's not what I meant

I just dream about what a time it was in this country in the late 60's

[kissinger38D]

32. what a time?

I wasn't around for the late sixties, but I can tell you one thing. It lead us here. What a time.

[burythehatchet]

35. If you haven't yet scurried back to your hole, let me say

that what "led us here" is that our side cannot prevent what we know to be inevitable. But we always stick around to clean up after you guys...until the next time.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Powerful stuff.

I hope the anti-Kerry folks who have been bashing him as "pro-war" will tune this in and see what we knew 30 years ago about JK's character and leadership.

[burythehatchet]

10. This speech alone should win hiim this election

[burythehatchet]

11. Suicide, a bad economy, this is CREEPY

[FDRrocks]

14. Amazing n/t

[WillyBrandt]

15. I am amazed by this man

If his character now is like his character then, then he will make a great President.

[bowens43]

16. Wow.

Amazing speech.

[cally]

17. Where soldiers like us

see Viet Nam as not a desert but a turning (I'm trying with the quote) but he was saying that he saw Viet Nam as a turning point.

[TheDonkey]

18. very interesting. needs more coverage of course in the

main stream media.

[Lefty48197]

19. WOW - Extremely compelling testimony

This is the most impressed I've ever been with John Kerry. The Senators were equally impressed. During his testimony, Kerry referred to a previous conference held in Detroit where veterans described how they had maimed and dismembered Vietnamese casualties (the ears etc.) Recently, I've heard a lot of right wingers claim that Kerry was criticizing soldiers when he used those words. Now, I know that he was repeating those soldiers' own words in a very compelling manner.
If you haven't seen this testimony, then I highly recommend that you seek it out, and watch it. In fact, this should be replayed over and over during the campaign. The testimony defines Kerry's war stance in ways that Ed Gillespie won't be able to counter.

[berner59]

22. Symington's question...

Wanted to know what his medals were and then said "you were wounded 3 times? No questions..." Applause broke out...wow...

This is a must for Kerry ads...

[burythehatchet]

20. WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW

[Lefty48197]

21. Senator Stuart Symington:

"You have a silver star?" Kerry: "Yes sir" SS: "And you have a purple heart?" JK: "Yes sir" SS: "How many clusters do you have on it?" JK: "two" SS: "You mean you've been wounded three times?" JK: "Yes sir" SS: "I have no further questions" - Followed by lots of cheering and applause from the audience, during the Q & A session after Kerry's testimony.

[fairfaxvadem]

23. geez, speaking of responsibility in the messaging of youth...

even for 1971, pretty forward thinkging. Even then, Kerry was quoting the # of times young Americans are exposed to violence, the John Wayne attitude, the posters in the barracks, yelling "kill" on the 4th count in exercises...

Basically, this is in response to the Cally incident and whether Kerry thought he was right to be tried, etc.

Kerry was explaining that Yes, he should be held responsible, but so do those who were and are responsible for creating the environment whereby Cally thought it was okay to behave that way...

Unreal.

[riverwalker]

24. Amazing

To think he was only 27 years old when he testified. Look at those eyes! Intelligent, passionate, intense. How can anyone ever say this guy is "boring"? To see such insight and vision in someone so young is remarkable.

[TheDonkey]

25. how old was Mr. Kerry?

[cally]

27. 27 at this time

I'm amazed at his testimony

[diamond14]

26. never mentioned the alleged 'spitting on returning soldiers', which

most of us knew what just another reTHUGlican spin....no one ever 'spit' on soldiers....

Kerry spoke primarily of the 'indifference' of America to the Vietnam War.....most Americans tolerated the KILLING, just like the tolerance that you see today....

the KILLING goes on in bush* perpetual war...and Kerry's testimony in 1971 is a DUPLICATE of what is going on today in the Iraq war, just change the word 'Vietnam' to 'Iraq' and it's the same old sick story of the pentagoon....

[burythehatchet]

28. .

[XanaDUer]

29. I become more impressed with Sen. Kerry the more I hear from him.

Eom.

[suegeo]

30. The callers to C-Span afterward

I liked the lady who said something like "Kerry was speaking the truth to the lies. And some people don't like the sound of the truth."

Still true today.

[vetwife]

33. I watched with my hubby who is pro Kerrry ...he was there in 71

He had tears in his eyes and said, "Everything that man is saying is truth. Those people did not want us there and those people didn't want to fight. He also said. Communism is alive and well today so where is that guy calling coming off witht the defeat of it? A wall ? He shook his head and said, I remember people doing all of those things to the vietnamese and was even told the Geneva Convention did not apply. He was there/He knew and that is why he is pro Kerry ! That and the fact the war did not cause him to lose most of his brain cells.
He feels used and abused by the Vietnam War ! 100 percent disabled and covered in Agent Orange. Bronze star decorated..I think he qualifies to his and my opinion ! Anti war NOW !

[vetwife]

34. How are they gonna spin McCain as he is very good friends with Kerry

That band of brothers is deeper than most realize. The freepers who scream the loudest either # 1 enjoyed the torture or 2 were not in the combat zones up close and personal. You call only justify what was done so long and the rest ends up with PTSD ..I know I deal with vets everyday.

[Nameless]

31. The Freepers are going ballistic

Head on over to http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1102555/posts , those Freepers are just going nuts. Most of them are distorting his testimony about the Winter Soldiers Investigations in which he quoted soldiers as saying that they committed certain acts. It's amazing how they use the word traitor like its the only thing they know. The sad thing is that I tried to post a correction to the right-wing distortion of the line "They told stories that they personally raped, cut off ears.." but the Free Republic administrators promptly deleted my post and terminated my account. I guess the truth doesn't set you free in that republic.