Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: April 25, 2004 – May 01, 2004 Archives:
George W. Bush has faced three opponents (McCain, Gore and Kerry) since he came onto the national political stage — each served in Vietnam, though each under very different circumstances. He’s had his lieutenants attack the service of each one.
So here we have the same pattern again — no different. The president wants to challenge John Kerry’s military service. So he gets Karen to do it for him. You can get tripped in the chutzpah of this because this not only throws light on an earlier period when the president couldn’t fight his own fights, it repeats the pattern.
It seems risky to attack a soldier for their service, especially one with multiple decorations or one whose sacrifices are obvious (John Kerry, Robert Kerrey, Max Cleland): it’s not like a Purple Heart is a winning Lotto ticket. And it seems even less sensible when the attacker has managed to avoid putting themselves in a harm’s way.
On the other hand, attacking those who initiated a war and made the decision to send young men and women to their deaths is not just sensible but should be required if we are to consider ourselves a free people.
I think it’s wise for the Kerry campaign to let the documents do their talking on this, but I hope to see this issue come up in a debate, when it’s just the candidates, no handlers, no family retainers.