The bar for political discussion needs to be raised just a tad...
President Bush Refuses to Condemn Smear Ad
...Yet Praises Kerrys Noble Military Service
The following statement was issued by Kerry campaign spokesperson, Chad Clanton, in response to President Bush continuing to refuse to condemn the smear campaign against John Kerrys military service, a smear campaign that Senator McCain has called dishonest and dishonorable:
Tonight President Bush called Kerrys service in Vietnam noble. But in the same breath refused to heed Senator McCains call to condemn the dirty work being done by the Swift Boat Vets for Bush. Once again, the President side-stepped responsibility and refused to do the right thing. His credibility is running out as fast as his time in the White House.
CNNS LARRY KING LIVE TRANSCRIPT, 8/12/04
LARRY KING: In view of that, do you think that it's fair for the record, John Kerry's service record, to be an issue at all?
GEORGE W. BUSH: No, I think it is an issue because he
he views it as honorable service and so do I.
AND A BIT LATER
GEORGE W. BUSH: But the senator [Kerry] ought to be proud of his record.
LARRY KING: Senator McCain has been very strong condemning it, now hes very strong endorsing you.
GEORGE W. BUSH: He has, but Senator Kerry is justifiably proud of his record in Vietnam and should be. It's noble service.
Even Leading Republicans Have Denounced These Smear Ads Against Kerry: Why wont George W. Bush?
John McCain: Dishonest & Dishonorable
John McCain Says Its Dishonest & DishonorableSame Thing That Happened to Him in 2000. Republican Sen. John McCain, a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, called an ad criticizing John Kerrys military service "dishonest and dishonorable" and urged the White House on Thursday to condemn it as well. It was the same kind of deal that was pulled on me, McCain said in an interview with The Associated Press, referring to his bitter Republican primary fight with President Bush. [AP, 8/5/04]
General Tommy Franks: Vitriolic & Hyperbole
Tommy Franks, Republican Convention Speaker, Denounced These Ads and Called Them Vitriolic & Hyperbole [ABC, This Week with Stephanopoulos, 8/8/04]
Pat Buchanan: Wrong & Unsubstantiated
Pat Buchanan Says the Ad is Wrong and Unsubstantiated: I think the ad -- not a single charge is substantiated. A number of statements just say, he is an awful, untrustworthy person. So I think the ad is wrong. But here is one thing I would say. These fellows who are making the charges in this book, Unfit to Command, let's take a look at what their credentials are. [MSNBC, Scarborough Country, 8/6/04]
Nebraska GOP Governor: Trash
Nebraska Republican Governor Calls the Ad Trash: Gov. Mike Johanns among those who think the attack ads that question John Kerry's military service are nothing more than trash. Johanns, a Republican, has a long record of opposing negative campaign tactics. Some opponents of Kerry have questioned whether he deserved the three purple hearts, Bronze Star and Silver Star he received for action in Vietnam as a Navy officer who commanded a "swift boat" in the Mekong Delta. The White House distanced itself from the ads, saying it did not question Kerry's service. Johanns told the Grand Island Independent that he supported the re-election bid of President Bush, but said attack ads during the campaign could make it difficult for the eventual winner of the contest to be fully effective. [Nebraska State Paper 8/7/04;
http://nebraska.statepaper.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/
08/07/4114e153c11e5]
Bill Kristol: Ridiculous
Bill Kristol Calls These Ads Ridiculous"Its kind of ridiculous for other people to show up and say no he didn't." [Fox News Sunday, 8/8/04]
Rudy Giuliani: Wrong to Attack Kerry Like This
Rudy Giuliani Says Republicans Wrong to Question Kerrys Vietnam Record: Like the questions I heard you ask before, questioning John Kerrys record in Vietnam. I think people on the Republican side are wrong to do that. [ABC, This Week with Stephanopoulos, 8/8/2004]