Yeah, Right, Whatever

Quite a few people are waxing poetic about Zel Miller's awesome speech and Vice President Cheney's recitation of Kerry's lack of credentials for the top job. So, instead of adding my $.02 to that, I've decided to look at a speech Senator Kerry gave yesterday morning to the American Legion. I'm not going to pick apart the entire thing- it was a long speech. I'll just hit the... uh... high points.

Eighty-five years ago, the American Legion was founded by and for our nation’s veterans. As one of those veterans who benefited from your advocacy and as one of your members, I am honored to accept your invitation to be here today and proud of what the American Legion does every day to advance the ideals of America.

Well, right out of the gate, he sticks his foot into it. At a political rally back in the early 70s, Kerry commented that he wouldn't be one of those who marched in parades with small American flags, paying tribute to soldiers from a bygone day. Guess he really changes his tune, depending on the audience...

And let there be no doubt – when I am president, you will have a fellow veteran in the White House who understands that those who fought for our country abroad should never have to fight for what they were promised at home.

So, he wants to be just like President Bush? How sweet! (President Bush has increased funding to the VA by over 40% from 2001 levels, and he's working on many VA reforms.)

After returning from Vietnam, I saw vets who weren't getting the care they needed – so we fought hard and got additional funding for V.A. hospitals, and hospital care for places that couldn't provide it.

"We" who? Senator Kerry was very involved with his VVAW group, but I hadn't realized that they were so involved in helping their fellow veterans. If that's true, then that's great. More likely, however, is that their incessant blathering caused someone to look around, and THAT person fought for more funding for VA hospitals. (He goes on for a while about how "'we did this' and 'we did that'", all about veterans benefits "we" helped enact.)

The job will be done when 500,000 veterans are not excluded from the VA healthcare system; when we stop closing VA hospitals, so that veterans don’t have to struggle or travel extraordinary distances to get the care they need.

Has he even checked into this, or he just reading what his writers give him? VA clinics are opening all over the place. When we moved to the Austin area, there was (and still is) a VA clinic in south Austin, plus a VA hospital in Temple (an hour away). Last year, they opened a new clinic a couple of miles from our house. Hubby has to drive a total of 5 minutes to get routine care, and an hour for tests, etc. And this is not an isolated case- veterans are more able to receive prompt, local care than they were when Bush came into Office.

The job will be done when 400,000 military retirees get full concurrent receipt. If you earned a pension – it’s yours – just like in the private sector. If you get a disability payment, it is because you have suffered. I don’t believe you subtract what you suffered from what you earned.

Oops, something we agree on. Moving right along...

The job will be done when we repeal the tax on military widows.

I'll go one farther, Mr. Kerry. In my perfect world, no US Veteran who stays in longer than his original obligation (or active duty service member) would pay income tax. Ever again. (Taxes on spouses income not included.) But that's just me.

And from standing with John McCain to find the truth about what happened to our POWs and MIAs in Vietnam to writing the legislation that provided help and health care to the victims of Agent Orange, I am proud of the fights we have won for our fellow veterans.

Mr. Kerry, when you and Senator McCain were on the POW/MIA committee, you did nothing but obstruction. If anything good came from that time on the committee, it was in spite of your efforts, not because of them. (And, another thing, John Edwards is your running mate, not John McCain. Did someone forget to mention that to you? McCain is supporting your opponent.)

No one in the United States doubted the outcome in Iraq or how swiftly the war would be won.

Well, you got it half right. No one doubted that we would be victorious. No one could have known that major combat operations would be over that fast. Remember those thunder runs? They weren't supposed to take that palace like they did. Your enemy isn't supposed to roll over like that. Little did we know that they'd cut and run and regroup in terror cells.

That's not how it's supposed to work. The Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki told Congress we would need several hundred thousand American troops to win the peace and do the job properly.

Well, General, that would have been nice IF we had that many troops to put there. Unfortunately, a lot of troops left (or were downsized out) during the Clinton Administration. The plan for Iraq was an inovative, out-of-the-box concept, and it worked. Perfectly? No. But, then again, no war plan does.

By dismissing the State Department’s plan for post-war Iraq and proceeding unilaterally, the civilian leadership simply did not put the mechanism in place to secure the country.They were unprepared for the looting, insecurity, and insurgency that burst out with the fall of Saddam’s regime.

First, I'm getting really tired of the word "unilateral." They obviously don't know the meaning of the word. Second, Yes, there was a plan to secure the country. Unprepared for looting, etc.? At the end of World War II, we had to stay in Germany because... of looting, insecurity, and unrest. And we stayed to secure the peace. It took over 7 years for things to settle down. And they're whining about a year. Human nature dictates that people in power do not like to lose that power- we knew the unrest would follow major ops. That's just what happens.

When it comes to Iraq, it’s not that I would have done one thing differently, I would’ve done almost everything differently.

And that's why we're grateful that Bush is in office and not you, Mr. Kerry.

I would have relied on American troops in Tora Bora when we had Bin Laden in our sights. I never would have diverted resources so quickly from Afghanistan before finishing the job.

Our Afghan allies knew the area, we didn't. We go in alone, we definitely miss OBL or run right into a trap. And we DID NOT divert resources from Afghanistan. We're still there, yes?

I would’ve given the inspectors the time they needed to do the job.

The blind mice? They were kept from doing their job. And then they were kicked out. Kinda hard to do your job when you're not there to do it.

I wouldn’t have ignored my senior military advisors.

Ask General Franks, who commanded Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, if he felt ignored. Oh, wait... he just endorsed President Bush. Never mind...

I would’ve made sure that every soldier put in harm’s way had the equipment and body armor they needed.

How could you do that when your Senate voting record shows how often you've voted against giving them that equipment and armor. ?

I would have built a strong, broad coalition of our allies around the world.

Just how many countries have you offended with that one statement, Mr. Kerry? 34, perhaps? (Well, now 32.)

To win the war on terror, we will add 40,000 active duty troops – not in Iraq, but to strengthen American forces that are now overstretched, overextended, and under pressure. We will double our special forces to conduct anti-terrorist operations. We will provide our troops with the newest weapons and technology to save their lives – and win the battle. And we will end the backdoor draft of National Guard and reservists.

It's NOT a "backdoor draft"!!! It's seldom used section of the contract every active duty service member, Guardsman and Reservist signs. You call it a "draft" to incite the undereducated masses.

When our soldiers come home and need a job, we believe they deserve better than four more years of rewarding companies that ship our jobs overseas. Our plan will close those tax loopholes and provide incentives to create jobs right here in the United States of America.

Has anyone told Teresa yet? A whole lot of her money goes right through those loopholes.

Our plan will cut the deficit in half in the next four years. We will do it by passing the reforms John McCain and I have fought for to end corporate welfare – and by making government stay within a budget, just like you do.

McCain is NOT your running mate. And using his name all the time isn't going to do you any good unless you can get him on the stage with you, which you can't. Get over it!

The first proposal I will introduce will make health care affordable and accessible for all Americans...I believe we have an important obligation to see to it that that America is no longer the only industrialized nation in the world that doesn’t understand that health care is not a privilege for the wealthy, the connected and the elected – it is a right for every single American.

Where do I start? Hilarycare was shot down once- it will be shot down again. And, if healthcare is so great everywhere else, why does everyone come here for treatment? Socialized medicine helps no one. And, most importantly, healthcare is NOT A RIGHT. I checked- it's not in the Constitution. Look it up yourself. I'll wait...

At the end of the speech, he makes this comment-

we must pursue a path that once again places the American Dream within reach of every American citizen.

The American dream is within reach for every American citizen, and for every legal immigrant who is willing to WORK for it. The American dream isn't free, Senator Kerry, and, to fully appreciate it, you can't inherit it. You earn it. America provides its citizens many freedoms and God has blessed Her greatly. What makes a difference is what the individual does with those freedoms and blessings, not what the government gives him or her.

Thank you and God bless you and God bless America.

...by not letting Kerry get elected on Nov. 2nd. Amen.

// posted by Beth @ 6:58 AM |