John Kerry Addresses Bush/Cheney Campaign Attacks
Kerry Sends Letter Challenging President to Debate on War
February 21, 2004
For Immediate Release
Atlanta, GA -
Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry gave the following statement regarding President Bush's attacks on Kerry's service to the country upon his arrival in Atlanta, Georgia today. John Kerry also released a letter challenging the President to a debate on the Vietnam era and the impact of their experiences on their approaches to presidential leadership. In the letter, John Kerry says, "This is not a debate to be distorted through your $100 million dollar campaign fund. This is a debate that should be conducted face to face."
John Kerry said:
"As they did with John McCain in South Carolina in 2000 and as they did with Senator Max Cleland, they have again questioned my commitment to the defense of our country. I'm not going to stand by and let the likes of Saxby Chambliss and the Republican Party question my commitment to keeping our nation strong - I've voted for some of the largest defense and intelligence budgets in our history.
"I'd like to know what it is Republicans who didn't serve in Vietnam have against those of us who did. I'm tired of Republicans trying to divert attention from the real issues -- here in Georgia you've lost 70.000 jobs, you've got 1.3 million Georgians without health insurance -- and that's what this race should be about. These are the real issues they should be willing to talk about instead of engaging in the politics of fear and questioning our commitment to fighting for the country we fought for in uniform.
"One way or another we're going to have a debate about the future not the past. We're not going to let them make this about a war 34 years ago, when we need to talk about the war today.
"Republicans like to question the patriotism of Democrats who question the direction of our nation. They put Max Cleland in an ad with Osama bin Laden to question his commitment to the defense of our country. This President came to Georgia to campaign for Saxby Chambliss and didn't say a word about it. Now his surrogates are at it again. Well, I don't think that politics of fear has any place in our country, and I'm still waiting for the Republicans to tell me what more Max Cleland has to leave on the battlefield of Vietnam to prove his commitment to our country."
See Letter to Bush:
http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/releases/pr_2004_0221d.html
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