(Updated 11:50 eastern to add quote from testimony)
Senate Committee
Vietnam War Hearing 1971
Foreign Relations
Washington, District of Columbia (United States)
ID: 181065 – 04/22/1971 – 1:11 – ns
Kerry, John F., U.S. Senator, D-MA
On April 22nd, 1971, 27 year old former Navy Lt. John Kerry testified against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War as a member of “Vietnam Veterans Against the War”. Senator J. William Fulbright (D-Arkansas) chaired the committee.
Coverage will include, in its entirety, John Kerry’s opening remarks to members of the committee, followed by questioning by some committee members. This event was filmed by NBC News. In those areas where there is not a complete film archive of Kerry’s testimony, it will be supplemented by audio from Pacifica Radio.
See ID 181060.
Seems my call for an apology from John Kerry to Max Cleland [1]was one day premature. After seeing this relay tonight, I would expect about everyone will take up the call.
Oh, by the way Soxblog has a look at the Sham that Max Cleland tried to pull off yesterday. [2] One wonders if Mr. Cleland will have anything to say to Kerry about what he said in 71, hmmm? Like for example… and listen for this passage of his testimony:
“I called the media …. I said ‘If I take some crippled veterans down to the White House and we chain ourselves to the gates, will we get coverage?’ ‘O, yes, we’ll cover that.'”
Might this idea have had anything to do with Cleland’s being sent? If I were being used in such a manner, I think I’d be right PO’d. Wouldn’t you?
Something else I want you to keep in mind tonight as you watch this, is somehting Francis Beckwith mentions over on Southern Appeal early this morning [3]:
If Kerry was correct in his assessment of the Vietnam War in 1971–it was unjust and American should get out–then W’s joining the National Guard can’t be wrong as some Democrats are suggesting, since it decreased W’s likelihood of participating in the combat of an unjust war. On the other hand, if W’s joining the National Guard was wrong because it decreased the likelihood of his participating in combat, then Kerry was incorrect in calling it an unjust war. Maybe I’m missing something here. And I’m open to correction on this. But it seems to me that if Kerry was correct that the war was unjust, then it was much better for Bush to have joined the National Guard rather than wait to be drafted and participate directly in that unjust war.
As the letter that Max Cleland got handed yesterday [4]along with his head, says:
“You can’t have it both ways.”