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For 20 years, Sen. John Kerry's standard operating procedure was to =
propose amendments cutting defense and intelligence spending. =
Fortunately for the armed forces, most of them failed badly. During =
Ronald Reagan's $2-trillion military buildup, the Democratic senator =
from Massachusetts voted against nearly ever major weapons system. Never =
mind that it was this show of might that helped topple the Soviet =
empire.
"The Reagan Administration has no rational plan for our military," Mr. =
Kerry said in the 1980s. "Instead, it acts on misinformed assumptions =
about the strength of the Soviet military and a presumed 'window of =
vulnerability,' which we now know not to exist."
Not content with that sort of mis-forecasting, Mr. Kerry targeted the =
Pentagon again in the 1990s. President Clinton's budget cuts were not =
enough, even as the commander in chief slashed Army divisions, Navy =
ships and Air Force fighter wings. In one Senate debate, Kerry proposed =
slicing nearly $50 billion more. The bid was so over the top most of his =
liberal Democrat colleagues failed to join in, and the amendment failed =
miserably.
Undaunted, Mr. Kerry also went after the CIA's budget--after America was =
learning of a new deadly threat called al Qaeda. Kerry was becoming such =
a loner on national defense that one of his amendments to cut $300 =
million from the CIA did not attract one co-sponsor. Despite the track =
record, Mr. Kerry had the gumption to say this on CBS after the =
September 11 attacks: "And the tragedy is at the moment, the single most =
important weapon for the United States of America is intelligence. It's =
the single most important
weapon in this particular war."
Kerry's history is, of course, mightily important today. He is =
campaigning to be the next commander in chief. All of those budget cuts =
he failed to achieve as a legislator may become a reality in a Kerry =
presidency. The historical record comes complements of retired Air Force =
Lt. Col. Robert (Buzz) Patterson in his new book, Reckless Disregard: =
How Liberal Democrats Undercut Our Military, Endanger Our Soldiers, and =
Jeopardize Our Security. It is not only an indictment of Kerry, but also =
of the liberal establishment's 30-year crusade against American's =
defenses.
There is Jane Fonda giving comfort to the enemy by visiting American =
prisoners of war in North Vietnam and forcing them to listen to her =
anti-U.S. tirade. "When I saw Fonda and heard her anti-war rhetoric, I =
was almost sick to my stomach," recalls former POW David Hoffman, who =
was tortured into leaving his cell and meeting Fonda. "She called us =
criminals and murderers. I detested Jane Fonda then and I detest her =
now."
There is Ted Kennedy joining Kerry in most anti-defense votes. And there =
is Bill Clinton, who sent the military on a record number of war and =
peacekeeping missions in the 1990s, while reducing their ranks and =
money. Former National Security Council staffer Richard Clarke, the =
darling of liberals for blaming Bush for September 11, is singled out by =
Patterson as particularly ineffective in combating terrorism.
Patterson had seats on the 50-yard line for that era. He served as the =
active duty officer who carried the president's "nuclear football"--the =
briefcase containing super-secret codes for launching an all-out attack. =
The officer remembered what he saw. Upon retiring, he wrote a New York =
Times bestseller, Dereliction of Duty, an "eyewitness account of how =
Bill Clinton compromised America's national security." Patterson charged =
that Clinton once "lost" the launch codes and watched a golf tournament =
on TV while pilots waited for his order to strike targets in Iraq. The =
mission was scratched.
In his new book, Patterson, an airline pilot living in Atlanta, does not =
let up. "President Bill Clinton was Jimmy Carter=B9s natural successor =
and will be remembered as the most incompetent of all commanders in =
chief," he writes in Reckless Disregard. "He entered office an avowed =
draft dodger with a self-professed loathing for the military," Patterson =
argues. "He left eight years later having as his legacy the most extreme =
and ill-advised defense reductions in our nation's history."
Patterson examines the roots of Kerry's anti-defense votes, a search =
that takes the author to the Vietnam era. Kerry, a decorated Navy =
officer, left Vietnam, quit the Navy and became one of the nation's most =
publicized anti-war demonstrators.
But Patterson points out that many of the "veterans" with whom Kerry =
associated turned out to be frauds who spread blatant untruths. These =
friends, and Kerry himself, accused America's youth of a string of =
atrocities in Vietnam. Trouble is, virtually none of them were true. But =
by the time authors and military investigators took the time to =
follow-up the charges and deem them unfounded, the damage to that =
generation had been done.
In one instance, Kerry convened the 1971 Winter Soldier conference in =
Detroit. Veterans told their stories. A documentary of their stories was =
told at the Cannes film festival, where it promptly won an award. Yes, =
the French of 1971 were ever so much like the French of 2004. Only this =
time, Michael Moore got the honors for his semi-fiction attack on George =
Bush. Patterson points out B. G. Burkett, in his classic Stolen Valor =
discovered that many of Kerry's Winter Soldier conventioneers were =
frauds.
Writes Patterson in a no-holds-barred style, "One of Kerry's colleagues =
was Al Hubbard, the executive director of Vietnam Veterans Against the =
War. Hubbard claimed to be an Air Force officer who had spent two years =
in Vietnam and was wounded in combat. In reality, Hubbard was a fake. =
While he had served in the military, he was never promoted beyond the =
rank of staff sergeant, had never served in Vietnam and was never =
wounded. Kerry and Hubbard, however, went on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' =
side by side, to denounce the war."
Most of Reckless Disregard deals with more recent history, such as the =
sudden fame of Richard Clarke and his best-selling book, Against All =
Enemies. Clarke mesmerized Democrats, if not the nation, by testifying =
before the September 11 commission the same week his book came out. The =
book party included commission members holding up the publication for a =
huge TV audience to see. Clarke, an eight-year Clinton employee, blamed =
Bush for not stopping al Qaeda's attack. Without modesty, he said that =
if only Bush's people had listened to him, he could have stopped the =
carnage.
Patterson's White House posting allowed him to observe Clarke firsthand. =
The author saw things differently. A reader immediately gets the flavor =
with this chapter title: "The Clinton Catastrophe II: Corruption, =
Cowardice, and the Fraud of Richard Clarke."
"His apology before the 9-11 commission was pure grandstanding before he =
tried to place the blame elsewhere," Patterson decides. "According to =
Clarke, Clinton 'identified terrorism as the major post-Cold War =
threat,' but 'could not get the CIA, Pentagon, and FBI to act =
sufficiently to deal with the threat.'"
"Who's the president here?" Patterson asks. "Clarkeism is Clintonism: =
It's somebody else's fault."
------=_NextPart_000_0034_01C47C0E.B335CB50
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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" =
size=3D3>For 20 years,=20
Sen. John Kerry's standard operating procedure was to propose amendments =
cutting=20
defense and intelligence spending. Fortunately for the armed forces, =
most of=20
them failed badly. During Ronald Reagan's $2-trillion military buildup, =
the=20
Democratic senator from Massachusetts voted against nearly ever major =
weapons=20
system. Never mind that it was this show of might that helped topple the =
Soviet=20
empire.<BR><BR>"The Reagan Administration has no rational plan for our=20
military," Mr. Kerry said in the 1980s. "Instead, it acts on misinformed =
assumptions about the strength of the Soviet military and a presumed =
'window of=20
vulnerability,' which we now know not to exist."<BR><BR>Not content with =
that=20
sort of mis-forecasting, Mr. Kerry targeted the Pentagon again in the =
1990s.=20
President Clinton's budget cuts were not enough, even as the commander =
in chief=20
slashed Army divisions, Navy ships and Air Force fighter wings. In one =
Senate=20
debate, Kerry proposed slicing nearly $50 billion more. The bid was so =
over the=20
top most of his liberal Democrat colleagues failed to join in, and the =
amendment=20
failed miserably.<BR><BR>Undaunted, Mr. Kerry also went after the CIA's=20
budget--after America was learning of a new deadly threat called al =
Qaeda. Kerry=20
was becoming such a loner on national defense that one of his amendments =
to cut=20
$300 million from the CIA did not attract one co-sponsor. Despite the =
track=20
record, Mr. Kerry had the gumption to say this on CBS after the =
September 11=20
attacks: "And the tragedy is at the moment, the single most important =
weapon for=20
the United States of America is intelligence. It's the single most=20
important<BR>weapon in this particular war."<BR><BR>Kerry's history is, =
of=20
course, mightily important today. He is campaigning to be the next =
commander in=20
chief. All of those budget cuts he failed to achieve as a legislator may =
become=20
a reality in a Kerry presidency. The historical record comes complements =
of=20
retired Air Force Lt. Col. Robert (Buzz) Patterson in his new book, =
</FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.hebookservice.com/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=3Dc6515"><EM><F=
ONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>Reckless Disregard: How Liberal =
Democrats Undercut=20
Our Military, Endanger Our Soldiers, and Jeopardize Our=20
Security</FONT></EM></A><FONT face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>. It is =
not only an=20
indictment of Kerry, but also of the liberal establishment's 30-year =
crusade=20
against American's defenses.<BR><BR>There is Jane Fonda giving comfort =
to the=20
enemy by visiting American prisoners of war in North Vietnam and forcing =
them to=20
listen to her anti-U.S. tirade. "When I saw Fonda and heard her anti-war =
rhetoric, I was almost sick to my stomach," recalls former POW David =
Hoffman,=20
who was tortured into leaving his cell and meeting Fonda. "She called us =
criminals and murderers. I detested Jane Fonda then and I detest her=20
now."<BR><BR>There is Ted Kennedy joining Kerry in most anti-defense =
votes. And=20
there is Bill Clinton, who sent the military on a record number of war =
and=20
peacekeeping missions in the 1990s, while reducing their ranks and =
money. Former=20
National Security Council staffer Richard Clarke, the darling of =
liberals for=20
blaming Bush for September 11, is singled out by Patterson as =
particularly=20
ineffective in combating terrorism.<BR><BR>Patterson had seats on the =
50-yard=20
line for that era. He served as the active duty officer who carried the=20
president's "nuclear football"--the briefcase containing super-secret =
codes for=20
launching an all-out attack. The officer remembered what he saw. Upon =
retiring,=20
he wrote a New York <EM>Times</EM> bestseller, </FONT><A=20
href=3D"http://www.hebookservice.com/BookPage.asp?prod_cd=3DC6153"><EM><F=
ONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>Dereliction of =
Duty</FONT></EM></A><FONT=20
face=3D"Times New Roman" size=3D3>, an "eyewitness account of how Bill =
Clinton=20
compromised America's national security." Patterson charged that Clinton =
once=20
"lost" the launch codes and watched a golf tournament on TV while pilots =
waited=20
for his order to strike targets in Iraq. The mission was =
scratched.<BR><BR>In=20
his new book, Patterson, an airline pilot living in Atlanta, does not =
let up.=20
"President Bill Clinton was Jimmy Carter=B9s natural successor and will =
be=20
remembered as the most incompetent of all commanders in chief," he =
writes in=20
<EM>Reckless Disregard</EM>. "He entered office an avowed draft dodger =
with a=20
self-professed loathing for the military," Patterson argues. "He left =
eight=20
years later having as his legacy the most extreme and ill-advised =
defense=20
reductions in our nation's history."<BR><BR>Patterson examines the roots =
of=20
Kerry's anti-defense votes, a search that takes the author to the =
Vietnam era.=20
Kerry, a decorated Navy officer, left Vietnam, quit the Navy and became =
one of=20
the nation's most publicized anti-war demonstrators.<BR><BR>But =
Patterson points=20
out that many of the "veterans" with whom Kerry associated turned out to =
be=20
frauds who spread blatant untruths. These friends, and Kerry himself, =
accused=20
America's youth of a string of atrocities in Vietnam. Trouble is, =
virtually none=20
of them were true. But by the time authors and military investigators =
took the=20
time to follow-up the charges and deem them unfounded, the damage to =
that=20
generation had been done.<BR><BR>In one instance, Kerry convened the =
1971 Winter=20
Soldier conference in Detroit. Veterans told their stories. A =
documentary of=20
their stories was told at the Cannes film festival, where it promptly =
won an=20
award. Yes, the French of 1971 were ever so much like the French of =
2004. Only=20
this time, Michael Moore got the honors for his semi-fiction attack on =
George=20
Bush. Patterson points out B. G. Burkett, in his classic <EM>Stolen =
Valor</EM>=20
discovered that many of Kerry's Winter Soldier conventioneers were=20
frauds.<BR><BR>Writes Patterson in a no-holds-barred style, "One of =
Kerry's=20
colleagues was Al Hubbard, the executive director of Vietnam Veterans =
Against=20
the War. Hubbard claimed to be an Air Force officer who had spent two =
years in=20
Vietnam and was wounded in combat. In reality, Hubbard was a fake. While =
he had=20
served in the military, he was never promoted beyond the rank of staff =
sergeant,=20
had never served in Vietnam and was never wounded. Kerry and Hubbard, =
however,=20
went on NBC's 'Meet the Press,' side by side, to denounce the =
war."<BR><BR>Most=20
of <EM>Reckless Disregard</EM> deals with more recent history, such as =
the=20
sudden fame of Richard Clarke and his best-selling book, <EM>Against All =
Enemies</EM>. Clarke mesmerized Democrats, if not the nation, by =
testifying=20
before the September 11 commission the same week his book came out. The =
book=20
party included commission members holding up the publication for a huge =
TV=20
audience to see. Clarke, an eight-year Clinton employee, blamed Bush for =
not=20
stopping al Qaeda's attack. Without modesty, he said that if only Bush's =
people=20
had listened to him, he could have stopped the =
carnage.<BR><BR>Patterson's White=20
House posting allowed him to observe Clarke firsthand. The author saw =
things=20
differently. A reader immediately gets the flavor with this chapter =
title: "The=20
Clinton Catastrophe II: Corruption, Cowardice, and the Fraud of Richard=20
Clarke."<BR><BR>"His apology before the 9-11 commission was pure =
grandstanding=20
before he tried to place the blame elsewhere," Patterson decides. =
"According to=20
Clarke, Clinton 'identified terrorism as the major post-Cold War =
threat,' but=20
'could not get the CIA, Pentagon, and FBI to act sufficiently to deal =
with the=20
threat.'"<BR><BR>"Who's the president here?" Patterson asks. "Clarkeism =
is=20
Clintonism: It's somebody else's=20
fault."</FONT><BR><BR></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
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