It seems that every good mud sling has some return fire on the same path. The left has been questioning Bush’s Vietnam “service” record for quite a few months. It’s not quite clear when or where he served, but what is known is that he spent some weekends in both Texas and Mississippi training in the National Guard.
Recently the right has been questioning the validity of Kerry’s Vietnam record. The irony is so thick I could cut it with a knife. Here are just a few points that I’d like to point out about the right’s argument about Kerry’s record.
- Kerry actually went to Vietnam and was shot at by the enemy. This is well documented.
- Kerry was injured by shrapnel and a mine explosion in Vietnam. This, again, is well documented.
- Kerry did not lie cheat or steal the Purple Hearts. They were given to him in accordance with the rules. To meet the criteria to get a Purple Heart you must have required medical attention. True it’s rather lenient (ie. stitches), but Kerry wasn’t padding his war record to boost a future run for President.
This is just a smoke screen to tarnish Kerry’s admittedly better service record. I’m constantly amazed at how the right can twist the simple facts. The fact is Kerry has a better service record than Bush does.