Ben Barnes to break silence on "60 Minutes"

[John_Mace]

@Liberal

Apparently so, and lousy ones at that. That’s what CNN is reporting as I type. One dead giveaway that CNN highlighted was the elevated serif on 187[sup]th[/sup]. It should have been 187th. No typewriter from the 70’s could have done that superscript. Also, the family flatly denies CBS’s claim that it supplied the documents.

I think the jury is still out on this one. [/url=http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=274827&page=2]This thread (page 2 is the best place to start) is a good place to keep track of the latest devolpments on both sides of the issue.

[John_Mace]

This thread.

[Quartz]

One of the big problems that I feel the Democrats are failing to consider is that it is public knowledge that Bush used to be a wastrel. It’s also public knowledge that he Found God and reformed. So I think that the Democrats are simply wasting their time over Bush’s lack of Vietnam service. I don’t know about Cheney and the others, though.

[GLWasteful]

@Bob the Tomato

Uh… I’m not sure that I know what you are talking about, but most people I know don’t consider calling someone a coward to be a nice thing.

And that’s because it’s not a nice thing. Y’know what else it’s not? Analogous to calling someone a coward.

@Bob the Tomato

Actualy it appears that the honus is upon everyone to convince you that the Dems are questioning patriotism or calling others second class citizens. Several have already shown it. You just don’t agree…

Well, no. Everyone hasn’t accused Kerry and/or Democrats as a group of portraying Reservists and/or Guardsmen of dishonorably dodging the draft. Mr. Moto has done that. And he’s yet to demonstrate a single instance wherein anybody has portrayed Reservists and/or Guardsmen as dishonorable draft dodgers.

@Bob the Tomato

I suspect that will be a hard thing to do.

No. . .getting me into a Wal-Mart is hard. Demonstrating that Kerry has called the patriotism and/or citizenship of Reservists/Guardsmen into question will be impossible. Because he’s done no such thing, y’see.

And apropos of nothing, from whence does your screenname issue?

@Mr. Moto

I’m not apologizing for anything.

And that is certainly your right. You have shown yourself to be less than honorable by lying about what Kerry said, but you don’t have to apologize for it. Frankly, I didn’t really expect you to apologize for your lies. To do so would be to admit that you made a mistake. And admitting a mistake when you have made one is frowned upon by the current administration.

My contention was that the overheated rhetoric regarding Guard service and deferments might, eventually, backfire on the folks spewing it.

Then why did you say this:

@Mr. Moto

You folks had better be careful. There’s lots of grumbling in the ranks. . .He’s (Moto’s father - GLW) not really happy about reservists and Guardsmen being portrayed as dishonorably dodging the draft. Likewise, deferments honestly obtatined under the law at the time, was made available to lots of young men. These men are now older, generally established voters, and wouldn’t like to have their patriotism questioned.

Seems pretty cut and dried to me. You’ve accused an amorphous, faceless mob that we’ll call Democrats of calling soldiers dishonorable due to the place and circumstances of their service. I asked for a single instance of this happening, and I get naught from you but quotes that have to be pushed bodily through the patented Mr. Moto masher/smasher to be considered something that just might, perhaps in some bizarro version of what you want to be the case, say what you so desperately want them to say. Again, no skin off my ass. You’re a liar and comfortable with being so. Bully on you.

I have offered some examples, that are in fact divisive and are seen as such by many people in the Guard community, at least.

No, you have offered lame and pitiful examples that you claim are seen as divisive. I don’t know anyone in the Guard who thinks that Kerry called them a coward, or questioned their patriotism. And I know more than a couple of people in the Guard.

Whether such statements are that big of a deal are, of course, a matter of opinion.

Sure, because one more lie might just stick to Kerry. Since all lies offered so far haven’t.

Whether Kerry believes I’m allowed to make them, considering that I’m a mere veteran and not a war hero, is an interesting question as well.

Again, something that is mashed and smashed into meaning what you want it to mean. Because, y’see, Kerry never once said that you don’t have the right to question his service. And you’re smart enough to know that.

What this all boils down to is that Kerry hides behind his war hero status to avoid answering substantial questions about policy. He’s been doing it a long time.

You oughta spend some time reading something besides what the RNC is claiming. Say, Kerry’s website for instance.

Whether he can sell this in one more race remains to be seen.

Yup, it does.

[Bob_the_Tomato]

Bob The Tomato= a character from a kids cartoon. Poor old Bob has to put up with a lot of self proclaimed know-it-alls from time to time. Since “Jeff” was already taken, I thought my choice was appropriate.