John Kerry

Overview
John F. Kerry is a US senator from Massachusetts.

In 2004 he ran for President as the Democratic nominee against Republican incumbent George W. Bush in 2004, losing by a narrow margin amid widespread allegations of voting fraud. Kerry's defeat was in part attributable to a propaganda campaign organized under the inaccurate name Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which gave rise to the term swiftboating.

Opinion

 * JOHN KERRY - War Hero or WAR CRIMINAL ASSHOLE?: makes some specific claims; includes audio download of Kerry making apparently damning admission(s). To be checked.

Quotes From
As I travel throughout Virginia and around the country, I hear often that Washington simply doesn't understand the serious burdens faced by our military members and their families. This is true whether the issue is proper troop rotation policies - an issue I worked hard on this summer - health care, or adequate veterans' benefits.

I believe it's more important than ever to elect veterans to Congress - people who understand on a personal level the tribulations and the pride of the military service, as well as the life and death consequences of our foreign policy. Simply put, we need people who understand that the strength of this nation is not in the rhetoric and bluster of its leaders, but in the character of its citizens.

I'm pleased that the Democratic Party once again has a strong group of young veterans running for Congress. Many of you helped me in 2006 when a lot of so-called experts didn't think I could win. I hope you will consider doing the same thing in 2008 to make the campaigns of these new veteran candidates successful.

CLICK HERE TO READ ABOUT FIVE VETERANS WHO ARE RUNNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND SUPPORT THEIR CAMPAIGNS.

We have two incumbents from Pennsylvania. First, there is Patrick Murphy, the first Iraq War veteran elected to Congress and a strong ally in getting a new course in Iraq. He's in a district with less than 40% Democratic registration, so he can really use your help. Admiral Joe Sestak, who has said the generosity of Senator John Kerry and his supporters helped put him over the top in 2006, is running in another competitive race, so I hope you will support him. And we have three promising challengers, all in competitive districts, who have the experience and drive to become effective members of Congress. Two of them, Eric Massa in New York and Charlie Brown in California, ran close races last year that came within a few points of winning. They are back, and with the right support, can succeed in 2008. And we have another promising newcomer, Jon Powers, who is an Iraqi War Veteran running in New York's 26th District against Republican Tom Reynolds.

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Those of you at JohnKerry.com made an enormous difference in my campaign, and in the drive to retake Congress last year. We had an important victory in 2006, but we still have more work to do. We need to build a Congress worthy to the commitment of the brave young Americans who wear the uniform of our country. Electing more veterans - like Joe, Eric, Charlie and Jon - is an important step in the right direction.

Thank you for your past and continuing support.

Kerry The Coward?
The Bush 2004 presidential campaign seems to have succeeded in painting Kerry as a coward, despite his Vietnam war service (and Bush's lack thereof); this is the kind of thing you still find people saying, in December 2005: ...kerry the coward who tried to emulate Kennedys PT boat experiences only when he got to Viet Nam he found out the enemy shot real bullets so he found a way to get scratched a couple of times and then turned tail and ran leaving brave soldiers in the lurch. Just like he's trying to do in Iraq abandon the troops. According to Wikipedia, "Kerry received several combat medals during this tour, including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts." Does anyone have any information reconciling these medals with the accusation of cowardice? Or is it as simple as it appears to be, i.e. a successful smear campaign from the right?