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| Sunday, 18 April 2004 |
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Kerry hits back at White House, defends patriotism PITTSBURGH, Saturday (Reuters) Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry, lashing out at the White House's "twisted sense of ethics and morality," accused Republicans on Friday of distorting his record and attacking his patriotism. Kerry, at an outdoor rally on the University of Pittsburgh campus, used an American flag and the national anthem to fire back at Republicans who say he is weak on defense for voting against some weapons systems and an $87 billion bill to pay for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, pointed out that Vice President Dick Cheney and political adviser Karl Rove did not serve in the military. "I'm tired of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and a bunch of people who went out of their way to avoid their chance to serve when they had the chance," the Massachusetts senator said. "I'm not going to listen to them talk to me about patriotism." "I've seen how these people in the White House today, in their twisted sense of ethics and morality, don't think twice about challenging John McCain and what happened to him as a prisoner of war," he said in reference to attacks by President George W. Bush in 2000 on his Republican primary rival McCain, an Arizona senator. Kerry, who has tried to make his military experience a centerpiece of his campaign, is in a tight battle with Bush for the White House more than seven months before the November election. Steve Schmidt, a Bush campaign spokesman, said Kerry's judgment in his voting record on defense and security was in question, not his patriotism. He called the Rove and Cheney comments "outrageous." Cheney received a student and family deferment from military service, and Rove had a student deferment and later drew a low draft number but was never called. |
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