As Jimmy Carter said at the DNC, "At stake is nothing
less than our nation's soul." As Theres Heinz Kerry
said at the DNC, "In America, true patriots speak
truth to power."
Associated Press: Sen. Tom Harkin called Vice
President Dick Cheney a "coward" for avoiding service
in Vietnam and called on President Bush to end the
"backdoor draft."
The Iowa Democrat was responding Friday to the call-up
of a Des Moines police officer who has already
completed his eight-year military commitment.
Harkin echoed comments earlier this week by Des Moines
Police Chief William McCarthy, who said the military's
treatment of Des Moines Police Officer Rodell Nydam
was "evil."
Harkin, who served as a jet pilot in the Navy, said
the exemption wasn't intended for situations like the
war in Iraq. He said first responders like Nydam are
needed to protect the community...
He noted that Cheney had several student deferments
that allowed him to skip serving in Vietnam.
"When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a
coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it
makes my blood boil," Harkin said. "Those of us who
served and those of us who went in the military don't
like it when someone like a Dick Cheney comes out and
he wants to be tough. Yeah, he'll be tough. He'll be
tough with somebody else's blood, somebody else's
kids. But not when it was his turn to go."
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Harkin calls Cheney a 'coward' and criticizes 'backdoor draft'
By The Associated Press
DES MOINES -- Sen. Tom Harkin called Vice President
Dick Cheney a "coward" for avoiding service in Vietnam
and called on President Bush to end the "backdoor
draft."
The Iowa Democrat was responding Friday to the call-up
of a Des Moines police officer who has already
completed his eight-year military commitment.
Harkin echoed comments earlier this week by Des Moines
Police Chief William McCarthy, who said the military's
treatment of Des Moines Police Officer Rodell Nydam
was "evil."
Nydam, 26, is being called back to Iraq despite
finishing his National Guard commitment in April. He's
being called up under the military's "stop loss"
exemption, which can extend duty in wartime.
Harkin, who served as a jet pilot in the Navy, said
the exemption wasn't intended for situations like the
war in Iraq. He said first responders like Nydam are
needed to protect the community.
"The part of the U.S. code that provides for this
anticipates major wars, major national emergencies,"
Harkin said. "That is not what we're confronting right
now. You think about using this law only in (extreme
cases), only when we're really in dire, dire need."
Harkin also shot back at Cheney, who said in a visit
to Iowa on Tuesday that presidential candidate John
Kerry lacks a basic understanding of the war on
terrorism and cannot make America safer.
He noted that Cheney had several student deferments
that allowed him to skip serving in Vietnam.
"When I hear this coming from Dick Cheney, who was a
coward, who would not serve during the Vietnam War, it
makes my blood boil," Harkin said. "Those of us who
served and those of us who went in the military don't
like it when someone like a Dick Cheney comes out and
he wants to be tough. Yeah, he'll be tough. He'll be
tough with somebody else's blood, somebody else's
kids. But not when it was his turn to go."
David James, a spokesman for the Republican National
Committee, dismissed Harkin's attacks.
"His shrill negative attacks did nothing to get Howard
Dean elected or get the nomination during the
caucuses," James said, referring to Harkin's
endorsement of the former Vermont governor before the
Iowa caucuses."