[Vision2020] CNN News: Chickenhawks

Wed, 28 Apr 2004 14:29:04 -0700

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Defending Kerry, senator blasts 'chickenhawks'
Lautenberg criticizes Cheney for questioning record
Wednesday, April 28, 2004 Posted: 4:25 PM EDT (2025 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg on Wednesday called Vice
President Dick Cheney "the lead chickenhawk" against Sen. John Kerry and
criticized other Republicans for questioning the Democratic presidential
contender's military credentials.

But Sen. John McCain, a decorated war hero and former prisoner of war, scolded
Lautenberg for attacking the Bush administration during the Iraq conflict and
said it was time to "declare that the Vietnam War is over."

In a scathing speech on the Senate floor, Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, said that he
did not think politicians should be judged by whether they had military service
but added that "when those who didn't serve attack the heroism of those who did,
I find it particularly offensive."

"We know who the chicken hawks are. They talk tough on national defense and
military issues and cast aspersions on others," he said. "When it was their turn
to serve where were they? AWOL, that's where they were."

Lautenberg pointed to a poster with a drawing of a chicken in a military uniform
defining a chickenhawk as "a person enthusiastic about war, provided someone
else fights it."

"They shriek like a hawk, but they have the backbone of the chicken," he said.

"The lead chickenhawk against Sen. Kerry [is] the vice president of the United
States, Vice President Cheney," Lautenberg said. "He was in Missouri this week
claiming that Sen. Kerry was not up to the job of protecting this nation. What
nerve. Where was Dick Cheney when that war was going on?"

Lautenberg chastised members of the Bush administration for being overly eager
to go to war when they had not been willing to fight themselves. He quoted a
Cheney interview from the 1980s that he had "other priorities" in the '60s than
military service.

In a speech Monday at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Cheney attacked
Kerry's votes in the Senate to cut weapons programs, his opposition to the 1991
Persian Gulf War and recent comments that the war on terror should not be
thought of primarily as a military operation.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday that Cheney criticized Kerry
on policy issues and said that "no one is questioning his military service."

But Lautenberg compared Cheney's remarks with the GOP campaign against former
Sen. Max Cleland, a Georgia Democrat whose defeat in 2002 has been a sore spot
to many in his party.

"Max Cleland lost three limbs in Vietnam and they shamed him so, that he was
pushed out of office because he was portrayed as weak on defense. Where do they
come off with that kind of stuff?" he said.

He also criticized President Bush for declaring an end to major combat
operations in Iraq on May 1, 2003.

He showed a picture of Bush giving a speech on the deck of the USS Abraham
Lincoln with the banner "Mission Accomplished" in the background.

"The mission accomplished was to get a picture that could be used in an election
campaign," Lautenberg said.

Since that speech, 587 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, including 415 from hostile
fire.

Lautenberg also criticized the president for saying "bring 'em on" to Iraqi
insurgents.

"I served in Europe in World War II," he said. "The last thing I wanted to hear
from my commander in chief, or my local commander, is dare the enemy to launch
attacks against us."

McCain, the next senator to speak, said he had planned to discuss an Internet
tax moratorium bill but that he felt he needed to address Lautenberg's remarks.

He said reasonable differences of opinion existed about the handling of the Iraq
war but that the Senate should focus on making the operation successful.

"What are we doing on the floor of the Senate? We're attacking the president's
credentials because of his service that ended ... more than 30 years ago,"
McCain said. "I think that's wrong. I wish we'd stop it. I wish we'd just stop,
at least until the fighting in Iraq is over with."

He called for a bipartisan approach to "seeing this thing through because we
cannot afford to fail."

"At least could we declare that the Vietnam War is over and have a cease-fire
and agree that both candidates -- the president of the United States and Sen.
Kerry served honorably -- end of story? Now let's focus our attention on the
conflict that's taking place in Iraq, that is taking American lives as I speak
on this floor," he said.

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<H1>Defending Kerry, senator blasts 'chickenhawks'</H1>
<H3>Lautenberg criticizes Cheney for questioning record</H3>
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<P><B style=3D"FONT-SIZE: 14px">WASHINGTON (CNN) -- U.S. Sen. Frank =
Lautenberg on=20
Wednesday called Vice President Dick Cheney "the lead chickenhawk" =
against Sen.=20
John Kerry and criticized other Republicans for questioning the =
Democratic=20
presidential contender's military credentials.</B></P>
<P>But Sen. John McCain, a decorated war hero and former prisoner of =
war,=20
scolded Lautenberg for attacking the Bush administration during the Iraq =

conflict and said it was time to "declare that the Vietnam War is =
over."
In a scathing speech on the Senate floor, Lautenberg, D-New Jersey, =
said that=20
he did not think politicians should be judged by whether they had =
military=20
service but added that "when those who didn't serve attack the heroism =
of those=20
who did, I find it particularly offensive."
"We know who the chicken hawks are. They talk tough on national =
defense and=20
military issues and cast aspersions on others," he said. "When it was =
their turn=20
to serve where were they? AWOL, that's where they were."
Lautenberg pointed to a poster with a drawing of a chicken in a =
military=20
uniform defining a chickenhawk as "a person enthusiastic about war, =
provided=20
someone else fights it."
"They shriek like a hawk, but they have the backbone of the chicken," =
he=20
said.
"The lead chickenhawk against Sen. Kerry [is] the vice president of =
the=20
United States, Vice President Cheney," Lautenberg said. "He was in =
Missouri this=20
week claiming that Sen. Kerry was not up to the job of protecting this =
nation.=20
What nerve. Where was Dick Cheney when that war was going on?"
Lautenberg chastised members of the Bush administration for being =
overly=20
eager to go to war when they had not been willing to fight themselves. =
He quoted=20
a Cheney interview from the 1980s that he had "other priorities" in the =
'60s=20
than military service.
In a speech Monday at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, Cheney =

attacked Kerry's votes in the Senate to cut weapons programs, his =
opposition to=20
the 1991 Persian Gulf War and recent comments that the war on terror =
should not=20
be thought of primarily as a military operation.</P>
<P>White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Tuesday that Cheney =
criticized=20
Kerry on policy issues and said that "no one is questioning his military =

service." 
But Lautenberg compared Cheney's remarks with the GOP campaign =
against former=20
Sen. Max Cleland, a Georgia Democrat whose defeat in 2002 has been a =
sore spot=20
to many in his party.
"Max Cleland lost three limbs in Vietnam and they shamed him so, that =
he was=20
pushed out of office because he was portrayed as weak on defense. Where =
do they=20
come off with that kind of stuff?" he said.
He also criticized President Bush for declaring an end to major =
combat=20
operations in Iraq on May 1, 2003. 
He showed a picture of Bush giving a speech on the deck of the USS =
Abraham=20
Lincoln with the banner "Mission Accomplished" in the background.
"The mission accomplished was to get a picture that could be used in =
an=20
election campaign," Lautenberg said.
Since that speech, 587 U.S. troops have died in Iraq, including 415 =
from=20
hostile fire.
Lautenberg also criticized the president for saying "bring 'em on" to =
Iraqi=20
insurgents.
"I served in Europe in World War II," he said. "The last thing I =
wanted to=20
hear from my commander in chief, or my local commander, is dare the =
enemy to=20
launch attacks against us."
McCain, the next senator to speak, said he had planned to discuss an =
Internet=20
tax moratorium bill but that he felt he needed to address Lautenberg's=20
remarks.
He said reasonable differences of opinion existed about the handling =
of the=20
Iraq war but that the Senate should focus on making the operation=20
successful.
"What are we doing on the floor of the Senate? We're attacking the=20
president's credentials because of his service that ended ... more than =
30 years=20
ago," McCain said. "I think that's wrong. I wish we'd stop it. I wish =
we'd just=20
stop, at least until the fighting in Iraq is over with."
He called for a bipartisan approach to "seeing this thing through =
because we=20
cannot afford to fail."
"At least could we declare that the Vietnam War is over and have a =
cease-fire=20
and agree that both candidates -- the president of the United States and =
Sen.=20
Kerry served honorably -- end of story? Now let's focus our attention on =
the=20
conflict that's taking place in Iraq, that is taking American lives as I =
speak=20
on this floor," he said.</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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