Former Sen. Max Cleland (D-Ga.) and Vietnam veteran Jim Rasmann attempt to deliver a letter to President Bush asking him to denounce ads attacking Sen. John F. Kerry's Vietnam service. The following is a transcipt of their press availability in Crawford, Tex.
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CLELAND: ... and with Jim Rassmann, who credits John Kerry with saving his life.
These scurrilous attacks on John Kerry’s credibility in war, his courage, his valor, are false, and George Bush is behind it.
That’s why I tried to deliver a letter at the president’s home and hand it to either him or one of his aides, but that was unsuccessful. And I’m sorry it was, because the letter is signed by some nine distinguished members of the United States Senate, all of whom have worn the uniform. One of them, Senator Dan Inouye, is the sitting -- only member of the Senate to be sitting there as a holder of the Medal of Honor.
The question is, where is George Bush’s honor? The question is, where is his shame? To attack a fellow veteran who has distinguished himself as -- in combat, regardless of the political combat involved, is disgraceful.
I know that. Hundreds of thousands and millions of veterans around America know that.
For those of us in the Vietnam era, we’re having to go through Vietnam again.
CLELAND: We’re having to go through the divisive aspect of politics dividing our nation and dividing us one from another. That is not what we ought to be doing in America. We can do better than that.
And Republicans, like Senator John McCain, who have been the subject of scurrilous attacks like this before, say this is dishonest and dishonorable. Others are speaking out across the nation.
This country can do better than this and I think on November 2nd, I think this country will do better than this.
But it’s not really about an election. It’s not really about candidates for elections. It’s about our country. It’s about the soul of our country.
If the president of the United States does not stick up for veterans who distinguish themselves in war when they come home, who will he stick up for?
So, this is a very serious issue with me, with members of the United States Senate with whom I’ve served, and those who wore the uniform in this country.
We can’t let these attacks continue. It’s one thing to provide political combat here in America; it’s another thing to try to go behind somebody’s military record and trash them in a campaign of character assassination.
