Why not both?

John Kerry served as a naval officer in Vietnam. Had he left his miliary career at that, regardless of his political views, he would have had my respect.

Unfortuately, John Kerry, upon his return, chose to paint with a broad brush his all fellow officers and servicemen with the slander of "war crimes", pandering to and reinforcing the worst sterotypes of that era's veterans. All to further his future political career.

It was, and still is, rank hipocrisy. How John McCain can stand to be the same room and keep his own composure escapes me.

In hindsight, it occurs to me that Kerry has never pulled his head out. Had he observed how certain factions went after Bush's military record, he'd have glossed over it and let others rave about his courageous service and several purple hearts. In typical MSM fashion, they'd have failed to look further if he'd acted in the least bit like it was his duty rather than proof of his supreme fitness. He'd have come across as sincere, genuine, and uninclined to toot his own horn in such matters.

But no, not Kerry. His style is to glom onto an issue and run it quickly into the ground, demonstrating his unfitness to even run a national political campaign.

If he were serious about 08, he'd let this stuff die its own quiet death and ignore it like he was made of teflon. Which he can't because he's not.

BECAUSE HE HAS THE HAT!!!!

I have the book UNFIT FOR DUTY and and its got some real itneresting pictures including shots of KERRY and HANOI JANE in a museum in HO CHI MIN CITY that honor KERRY and HANOI JANE

Kerry's insurmountable problem in '04 (and '08, and any other year) was that his legislative record consisted of serving on a panel to whitewash the Sandinista regime, and another to improve relations with the Hanoi regime by closing out the MIA/POW files. Aside from that... nothing. All he had to run on was his war record, which led directly to Winter Soldier.

I don't like McCain, but his legislative record is there to be criticized and he lets his military record speak for itself. Of course, a McCain that I don't care for is still worth a dozen or more John Kerrys.

John McCain is not my cup of tea (I think on occasion he likes the cameras and "maverick" look at little too much. That stated, he paid dearly at the Hanoi Hilton to uphold his own honor and the Nation's, and for that alone, he has my respect.