:how we've learned to love Vietnam...

Senator Bob Dole continued the Republican smear campaign on CNN's Late Edition questioning Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry's wounds in Vietnam. In an effort to diminish John Kerry's three purple hearts, Senator Dole stated that Senator Kerry didn't "bleed" from a single injury he received while serving in Vietnam, calling his wounds "superficial". While this claim is totally unfounded, it also reeks of dirty politics, something Senator Dole is not known for. Senator Dole when referring to his own purple heart in his 1988 campaign-trail autobiography, had this to say:

"As we approached the enemy, there was a brief exchange of gunfire. I took a grenade in hand, pulled the pin, and tossed it in the direction of the farmhouse. It wasn't a very good pitch (remember, I was used to catching passes, not throwing them). In the darkness, the grenade must have struck a tree and bounced off. It exploded nearby, sending a sliver of metal into my leg--the sort of injury the Army patched up with Mercurochrome and a Purple Heart."

The fact of the matter is purple hearts have always been awarded to soldiers for minor and for major injuries sustained in combat, Senator Dole knows this and I am frankly shocked that he would stoop to this level.

You know... I'm really getting sick of debating our presidential candidate's actions surrounding a War that ended 30 years ago. And that goes for both sides. Dirty Republican attack ads that have diverted attention from Bush's poor record as Commander and Chief, and Senator Kerry's decision to make his service in Vietnam the cornerstone of his candidacy. The fact of the matter is John Kerry was a war hero, George W. Bush was not. End of story. This in of itself doesn't mean that Kerry is the more qualified candidate. American history is littered with Presidents who served in the military but were inept at governing our country. Similarly, some of our nation's greatest presidents never served a day in the armed forces. We need to move beyond this debate and focus on the pressing issues at hand, and there are many. I would feel a great deal more secure about America's future if our two candidates would lay forth their goals for America and how they plan to achieve them. On this measure both candidates have fallen short. America has two very different choices for president and right now the press and the candidates are doing a great disservice to our country by refusing to examine the strengths and weaknesses of each candidate’s stance on these important issues facing our country.

Case in point, if you haven't noticed...I follow politics quite a bit, and its shameful that I can tell you more about John Kerry's three purple hearts than I can about his plan for healthcare in America. Which is more important? I report you decide.

But....just because I'm sick of discussing this crap, doesn't mean I won't continue to repudiate Republican smears of John Kerry's service.