For John Kerry Supporting the Fighting Dems, Feels Like 1972 Again

Washington Whispers reports, complete with snark and snide comments, that John Kerry, Max Cleland and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Wade Sanders are teaming up to help some 70 Democratic Iraq war vets win in the 2006 elections for Congress.

The February political footnotes included this little item: Sen. John Kerry in less than 24 hours last week raised $250,000 in an E-mail to his fans for three Democratic Iraq war vets running for Congress. But Kerry's effort wasn't a fire-and-forget for his comrades. Insiders say Kerry and his war pals Max Cleland, former Georgia senator, and fellow ex-Swift boat skipper Wade Sanders, have hatched plans to help some 70 Democratic Iraq war vets win office.

Good work on the part of Kerry's fans if you ask me -- the fact that his supporters anted up a quarter million for this cause in less than 24 hours speaks volumes about the interest in getting real veteran's into office and getting rid of the Chicken Hawks that pose as being tough on national security.

Over a Georgetown dinner this month, the trio reminisced about Vietnam and how, as young men, Kerry and Cleland returned to run for office. They recalled how the Nixon White House tried to divide vets between those who supported the president and those who didn't, and they vowed to stop that from happening to Iraq war vets. "Blood is thicker than water," we hear Kerry said. "Karl Rove's gonna come after these kids hard. It's Richard Nixon all over again. We're gonna make sure these vets have the ammunition to shoot back." Their plan: Raise $500,000 for a "Fight Back Fund," campaign for candidates, and even endorse vets in primary races--a rarity.

GOP spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt, however, warned vets away from Kerry, who in the 2004 election got tangled up in his conflicting positions on the Iraq war. She urged them to avoid "a senator who has a proven record of playing politics with national security."

Leave it to GOP spinmistress Tracey Schmidt to do Rove's dirty work. We all know by now that it's the Bush White House that is playing politics with our national security. Kerry, Cleland and Sanders have all borne the brunt of Rove's dirty work. Thankfully they are willing to step up to the plate and support the Fighting Dems. We'll keep you updated on their progress.

Donate to John Kerry's Fight Back Fund here and help put Iraq Vets in office.