Letter from Michael Moore to Mr. Bush

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Letter from Michael Moore to Mr. Bush
81
Fri, 08-27-2004 - 3:36pm


August 26, 2004

It Takes Real Courage to Desert Your Post and Then Attack a Wounded Vet

Dear Mr. Bush,

I know you and I have had our differences in the past, and I realize I am the one who started this whole mess about "who did what" during Vietnam when I brought up that "deserter" nonsense back in January. But I have to hand it to you on what you have uncovered about John Kerry and his record in Vietnam. Kerry has tried to pass himself off as a war hero, but thanks to you and your friends, we now know the truth.

First of all, thank you for pointing out to all of us that Mr. Kerry was never struck by a BULLET. It was only SHRAPNEL that entered his body! I did not know that! Hell, what's the big deal about a bunch of large, sharp, metal shards ripping open your flesh? That happens to all of us! In my opinion, if you want a purple heart, you'd better be hit with a bullet -- with your name on it!

Secondly, thank you for sending Bob Dole out there and letting us know that Mr. Kerry, though wounded three times, actually "never spilled blood." When you are in the debates with Kerry, turn to him and say, "Dammit, Mr. Kerry, next time you want a purple heart, you better spill some American red blood! And I don't mean a few specks like those on O.J.'s socks -- we want to see a good pint or two of blood for each medal. In fact, I would have preferred that you had bled profusely, a big geyser of blood spewing out of your neck or something!" Then throw this one at him: "Senator Kerry, over 58,000 brave Americans gave their lives in Vietnam -- but YOU didn't. You only got WOUNDED! What do you have to say for yourself???" Lay that one on him and he won't know what to do.

And thanks, also, Mr. Bush, for exposing the fact that Mr. Kerry might have actually WOUNDED HIMSELF in order to get those shiny medals. Of course he did! How could the Viet Cong have hit him -- he was on a SWIFT boat! He was going too fast to be hit by enemy fire. He tried to blow himself up three different times just so he could go home and run for president someday. It's all so easy to see, now, what he was up to.

What would we do without you, Mr. Bush? Criticize you as we might, when it comes to pointing out other men's military records, there is no one who can touch your prowess. In 2000, you let out the rumor that your opponent John McCain might be "nuts" from the 5 years he spent in a POW camp. Then, in the 2002 elections, your team compared triple-amputee Sen. Max Cleland to Osama bin Laden, and that cost him the election. And now you are having the same impact on war hero John Kerry. Since you (oops, I mean "The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth!") started running those ads, Kerry's polls numbers have dropped (with veterans, he has lost 18 points in the last few weeks).

Some people have said "Who are you, Mr. Bush, to attack these brave men considering you yourself have never seen combat -- in fact, you actively sought to avoid it." What your critics fail to understand is that even though your dad got you into a unit that would never be sent to Vietnam -- and even though you didn't show up for Guard duty for at least a year -- at least you were still IN FAVOR of the Vietnam War! Cowards like Clinton felt it was more important to be consistent (he opposed the war, thus he refused to go) than to be patriotic and two-faced.

The reason that I think you know so much about other men's war wounds is because, during your time you in the Texas Air National Guard, you suffered so many of them yourself. Consider the paper cut you received on September 22, 1972, while stationed in Alabama, working on a Senate campaign for your dad's friend (when you were supposed to be on the Guard base). A campaign brochure appeared from nowhere, ambushing your right index finger, and blood trickled out onto your brand new argyle sweater.

Then there was the incident with the Crazy Glue when your fraternity brothers visited you one weekend at the base and glued your lips together while you were "passed out." Though initially considered "friendly fire," it was later ruled that you suffered severe post traumatic stress disorder from the assault and required certain medicinal attention -- which, it seems, was provided by those same fraternity brethren.

But nothing matched your heroism when, on July 2, 1969, you sustained a massive head injury when enemy combatants from another Guard unit dropped a keg of Coors on your head during a reconnaissance mission at a nearby all-girls college. Fortunately, the cool, smooth fluids that poured out of the keg were exactly what was needed to revive you.

That you never got a purple heart for any of these incidents is a shame. I can fully appreciate your anger at Senator Kerry for the three he received. I mean, Kerry was a man of privilege, he could have gotten out just like you. Instead, he thinks he's going to gain points with the American people bragging about how he was getting shot at every day in the Mekong Delta. Ha! Is that the best he can do? Hell, I hear gunfire every night outside my apartment window! If he thinks he is going to impress anyone with the fact that he volunteered to go when he could have spent the Vietnam years on the family yacht, he should think again. That only shows how stupid he was! True-blue Americans want a president who knows how to pull strings and work the system and get away with doing as little work as possible!

So, to make it up to you, I have written some new ads you can use on TV. People will soon tire of the swift boat veterans and you are going to need some fresh, punchier material. Feel free to use any of these:

ANNOUNCER: "When the bullets were flying all around him in Vietnam, what did John Kerry do? He said he leaned over the boat and 'pulled a man out of the river.' But, as we all know, men don't live in the river -- fish do. John Kerry knows how to tell a big fish tale. What he won't tell you is that when the enemy was shooting at him, he ducked. Do you want a president who will duck? Vote Bush."

ANNOUNCER: "Mr. Kerry's biggest supporter, Sen. Max Cleland, claims to have lost two legs and an arm in Vietnam. But he still has one arm! How did that happen? One word: Cowardice. When duty called, he was unwilling to give his last limb. Is that the type of selfishness you want hanging out in the White House? We think not. Vote for the man who would be willing to give America his right frontal lobe. Vote Bush."

Hope these help, Mr. Bush. And remember, when the American death toll in Iraq hits 1,000 during the Republican convention, be sure to question whether those who died really did indeed "die" -- or were they just trying to get their face on CNN's nightly tribute to fallen heroes? The sixteen who've died so far this week were probably working hand in hand with the Kerry campaign to ruin your good time in New York. Stay consistent, sir, and always, ALWAYS question the veracity of anyone who risks their life for this country. It's the least they deserve.

Yours,

Michael Moore

mmflint@aol.com

www.michaelmoore.com

P.S. George, I know you said you don't read the newspaper, but USA Today has given me credentials to the Republican convention to write a guest column each day next week (Tues.-Fri.). If you don't want to read it, you and I will be in the same building so maybe I could come by and read it to you? Lemme know...

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iVillage Member
Registered: 08-28-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 1:30pm


Bush hasn't had to question Kerry's service. He simply pays others to do it for him - Bush has always preferred the simple way. He did the same thing to John McCain, but people are starting to realize what's really going on with Bush and his smear tactics.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 1:46pm


Once again, there is no evidence that Bush paid anyone to say anything in either case. It never ceases to amaze me though, that the same man who is accused of being a bumbling idiot is also accused of brilliantly and deviously pulling the strings behind every negative thing said about any of his opponents. I guess he's just selectively idiotic. What does Kerry expect? That Vietnam vets were going to embrace the military service boastfulness of Kerry after the way he returned home and smeared them all? Bush didn't pay these men to campaign against Kerry, he didn't need to.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 2:47pm
Some things in Michael Moore's film were not edited so to speak. The 7 minutes Bush sat there after being told the second tower was hit by another plane before leaving to take care of a national emergency just sticks in my mind and there is no reasonable explanation for it. Would any reasonable person, let alone the President of the United States behave this way?
Donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 2:53pm
Mr Bush has others to descredit Kerry's record. Please don't tell me you think those Swift Boat ads are not funded by Friends of Bush and approved by him. He has not asked them to cease which he could if he wanted to. Kerry has to defend himself even though he should not be asked to. This election should not be about who went to war and who did not. The distraction to talking about it was put out there by the Bushies. It had the desired result and caused us all to think and talk about an old war instead of how to make America a better place to live for us all. Clinton was the smartest and best president we have had in decades and I had no problem with him sending troops to war. He tried every other conceivable option first, as every president should. Sending men and woment to war should not be done lightly and always as a last resort. The current president intended from the beginning, before 9-11 to take out Saddam Hussein by going to war if necessary. It had nothing to do with the attack on us, but the attack did give a perfect excuse to do as he had intended all along. I have read many books on this from those who were in the room when these issues were discussed. I am sure you would discredit every one of them since they do not fit your view of how it is.
Donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-21-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 2:57pm
Bush can remain a "bumbling idiot" since he has Cheney et al to do his "smart" work. This president cannot make a reasonable decision without the help of his advisors. And those "reasonable" decisions he has made with them are in serious question now. But the attacks on Kerry are working so you can smile at that. Makes me wonder just how smart the American people are to fall for this crap.
Donna
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-31-2003
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 3:11pm
"Mr Bush has others to descredit Kerry's record."

And Mr Kerry has the majority of the 527's $ to do his bidding, are you then inferring that Kerry is to be held accountable for them? Has Kerry suggested that any of the 527's that are sliming Bush cease or that all 527's cease? Or is it only the ones that have come out against him that he wants stopped?

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iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 6:26pm


We already know they were funded in part by Bush supporters. There's nothing wrong with that. We have the freedom in this country to help get our preferred candidate elected. But approved by President Bush? There is no evidence of that.



Because it is not his right to silence the free speech of people in this country. These men are decorated veterans, they have a right to their opinions and to speak them. Actually by law he cannot order them to cease-the candidates may have NO legal say in the ads of a 527.



No, actually it was put out there by Terry McAuliffe, when he attacked Bush's military record, Michael Moore, and John Kerry when he chose to center his campaign around his own military service.



As you would discredit any book that was favorable to the president. That seems to be the way things are these days, doesn't it?

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-23-2004
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 6:29pm


Oh right, I forgot, LOL!!!



I don't smile at that, frankly the attacks on both sides sadden me. The political process in this country has become ugly and childish, but certainly not just on the Republican side of things.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 9:25pm
No,it's not surprising that Michael Moore would "inject" himself into this, as THIS is a presidential election and MM is a political satirist. Are you surprised that Novak and Tucker Carlson are covering the Vietnam issue?

As for Bush turning Max Cleland away from the gate of his vacation compound, it's pretty dang sad that they couldn't just let the man in. Wouldn't that have made great press? Bush invites Cleland in to discuss issues. But Bush doesn't allow dissenting opinions to be voiced in his presence, so Cleland had to wheel himself outta there. Plus, it would have been off script. I think the "stunt" here has been the last four years of Bush's presidency.

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Sat, 08-28-2004 - 9:30pm
Another reason we should all support stem cell research. Truemobile is too young to be experiencing such mental lapses! : )

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