Dole rallies veterans for Bush

The former senator quietly criticizes John Kerry's campaigning on his Vietnam War record.

TAMPA - Introduced as a member of the greatest generation, with all the dignity and honor the label suggests, former U.S. Sen. Bob Dole refused to join the attack on Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry's war record.

He did, however, throw his endorsement toward George Bush's re-election Tuesday, headlining a group of war veterans who assembled in Tampa to offer their support.

"This election is about leadership," Dole said.

In contrast to Kerry, Dole said Bush has shown a necessary "steadfastness" in the war on terror. Asked his thoughts afterward about the debate of Bush and Kerry's military records, Dole, 80, played the role of a grandfather giving sage advice. He said Kerry was coming on "too heavy" in touting his war record.

"I think Kerry needs to back off a little bit," Dole said. "Let other people speak about your record. You can't come on too heavy with that. So you served. If you got hurt, you got hurt."

A Kerry campaign spokesman called the criticism off the mark.

"With all due respect to Sen. Dole, who served our country with great distinction, John Kerry volunteered for service, did his duty and was decorated for it," said Mark Kornblau, the Kerry campaign spokesman. "He is not the one who brings it up. It's brought up by others."

Dole joined five other war veterans, including U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Texas, and former Sen. Jeremiah Denton, R-Alabama, both former prisoners of war in Vietnam, at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa on Tuesday. With his trademark pen clasped in his right hand, the arm made useless by a World War II wound, Dole greeted a crowd of about 125 with his signature thumbs up.

The crowd was less than expected, with volunteers removing empty chairs before it started when it was clear they would go unfilled. Dole, who noted he ran against Bush's father for president in 1988, said he came to respect the man and his son.

Tuesday's rally was officially a kickoff of a veterans for Bush-Cheney push his campaign staff said will be pursued nationally. It was also clearly an indication that the Bush camp does not intend to let go of recent criticism of Kerry's war record and believes the attack has resonance in Florida.

Kerry has highlighted his military service during the Vietnam War as evidence of his qualifications for office. He spent four years in the Navy, during the Vietnam war, leaving with the rank of lieutenant, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for wounds he received in battle.

In recent weeks, Bush supporters have criticized Kerry for his protests against the war afterward. A group of veterans has even questioned whether he earned the medals, and whether he overstated his injuries to prematurely end his tour.

Bush has faced his own questions about whether he avoided war by enlisting in the Texas Air National Guard.

Those who stood with Dole on Tuesday said it was Kerry who must account for his actions. Johnson, who spent seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, half in solitary confinement, lumped Kerry with those criticizing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. "He is giving comfort to the enemy as far as I'm concerned," he said.

Johnson said Kerry was among those who wanted to quit on his comrades in Vietnam and is doing it again and further suggested that the Massachusetts senator nominated himself for his war distinctions.

Retired Gen. Pat Brady, a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient for his duty in Vietnam, said Kerry betrayed his fellow servicemen in his criticism of the war effort by alleging atrocities by American troops there. And he said Kerry has continued that betrayal by supporting those who would burn the flag and by not supporting adequate military spending.

"It's one thing to denounce the war," Brady said. "It's quite another to denounce the warrior."

The other speakers included Chief Warrant Officer Robert Durant, a Black Hawk helicopter pilot who fought in Somalia and has written a book about the experience, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Principi, who claimed there have been sharp increases in spending and improved service for veterans, while Kerry's campaign is saying the opposite is true.

Kornblau called Johnson's comments "offensive and outrageous" and Brady's predictable.

"This is the typical right-wing smear machine's textbook approach," he said. "One of these days, the secretary of the VA and the folks he is traveling with around Florida are going to realize we're better off spending our time honoring the commitment we've made to veterans by taking care of them at home instead instead of spending the time smearing the record of John Kerry."

- Times researcher Kitty Bennett contributed to this report, which includes information from the Washington Post and Associated Press.

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