Helicopters carrying three senior U.S. senators made emergency landings Thursday in the mountains of Afghanistan because of a snowstorm.
Sens. John Kerry, Joseph Biden and Chuck Hagel were aboard the aircraft. No one was injured, according a statement from Kerry’s office. The senators and their delegation returned to Bagram Air Base in a motor convoy, and have left for Turkey.
“After several hours, the senators were evacuated by American troops and returned overland to Bagram Air Base, and left for their next scheduled stop in Ankara, Turkey,” the Kerry statement said. “Sen. Kerry thanks the American troops, who were terrific as always and who continue to do an incredible job in Afghanistan.”
There’s no immediate word from Kerry if he plans to ask Defense Secretary Gates for another Purple Heart for himself.
-Bruce (GayPatriot)
Ouch. Bruce, not quite fair – even if Kerry was a serial medal-hunter who faked his own after-action reports to exaggerate his "heroism" and so to acquire medals, he really did see battlefield action in Vietnam. That’s never been disputed.
I…. just… couldn’t… resist!
"Snowstorm" not equal to "Battlefield."
🙂
BTW… Once again, I’m amazed at the absence of demented comments (defending Kerry or Hillary or Obama or whoever) from the entire lower-case clan, now that Ian is gone.
It’s almost as if… Ian… was… the entire… lower-case… clan?
I suppose this was an important mission for the senators. Were nameless, work-a-day troops involved? I suspect so. Frankly, their safe rescue and return is likely more important in the grand scheme of things than extracting errant Senators out on a lookie-see. As usual, the news follows the guys who spend millions to be elected to  a $169,300 a year job.
Let’s be fair. John Kerry did see battlefield action in Vietnam. He was shooting the enemy …. with his camera.
I’m sorry, when exactly will we get word of the regular supporters of this site getting up from their computers and going to enlist in the military? Â Or how about discussions of the glorious military service in Vietnam that was given by President Bush? Â Talk about crickets chirping.
Oh I’m sorry I didn’t know that we leave all poltical discussion regardin military policy to people only in the military. Kevin by your own standard I guess you’ll be shutting up about war… you didn’t join , therefore you should be silent.
I’m told that Larry, Curley and Moe had to stop off at the airbase to pick up clean underwear before their trip to Turkey.
Bruce, I know Kerry is a far bigger and easier target these days, but I’m wondering why you’ve been virtually silent about the journalistic-lynching of JohnMcCain by the sleazy NYTimes and all her liberal whoring pals at the WaPost, AtlantaCon, SFGate, LATimes, etc?
And just on the point about Kerry’s military service… a person can serve in the military –even see combat– but that shouldn’t entitle them to a lifetime pass on being brought into question on important factors relating to their service… like Kerry on his PurpleHeart issue, the release of his service record, etc. I think raising the issue of JohnKerry’s appearingly fradulent service record is STILL germane.
Good for you, Bruce.
H-m-m-m-m, Kevin, Kennedy was a military guy and so was Johnson. They sure did a bang-up job as CinC with that Vietnam thingie. Then there was Jimmah Carter who was a military guy and he lit the fuse on the mid-East mess. And then there was Clinton who was actively dodged military service and as CinC he let UBL skate. So what is your point about active military service? Where to Oblahblah and Hillary fit into your schema?
Foul. Now I’m wondering what else you report that you compeltely made up too.
 “Sen. Kerry thanks the American troops, who were terrific as always and who continue to do an incredible job in Afghanistan.â€So, Houndentenor, you think that Kerry wouldn’t actually praise the troops? You think Bruce created these kind words in an effort to make Kerry look good?
Former military, and have no respect for Kerry, Clinton (the I or the II), Carter, or McCain. Too soon yet to tell on Obama. As for the troops "rescuing" the Senators – I am sure not one of them thought twice about what they were doing. All of our military members are the true public servants. There is a very small collection of politicians who actually care about the people that they govern.Â
If you want action from politicians, instead of words: term limits, require all those in elected office to abide by the same laws that apply to corporations, and remove the "lifetime" benefits they receive after leaving office. Take away the "political welfare state" that we have created for our national politicians.
Term Limits are not the end all of a good political system, sorry but thats just not correct. Too short of a term only makes it more of a constant relection cycle, putting on the limits of the number of terms can end up depriving a legislature of experienced people.Â
How about a less lazy public that actually gets involved and knows who their legislator is? How about a public that gets involved enough to know the politicians and then vote? Term limits are a lazy answer in my opinion.
The Great Hou of Whoville writes: "Foul" at #12
I don’t think Kerry’s "official" statement is much better…
"We were going to send Biden out to fight the Taliban with snowballs, but we didn’t have to do it." he said. "Other than getting a little cold, it was fine."
Here for the Whoville mayor: http://www.johnkerry.com/2008/2/22/kerry-flight-forced-down-by-mountain-snowstorm
John Kerry near the troops makes the concept of friendly fire tolerable for just a moment or two. Where was the Taliban when we needed ’em?
Oh, by the way, why didn’t Kerry, Biden and Hagel look for Osama bin Laden while in the area? It seems to me that a fake warrior, a lying newsleaking plagarist and a kook would be the perfect "A Team" for that mission.
#6
That was Algore.
#7
I’m sorry, when exactly will we get word of the regular supporters of this site getting up from their computers and going to enlist in the military?
I’m sorry. When did you get ESP? How do you know who has and hasn’t enlisted? Or are you just ASSuming?
Or how about discussions of the glorious military service in Vietnam that was given by President Bush?
His National Guard service has been covered extensively. Sorry you missed it. I know you liberal douchebags don’t consider the Guard "real military" and aren’t even worth your regular hatred and scorn of the military.
Well, except when your ass needs saving after a disaster.
Term limits may not be the end-all-be-all, but they’re a workable, pragmatic first step that’s actually achievable. Your preference for a more motivated, less sheeplike citizenry describes a utopian world that will never happen. Don’t be naive.
The downside of term-limits, so far as I can see, is drastically outweighed by their benefits. No more fatcat powerbrokers who can be bought-and-paid-for by special interests, a constant infusion of new blood and new ideas, and most of all nobody would be motivated to go into politics as a career unto itself for all the wrong reasons like we see today.
Umm, I’m not his sock puppet. I still read the blog for entertainment purposes, but figure it’s impolite to pile on. You’re already suffering the indignity of John McCain as your presidential nominee, remember? But take comfort in the fact that it won’t be long before he’s out there working for Pfizer, hawking erectile dysfunction pills with Mr. Dole.
Oh… I just realized that I didn’t include the link to the actual news story.  (I didn’t make this up! How can you make this up?!?)
Link fixed!
You quoted my comment, Chase, but one little problem with your response: John McCain ain’t my nominee. (Independent here.)
#13 No, I meant the smear against Kerry’s Vietnam service. I don’t doubt he praised the troops.
See #14: I doubt any soldiers thought for a second about whether the Senators were Republicans or Democrats. They are Americans and they did their job. Like many other people my problem has not been with the military but with the civilian leadership in Washington.
P.S. Chase, I’m also getting a chuckle that you recognized / included yourself in the "demented" people… even though I had specifically said, *lower-casers*. (gil/keogh… arturo fernandez… markie… lester… etc… all now vanished, with Ian.)
Bush may not have been top-qtr. percentile, but he was a flight-qualified fighter pilot. Those who critize Bush’s TANG service conveniently overlook that flying supersonic interceptors is not without risks. While he may or may not had purposely "ducked" Vietnam-posting, numbers I’ve seen indicate that the casualty-rate for training and peace-time continental-US duty-flying F102’s for regular USAF and Guard pilots was about the same as for combat infantry duty in Vietnam for that same time-period. And the conventional wisdom was that if the USAF and Guard F102s were activated in a crisis to actually intercept Soviets bombers in a shooting war it would be a one-way trip as they were to be armed with nuclear-tipped GAR-11 missiles. Just taking-off and landing the F102 was tricky.
Although there are times I wonder if a too-tight flight-harness cut-off the circulation to his brain afterwards….
#7 –
I’m sorry, when exactly will we get word of the regular supporters of this site getting up from their computers and going to enlist in the military?Well Kevin, I am a regular supporter of this site and I served in my beloved Marine Corps 4 years active duty and 4 year reseves. Also, correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t ColoradoPatriot a military guy, hmmmm.
Â
#14
Former military, and have no respect for Kerry, Clinton (the I or the II), Carter, or McCain.Â
cnsrvative, While I have little respect for Senator Kerry, former-Presidents Carter and Clinton, I do respect their military service (less Pres. Clinton). I have a lot of respect for Sen. McCain, though disagree with him on several key issues.Â
My very little respect I have for the first 3 mentioned men deals with what I view as their disrespect for our military men and women and our country. Plain and simple. Not only are they wrong on a myriad of issue, they have shown disrespect to our country. Senator McCain is just wrong, as I said before on some key issues.
#17 – TGC, one thing for sure: Kevin’s never tried to enlist. (Because if he had, he’d know they turn away all kinds of people, for different reasons.)
<blockquote>While [Bush] may or may not had purposely "ducked" Vietnam-posting…</blockquote>He did not. At the time he enlisted, his National Guard unit was either currently or recently in Vietnam (I forget), and Bush fully expected to go there, because the Johnson Administration was talking about further increasing U.S. troop commitments from the 500K range to the 700K range.
Then Nixon was elected. Nixon got us out of Vietnam, reducing troop levels almost from the beginning of his Administration. Can’t blame Bush for that one.
Oh wait, I’m forgetting – Bush is to blame for everything and anything. The weather. People’s personal problems. So yeah, blame the young Bush for Nixon’s decision to get us out of Vietnam (and hence, not sending Bush there as expected).
#22
No, I meant the smear against Kerry’s Vietnam service. I don’t doubt he praised the troops.
And how many times has he smeared them, including his own pards, before that?
I doubt any soldiers thought for a second about whether the Senators were Republicans or Democrats.
It was said that they probably didn’t think twice. I beg to differ and am sure they were thrilled to have to babysit Senators rather than doing the job they were sent to do.
If you are wondering about Obama’s military expertise, check out the video of his comments at the debate last night and then the takedown of said comments at gatewaypundit.blogspot.com If this man becomes the CnC we are in deep doodoo…
Doesn’t the California Legislature have term limits?Â
I can hear Kerry’s speech of thanks now:
"Merci to all you poor, uneducated rubes who couldn’t make it in life otherwise, and to all of you unfit to lead a johnny detail. I’m told most of you are black, but merci beau coup to you as well. I’m John F.You Kerry. I served in Vietnam and I approve this message, before I disapprove of it."
Of course, that’s not the version the Associated (with terrorists) Press printed.