Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton,talk.politics.misc,alt.activism
Subject: ==> Vietnam Era Hardliners Decry Bush Tactics Against Clinton
Supersedes: <92285.170410U56503@uicvm.uic.edu>
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Friday, 16 Oct 1992 03:01:40 CDT
From: <U56503@uicvm.uic.edu>

REpost for new readers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Information in the public interest which does not imply that it
is the opinion of UIC.  Contact 75300.3115@compuserve.com for
further information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 For Immediate Release:
 October 9, 1992

    Vietnam Era Hardliners Decry Bush Tactics Against Governor Clinton

 A group of Vietnam era hardliners issued a statement today denouncing
 the Bush Administration's attacks against Bill Clinton's patriotism
 as an attempt to "divert attention from its failings with half-baked
 charges and insinuations."  Included in the signatures are former
 Republican administration officials Paul Nitze, a former arms control
 negotiator, and Lt. General William E. Odom (Ret.), former Director
 of the National Security Agency.

 The statement's signatories called "absurd" the notion put forward by
 the Bush Administration that Clinton's stance on the Vietnam War as a
 young man disqualifies him from the Presidency today.  "In fact, his
 firm support for the democratic and anti- communist movements in the
 former Soviet Empire and in China make him a distinctly preferable
 candidate to George Bush, who in modern times has shown himself far
 too willing to cooperate with dictators, and to turn a blind eye to
 human rights abuses."

 This statement was drafted and circulated by Penn Kemble, a
 consultant on foreign affairs and defense, and Joshua Muravchick,
 Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.  A full text
 and list of signers is attached.

                            -30-30-30

                 BILL CLINTON AND THE VIETNAM WAR


 The Vietnam Era was a confusing and painful one for many young
 Americans.  It is absurd to judge people today merely in terms of
 where they stood then.  For example, there are many who served
 honorably in Republican Administrations, or who today vigorously
 support President Bush, who also opposed the Vietnam War, and took
 part in demonstrations against it.

 We did not agree with the stand Bill Clinton took toward the Vietnam
 War as a young man.  But that should not disqualify him from the
 Presidency today.  In fact, his firm support for the democratic and
 anti-communist movements in the former Soviet Empire and in China
 make him a distinctly preferable candidate to George Bush, who in
 modern times has shown himself far too willing to cooperate with
 dictators, and to turn a blind eye to human rights abuses.

 Today Americans must unite to meet two great challenges.  The first
 is economic renewal at home.  The second is support for the
 democratic transformation aborad that has ended the Cold War, is
 giving hope to those still suffering under repressive governments,
 and could become the basis for a peaceful and durable world order.
 The Bush Administration has failed to meet these challenges, and now
 is seeking to divert attention from its failings with half-baked
 charges and insinuations.

 MORRIS AMITAY Vice Chair, Jewish Institute for National Security
 Affairs

 ANGIER BIDDLE DUKE President, Council of American Ambassadors

 SAMUEL P. HUNTINGTON Director, John M. Olin Institute for Strategic
 Affairs, Harvard University

 JOHN T. JOYCE President, International Union of Bricklayers and
 Allied Craftsmen, AFL-CIO

                              -more-

            PENN KEMBLE Senior Associate, Freedom House

 JOSHUA MURAVCHIK Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

 PAUL NITZE Former Advisor to the President for Arms Control

 WILLIAM E. ODOM Lieutenant General, U.S. Army, retired

 PETER ROSENBLATT Attorney, former U.S. Ambassador

 ALBERT SCHANKER President, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO


  Organizations listed for identification purposes only.
Xref: sparky alt.politics.clinton:10822 talk.politics.misc:52239 alt.politics.bush:9417