Taking Up the Million-Dollar Challenge for Veterans
I would request that your check be made payable to the Paralyzed Veterans of America which is doing incredible work every day to meet the needs of veterans returned home from Iraq and Afghanistan. My hope is that by sending this money to such a dedicated organization – founded for veterans, by veterans — some good can come out of the ugly smears and lies of the orchestrated campaign you bankrolled in 2004 in an attempt to discredit my military record and the record of the men who served alongside me on the Swift Boats of the Mekong Delta.
I would be more than happy to travel to Dallas to meet with you in a mutually agreed upon public forum, or would invite you to join me in Massachusetts for a public dialogue and then together we could visit the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Norwood and see firsthand how we can put your money to good work for our veterans.
I look forward to setting up a visit at the earliest possible, mutually convenient time. I trust that you are a man of your word, having made a very public challenge at a major Washington dinner, and look forward to taking you up on this challenge.
Sincerely,John F. Kerry
United States Senator
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Mr. Pickens,
Me thinks you have just met truth--for the first time in your life-- and truth’s name is JOHN KERRY.
Go John GO!!!
To Senator Kerry,
Again you show your stature as statesman, a great leader and a great man.
I supported you in the Iowa Caucus in 2004 and worked hard for you in 2003,the 2004 Caucus and the General Election and never regretted it. I wish you were running for President, but I know you do great work in the Senate everyday! I know a lot of people in Iowa feel the same way!
This is great! If the guy ends up paying (which is in doubt since they are not generally men of honor!) it will serve as a warning to future smear-mongers.
Regardless, I know it’s very important to JK to clear his good name--and I agree.
So every once in a while, God does write straight on crooked lines. Senator, you go get ‘em.
Oh, it does my heart good to see this, Senator!!! If Pickens weasels out of it, he will be clearly marked as the coward and liar he is. And doing this so publicly really shows the mettle you showed in combat and the courage you have always showed in shining the light of truth on the dark lies of the desperate.
Good for you, Senator Kerry! School is in session, and Pickens is late for class. He’s about to be taken to school.
Sandy (and John stone and sparrow and Kerry visionary and ginnyinWi) speaks for me!
John Kerry, man of the utmost integrity and patriotism , a statesman of the first order (and also - sigh -a man with all the qualities of a first-rate president, a man who SHOULD be president right now), meets the fearmongers and liars head on, and wins it for the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Fabulous. This makes my day. This makes my month. This makes my year.
Since 2003 (like John Stone, I also signed on to the Kerry campaign before the Iowa caucuses), I have had the utmost respect and admiration for John Kerry. And with the energy, initiative, idealism and integrity he’s shown since 2004, my admiration has continued to grow. I am so proud that he is my senator. He is one of the few politicians these days who genuinely gives me hope for the future of our country.
GO JOHN GO. Give these mental and spiritual midgets hell.We’re behind you 100%.
In the end, the truth does win.
Of course, he will weasel out of it. He is already posing his conditions on what documents he needs before he accepts to consider the question. (see google for the answer).
There were SOOO many lies clearly proven to be lies even by what was already on the JohnKerry.com website when the liras’ ads first came out. The Senator will have very many to choose from.
Though, from Daily Kos, it appears that Pickens is already trying to squirm out of his offer. Now claiming that he needs all Kerry’s records (which I assume they copied off of JohnKerry.com in 2004 anyway), his personal journal and all the movies he made. How these will change the lies about medals received in beyond me.
He seems to simply be hoping to find something to embarrass the Senator. (I doubt it was that he was as amazed by the depth of the Senator’s thoughts as a 25 year old, or the beauty and eloquence of the Senator’s writing as I was.)
Way to GO, Senator Kerry!!! This is a fantastic way to find a bit of gold in an otherwise ugly situation...the SBVT 2004 smear.
This will stir up the media (they love a scandal) and get the public to pay attention as the TRUTH about your service is revealed. It’s about time for the American public to know the real John Kerry, and have a hint at the President they could have had.
I’m really proud of you, sir.
Don’t let the weasel slink away. Start a countdown: “Day 10 of the Lieing Swiftboaters Unmet $1 Million Challenge.” And with every new lie, remind the public of this one; e.g., “Pickens has already admitted himself not only a liar, but a coward, when he renaged on his promise to debate the swiftboat lies he funded” or “Clearly no one takes Pickens seriously after he ran away from his own $1 million dollar challenge.” And let’s hope some disabled vets picket him and Fox and Limbaugh with “You Owe Disable Vets $1 Million” signs.
It’s about time. Overwhelm him with the truth, and make Rush kick in another million for our Vets. Don’t let him squirm out of this. Do it ASAP, so they can be stopped in the 2008 cycle and forever. Let him get his “swift” kick in the pants.
Senator Kerry, this is why we love you. And this is why I will continue to vote for you in every election where I’m given the opportunity. Thank you.
Yes, Pickens has tried to weasle out of his challenge.
First he challenged ANYONE to prove ANYTHING claimed by SBVT in 2004 was wrong.
Now it’s only the ads ... evidently Pickens is only willing to defend the personal opinions of the SBVTers.
And suddenly the response requires massive amounts of information unrelated to anything. I thought he challenged ANYONE to prove SBVT wrong ... did he expect that ANYONE had military records, war journals, and tapes and movies?
Weasle-y.
A wrong will be righted and funds gained for a most worthy cause. Good for you JK!
I guess he will be known as T. Boone Chickens from now on after he backed out of his own challenge. Chickenhawks of a feather.
John Kerry is my hero. Carving up a big ‘ole turkey just in time for Thanksgiving. Give ‘em hell, John!
Dave…
“Chickenhawks of a feather.” Now let’s just watch as they flock together.
It would be nice to know the truth however I am not sure either Mr. Kerry or the SBV’s know the truth anymore. Put it to rest....
I appreciate that Senator Kerry is doing this for all veterans who have been smeared and lied about by this awful Republican political ploy.
This is a wonderful way to get the truth out to the public,challenge the Republican lies and stop these types of character assasinations once and for all. Picken’s squirming and trying to grease his way out of this now is even more proof that the Swift Boat creeps were nothing but despicable,cowardly liars.
What an ideal opportunity to get the truth out! A Christmas gift come early—and JK is just the man who knows what the truth really is. This is such a good day, with Harry Reid threatening that dems will stay in session instead of going home for Thanksgiving just so old Bushwhacker can’t get any of his recess appointments in, and now John Kerry standing tall to defend himself against the swiftboat lies. I love it! The democrats DO have backbone and now America is going to see that strength from here on in. I know those repubs are a slippery bunch, JK, but don’t let Pickens wiggle out of this one. We’re all standing behind you, John.
I would like to suggest a counter-challenge; that Senator Kerry offer $1M for EACH disputed Swift-boat claim proven TRUE. Make a list of claims they made which are not in dispute, such as that JK was in the Navy, or they’ll try to nail you with weaseling out. Specify that the challenge is open to anyone and that the deadline is ___, something reasonably long to put together “evidence” but not so long that it disappears from public awareness. Make sure the stipulations are more reasonable than the retroactive ones Pickens has generated, and put the whole thing in writing unambiguously.
Or, if Pickens’ stipulations are only against Kerry personally, perhaps PVA should claim the $1M directly. They could show up publicly in front of his home or work with simple signs reading “We are Paralyzed Veterans of America. We are ready to accept Pickens’ $1Million challenge here, today.” If reporters bother them, the line is “The signs say everything reporters need to know at this point.”
I hope that this gets the press coverage that it should and I truly hope you can show these smearmongers up for who they are. When a person serves in the military during times of conflict and receives any medal for this service, I am incensed that anyone should criticize and attempt to make a mockery of this service. Go John go and make them pay for this disservice.
“I trust that you are a man of your word” - JK
So much for Pickens being a man of his ‘WORD’. Pickens changing the terms of his bet? At most, JK should sue for violation of terms (I jest), or at a minimum hold a news conference and point out what happened (I don’t jest).
Dear Massachusettes Residents:
I only found out about this article as I was reading the Boston Herald about BPD wanting to search children’s rooms for guns in crime-ravaged neighborhoods.
(As I read this I questioned, why didn’t Senator Kerry do this in the ‘04 election? Why wait this long. I suggest that both men contribute $1M to both Veteran’s causes. I’m afraid this will become a media distaction. So it may answer some questions but will no doubt create more questions.
We have bigger issues to deal with right now that this. From the wars, Middle East issues, China, Iran ect. Mr. Kerry should of dealt with this then and there in that election not this one in my humble opinion.
Prove TBP wrong but in the end of the day, I hope you both contibute to the Veterans. In closing, get more Americans involved and have a site so we can contribute to the causes as well.
Sincerely from the other end of I-90.
Why don’t you sign form 180 and release your records Mr. Kerry?
What are you so afraid for the public to see, Mr. Kerry?
If you did not lie and distort your record, let the record be public, let the people decide.
What a concept for democrats. Truth!
Mr. Kerry this is a terrific idea. My only question is why was this story not fought vigorously from the beginning?
It’s less than five seconds out of the chute and already Pickens is fishtailing like Steamboat.
It is foolish to appeal to Pickens’s sense of honor as oilmen are unlikely to be acquainted with the critter. He will backpedal till the end of time in a classic game of TEGWAR (The Exciting Game Without Any Rules—from “Beat The Drum Slowly”, a baseball classic IMO)
Rather, appeal to his sense of shame in terms he can understand. Run a series of adds in Texas dressed similarly to Paladin in “Have Gun Will Travel” and call him out western style, “Yer yella Pickens”, etc. Just make certain that you do not look as absurd as Dukakis in the helmet.
Not only is this approach great satire, if well produced, but it’s literal message still has moral currency in that part of the Midwest.