Can't Buy Me Love...

Kerry is apparently stunned at his rather cool reception by the VFW Convention in Cincinatti yesterday:

"Sen. John Kerry is said by several advance staffers to have been visibly upset at the reception he received at the VFW convention on Wednesday in Cincinnati. "He was upset after the speech, visibly upset when he was out of public view," says a Kerry adviser, confirming the story.Kerry was greeted by polite applause in the large auditorium, with many VFW members sitting with their arms crossed and not applauding at all. A few VFW members stood in the rear of the room with their backs turned to the dais.

Kerry appeared thrown by the reception, giving a flat, sometimes-meandering speech that was intended to be a strong rebuttal of President Bush's announced troop pullback in Europe and Korea. Two things apparently changed Kerry's aggressive stance. First, before going onstage, Kerry was informed that NATO officials in Brussels had essentially backed the Bush proposal as being sound and in line with NATO's own troop deployment plans. Second, according to an advance staffer, the candidate had been told that he would be received at the very least warmly, based on feedback the campaign had received from VFW officials."He's not used to not getting a warm reception," says the advance staffer. "He can handle the Bush hooligans we get, but when he's told he'll be greeted well, he expects that to be the case."

Apparently Terry Kerry's money can't buy the candidate that kind of love." (Hat tip: Betsy's Page)

A reasonable person might wonder how Kerry could possibly think he could get away with saying the following at the convention:

"Like veterans of all wars past, today’s fighting men and women, deserve our prayers and support and then, when they come home, they deserve the respect and welcome of a grateful nation. After all, the first definition of patriotism is to keep faith with those who have worn the uniform of the United States of America." (Emphasis mine)

Is respect and welcome what returning Vietnam soldiers received from anti-war protester and senate testifier Kerry, when he accused his fellow soldiers of committing atrocities and murder in Vietnam? (see the 1971 Senate Testimony of John Kerry)

John Kerry chose his path a long time ago; and until he is willing to repudiate that past, no veteran has any reason to believe anything he says now. Of course, he won't repudiate his anti-war stance today, because he wants to be both the "anti-war" and "pro-war" candidate at the same time.

Money can't buy integrity or respect, either.