Kerrey on McCain

Re “A warrior, but ...” Opinion, Sept. 1

With friends like Bob Kerrey, Barack Obama doesn’t need enemies.

Kerrey states that he is a supporter of Obama. He then explains why surrogates should not use John McCain’s military experience to convince Americans that he should be president. But he does this by highlighting McCain’s career after Vietnam in a misleading manner.

Kerrey praises what McCain learned from suffering torture, but he neglects to mention that McCain recently voted with President Bush to support torture.

Kerrey assures us that “real men” like McCain would seek diplomatic solutions before putting our servicemen and women “in harm’s way,” but he neglects to mention that McCain supported (and still supports) one of the worst blunders in U.S. history, the Iraq war, while singing “Bomb, bomb Iran.”

Kerrey praises McCain as the man who knows how Washington works so that our servicemen and women can get “the right kind of support,” but he forgets to mention that McCain voted against the recent GI bill because it offered too much in benefits and would make it difficult to get our servicemen and women to reenlist.

Will the real John McCain or Bob Kerrey please stand up?

Michael Vetrie

Canyon Country

As I started reading this, I expected another negative article on McCain. Much to my surprise, it turned out to be a ringing endorsement.

I don’t know if this was Kerrey’s intention, but I don’t think that a McCain supporter could have written a more positive article. What I see in McCain’s military background is a courageous man who does not crack under unbelievable pressure. This is the kind of president I want. He has been tested and has passed with flying colors.

Edward Saraffian

Los Angeles