Why Are We Back In Iraq?

Did Leslie Wetzel use tracing paper when she published "Cleland Heads to Crawford Ranch With Letter to Bush" on Talon News (cache link) on August 26, 2004? It's virtually the same exact article as "Max Cleland Protests Against "Disgraceful" Attacks Against John Kerry's Vietnam Record" written by Jeremy Pelofsky of Reuters ("with additional reporting by Adam Entous") on August 25, 2004: Al Jazeerah cache link.

Leslie: "Dispatched by Kerry to defend his service, former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia and Jim Rassmann, the man who was pulled out of a river in Vietnam by Kerry, arrived at Bush's ranch Wednesday to deliver a public protest against what he called "disgraceful" attacks against fellow Vietnam veteran John Kerry's war service.

Pelofsky: "Former Sen. Max Cleland on Wednesday rolled up to President Bush's ranch in his wheelchair to deliver a public protest against what he called "disgraceful" attacks against fellow Vietnam veteran John Kerry's Vietnam war service."

Leslie: "The letter was also signed by nine senators who served in the military."

Pelofsky: "But Cleland refused to give the letter, signed by nine senators who served in the military."

Leslie: "The Bush campaign sent its own supporters, including a war veteran, to meet Cleland and supporters of Kerry at a security checkpoint just down the road from the entrance to Bush's ranch."

Pelofsky: "The Bush campaign dispatched its own supporters, including a war veteran, to meet Cleland and supporters of the Democratic nominee at a security checkpoint just down the road from the entrance to Bush's secluded ranch."

Leslie: "But Cleland refused to give the letter to Jerry Patterson, a former Marine who now serves as Texas Land Commissioner."

Pelofsky: "But Cleland refused to give the letter, signed by nine senators who served in the military, to Jerry Patterson, a former Marine who now serves as Texas State Land Commissioner."

Leslie: "Patterson had his own letter for Kerry, signed by him and other veterans, that criticized Kerry's anti-war comments after he returned from Vietnam."

Pelofsky: "Patterson had his own letter for Kerry, signed by him and other war veterans, that criticized Kerry's anti-war comments after he returned from Vietnam."

Leslie: "Cleland rolled his wheelchair back and forth across the road and around barricades trying to give the letter to a Secret Service agent, state trooper, or a Bush aide, all of whom evaded him."

Pelofsky: "Cleland rolled his wheelchair back and forth across the road and around barricades trying to give the letter to a Secret Service agent, state trooper or a Bush aide, all of whom evaded him."

Leslie: "White House spokesman Scott McClellan described Cleland's appearance at Crawford as a "political stunt.""

Pelofsky: "White House spokesman Scott McClellan described Cleland's appearance at Crawford as a "political stunt"."

Leslie: "Cleland lost his own 2002 bid in Georgia for reelection to the U.S. Senate after a bitter campaign in which Republicans questioned his patriotism. Cleland lost both his legs and one arm while serving in Vietnam."

Pelofsky: "Cleland lost his own 2002 bid in Georgia for re-election to the U.S. Senate after a bitter campaign in which Republicans questioned his patriotism. Cleland lost both his legs and one arm while serving in Vietnam."

Bobby Eberle's Talon News: All the news that's fit to reprint.

(Update: oops, I did it, too...now where did i hear that line before...ummm...in a post about me written by rising-capital-j-journalist, John Aravosis Talon News - All the news that's fit to reprint?. For the second time in a week: sorry, John...thought it was my funny-funny)

# posted by Ron Brynaert : 2/24/2005 01:55:00 PM