Kerry hits GOP leaders on service in military

ATLANTA -- Presidential contender John F. Kerry last night drew his most pointed contrast yet between his heroism in Vietnam and Republicans who did not serve in war, suggesting they had no right to question his Senate votes on military and defense issues.

Rebuking "the president and his henchmen" for their criticism of him, Kerry took particular aim at Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia for his remarks earlier yesterday attacking the Massachusetts senator's opposition to some missile defense systems and intelligence spending programs.

"I don't know what it is about what these Republicans who didn't serve in any war have against those of us who are Democrats who did," Kerry told reporters upon arriving here for two campaign events in Georgia today. "But I'm tired of their trying to divert attention from the real issues that confront America," Kerry added.

Asked if his rebuke was aimed at President Bush, who has faced questions recently about his Vietnam-era service in the National Guard in Texas and Alabama, Kerry said: "No, that's not what I'm saying. Saxby Chambliss, [Vice President] Dick Cheney, and a whole bunch of people are very busy challenging the patriotism of Democrats who question the policy in Iraq, and question the course of our nation."

Kerry also released a letter that he sent to Bush yesterday charging that the White House was challenging the patriotism of Vietnam veterans like himself and former senator Max Cleland, and seeking "to reopen these wounds for your own personal political gain."

"If you want to debate the Vietnam era and the impact of our experiences on our approaches to presidential leadership, I am prepared to do so," Kerry wrote.

Kerry has not made such pointed statements about the war records of Republicans before, but aides to the senator said he was aggrieved that the criticism came from Chambliss, who in 2002 ousted Cleland -- a friend of Kerry's, a decorated Vietnam veteran and a triple amputee -- by attacking Cleland's votes on defense issues and running a commercial showing his face alongside that of Osama bin Laden.

"Even while they did that, the president came down here and never said a word about it," Kerry said, as Cleland sat next to him in his wheelchair, which had a Veterans for Kerry sticker on it. "Well I'm going to say a word about it. I don't think that has a place in American politics. And I would ask the people of Georgia, and I'd ask the citizens of this country what more Max Cleland has to leave on a battlefield to prove his commitment to the defense of our nation. "[If] people don't understand that, something's wrong with our country."

When asked last night about the possibility of a Green Party candidacy of Ralph Nader, Kerry said he had not spoken to Nader in the last 48 hours and was not worried about such a run, which was seen as contributing to Al Gore's defeat in 2000.

Kerry arrived in Georgia late last night with his new entourage of a dozen Secret Service agents, who, aides said, have given him a code name: Minuteman. Kerry plans to attend services at a predominantly African-American church here this morning and then hold a town hall meeting on jobs and the economy in the afternoon.

Patrick Healy can be reached at phealy@globe.com.