Kerry enablers seem to believe that the quote below is out of context. Well, here’s the full context:
KING: Mount Holly Springs, Pennsylvania — hello.
CALLER: Hello. Yes, I would like to ask the panel why they don’t use napalm or flamethrowers on those tunnels and caves up there in Afghanistan?
KING: Senator Kerry?
CALLER: My golly, I think they could smoke him out.
KING: Senator Kerry?
KERRY: Well, I think it depends on where you are tactically. They may well be doing that at some point in time. But for the moment, what we are doing, I think, is having its impact and it is the best way to protect our troops and sort of minimalize the proximity, if you will. I think we have been doing this pretty effectively and we should continue to do it that way.
KING: Congressman Cunningham, what do you think of that question?
CUNNINGHAM: I think Senator Kerry is right on the mark. To use a flamethrower, you’ve got to get right into the area close in. And plus, it doesn’t penetrate that deep in those tunnels. You’ve got to go in there after him. So I think you have to neutralize that threat. And then you can get him out in a lot of different, various ways including what the gentleman spoke about.
From the whole context of the discussion, it’s clear that they are discussing tactics to get bin Laden. Kerry’s concern is to “minimalize the proximity” of the troops, and he is clearly backing the tactics that the Bush administration had agreed to. Here’s another Kerry quote from the same discussion:
I think our guys are doing a superb job. I think we’ve had, things break for us, the way, one would want them to, but in addition, I think the people you just heard, they are trained, they are ready. I think we have been smart, I think the administration leadership has done it well and we are on right track.
Well, Kerry has changed his mind, as he has every right to. But he supported the administration at the time.
The Dish 