DMJ,
You are correct, I should not believe everything i read.
I am making an effort to ensure that what I posted is correct. So far I have found 2 links which refences that:
"MCCAIN ROSE TO HIS FEET AND, OFFERING NO REBUTTAL EVIDENCE OF HIS OWN, PROCEEDED TO CHIDE "THE PROFESSIONAL MALCONTENTS, CONSPIRACY MONGERS, CON ARTISTS AND DIME-STORE RAMBOS WHO ATTEND THIS ISSUE." THE RESOLUTION PASSED, 62-38."
http://www.nationalalliance.org/bits/naf2000/000506.htm
http://www.aiipowmia.com/sea/schanberg_mccain.html
http://www.greasyonline.com/tfo/pow_part2.php
I have also found the below statement referencing the congressional record of McCain's speech but was not able to access the actual document (No Password)
"Moreover, Kerry never referred to anyone as "professional malcontents, conspiracy mongers, con artists and dime-store Rambos". This phrase, in fact, was uttered by Sen. John McCain during Senate discussion of normalization of relations with Vietnam on Tuesday, January 25, 1994. Moreover, McCain was not referring to the families of POWs and MIAs when he spoke. Rather, he was referring to mercenaries and other snake-oil salesmen who had been conning the families of MIAs out of money, claiming they would go to Vietnam and track down missing soldiers. McCain's actual statement was:
Joint Task Force personnel have, often at great risk to their own welfare, crawled through some of the worst and most remote terrain in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, searching for any clue as to the fate of our missing. Their efforts have been dismissed as a charade by many POW/MIA activists who_unlike my friend, Senator Smith, whose opposition is honorable_cloak their opposition in character assassination. In truth, JTF personnel are responsible for locating more information, for resolving more of the mystery surrounding this question than all the professional malcontents, conspiracy mongers, con artists, and dime store rambos who attend this issue have ever or will ever contribute collectively. They are truly unsung heroes.
Everyone involved in our efforts in Vietnam will testify to the greatly increased cooperation from Vietnam. It is their word, not mine, nor Senator Kerry's that Senators should listen to as they consider our amendment. Everyone of these fine individuals believes that the time has come to lift the trade embargo against Vietnam. They recognize that the accounting process has not and should not end, and that there is more cooperation we will require from Vietnam before our efforts can conclude. But they feel, as do I, that lifting the embargo will facilitate and accelerate that cooperation.
(excerpted from Lexis Nexis Congressional record, 103rd Congress, 2nd session, 140 Cong Rec S 130)"
From everything I have found so far, this quote was made by John McCain, not John Kerry, but I will continue to search.
