John Kerry: Please. Shut. Up. About. VIETNAM.

Kimberly Strassel has an amusing editorial on John Kerry's pathetic attempts to suck up to the NRA ("Ready, Aim, Fire . . . Hit Foot" Wall Street Journal Sept. 17, 2004), culminating in this excerpt from an upcoming issue of Outdoor Life:

The October edition of Outdoor Life will feature interviews with both presidential candidates. When asked about their favorite guns, President Bush responds: "My favorite gun is a Weatherby Athena 20 gauge." Mr. Kerry says (reminding us yet again where he was 35 years ago): "My favorite gun is the M-16 that saved my life and that of my crew in Vietnam. I don't own one of those now, but one of my reminders of my service is a Communist Chinese assault rifle." So Mr. Kerry's favorite gun is an "assault" rifle designed for war. Funny talk coming from a guy who just went ballistic over the end of the "assault" weapons ban.

I thought Bill Clinton called you from the hospital and advised you to cease and desist with all references to Vietnam?

Please, it's really getting old.