Posted on 11/06/2004 7:03:35 PM PST by freespirited
'John Kerry will never call us terrorists and war criminals again," crowed John O'Neill, the Vietnam war Swift Boat captain who led the fiercest attack of the campaign against the Democratic candidate.
With his brothers-in-arms from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Mr O'Neill was celebrating President George W Bush's victory with fervour. For the Swift Boat captains and crew who fought to destroy Sen Kerry's credibility as a Vietnam war hero, it was a victorious end to a vendetta that began more than 30 years ago.
"I will leave it to the professionals to decide whether we played a crucial role in defeating Kerry, but I am very satisfied," said Mr O'Neill from his law office in Houston, Texas.
Last week it emerged that Mr Kerry had wanted to fight back against his Vietnam nemesis, but was dissuaded by his campaign advisers. He is furious at their miscalculation. The Swift Boat Veteran for Truth organisation, operating outside the official Republican machine, did more damage to Mr Kerry's image as the cool, experienced war leader than anyone else.
Mr Kerry was enraged by its television advertisements and a best-selling book, Unfit for Command, by Mr O'Neill. He was even more angry when the former senator Bob Dole - a Second World War veteran - appeared on television to endorse the veterans.
According to a special edition of Newsweek magazine, Mr Kerry telephoned Mr Dole, a fellow Purple Heart holder, decorated for wounds suffered in battle, in fury. "You can't say this kind of stuff," he shouted. "And by the way, Bob, I bled from every one of my wounds."
Throughout their campaign Mr O'Neill and his fellow veterans insisted that they were working not for President Bush, but for justice and their own honour.
They saw Mr Kerry as a man who had ratted on his fellow warriors by describing them as "war criminals", faked his Vietnam wounds, and secured his medals under false pretences. Mr O'Neill's book caught the senator out in at least one exaggeration: his claim to have spent a Christmas in Cambodia, when he was several miles inside the Vietnamese border.
"Kerry has lost his case as well as the election. We have reclaimed history," said Mr O'Neill.
Mr Kerry attracted particular opprobrium for having taken up leadership of a veterans' anti-war movement, the role in which he claimed that American troops had been involved in war crimes.
Mr O'Neill debated with Mr Kerry on television and has pursued him ever since. "The reason I will do anything to stop John Kerry becoming Commander-in-Chief is that, the first time he confronted terrorism - the terrorists of Vietnam - he took the position that they were the army of George Washington and we were the war criminals," he said.
Mr Kerry was ambushed by the Swift Boat veterans within hours of leaving the podium of the Democratic Convention, where he had theatrically saluted and "reported for duty". Newsweek reports that he wanted to fight back immediately, encouraged by an aide to Sen John McCain. The aide warned Mr Kerry: "They'll make it look like you fought for the Viet Cong."
But Mr Kerry's campaign managers, Bob Shrum and Mary Beth Cahill, insisted that he "float above" the attack advertisements.
It was only after James Carville, President Clinton's former campaign strategist known as the "Ragin' Cajun" joined Mr Kerry's team in September that the approach changed. Mr Carville, reports Newsweek, insisted that the candidate be allowed to hit back - but it was too late.
Mr O'Neill warned that he remained ready for combat, and was waiting in the wings with his "message" should Sen Kerry ever choose to return to the presidential political fray.
I hope the Swift Boat Veterans don't ride off into the sunset. We need them to help us hammer Gigolo John into complete oblivion. I won't be satisfied until he and Teresa are living in France.
qerry never answered the question about christmas in cambodia.
It is amazing that he in some sense he got away with lying (not surprising for a dim)
"And we are ready to support John O'Neill if he needs us."
Yes, I gave them a small bit of money, but I was proud to contribute my mite to the effort.
I'd be happy to do so again, anytime, anyplace, anywhere.
Good work swift vets. Another successful mission, despite all odds. I think they should stay on Kerry and expose the whole truth.
America to Kerry--"DISMISSED" (I kept waiting for this to be a newspaper headline).
Why couldn't we see more of this before Nov. 2?
Thank you Swift Boat Veterans. You all really made the difference in this campaign. We are forever grateful to you. I donated four times to your cause. God bless you!!
This nation owes a debt of gratitude to Mr O'Neill and his brothers in arms.
Well done, Gentlemen.
And thank you.
Mr. Carville assumed his client was innocent. Since Kerry was in fact, guilty as hell of what the SwiftVets accused him of, all he could do was shut up and hope the MSM would make the whole thing away for him.
"Newsweek reports that he wanted to fight back immediately, encouraged by an aide to Sen John McCain. The aide warned Mr Kerry: "They'll make it look like you fought for the Viet Cong."
What does the speech 'god' know and when did he know it?
God Bless the Swift Boat Vets. The election is over, and they can hold their heads high and stand tall. John Kerry and Lawrence O'Donnell however - cannot!
I'm so happy the Vietnam Vets, especially O'Neill, scored such a huge victory.
It has been proved Kerry did fight for the Viet Cong. What did this aide know that made him say that?
Last week it emerged that Mr Kerry had wanted to fight back against his Vietnam nemesis,
Oh yeah, with what, spitballs? It certainly wouldn't have been with the truth since he wouldn't sign his Form 180. This man is so full of hot air I'm surprised he doesn't soar into the sky.
I disagree. Kerry did so as recently as in his concession speech. He thanked his band of brothers for having the courage to stand up for the truth, meaning he thanked them for bolstering his lies.
Kerry can and probably will continue to spread his lies in the future.
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