Lying when not necessary makes most wonder — but not the media

Jewish World Review ^ | March 25, 2004 | Jack Kelly

[SJackson]

Suppose you are a journalist who — like many journalists — is more interested in defeating President Bush than in providing your readers with potentially important information which reflects poorly on Sen. John F. Kerry, the presumptive Democratic nominee. You would like simply to ignore the information. But the evidence is incontrovertible, and other journalists who do not share your hostility to Bush already possess it. How do you handle the story?

The facts are these: From Nov. 12-15, 1971, the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), an organization Kerry helped found and of which he was the principal spokesman, held a meeting in Kansas City. The principal topic of discussion at the meeting was a plan proposed by Scott Camil, a former Marine who now lives in Florida, to assassinate U.S. senators who supported the war in Vietnam.

Kerry told his biographer, Douglas Brinkley, that he did not attend the Kansas City meeting, and (through a campaign spokesman) repeated his denial after a story about the meeting appeared in the both JWR and the New York Sun. But Gerald Nicosia, who wrote a history of the VVAW, claims that Kerry played a prominent role in that debate, and has the minutes of the meeting and reports from FBI informants (obtained through the Freedom of Information Act) to prove it. In addition, JWR contributor Thomas Lipscomb, the New York Sun reporter, interviewed four eyewitnesses — including Camil — who attested to Kerry's presence.

All the eyewitnesses agree that Kerry argued vociferously against Camil's plan — dubbed "the Phoenix project" — and orally resigned from the VVAW because the murder plot was given serious consideration. (It was subsequently voted down.)

With the evidence mounting that he had indeed been at the Kansas City meeting, Kerry changed his story. He now says (again through aide David Wade) the he "has no personal recollection of this meeting 33 years ago." Given the explosiveness of the subject discussed, the prominent role he played in the debate, and the fact that the meeting terminated his association with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, the organization which launched his political career, this is implausible.

Since Kerry was on the side of the angels in the debate, and Sens. John Tower (R-Tex), John Stennis (D-Miss) and Strom Thurmond (R-SC) may have had their lives prolonged because of him, it is unclear why Kerry would choose to lie about his participation in it. Perhaps Kerry felt some voters would look askance at his leadership role in an organization that would seriously contemplate assassination, or was worried that voters would think him remiss for failing to report to the authorities that there were some in the VVAW who were plotting murder.

If Kerry were irritated with Camil for having proposed assassination, his ire faded over the years. Camil told the Lipscomb that he plans to accept an offer from the Florida Kerry organization to become active in Kerry's presidential campaign.

So Kerry attended a meeting where a murder plot was the chief topic of discussion over three days, subsequently lied about it, and maintains ties to the foremost murder plotter. If you are a liberal journalist, how do you spin these facts to minimize political damage to him?

[Galtoid]

Liberal journalists have no interest in facts.

[Piquaboy]

If they are not lying, they are just not reporting.

[formercalifornian]

the fact that the meeting terminated his association with the Vietnam Veterans Against the War

This part isn't quite right. Freepers have dug up info that Kerry was in a leadership position even in 1973, I believe. One photo of Kerry watching Nixon declare the end of the war on TV captions Kerry as head of the VVAW.

[the Real fifi]

I contacted the Washington Post ombudsman, and I suggest those who find the LAT,WP and NYT coverup outrageous do that same--

[cripplecreek]

What do you expect from a media that is outraged over Joe Scalia hunting with the vice president and want him to recuse himself from any case that involves the VP. Meanwhile they evidently dont notice that justice Ginsberg gives money to a group that regularly argues cases in front of her.

[ravingnutter]

All the eyewitnesses agree that Kerry argued vociferously against Camil's plan — dubbed "the Phoenix project" — and orally resigned from the VVAW because the murder plot was given serious consideration.

Ummmm....WRONG.

John Kerry Watching Nixon on Television

John Kerry, a Vietnam vet and head of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, watches as President Nixon announces an agreement on a cease fire in Vietnam. Kerry, who lost to Republican Paul Cronin (D-Mass) in the November general elections said, "my initial reaction is thank God that the prisoners are coming home and that we at least have stopped American participation in the war."

© Bettmann/CORBIS

Date Photographed: January 24, 1973
Location Information: Lowell, Massachusetts, USA

[Hatteras]

"Since Kerry was on the side of the angels in the debate, and Sens. John Tower (R-Tex), John Stennis (D-Miss) and Strom Thurmond (R-SC) may have had their lives prolonged because of him,..."

You see? He IS a hero! Did I mention the Silver Star, Bronze Star and the 3 Purple Hearts acquired while serving deep in the jungles of VietNam?

But Frank, those were EGG SHELL fragments!!!

[ravingnutter]

This part isn't quite right. Freepers have dug up info that Kerry was in a leadership position even in 1973, I believe. One photo of Kerry watching Nixon declare the end of the war on TV captions Kerry as head of the VVAW

Picture posted in #7.

[dinasour]

Let's see.

Committed treason and perjury during the "winter solder" hearing, assuming he lied. If not, then he committed war crimes himself while in Vietnam.

Conspiracy to assassinate members of the senate, then actively covering it up.

Admits to meeting with leaders of North Vietnam, during wartime, while holding a commission in the Naval Reserve, also an act of treason.

Man, I feel so much safer now that Martha Stewart is going to the pokey for lying to the Feds.

[omniscient]

To Democrats, this is a resume enhancer. Of course, if a similar story came out about a Republican candidate, that candidate would already have withdrawn from the race in disgrace, hustled out as fast as possible by howling and screaming Democrats.

[dinasour]

while serving deep in the jungles of VietNam

He served in Vietnam. I didn't know.

Does anyone know which side he was on? I wasn't aware that Viet Cong gave out Purple Hearts.

[Mr. Jeeves]

Perhaps Kerry felt some voters would look askance at his leadership role in an organization that would seriously contemplate assassination, or was worried that voters would think him remiss for failing to report to the authorities that there were some in the VVAW who were plotting murder.

More likely, he doesn't want to alienate and drive into the Nader camp those left-wing voters who think he should have approved the plan.

[syriacus]

Perhaps Kerry ... was worried that voters would think him remiss for failing to report to the authorities that there were some in the VVAW who were plotting murder.

Meanwhile, Kerry's Kampaign Kamp is busily looking for the "hero" medals he got for reporting the plot.

They've heard that the medals are in mothballs in an attic...somewhere... in one of his many homes.

[formercalifornian]

Oh, thanks!

[formercalifornian]

who lost to Republican Paul Cronin (D-Mass)

Anyone ever figure out what the D was doing in "D-Mass"?

[Wright is right!]

Is the author of this article the same Jack Kelly who was drummed out of USA Today for fabricating articles?

Michael

[formercalifornian]

That is an excellent idea. Also, do you know whether Fox News has done anything with this story?

[Socratic]

...dubbed "the Phoenix project"...

A spin I've heard on this is that just one zealous person brought up the topic of assassinations and it was immediately voted down. Remember in debates, that this was called "The Phoenix Project." One does not give a symbolic name to someone's offhand comment that is summarily rejected. This was a project.