OLIPHANT: I WATCHED KERRY THROW WAR DECORATIONS

Drudge ^

[hope]

OLIPHANT IN COMING BOSTON GLOBE: 'I was 4 or 5 feet behind John Kerry. I watched Kerry reach with his right hand into the breast pocket of his fatigue shirt. The hand emerged with several of the ribbons... There couldn't have been all that many decorations in his hand -- six or seven -- because he made a closed fist around his collection... From what I could observe firsthand about Friday, April 23, 1971, Kerry did not make even the slightest effort to pretend that he was throwing all of his military decorations over that fence.... Kerry had arrived here with only the ribbons he wore on his shirt... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have always found the political junk served up by Kerry's detractors to be undignified as well as largely inaccurate. I write now because the political junk is much higher profile now, though no less misleading -- and not, by the way, because in her fourth job in the public arena, my daughter just joined Kerry's staff. I just happened to be there that long-ago day. I saw what happened and heard what Kerry said and know what he meant. The truth happens to be with him...' Impacting Hard Late Monday...

[OldFriend]

Having just seen a video clip of him throwing those medals it is clear they were not ribbons........and the rage exhibited by him and others was frightening.

Imagine hating your country with such a passion.

[Thebaddog]

The ribbons would float and swish upon the currents as if like leaves of grass. Or some such foolishness that Clinton sent over to his girlfriends to get them nutty.

[lainie]

Can anyone please make sense of this story for those of us with limited tolerance of b.s.? I can't figure out what the man said, didn't say, said he said, my head is spinning.

Oliphant says truth is on Kerry's side. Truth about what!

argh

[Paul_B]

It is a lie, but unfortunately much of America will read only the headline.

[CyberCowboy777]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1124922/posts

He did

He did not

He did throw ribbons?

He threw medals?

6, 7 8 or 9? Actual medals? Read the quote above.

[TomGuy]

Charlie Gibson said he was there also.

So who saw what? Gibson implied this morning that he saw Kerry throw medals, not just ribbons.

[river rat]

Ribbons, in this case -- refers to the representative decoration that is worn on the normal uniform, in place of the hanging medal decoration that is worn mainly on formal occasions..or in the casket.

The "ribbon" is a short piece of the uniquely colored ribbon in the same color/design from which the formal Medal hangs -- and this short piece of ribbon is wrapped around a piece of metal frame with pins and snaps behind to attach to the uniform..

There is more than enough mass to toss some distance....

Semper Fi

[Bluntpoint]

A "real" man stands up for Kerry!!!

[hope]

More from Drudge:

Kerry unaware being taped after GMA segment, "Geez... They're working for the Republican National Committee" of ABC's Charlie Gibson, GMA Staff...

[FreedomSurge]

"How does one throw a ribbon across a fence?"

Excellent - ribbons would be incredibly difficult to throw.

[kabar]

And Kerry himself has said in the past he threw medals.

Exactly. Kerry said he threw medals of other veterans and his own ribbons. Oliphant's daughter also happens to be part of the Kerry campaign. LOL. Let's go to the video tape.

[CedarDave]

Is the video clip on the net anywhere???

[rs79bm]

[mountaineer]

Jean-Francois had a bad day all around. After the GMA taping, he headed to Wheeling, W.Va., where he was freeped in fine fashion.

[sinkspur]

ABC's got a tiger by the tail, and it's pretty clear, from Jenning's broadcast tonight, they're not going to let go.

[savedbygrace]

Kerry has said that he threw others' medals and his own ribbons. If Oliphant is giving us an accurate history here, then Kerry is still lying about the others' medals. Or Oliphant is lying. So hard to choose. Wait, I've got it . . . they're BOTH lying.

[AmishDude]

1. Of course Oliphant was there at the war protest and was ever-so-close to Kerry.
2. Of course his daughter works for Kerry.
3. Of course, he clearly remembers a 32-year-old event.
4. I don't get it. Wasn't the point of the protest that he threw his medals over the fence? Otherwise, he might as well throw a couple of ping-pong balls.

[Rebelbase]

I just love people's memories from 33 years ago, especially when they probably went out and got stoned later that night.

[bitt]

not that I would argue anything FOR Kerry, but the ribbons appear to be pasted to a metal pin, so that they would actually have some weight...

[YaYa123]

You learn all you need of Oliphant when you ask why he didn't speak up to clear the record when Kerrey said on television that he did throw his medals.

Situational ethics = a congenital failing of democrats!

The real lesson from all this is how Kerrey will lie, depending on his audience. And sadly, how his supporters don't care if he lied.

He threw his medals. He didn't throw his medals. He threw ribbons, not medals. But, he said, there was no difference in ribbons and medals, both were symbols, so why is he the one to insist on the distinction of the two?