Democrats Threaten Networks Over Anti-Kerry Ads

GOPUSA ^ | 8-6-04 | Jeff Gannon

[FlyLow]

WASHINGTON (Talon News) -- The Democratic National Committee quickly responded to ads that began airing this week which question Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) military record. Lawyers for the DNC and the Kerry campaign sent a letter to station managers across the country advising them that their stations could be held "responsible for the false and libelous charges" made in the ads.

Several members of over 250 Vietnam veterans who make up a group known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (web site) appear in the ad, claiming that Kerry lied about certain aspects of his four months of combat duty. One of the veterans in the ad says that Kerry didn't deserve one of the three Purple Hearts that enabled him to return early to the United States.

Many of the group were wounded in combat or are highly decorated veterans themselves. They are resisting the attempt by Democrats to suppress their side of the story.

Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann (ret.), founder and chairman of the organization, said, "We purchased with our blood and service the right to be heard, to set the record straight about our unit, and to tell the truth about John Kerry's military service record."

The ad campaign comes in advance of the August 15 release of a book written by another member of the group, John O'Neill. His book, "Unfit for Command," argues that Kerry's conduct in Vietnam as well as his anti-war activities following his early out disqualify him from being commander-in-chief. O'Neill debated Kerry on the Dick Cavett Show in 1971 about the Vietnam War.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), a former prisoner of war in Vietnam, told the Associated Press that he thought the ads went too far.

Hoffmann responded, "We respect Sen. McCain's right to express his opinion and we hope he extends to us the same respect and courtesy, particularly since we served with John Kerry, we knew him well, and Senator McCain did not."

Still, the Arizona Republican urged the White House to disavow the ads that he called "dishonest and dishonorable." But McCain had harsh words for his future senate colleague in 1973 when he wrote an article for the U.S. News & World Report. McCain said that the communist captors who held him at the infamous Hanoi Hilton for five years tried to demoralize him with the public statements of Kerry and other Democrats including Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-MA) who talked of war crimes committed by U.S. soldiers.

McCain said, "All through this period [they] were bombarding us with anti-war quotes from people in high places back in Washington. This was the most effective propaganda they had to use against us."

The White House denied any involvement in the ad or the 527 group that produced it.

White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan said, "We have not and we will not question Senator Kerry's service in Vietnam."

"The president has been on the receiving end of more than $62 million in negative attacks from shadowy groups," McClellan added. "The president is calling for an immediate cessation to all the unregulated soft money activity."

McClellan was referring to the ads from 527 groups like MoveOn.org that have waged a brutal and relentless anti-Bush campaign for nearly a year. Billionaire financier George Soros has contributed $15 million to these groups for the specific purpose of driving Bush from the White House.

He said, "I think that this is another example of the problem with the unregulated soft money activity that is going on. The president thought he got rid of this kind of unregulated soft money when he signed the bipartisan campaign finance reforms into law."

But the Federal Election Commission failed to deal with the loophole in the law when it had the opportunity earlier this year. Vice chairman Ellen Weintraub, a former Democratic counsel to the House Ethics Committee who was chosen for the commission by Sen. Tom Daschle (D-SD), recommended against taking action before the November election. The FEC's inaction led to massive amounts of "soft money" flowing into the 527 groups that are virtually unregulated.

This is the first legal action suggested from either party in regard to statements made by 527s. Earlier this year, the MoveOn.org web site featured a commercial where Adolf Hitler morphs into President Bush. The Republican National Committee complained about the ad, but no legal action was taken.

A copy of the DNC letter to station managers can be found at Human Events Online (web site).

Additional information about Kerry's anti-war activities can be found at WinterSoldier.com (web site).

[Badeye]

"He is in the same boat Hitlary. She HATES any criticism of her. Indicative of a shallow minded, egotisical maniac."

True, but she's clearly better equiped to deal with it. He's a wuss.

[aShepard]

A most excellent perspective on John Kerry!

[dirtboy]

Lawyers for the DNC and the Kerry campaign sent a letter to station managers across the country advising them that their stations could be held "responsible for the false and libelous charges"

Damn DNC lawyers can't even get their terms straight. Libel is printed defamation, slander is spoken defamation. Since this is a TV ad and the charges against Kerry are spoken, the charges can't be "libelous".

[Arrowhead1952]

Do we need to bring back out the "crying baby" Democratic logo from 2000??

Lawyers for the DNC and the Kerry campaign sent a letter to station managers across the country advising them that their stations could be held "responsible for the false and libelous charges" made in the ads.

If this is the case, why doesn't the DNC and the F'ing john ticket also denounce the F 9/11 movie for false and libelous charges. Turnabout is not fair play when it hits the RAT party.

[Conspiracy Guy]

Leaving on His Jet Plane


JohnDenver

All his records sealed, he’s ready to go.
He’s flipped and flopped, as we well know.
But we must now wake up,
And say goodbye.
Now the light is shining,
It’s a new morn.
His bus is waiting,
He’s holding corn.



Already he’s so funny,
I could cry.


So wave bye, don’t look at me,
Turn around and really flee.
Told you that, you really need to go.



He’s leaving, on his jet plane.
We all hope, he won’t be back again.
Oh John, we wish you’d go.



There’s so many times, he’s lied, we found.
We all just wish, he would leave town.
The words he says, they don’t mean a thing.
Everything he says, a lie to you.
As he flips and flops a time or two.
When he leaves town, much sunshine it will bring.



So wave bye, don’t look at me,
Turn now and really flee.
Told him that, he really needs to go.



We all hope, he won’t be back again.
Oh John, we wish you’d go.

Now the time has passed we’re tired of you.
Please be gone we won’t miss you.
We’ll hold the door, you get on your way.
Think about the time will come.
You will see that you are dumb.



We’ll recall the day we got to say.



So wave bye, don’t look at me,
Turn now and really flee.
Told him that, he really needs to go.



He’s leaving, on his jet plane.
We all hope, he won’t be back again.
Oh John, we wish you’d go.




Conspiracy Guy aka 8/6/2004

[GreenHornet]

The Democratic National Committee quickly responded to ads that began airing this week which question Sen. John Kerry's (D-MA) military record. Lawyers for the DNC and the Kerry campaign sent a letter to station managers across the country advising them that their stations could be held "responsible for the false and libelous charges" made in the ads.

I find it interesting that the DNC and their Lawyers are going after station managers who might consider running the ads, but not the Swift Boat Veterans themselves who created the ad. If the commercials really do contain "false and libelous charges", then it seems to me they would be taking direct legal action against the group itself. Could it be that they don't want to give these men an opportunity to tell their side of the story in court? - and have it reported in the media throughout the country? What are they afraid of?

[Delphinium]

McCain calls Kerry a hero and the 250 others dishonest and dishonorable.

I hope he gets booed at the convention.

[InvisibleChurch]

what do the networks do? accept badly needed cash for ads or stand up for democratic principles of defeating W?

what to do, what to do?

[Delphinium]

I would like to see Kerrys interview with Dick Cavett played over and over on TV.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Susan Estrogen tried to get Van Odell to say that if the president asked him, he would pull the ad so that she could claim that he is taking his orders from the White House. He didn't fall for it and said "No". Well that didn't satisfy her so she asked the same question worded slightly differently twice more and still didn't get the answer she wanted.

BTW, if he called her the "c" word (rhymes with "hunt"), wouldn't that be just a term of endearment, like the 'Rats told us a couple of months ago?

[Kenton]

Lawyers for the DNC and the Kerry campaign sent a letter to station managers across the country advising them that their stations could be held "responsible for the false and libelous charges"

Good point, although the charges were also apparently documented in "Unfit for Command".

[InterceptPoint]

In case the connection has not been made by some, here is the famous photo of Kerry in Vietnam along with some of the SwiftBoat Vets that are in the current ad.

Just click on Swiftboat Veterans from the Famous Kerry Photo

Please excuse the quick and dirty Photoshop work.

[Navy Patriot]

hey, freepers. you people rock! The spin on this story has been unbelievable. Is it even being reported on TV?

Welcome to FR, newbie. You will get used to two things real quick.

FReepers are always right there.

The liberal media spin machine never rests, and is exactly predictable.

[LOC1]

"My name is Steve Gardner. I served in 1966 and 1967 on my first tour of duty in Vietnam on Swift boats, and I did my second tour in '68 and '69, involved with John Kerry in the last 2 1/2 months of my tour. The John Kerry that I know is not the John Kerry that everybody else is portraying. I served alongside him and behind him, five feet away from him in a gun tub, and watched as he made indecisive moves with our boat, put our boats in jeopardy, put our crews in jeopardy... if a man like that can't handle that 6-man crew boat, how can you expect him to be our Commander-in-Chief?"
-- Steven Gardner

The above quote was from a press conference given at the National Press Club in Washington on May 4, 2004. You may view Steven’s comments at the following web site. Just scroll down to Steven’s picture and click on it.

http://swift1.he.net/~swiftvet/index.php?topic=SwiftVetQuotes

Searching through that web site, you will find 250 men who served on Swift boats, including the entire chain of command above Lt. Kerry, agree with Steven Gardner that Kerry is not fit to be Commander-in-Chief. That compares to the 13 crew members who support his candidacy.

[OldFriend]

They also sent letters threatening the media if they aired any ads from the Club for Growth.

Why was this not revealed immediately?

[Mike Bates]

Whatever happened to:
Bring it on!?

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[JudgemAll]

Let them beg, let them eat crap.

[Piranha]

To me, the intimidating letters are the biggest story of the entire Presidential campaign.

I can't believe how the story is being ignored. It is one thing for the news media to show their favoritism to John Kerry. I never expected them to be silent in the face of threats of censorship.

[andyandval]

thanks for the welcome. Thank god for the new media. When you think about it,the main streamers have been censoring since the beginning.

[afnamvet]

"In your interview last night with Bill on the No Spin Zone you missed something that is very critical to the motivation of the Swift Boat Vets. 1. The United States Forces never lost one major battle in Vietnam. 2. The NVA regulars were devastated during the Tet Offensive. 3. General Giap (Commander of North Vietnamese Forces) wrote in his memoirs that after the Tet Offensive they considered the war lost and were considering halting the war. In his memoirs he also says the reason they did not pull out was the anti war protests in the United States. General Giap said their protests were essential for the North Vietnam victory in the war. 4.John Kerry was the leader of the anti war protests. The anger many Vets feel for John Kerry is the fact he is the figurehead of the group that lead to our defeat in Vietnam. The United States was not defeated on the battle field but by television and the slanted coverage they gave the war, and the war protests. When they see John Kerry they also see their dead comrades in arms. They are bitter and angry because they served with honor and bravery and also buried their dead comrades, while John Kerry was calling them war criminals, rapists, murderers and worse. When they look at John Kerry they also ask themselves how many of their comrades died because of his actions and lies. They are angry and they deserve to be angry. PS Why in the hell do you think the War Museum in Saigon has a picture of John Kerry and explanations of the importance of the anti war protests. Mr. Morris you are a brilliant political stratagist. You totally missed the motivation of these people. Just as the media chooses to ignor Vietnam Vet Protestors at most of John Kerry's political stops. They hate him with a visceral white hot rage that has nothing to do with being Democrat, Republican or Independent. Charles Dunifer"

You hit it dead on. Morris and O'Reilly are bedwetters.