Click the logo to donate to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
Posted on 08/23/2004 6:58:30 AM PDT by SJackson
How did we get into this mess? Much of the presidential campaign this month has been consumed with a dispute about whether John Kerry told tall tales about his service in Vietnam 35 years ago.
The media were similarly fixated on ancient history several months ago, after filmmaker Michael Moore, at a Wesley Clark rally, labeled President Bush "a deserter" and Democratic National Committee chairman Terry McAuliffe said the president had been "AWOL" during his service in the Texas Air National Guard. Mr. Bush had to produce his dental records to quiet the storm. Now in response to the anti-Kerry ad by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, MoveOn.org is airing an ad accusing Mr. Bush of using family ties to evade serving overseas during Vietnam.
This is insanity. While partisans may delight in playing gotcha over uncertain Vietnam-era memories, voters are likely to wonder about when the issues they care about will get discussed.
It's fair to say that the so-called campaign finance reform that Mr. Bush signed into law in 2002 will result in more money being plowed into negative advertising during this campaign than ever before. The McCain-Feingold law was supposed to curb the influence of big money in politics. Instead, it has led to an avalanche of money landing in the coffers of so-called 527 groups. The name comes from the section of the tax code that allows independent groups to raise and spend as much as they want on political ads so long as they don't expressly advocate a candidate or coordinate their campaign with political parties or candidates.
(Excerpt) Read more at jewishworldreview.com ...
Sorry, I blame Kerry.
The cause is that Kerry wants us to look at Vietnam so we won't look at the FBI files concerning his VVAW activity.
Even Ollie North says the real issue is VVAW
Easy. The Dems in 1992 said that Vietnam-era actions should not be an issue in judging a presidential candidate when they were running Clinton. They later proceeded to attack candidate Bush with allegations about his Vietnam-era actions in the National Guard. And then this election their candidate made his Vietnam-era actions a centerpiece of his qualifications to be president.
This is another example of the unintended consequences of good intentions by reformist minded politicians with no common sense.
Someone should have told McCain to be careful of what you wish for.
The net result of McCain's bill has made the political process worse, not better, but - like all politicians - McCain will never acknowledge that fact. It's something to remember the next time McCain, or someone else, tries to "reform" something.
How dumb. skerry started this with his I'm a hero schtick.
I don't think they were unintended. This loophole was widely discussed prior to passage and signing. It was simply assumed that the Supreme Court would overturn the 60 ban, making 527s unnecessary.
It's worked his whole career, He knew the Swiftees were out there, and about the book, well before the convention. I guess he thought they wouldn't get any traction. How much they do get remains to be seen.
The cause, it is the ignorant arrogance of John Kerry, his "BRING IT ON" has now been brought, he crys foul, protect me Moma-T, & sics the Ken Doll running to the FEC.
It is hard to fathom such a tone deaf idiot and his advisors as to how this would resonant with the still raw feelings of Vietnam veterans. Maybe he doesn't do focus groups and polls? Or, maybe like the MSM, he so weights the polls to get the desired results, it backfired on his rice fragged arse big time?
Good morning.
I don't understand how some people are not seeing that those events from 35 years ago are completely relevant when it comes to electing someone to the presidency during wartime. If john kerry lied about Vietnam then he is a fraud. If he lied in the service of the communists he is a traitor.
Michael Frazier
It just shows his arrogance and totalitarian tendancies. He figured TAHRAAAZA's money and the evil dum machine would assasinate the POW's that are part of the SBVFT.
In the lies, spinning, lack of character, arrogance of John Kerry you are seeing just who actually won the Vietnam war.
In the persons of the swift boat veterans you are seeing whose faces were shoved in the mud, who was spit upon, who has been maligned (and later pitied) for alleged drug addition and ruined lives owing to service in Viet Nam.
Time to deal with today, you say. As one Freeper put, "I can't wait for all the old people to die so we can forget Viet Nam." Well, forget Viet Nam at the peril of our Republic.
The lies, spinning, lack of character, arrogance of the John Kerrys are with us more than ever.
It's not a victory for an internationalist Communist enemy they want this time. OBL is not their Ho. But OBL is a means to an end. It's the humiliation of our Nation that they want this time. The humiliation of our Nation is their path to internationalists' goals just as their Ho's victory over our Nation was a generation ago.
Don't let it happen. Many, veterans and non veterans, have lived lives as seething caldrons barely able to keep a lid on it. At least we had lives. You won't have a pot to seeth in.
McPain and Feingold have nothing to do with it...lying and lack of character have everything to do with it. sKerry has blood on his hands from his his false testimony before Congress that resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths in Vietnam and millions more in Cambodia.... Now the sorry ba$tard wants to be President.....That's what it's all about!!!
Maybe they will in the future, but for right now McCain's bill has made a mess of things.
I don't rightly think that rice qualifies as shrapnel. The barrel hoops must have shattered and got old John F'n in the ass.
Or maybe it all depends on what the meaning "shrapnel" is.
White rice or unbleached rice?
"It's something to remember the next time McCain, or someone else, tries to "reform" something."
So True! Now the 9/11 Commission and the dopes on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence want to "reform" how intelligence is administered. While they mess around, our brave soldiers in combat zones won't get timely intel on enemy attacks or enemy positions.
We won WWII by breaking the German and Japanese codes. We have the same intel capability now, but this "let's bust it up and start over" attitude on post 9/11 intel work is dangerous, unless done very carefully.
If the VVAW activity of this traitor elected Senator doesn't resonate, consider how far ANYBODY calling themselves a Democrat would have gotten with Jane Fonda as their running mate. Isn't it really about the same, conceptually? Doesn't this guy make all veterans, especially Vietnam Era Veterans, feel the same way they feel when they see Jane Fonda doing, I don't know, anything?
They are traitors. Plain and simple. Michael Moore's actions and words now place him among them. The exception being that he is an Iraqi Freedom Era traitor.
Would you want Jane Fonda to be a heartbeat away from the presidency and the role of Commander in Chief? How would you answer the same question using John Kerry's name? Isn't that ultimately the question?
W04.
1. Corporations would often give large amounts to both parties. This money is completely wasted, it is not speech. Corporations only give to both sides because they are afraid of what will happen if they don’t (see Microsoft vs. Clinton Admin.) A law that gives corporations an excuse not to give as much to either side is a good thing.
2. Corporations should not be wasting shareholder money on donations. Pay dividends and let the shareholders donate if they wish. It could be argued that political favors would pay the shareholders back and then some, but if all corporations are doing it then it is just wasted money.
3. Unions are limited by the bill, which is good. In many states people are forced to give money to their unions. As long as this is true, I strongly agree with limiting Union politicl speech since it is unlikely to agree with all who are foced to give.
4. 527’s apparently can say whatever they want (except “vote for”) right up to the day of the election and have unlimited ability to collect money as long as it is not from a corporation or union. This is the major free speech “loophole” that in my mind makes all the other restrictions somewhat trivial, because any group the feels strongly can just set up a 527 on the side and exercise all the free speech they want. (I am bothered that they can’t say “vote for…” but that is a minor issue)
Republicans will benefit in the long run because there are so many people who would donate $10, $50, or $100 to pro-republican 527s’ and fewer that would do so for Democrats. Sure, Democrats (ironically?) have a few big donors that the Republicans lack, but in future elections one billionaire donating $50 million cannot compete with one million upper middle class voters donating $100 each, or five million middle class voters donating an average of $20.
And if Kerry loses, like I think he will, then the Democrat 527 donatins will have been wasted, and next election that might give some of them second toughts about giving millions of dollars with the risk of getting zero return.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.