Posted on 8/26/2004, 4:36:57 PM by NotchJohnson
DIRTBAGGERS It probably isn't coincidental that on the day that former Clinton spokesman Joe Lockhart officially joined the Kerry campaign, the behind-the-scenes pushback to bail out Kerry's presidential campaign began in earnest.
According to a Kerry campaign source in Washington, the campaign itself, or perhaps entities outside of the campaign to allow for plausible deniability, has pulled together more than 1,000 documents related to members of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, many of them compiled within the past three weeks by professional opposition researchers assigned to dig up dirt.
"We have the documents," says the campaign source. "It's not clear that the campaign did this or that it was done by an outside group and given to us. Either way, we have the stuff and we're going to use it."
In some cases, the material is said to include psychological evaluations from the post-Vietnam era, employment records, and criminal and civil court records (including divorce and child support data).
According to a Democratic National Committee staffer, who has not seen the material, the Kerry campaign has every right to use that information against the Swift boaters. "These guys say they know war and they know battle, well this is war. They can't expect the Kerry people to just sit back on their heels. There will be pushback and it will be ugly."
The DNC staffer denied that the documents were the result of the party's opposition research efforts. But the staffer added that the Kerry campaign and the DNC were working on putting together another round of attacks on Bush and his National Guard service, which might be dropped on the media next week to embarrass the president during his re-nomination in New York.
Meanwhile, the Kerry campaign continued to look for documentary material that would aid their candidate in some way, but were striking out. "A lot of were pushing for a full release of Kerry's diaries from the period. But we're hearing that those diaries aren't helpful at all, and may actually make matters worse," says a Democratic political strategist not aligned with Kerry.
One glaring example of that was published by the Washington Times Wednesday morning.
"The only way they are going to get out of this is through a war of attrition and with the help of the media," says the Democratic strategist. "You watch CNN and Chris Matthews and read the New York Times and you can just tell from the faces of the anchors and the words on the page that they are disgusted by this story and want to wash their hands of it. Kerry has to figure out a way to make it easy for them to do it, and that's through dirty politics of their own."
STRANGELY SILENT Another positive byproduct of this Kerry controversy, for Republicans, at any rate, is the Kerry camp's inability to use former President Bill Clinton in a public way to help keep the campaign focused on issues. "You can't a have a guy the Republicans dubbed a draft dodger out there at the same time you're putting out Vietnam fires," says a Kerry campaign source.
But all of this assumes Clinton would want to be out there to begin with. Clinton has not been very visible or vocal on behalf of Kerry since his appearance at the Democratic convention in Boston. Clinton has attended several fundraisers on Kerry's behalf, but for the most part neither he nor Sen. Hillary Clinton has been asked to participate in the campaign.
"[The Kerry campaign] has not asked them to do much of anything," says a former Clinton staffer. "They are doing some things for other candidates, but the Kerry people have gone out of their way to keep the Clintons at arms length. Which is probably just fine with the Clintons."
The democrats need to be made politically legitimate as the green party.
Ah the sweet stench of the Clinton legacy... A boon to private investigators and trial lawyers.
So on one hand he is going to attact Bush for "a pattern of going after veterns". And then he is going to attack veterns himself? Does he really think people are unable to see through this?
"Meanwhile, the Kerry campaign continued to look for documentary material that would aid their candidate in some way, but were striking out. "A lot of were pushing for a full release of Kerry's diaries from the period. But we're hearing that those diaries aren't helpful at all, and may actually make matters worse," says a Democratic political strategist not aligned with Kerry."
Yeah? Maybe we should demand their release...just a little simmering innuendo like "What is he hiding?".
I am sure it is going to get really ugly. I hope those guys have/had their ducks on a row.
Alternatively, Senator Kerry can answer their questions truthfully and honestly. He could release all of his military records along with his War Journal, plus his wife's tax returns.
Democrats have to be the lowest form of human life. This alone should tell any person of average intelligence that the SwiftVets are right. The Dems know it and this is the only thing they can think of to do.
The Clinton legacylives on...
No, I honestly think they just don't get it. They've had a double standard from the main stream media for so long they just don't see things that way. The amusing part of this article was the part where they acknowledged they couldn't use the Great and Powerful Clinton out there. Didn't they say last time around that they should have had him more out front for Al Gore? Now by deciding that service in Vietnam was the prime issue coming out of the convention they painted themselves in a corner with no help from their Savior, Bill the Allmighty. I think they are just not very smart people, who like to think they are all wise and the general public is stoooooopid.
Yes, many many people who watch ABC, CBS, NBC will not get it. How can they?
IMHO the battle will transition now to the bigger issue concerning Kerry, the place he did not want us to look at, VVAW. Consider the following information.
The FBI files reveal:
1. VVAW Plan to assassinate seven US senators.
2. VVAW was training to execute a Phoenix plan to decapitate the leaders of the US Government.
3. Member of VVAW arrested enroute to VP Agnew speech with an explosive device (BOMB).
4. VVAW running guns to a black militant group in Cairo IL.
5. VVAW funded by Communist party of America.
6. VVAW receiving funds from the Communist Party of a country in Europe.
7. VVAW taking directions from the North Vietnamese Communist Government.
8. VVAW sent tapes to NV to be played to our POW's being held by the communists.
9. VVAW sent its leaders (Kerry was a leader) to NV to be indoctrinated by the NV Communists.
10. FBI files indicate that Kerry only resigned the exeutive committee of the VVAW.
And I found this article which proves he was still with the VVAW as a leader as late as Feb. 1972.
And finally this.
Recently I have read that John Kerry has told the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that he was not referring to them in his senate speech in 1971, but to all the other Vietnam War veterans.
Well, we should apply the same standard to this that Kerry and his news pals used, that is;
That he did not serve in their tent, unit, team, foxhole, aircraft, patrol unit, or squad so therefore he cannot know what these men were doing or not doing.
Therefore, because by his own admission that by these rules above the SBVT couldnot have known, he should admit that everything he stated about Vietnam War veterans is a lie, as he had no first hand knowledge.
He did not serve with them!
And most will say they are glad that he didn't!
real truth, girlfriends? 'Splain?
Yep,
Ducks in a row - to shoot with the 'ole 12 guage in a barrel.......
It's very telling how a person reacts to a stressful situation. So far, Kerry has tried:
lawyers;
threats;
the federal government through the FEC;
misdirection/obfuscation;
lying;
using other vets as props;
and now character assassination.
Which one of these methods are a good characteristic of a person ready for President?
I think Kerry got an F in debate class.
On John Stewart Kerry said Bush was agood debater. I think he is setting expectations low for himself.
BTTT
Heheheheh.
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