Kerry reshuffles top campaign staff (as the whiff of burning toast permeates the air)

Candidate under pressure from Democrats to climb out of slump and regain initiative

PITTSBURGH -- Under fire to shape up his presidential campaign, Democratic challenger John Kerry yesterday tapped two veteran party strategists from Boston to assume top roles in an operation that has been criticized by Democratic allies for allowing President Bush to regain the initiative in the battle for the White House.

Campaign officials said John Sasso, who has been running general election operations at the Democratic National Committee, will now become the senior Kerry adviser aboard the candidate's traveling charter until the election. Michael Whouley, who helped rescue Kerry's campaign in Iowa during the nomination battle, will take over Sasso's responsibilities at the DNC, reprising the role he played for Al Gore four years ago.

Kerry advisers described the moves as long planned and part of an overall effort to put the strongest possible team together for the final 60 days of the campaign. But the decisions, which caught some staff members at the campaign and DNC by surprise, were seen by other Democrats as an acknowledgment by Kerry that his campaign needed help in the wake of the most difficult month he has endured since winning the nomination last spring.

Those Democrats said Kerry had been slow to respond to criticisms and the campaign appeared to be sluggish in some of its decision-making. They predicted the changes would bring greater focus to the Democratic nominee's campaign.

Kerry advisers said they planned a much more aggressive campaign in the final two months, with Kerry and vice presidential nominee John Edwards leading the attack, and that restructuring at the campaign and the DNC will help in drawing a sharper contrast with Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney.

I purchased the video, "THE HANOI HILTON" at Wal-Mart a few weeks ago. It was on sale for $5.99. I recall seeing the movie on television many years ago. I had a chance to watch the movie yesterday and now the movie, more than ever is relevant to the anti-war activities of John Kerry during the Vietnam War. Especially how the POW's were tortured many times due to the actions of John Kerry, Jane Fonda and their friends in the media.

If you have an opportunity to view it I recommend highly that you see this movie. It is a glimpse of what the POW's went through while held prisoner by the Communist North Vietnamese.

The video is available from Amazon and other online video stores.

From website: "Shot in the Dark" http://www.shotinthedark.info/

"In 1987, Lionel Chetwynd's excellent Hanoi Hilton received widely-mixed reviews (many of them politically-motivated). Worse, its distributor essentially sat on the movie, under pressure from Hollywood leftists, for its treatment of Jane Fonda. The movie depicted life at North Vietnam's Hoa Lo prison accurately - but it changed the last names of the prisoners, and of their visitors, including Jane Fonda. An actress who represents Fonda ("Paula") does everything Fonda is said to have done while in the Hilton. That was one of several stories that Hollywood didn't want told (that and, of course, the moral of the story; the men survived because of their military training and warrior ethic). "Hanoi Hilton" was buried, received a tiny theatrical release, and is hard to find on video today. (Do it if you can - it's an excellent movie)."

On the back of the box there is the following endorsement from President Ronald Reagan:

"Every American should see this powerful and moving film as a tribute to our POW's."

President Ronald Reagan

Synopsis:

HANOI HILTON (1987)

Genre(s): POW/MIA, Vietnam War

Cast: Michael Moriarty, Paul LeMat, Jeffrey Jones, Lawrence Pressman, Stephen Davies, David Soul, Rick Fitts, Aki Aleong, Gloria Carlin; DIRECTED BY: Lionel Chetwynd; WRITTEN BY: Lionel Chetwynd. PRODUCER: Cannon Films.

Review: A brutal drama about the sufferings of American POWs in Vietnamese prison camps. Non-stop torture, filth, and degradation.

Reviews on Amazon.com website:

Editorial Reviews

Description

A true story about American soldiers interned in North Vietnam during the years 1964 through 1973, and their struggle to survive within the infamous prison complex they dubbed the Hanoi Hilton.

COMMUNISM WAS EVIL, EVIL, EVIL, June 7, 2004
Reviewer: Steven R. Travers (CALIFORNIA) -

One lonely conservative voice has been trying to shout out from the "wilderness" for years. Lionel Chetwynd is a writer/producer who made "The Hanoi Hilton", which actually described the North Vietnamese as the evil torturers they were. The "Hilton" was the moniker given the infamous prison camp where American POW's were kept while Jane Fonda was flirting with our enemies. Liberal film reviewers criticized it. Do not believe them. It is good stuff.

The Hanoi Hilton, January 18, 2004
Reviewer:

I was in the Air Force during the war and have over 100 combat missions. This is the most accurate presentation of the war that is available. It is a story that needed telling and still needs to be told. It describes the situation of the American prisoners in Vietnam in an accurate and truthful manner. Everyone should see it.

The Hanoi Hilton, April 25, 2001
Reviewer:

This movie shows what terrible hardships these prisoners had to endure. I had the privilege to talk to one of the wives of these heroes and she confirmed a lot of events shown in this movie. Also stated that she was not allowed to even mention that her husband was shot down for six-months. Tell her that this movie was "too long and over emotional"!! Most Americans just did not want to face reality during this sad time in our Country's history. I was there during 1966-1968 and in Saigon 1970. --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition

Internet Movie Database
User Comments:

Date: 14 March 2000
Summary: The Libs Hate This One

While this doesn't have the action of 'Rambo' or the surrealism of 'Apocalypse Now', or 'Full Metal Jacket', it does hit dead-on as the most realistic of the Vietnam movies yet.

Most especially, it accurately contrasts the quiet heroism of the POWs with the hypocrisy of the Hollywood Left, and their comrades in the news media; so much in fact, that it is really pretty amazing this film ever got made at all.

Hollywood hates this film.

You can see a typical Hollywood review of this movie, where it is referred to as "Right-wing bullshit." Go to: http://www.ruthlessreviews.com/80saction/hanoihilton.html

Kerry cannot even run a good campaign, yet we are supposed to believe he could be president at a time when we're at war with terrorism all over the globe. He fights with all his fellow vets, yet we are supposed to believe he could run diplomacy for the nation. He's been acting like a spoiled and entitled child ever since the swiftvets called him on his Vietnam War stories, yet we are to believe he could handle the pressures of being president. The man is desperate and ridiculous wishing to be president, but he cannot even be a decent person when he deals with secret service agents and other people too plain for the GREAT man.

One is horrified at what kind of farago of a strategy will result when he cannot keep strait his friends and his enemies. Besides withdrawing from Iraq - though mind you he would have fought in Iraq right afther he wouldn't right after he would - what does he want to accomplish. Give us a short list of 2 or 3 things.

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