Of Swift boats and truth [“ ...a Rovian strategy”]

The Register-Guard(OR) ^ | June 6, 2006 | Editorial

[johnny7]

One needn't be a John Kerry-should-have-been-president diehard to support the 2004 Democratic nominee's long-overdue effort to clear his name from vicious attacks on his military service during the Vietnam War. Granted, nearly two years have passed since Kerry's failed bid for the presidency - and more than three decades since U.S. troops fought in Vietnam. But Kerry has every right to defend his meritorious record against the smear campaign waged by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

[El Gato]

Not his activities in country.

But the lies and fantasies he told about those activities are a problem.

[ghost of nixon]

Furthermore, those videotapes of Kerry comparing his fellow servicemen to "Ghengis Khan" - if you were weighing the evidence in a courtroom - serve as a perfect character witness. They show Kerry's character was consistent with the kind of person who would put in for phony medals and put his own self-interest WAY above the interests of his fellow servicemen.

[angkor]

I just found all the PH awards grouped together in a single PDF. The issue I was referring to above is pretty much solved by looking at the three together. The "obscure LT" I mentioned - Donald Still - apparently signed all the PH awards for the U.S. Naval Support Activity command, which IIRC was the command for all inland waterway activity including riverine bases, boats, and personnel.

In other words, nevermind.

http://news.corporatecounselcentre.ca/hdocs/docs/jkerry/jk3phearts.pdf

[Bernard Marx]

Consider the source...Eugene and the U. of Oregon are just Berkeley North. Nothing coming from there is to be taken seriously.

[kabar]

Even though many of the allegations were obviously false and part of a Rovian strategy to blunt Kerry's strongest political attribute - a heroic war record in a contest against a president who never went to war - they helped sow the seeds of doubt that ultimately cost Kerry the election.

A Rovian strategy? BS. Rove had nothing to do with it. The SBVFT were a real 527 group. They were not partisan and would have gone after Kerry if he had run as the GOP candidate. When asked about the SBVFT, Bush said all 527s should be eliminated including the SBVFT. McCain called them "dishonest and dishonorable."

Rove almost blew the campaign. He should say a prayer each night for the SBVFT who changed the outcome of the election. Kerry knows that more than anyone else. They froze him like a deer in the headlights for almost a month as Kerry trotted out surrogate after to surrogate to try to disprove the SBVFT's charges. They couldn't do it.

Kerry knows that he has to continue this quest to refute the charges if he wants to run again for public office, including the Senate. Also, his whole persona and life have been built on a phony record as a war hero. It cuts him to the quick and must have affected his self-image. I hope he continues on this obsessive Quixotic quest and the SBVFT load up for the next salvo. <

[Question_Assumptions]

One needn't be a John Kerry-should-have-been-president diehard to support the 2004 Democratic nominee's long-overdue effort to clear his name from vicious attacks on his military service during the Vietnam War.

That's about as far as you have to read to know that this author has little interest in truth. For the press, looking into the questions raised about John Kerry's service record should not be a matter of clearing his name but learning what really happened. Did this author read the book Unfit for Command? Do they care about the irregularities in Kerry's service papers or accounts of what happened that surfaced after the book? Probably not. Because as this disclaimer makes clear, they are a "John Kerry-should-have-been-president diehard" and it's all about clearing Kerry. "Truth" isn't even on their radar.

[Joan Kerrey]

But Kerry has every right to defend his meritorious record against the smear campaign waged by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

Then release ALL of the pages in his record. Kerry continues to avoid authorizing release of all the pages in his record. 100 pages HAVE NOT been released. How can one take him seriously that he wants to defend his record when he refuses to make his records available.

[TYVets]

The 2004 Kerry for President Campaign spend over 310 million dollars, but they could NOT come up with his war record?

That is $310,000,000.00 +

A war record that would be a freebie from the military.

This a bit more than a slight tactical error made during the 2004 campaign.

[CPT Clay]

So he will sign the 180 form?

I don't see how he cleans it up any other way.

[P-40]

Had he been able to fight the charges...

True enough...but he did not even seem willing to give the appearance of putting up a fight. Except for some lame "keep it up and I'll send my campaign manager out to make a statement" he stayed fairly quiet. He should have left Vietnam out of the election and not....reported for duty.

[Joan Kerrey]

Kerry SHOULD have been elected president.

LOL, surely you can't be serious.
100 pages of records haven't been released. Why not?
He'd have credibility if he'd simply release the records.

[roses of sharon]

Agreed. He really did look foolish, but without that video, battlefield lies would have been hard to debate.

He should have renounced his past testimony and explained his mindset, (at the time), to the American people, if he wanted the Presidency.

But he couldn't, and that is very telling, that he can renounce, smear, lie, distort, and give aid and comfort to America's enemies with ease, but could not bring himself to spin his testimony.

His hatred of his country is obviously a core value that he could not renounce.

Even more evidence that he and his party have openly chosen sides now, they are with our enemies.

[kabar]

If you notice the date of the endorsement letter for the first PH, it is February 28 for a December 2 incident. The other endorsement letters for the other two PHs are closer to the dates of the actual incidents.

Kerry's first PH has always been a mystery. There was no after action report. The doctor, Dr. Letson, who treated him said the "wound" looked like a prick from a rose thorn. Kerry's immediate supervisor, LCDR Hibbard, refused to put him in for a PH. According to Adm. William Schachte there was no enemy fire'

Kerry's first PH was awarded after he was transfered to another command. No one knows how he got it. It would be really interesting to see the nomination form to see who signed off on it. I suspect that Kerry may well have forged it or some documents supporting it and then submitted to the chain of command.

[stylin19a]

Kerry's gunna Sh$T when the researchers find out David Alston never served on the same boat with Kerry.

[Boundless]

> ... phony Purple Heart's?

Oh, they're real enough. It's just that it's likely that
all of them were for unintentionally self-inflicted
wounds resulting from incompetent handling of grenades
and grenade launchers.

> So he will sign the 180 form?

He did, at least twice, but always restricted to
"reliable" reviewers, such as favored propagandists
at the NYT-Jr (Boston Globe).

[Holicheese]

Juan Williams is famous for saying that. He always says the "Now Discredited Swift Boaters". I want Brit to yell back at him, "How have they been discredited?"

Say the lie over and over again.

[Fudd Fan]

He may have every right to try to defend himself, but it's a pale attempt because his record is indefensible.

[angkor]

Also, his whole persona and life have been built on a phony record as a war hero. It cuts him to the quick and must have affected his self-image.

Kerry's entire construction of "Kerry as war hero" and "Kerry as antiwar patriot" seem central to his persona, which is bizarre enough in itself.

But whenever I think back to the Rat convention, with Kerry playing himself as the "war hero" in a play that no one really cares about but himself, it gives me the heebie-jeebies. He reminded me of a little kid marching around in Daddy's old uniform, 10 sizes too big, and announcing that he was the commander of the U.S. Navy, as we adults chuckled away at Johnny's little parade.

Funny in a kid, creepy in an adult.

What kind of psycho would contruct his entire llife and career around such obviously false events that didn't actually occur?

Kerry is truly an obsessive nutcase. Thank God for the Swifties.

[griswold3]

"Kerry's problem was the video of his testimony before the Senate fragging his brothers"
Not a problem with me as clear proof of treason. At least the man is consistent in accusing troops of attrocities in Vietnam and Iraq with no evidence.

[garyhope]

"Kerry is truly an obsessive nutcase. Thank God for the Swifties."

Double dittos to that and a hearty Amen too.