Posted on 06/22/2008 11:27:28 AM PDT by neverdem
For most people, “Swift boat” has become a political verb, a synonym for the kind of attack that helped destroy the presidential campaign of Senator John Kerry in 2004.
But for a group of Vietnam veterans at the center of the attacks, it is still a fresh fight.
On Friday, the group, who served with Mr. Kerry in Vietnam, sent a letter to T. Boone Pickens, the billionaire Texas oilman who helped finance the 2004 attack advertisements, taking him up on a challenge he issued last November: that he would give $1 million to anyone who could disprove a single charge the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth made against Mr. Kerry.
The letter-writers served alongside Mr. Kerry during the events that the Swift boat group insisted he had embellished or made up to win his military decorations.
Identifying themselves as “patriotic, concerned veterans” they say the accusations of the Swift boat group damaged their reputations and deeply affected their families, “tarnished the sacrifices we made, called into question the medals we were awarded and challenged the very authenticity of our service.”
The group is working with Mr. Kerry, who himself seized on the challenge soon after Mr. Pickens made it at an American Spectator dinner. In a letter, he offered to meet with Mr. Pickens to rebut the charges. Mr. Pickens wrote back to say that he was good for his money, but that Mr. Kerry would have to provide his military record, the journal he kept in Vietnam and movies and tapes made in his tours there.
Mr. Pickens also qualified his challenge, saying he meant that someone would have to prove false things in the group’s television advertisements — putting aside a best-selling book and extensive news media interviews that attracted the bulk of the attention. He challenged...
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Kerry broke the law when he went to Paris violating the Logan act which prohibits private citizens attempting to effect political change in conversations with representative of foreign governments. I bet his discharge was either a BCD or worse.
...how long has it been? Four years, and Kerry has still yet to set the record straight?
LOL... I'd love to see it... but I think Soros will insist on Webb.
When this was exposed it should have been huge news but the media glossed it over.
Kerry had been demonizing Nixon for years using the "Cambodia" reference, using this demonization to win office.
When it was revealed it wasn't true he should have been voted out immediately.
Is Kerry still harping on this BS?
What an idiot.
“Kin I git me a huntin license here?”
It appears Hanoi Boi has joined Algore as a bitter member of the Rejected “next President of the United States” Club.
Give it up, Kerry. Face it. You’re a schmuck!
Give it up, Kerry. Face it. You’re a schmuck!
The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have already been denounced by the Republican nominee , why is this an issue ?
I’m surprised Kerry can even function with his head so far up Ted Kennedy’s butt..
As defined by the NYT, "most people" means "most liberal democrats living in New York City."
See, e.g., Pauline Kael, when reacting to Nixon's landslide election in 1972, "How can that be? No one I know voted for Nixon."
Why would they pursue this now? Does Kerry think he might be Obama’s VP choice, or is he really worried about being dumped from the Senate in the fall? The article says a “group” of vets who served with Kerry; it doesn’t give a specific number or their names. I can’t imagine there are too many of them if they’re thinking of sharing a million dollars.
Ya got yer petzle, a petzela and the putz...
Then there is the scmuckala...Thats when your such a big prick they need a truck to haul you around...
So that's the source of Ted Kennedy's brain tumor! I'll explain for those of you in Rio Linda:
Butt=brain
Kerry=tumor
Only the New York Slimes would be insane enough to turn the world backward!!!
It was KERRY's lies that did damage to Veterans...
It was the SBVFT who set the record straight and and put the truth against Kerry's lies.
In the New York Time - we are witnessing a dark force, with dark motives operating in the dark.....
Damn their asses!
All this attention to the SBVFT, gives me hope that there must be some VERY damaging truth about to be revealed about Obama -- which they are now attempting to prepare for by castings new charges against the SBVFT.....
interesting theory
Senatorial landscape in MA is changing with Kennedy's illness.
Kerry needs to find a controversial, ripe target fast for demonization; that is how he wins elections anyway.
Swift Boats is his choice.
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.