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 ...
DMN is a liberal rag
YARK!
Now if the media did their job, they would have pressured Kerry to sign the Form 180 and release his military records. But Kerry did not because he has a LESS THAN HONORABLE DISCHARGE on his record.
bttt
Dear KATE ZERNIKE,
Provide Kerry’s signed 180! End of discussion!
Sincerely,
“The American People”
I was actually sorry to hear the SBVT’s were going to stop at ending Kerry’s presidential run. Why not keep going & get his sorry a** thrown out of the Senate? Maybe this will be a call for them to come back & finish the job!
It was the lead editorial in my local central Indiana newspaper. Also very left-leaning, but it certainly reveals the Lefts preferred tactics.
I cant stand the DMN.
I hate to even glance at the front page
Congressman Billybob
I get really tired of the media using the phrase ‘swift boating’ in the context they do.
As though it was unfounded smears.
It was truth revealed ...
“I cant stand the DMN.
I hate to even glance at the front page”
And yet, and yet, I have to take the loathsome rag because the DP has to have the sports page.
Lets hope so.
Whats his name??... Jim Hanson?.. Thinks he is the greatest sports reporter on the planet.
Bah!
I hate that rag. The cowboys and the mavs and stars and rangers can kiss my big toe
I wonder why Murtha doesn’t attack Kerry for his murderous acts in Vietnam?
Isn’t Kerry angling for Secretary of State? Heaven help us!
Oh, I dunno. It's about as good reporting as you can do when the facts are against you. ;^) This is the New York Times, remember.
And what about that reckless lout Max Cleland?
Swillin beer and tossing grenades around. The guy is a menace.
;)
Anyone ever notice that All of the Lefts war heros of the past 20 years are complete jerks?
They havent had an authentic hero since JFK
My husband and I are proud of the many small contributions we made to Swiftboat Vets for Truth and am delighted it damaged Kerry so much he wasn’t elected. HE deserves to be tried for treason for all the reasons mentioned on this site.
I am disturbed, however, when even Fox News, Bill O and the foxies- use compalints about authentic truth against democrats as being “swiftboated”. And no one even on FOx corrects them as the true meaning of the word
Cordio.
The cowardly and traitorous Kerry and the racist Obama SUDDENLY started running their mouth about the SBVFT -- just this month!
Surprise, surprise ---- NOW they want to do battle, after the SBVFT have left the field of battle...
Now THAT is a perfect picture of how much Kerry feared the TRUTH from the TRUTH TELLERS....
All the important and manly parts of Kerry must have run down his mother's leg....
At my age - I'm just praying I live long enough to take a dump on his grave......
The GOP and the DNC are both living in fear that a new SFBVT will appear ----- it will suck a lot of money from the GOP and cause havoc for the DNC.
Most conservative in my neighborhood - diverted ALL their political contributions to the SBVFT and away from the GOP.
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.