"Yesterday, reached at his home, Elliott said he regretted signing the affidavit and said he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star. I still don't think he shot the guy in the back,' Elliott said. 'It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words.'"
aruanan: Is the above a quote from Kranish's Boston Globe story?
Yes:
Rush: ..."It's a story in the Boston Globe .. written by .. Michael Kranish..:
Kranish: "Veteran Retracts Criticism of Kerry – The week after Kerry heralded his wartime experience by surrounding himself at the convention with his Vietnam band of brothers a separate group of veterans has launched a TV ad and I book that questions the basis for some of Kerry's combat medals but yesterday a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer..."
Rush: Wait a minute. Former commanding officer? I thought these guys "didn't serve with Kerry." I thought Democrats were putting out this BS that they didn't serve with Kerry; they weren't in his boat. Commanding officer! Sit tight, folks. Just stick with me on this.
Kranish: "Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions. Lieutenant Commander George Elliott said in an interview that he had made a 'terrible mistake' in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star -- one of the main allegations in the book. The affidavit was given to the Boston Globe by the anti-Kerry group to justify assertions in their ad and book. Elliott is quoted as saying that Kerry 'lied about what occurred in Vietnam . . . for example, in connection with his Silver Star, I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back.'
Yesterday, reached at his home, Elliott said he regretted signing the affidavit and said he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star. 'I still don't think he shot the guy in the back,' Elliott said. 'It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here.'" [end of Kranish quote]
Rush: Later in this story, Elliot makes it plain that the other guys in the ad and in the book are not lying. He doesn't know that they're lying. This led to a statement today put out by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. You can see the statement at the Drudge Report. ...
Can't this entire episode be cleared up if Kerry releases his records. Would there not be a written explanation of the circumstances leading to the decision to give Kerry a silver star?
There must be some really bad stuff in those records if he is sending out the lawyers instead of releasing the records.
Anyone else hear that rumor about the Dems finding Ws discharge papers?
Kranish: Mr. Elliot, is it true that in the Swift Boat Vets affidavit you signed you claimed you signed John Kerry's application for the Silver Star and also that at the time based on the information you knew then you thought he deserved it?
Elliot: That's right. I signed it.
Kranish: If things had actually happened just as you thought they had originally, would you still be saying now that you think he probably deserved it?"
Elliot: If things had happened just like that, probably. And somebody may still say, "Hey, I still don't think he shot the guy in the back." But it didn't happen that way.
Kranish: So, in light of what you've since learned in my book about John Kerry shooting the single, wounded, fleeing Viet Cong, how would you characterize your decision to sign it?
Elliot: It was a terrible mistake. I regret having signed it.
Kranish, writing for the Globe, and recreating Elliot's response based on Kranish's switching the subject of "it" and his already demonstrated method of selective quoting:"Yesterday, reached at his home, Elliott said he regretted signing the affidavit and said he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star. I still don't think he shot the guy in the back,' Elliott said. 'It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words.'"