68 Comments

1. richard mcenroe:

We have to start drum-beating on the networks to put the Swifties themselves on the air, live. Perhaps all those newsdrones are terrified of being trapped in a soundstage with a bunch of Nam vets (they’re all bitter and deranged, you know, and unstable, I saw it in that wonderful Jane Fonda movie, Coming Home), but it’s a risk they’ll just have to take for their profession…

Aug 10, 2004 - 7:24 am 2. ter0:

Roger, you and Reynolds nailed it on Hugh Hewitt’s radio program — 2-3 days for the mainstream press to actually deal with the Christmas in Cambodia flap (while they allow Kerry’s late-to-the-party staff to discover how much damage there is to control). In the meantime, the hits keep coming in the blogosphere. My favorite today regarding Fox News’ exclusive report by Carl Cameron is Lileks

For Fox to break a story ÔøΩ well, itÔøΩs like Paris Hilton hiking up her skirt to show a new tattoo that depicts details of a planned Al Qaeda attack. Consider the source! But the tattoo seems unusually detailed, and coincides with reports from other sources. Perhaps thatÔøΩs the food chain of the future: Drudge > blogs > Fox > CNN > New York Times > Maureen Dowd. A relay race with a lit stick of dynamite as the baton. Can she bury it in a pail of sand in time? Stay tuned!

Need more be said?

Aug 10, 2004 - 7:52 am 3. richard mcenroe:

Ter0 ó Why is Kerry’s staff late to the party? Because their principal has been lying to them, too?

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:04 am 4. SallyVee:

SwiftVets.com FAQ #9:

Hasn’t Senator Kerry already released his records?

No, Senator Kerry has disclosed only a selected portion of his records. Specifically, Senator Kerry has not disclosed the records leading to the award of the three purple hearts, the Silver Star and the Bronze Star. There are also missing performance evaluations (called ìFitness Reportsî) for certain periods of his service as a Navy officer. We call upon Senator Kerry to authorize the complete release of his military records by filing a simple two-page Form 180.

SwiftVets.com

-and-

WinterSoldier.com

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:08 am 5. Tom Holsinger:

Kerry is killing himself by not hanging a lantern on it, which he should have done long ago.

See chapter ten of Christopher Matthews’ _Hardball_, which is a bible for candidates and elected officials.

This is further proof of Kerry’s lack of ability as a candidate. I call him “El Dud”.

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:10 am 6. Beldar:

Roger, it’s the same WaPo story I linked in your comments on another thread a day or two ago with the revelation that Kerry taught his parakeet to squawk in French and Italian, and learned to sail in the fog by wearing blinders. You didn’t find that weird?

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:18 am 7. Knucklehead:

I don’t know how many followed out some of the links but if you haven’t, go to Kerry’s campaign webstie here

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/news/news_2003_0601.html

and have a look at the final few paragraphs. This lunacy about Christmas in Cambodia isn’t something cooked up by a bunch of Swiftvets, this is Kerry’s very own insanity – the man is lunatic and this nation does not need to run the risk of him becoming a luntic of the stark and raving variety. Jeepers this guy gives me the creepers. Skeevey.

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:28 am 8. wxjames:

Walter Mitty in a stolen uniform. I look into the future and see Kerry becoming the political joke of our time. Move over Willy.

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:36 am 9. david28516:

The WaPo article which is proudly displayed on the Kerry for President website should be required reading for every voter. It is so disturbing that he should be involutarily committed immediately. John Kerry survived Vietnam but he will not survive Cambodia 2004.

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:45 am 10. ambisinistral:

Can stories of his giant blue pet ox be far behind?

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:46 am 11. Silicon valley Jim:

Senator Kerry still hasn’t revealed his double-secret compartment in which keeps his cloak of invisibility. I think that he’s holding that in reserve for the Presidential debates, at which he’ll also introduce us all to some of his invisible friends.

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:49 am 12. PlatoBunker:

Simmer folks. Reagan liberated Auschwitz and Bush fufilled his National Guard obligations.

The longstanding problem is a culture that does not hold leaders to account. As frustrating as Kerry may be, the larger problem is not going to get fixed – no matter who wins the next election.

Aug 10, 2004 - 8:59 am 13. blogaddict:

Actually, it’s Walter Mitty crossed with Jayson Blair crossed with Stephen Glass crossed with Baron Munchausen. Maybe it makes for interesting reading, but I sure don’t want it for President.

Aug 10, 2004 - 9:24 am 14. Steven Smith:

You’re beating a dead horse, Roger. Nightline didn’t attack the “SwiftBoat Vets”; the show simply let the “vets” hang themselves with their own words. All of them seemed like bitter middle-aged men with an axe to grind because Kerry later came out and denounced the war. As far as the “very speciific and detailed accusations”, please remember that all of them are recounting events that took place more than 35 years ago, and whose memories have been almost certainly influenced by their attitudes towards Kerry’s subsequent notoriety. Even if we were to ignore who’s paying their stipends, such testimony simply doesn’t trump the contemporaneous accounts of Kerry’s heroism and bravery under fire. That is why John McCain denounced the ads and the vets as “dishonorable”. And that’s why this story has backfired terribly on the Bush campaign.

As your postings become little more than a Larouchian hatefest of liberals (oops, I forgot, you support Gay Marriage) and Democrats, it ill-behooves you to talk about the “honor” of another person. I’ll take the “honor” of an individual who has served his country for forty years, and who chose to volunteer to defend it even when he questioned the logic of the war, anyday.

Aug 10, 2004 - 9:41 am 15. Fausta:

While the issues are vitally important, what really grates is the little stuff:

That salute at the convention

The goofy cycling outfits

The ever-pointing finger

The pbj sandwich-making butler

Now we get the stuff in the WaPo article:

dove for picnic

alpha male that uses a metal brush on his hair (plweez!)

the nail-breaking guitar

and lest we forget, the wife that calls him a fulminante (in Spanish, fulminante = petard)

While I’d be sympathetic to a child that had to attend 7 different schools by 8th grade and whose parents couldn’t make the time to fetch him to & from boarding school, even at the young age of 12 (and having to cross borders), I can’t stand an adult who’s become “too towering, too confident and too rich” to notice how out of step he is.

Kerry’s become a vacuous, ill-prepared candidate for the world’s most important job, and has held no administrative post, enacted no major legislation in his decades in the Senate, or articulated any “plan” on the war.

Aug 10, 2004 - 9:46 am 16. Beldar:

I wasn’t surprised that Nightline spent most of its time talking about the controversy and repeating the Media Matters talking points. Because I had such low expectations, I was very gratified simply to see that they did play, in bits and pieces, almost the entire Swiftvets video and audio.

My reaction to the video is rather different that Steven Smith’s. These guys look normal, they look sincere, they aren’t wearing tin-foil hats, they have impressive ranks and medals of their own. And what they said — even as excerpted and broken up by Nightline — is stronger’n train smoke. Maybe they did look a bit bitter, but — if one assumes even a minimal knowledge base among the viewing public, to the effect that “John Kerry called his fellow Vietnam veterans ‘war criminals’” — it’s pretty easy to understand why they’d be bitter. (I would be.)

Yes, I wish they’d had O’Neill online for a Q&A. I wish they’d run a two-hour special that focused on the substance of the charges instead of the spin and counterspin surrounding them.

But it’s a start.

Aug 10, 2004 - 9:54 am 17. Knucklehead:

Fausta,

…whose parents couldn’t make the time to fetch him to & from boarding school…

Now we’re getting somewhere. Kerry started into adulthood as young Ebeneezer Scrooge, forged his narrative and persona into Captain Benjamin Willard, and has become Predator sitting in a jungle tree stroking bleached trophy skulls.

Aug 10, 2004 - 9:57 am 18. doublecola:

While Cambodia is still in question, I find Rassmann very easy to believe. Maybe we should take his word for this.

from today’s opinionjournal…

Shame on the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush

John Kerry saved my life. Now his heroism is being questioned.

BY JIM RASSMANN

Tuesday, August 10, 2004 12:01 a.m. EDT

I came to know Lt. John Kerry during the spring of 1969. He and his swift boat crew assisted in inserting our Special Forces team and our Chinese Nung soldiers into operational sites in the Cau Mau Peninsula of South Vietnam. I worked with him on many operations and saw firsthand his leadership, courage and decision-making ability under fire.

On March 13, 1969, John Kerry’s courage and leadership saved my life.

While returning from a SEA LORDS operation along the Bay Hap River, a mine detonated under another swift boat. Machine-gun fire erupted from both banks of the river, and a second explosion followed moments later. The second blast blew me off John’s swift boat, PCF-94, throwing me into the river. Fearing that the other boats would run me over, I swam to the bottom of the river and stayed there as long as I could hold my breath.

When I surfaced, all the swift boats had left, and I was alone taking fire from both banks. To avoid the incoming fire, I repeatedly swam under water as long as I could hold my breath, attempting to make it to the north bank of the river. I thought I would die right there. The odds were against me avoiding the incoming fire and, even if I made it out of the river, I thought I’d be captured and executed. Kerry must have seen me in the water and directed his driver, Del Sandusky, to turn the boat around. Kerry’s boat ran up to me in the water, bow on, and I was able to climb up a cargo net to the lip of the deck. But, because I was nearly upside down, I couldn’t make it over the edge of the deck. This left me hanging out in the open, a perfect target. John, already wounded by the explosion that threw me off his boat, came out onto the bow, exposing himself to the fire directed at us from the jungle, and pulled me aboard.

For his actions that day, I recommended John for the Silver Star, our country’s third highest award for bravery under fire. I learned only this past January that the Navy awarded John the Bronze Star with Combat V for his valor. The citation for this award, signed by the Commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Vietnam, Vice Admiral Elmo Zumwalt, read, “Lieutenant (junior grade) Kerry’s calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.” To this day I am grateful to John Kerry for saving my life. And to this day I still believe that he deserved the Silver Star for his courage.

It has been many years since I served in Vietnam. I returned home, got married, and spent many years as a deputy sheriff for Los Angeles County. I retired in 1989 as a lieutenant. It has been a long time since I left Vietnam, but I think often of the men who did not come home with us.

I am neither a politician nor an organizer. I am a retired police officer with a passion for orchids. Until January of this year, the only public presentations I made were about my orchid hobby. But in this presidential election, I had to speak out; I had to tell the American people about John Kerry, about his wisdom and courage, about his vision and leadership. I would trust John Kerry with my life, and I would entrust John Kerry with the well-being of our country.

Nobody asked me to join John’s campaign. Why would they? I am a Republican, and for more than 30 years I have largely voted for Republicans. I volunteered for his campaign because I have seen John Kerry in the worst of conditions. I know his character. I’ve witnessed his bravery and leadership under fire. And I truly know he will be a great commander in chief.

Now, 35 years after the fact, some Republican-financed Swift Boat Veterans for Bush are suddenly lying about John Kerry’s service in Vietnam; they are calling him a traitor because he spoke out against the Nixon administration’s failed policies in Vietnam. Some of these Republican-sponsored veterans are the same ones who spoke out against John at the behest of the Nixon administration in 1971. But this time their attacks are more vicious, their lies cut deep and are directed not just at John Kerry, but at me and each of his crewmates as well. This hate-filled ad asserts that I was not under fire; it questions my words and Navy records. This smear campaign has been launched by people without decency, people who don’t understand the bond of those who serve in combat.

As John McCain noted, the television ad aired by these veterans is “dishonest and dishonorable.” Sen. McCain called on President Bush to condemn the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush ad. Regrettably, the president has ignored Sen. McCain’s advice.

Does this strategy of attacking combat Vietnam veterans sound familiar? In 2000, a similar Republican smear campaign was launched against Sen. McCain. In fact, the very same communications group, Spaeth Communications, that placed ads against John McCain in 2000 is involved in these vicious attacks against John Kerry. Texas Republican donors with close ties to George W. Bush and Karl Rove crafted this “dishonest and dishonorable” ad. Their new charges are false; their stories are fabricated, made up by people who did not serve with Kerry in Vietnam. They insult and defame all of us who served in Vietnam.

But when the noise and fog of their distortions and lies have cleared, a man who volunteered to serve his country, a man who showed up for duty when his country called, a man to whom the United States Navy awarded a Silver Star, a Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts, will stand tall and proud. Ultimately, the American people will judge these Swift Boat Veterans for Bush and their accusations. Americans are tired of smear campaigns against those who volunteered to wear the uniform. Swift Boat Veterans for Bush should hang their heads in shame.

Mr. Rassmann, a retired lieutenant with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, served with the U.S. Army 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam 1968-69.

Aug 10, 2004 - 9:59 am 19. Beldar:

Fausta, his mannerisms grate on me too. But then, I’m from Texas, and while Dubya’s accent and mannerisms seem normal to me — just a man bein’ hissown nat’rall self! — I recognize that they grate like hell on folks who grew up elsewhere. Kerry’s traits seem not only geographical, but class-based and … something else I can’t quite put my finger on. But I expect that for voters to whom such things become determinative, it’ll be roughly a wash come November.

Aug 10, 2004 - 9:59 am 20. Beldar:

Hey, DC … I know you know how to hyperlink. Give Roger’s bandwidth (and those of us who are skimming through these comments) a break, huh?

And for an opposing viewpoint about Mr. Rassman with some other rather interesting facts, one can click (if one’s so inclined) to read Captain Ed’s take.

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:02 am 21. doublecola:

Beldar,

You got it–next time I’ll link. I just thought his account was so compelling.

With all the attacks on Kerry–for this particular action–it seems like he really saved a guy’s life. Okay, Cambodia is an open question that needs to be answered by JK.

For the life saving action, I’ll go with the statements of the guys who served under him.

DC

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:15 am 22. Lapsed Randian 2:

“Release the medical records.”

With one stroke of a pen, Kerry could execute a Standard Form 180, make his medical records public, and drive a stake through much of SBVs’ momentum. He has not done so in the past and continues, for inexplicable reasons, to fail to do so now. The medical records are the contemporaneous and objective answer to much of this fog.

Has anybody ever noticed how Kerry’s know-it-all glibness takes a nosedive when he discusses those records, e.g., in his Meet The Press interview in April? Given what we know about human nature, what does that tell us?

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:15 am 23. doublecola:

What would they have to see in the records that would drive a stake through much of SBVs’ momentum?

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:22 am 24. Bostonian:

doublecola: “With all the attacks on Kerry–for this particular action–it seems like he really saved a guy’s life. ”

Well, there is no doubt and no disputing that Kerry pulled Rassman from the water, which is a good and honorable thing.

There was another Swift boat nearby picking up another couple of guys out of the water, and they could have gotten to Rassman in time, or maybe not. We can’t really know that, although I’m sure the Swifties have an opinion.

The major discrepancy is that Rassman said they were taking enemy fire at the time, and nobody supports him in that (except Kerry). The gunners on the Swifties *were* firing, and the theory is that Rassman heard that gunfire and assumed some of it was coming his way. This is entirely understandable. He’s in the water in hostile territory, and he can’t see a damned thing.

The other Swifties say that there were no bullet holes after the event, and they say they were not fired upon.

Anyway, wouldn’t it be good to see the after-action report on this?

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:31 am 25. doublecola:

From instapundit http://www.instapundit.com/

THE ANNENBERG OUTFIT, FACTCHECK.ORG, offers a defense of Kerry that’s better than the Kerry Campaign has managed — citing facts and evidence and everything — though it concludes: “At this point, 35 years later and half a world away, we see no way to resolve which of these versions of reality is closer to the truth.” This piece is about the Swiftvets ad, though, and doesn’t mention Cambodia.

http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=231

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:32 am 26. Knucklehead:

Well, DC, there does seem to be one way to get more information available for the citizenry to analyze – have JK authorize the DoD to release all records regarding his service. Seems fair enough, doesn’t it?

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:41 am 27. Fresh Air:

DC–

The idea that anyone can fact-check this story without reading the book and the after-action reports is ludicrous. Also, I’m not convinced of Rassman’s memory here, as he can’t seem to remember whose boat he was on.

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:45 am 28. PeterArgus:

DC:

Rassmann’s account clearly contrasts with these other fellows who may not have “served under” but DID “serve with” Kerry. Three swiftboat commanders have a very different account. I don’t know. You choose to believe Rassmann. I would prefer that Kerry release his military and medical records so that the public and the media can carefully evaluate the information.

What does trouble me about the letter is that a good portion of it reads like party doggerel. Its one thing to describe his own experience and I respect that. But why is he bringing up the attack on McCain in South Carolina? Why is he stating that “Some of these Republican-sponsored veterans are the same ones who spoke out against John at the behest of the Nixon administration in 1971″ (John O’Neill is the only one I know who spoke up against Kerry’s organisation -most notably the Dick Cavett Show interview – but he did this BEFORE being contacted by Nixon). Whyis he repeating the canard that this was Nixon’s war? He should know better after all he served in Vietnam when it was very much LBJ’s war. These are DNC (or mediamatters take your pick) talking points. Rassmann has no personal knowledge of these accusations and would be more powerful as a witness for Kerry if he were to stick to his own experiences. I think it diminishes his credibility when he strays off into third-hand accusations.

Roger:

The hat/CIA story is just plain weird. Obviously the Christmas in Cambodia story has become an essential part of Kerry’s being. He reminds me of some of the pathological liars I have met.

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:45 am 29. Stan:

PlatoBunker -

Note that neither Reagan nor Bush made those items CENTRAL to their qualifications. Also note that Bush’s service hasn’t been disproven – Kerry in Cambodia and his continous story-telling about it has been.

Your right about the fact-checking media – they did go after Reagan adn they did go after Bush’s TNG service – curiously – they haven’t gone after Kerry, yet… what does that tell you?

Truth will out…

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:48 am 30. Knucklehead:

A quick time out for some mild humor?

http://www.scrappleface.com/MT/archives/001789.html

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:51 am 31. doublecola:

Knucklehead,

Here’s my dumb question:

How could the DOD Records or after-action reports, etc. contradict the medals?

Wouldn’t they look at an after-action report, etc. before awarding a medal? Maybe the military doesn’t work that way, but you’re really going to need to explain this to me, cuz I must be slow on the uptake here.

If his DOD records did contradict his awards, why didn’t the Navy take some kind of action against him–they could have easily done this back in Nixon’s time. Kerry certainly pissed a lot of big wigs off then. It wouldn’t have been any skin of Nixon’s nose, he was going after Kerry anyway.

DC

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:52 am 32. blogaddict:

Steve Smith, et. al–

Funny how beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Where you see bitter middle-aged men with an ax to grind, I see patriots who have served their country, kept their mouths shut for years while Kerry was the Senator from Massachusetts and as such could do no more harm than any Senator from Massachusetts, who now see our country in peril of being LED by this lying charlatan and are speaking out with great courage and resolve.

Ever hear the expression, “The wheels of justice grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine?” I, for one, want to see a thorough investigation of the charges, and let the truth come out. Until the Kerry campaign responds to the SUBSTANCE of the charges and quits the ad hominem horse manure, I will believe the swift vets (but I’ve been known to change my mind–see, I’ve been a liberal Democrat all my life but am now utterly ashamed of what my own party has become).

So, what about Christmas in Cambodia? And why won’t Kerry release his medical records and put the murmurings to rest? Inquiring minds want to know.

And please, quit the “he volunteered” stuff. I was in college during the Sixties, and I know exactly how it worked. If you were going to be drafted anyway, better to enlist and get a choice of a safer assignment. That is EXACTLY what Kerry did, and HE is the one who has said it, quite clearly, in his past interviews and writings. Not only did he volunteer for the navy because he was going to be drafted anyway into the army, but when he volunteered for swift boat service it was a fairly safe posting. Unfortunately for Kerry, two weeks afterwards, the entire swift boat mission was changed to something far more dangerous.

I am eagerly awaiting your analysis of Kerry’s Cambodian utterances and of why he hasn’t released the medical records. Somehow methinks you’ll have some sort of excuse on this–

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:54 am 33. ter0:

Ter0 ÔøΩ Why is Kerry’s staff late to the party? Because their principal has been lying to them, too?

Posted by: richard mcenroe [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 10, 2004 08:04

Perhaps, but that’s no excuse for inept staffwork.

Various blogs had mentioned the “Christmas in Cambodia” story for a week or so and then it was sourced through the Congressional Record. I would expect any national campaign to have an ear to the ground for stories with bombshell potential even to the extent of monitoring blogs through volunteers. But to miss this post or not recognize its significance defies explanation. The proof? Here is Exhibit A:

The Kerry campaign first asserted that the Massachusetts senator never said that he was in Cambodia, only that he was near the country. But when presented with a copy of the Congressional Record and asked about Kerry’s letter in the Boston Herald, the campaign said it would come up with an explanation. After repeated phone calls, there was still no clarification.

So what kind of CiC would Kerry be? Hmmm, advisors: Richard Clarke, Joe Wilson, Sandy Berger…. Yeah, he’s an ace at assembling a team to which we should entrust our security.

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:55 am 34. PeterArgus:

DC:

The quote you give from factcheck.org (”At this point, 35 years later and half a world away, we see no way to resolve which of these versions of reality is closer to the truth”)sums up their report quite well. It is quite clear that UNTIL THE RECORDS ARE FULLY RELEASED (sorry about the caps but it doesnt seem to be sinking in…) the issue will remain unresolved. If accounts supporting Kerry are true then it is enormously to Kerry’s advantage to release the records. I can think of no rational explanation why he won’t release them unless he has something to hide.

Aug 10, 2004 - 10:57 am 35. Rick Ballard:

Release of the medical records would give an entirely new meaning to the Internet truism:

“We’re gonna fact check your ass.”

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:01 am 36. Infinite Justice:

I read Factcheck.org’s defense of Kerry, linked by doublecola. It consisted largely of setting forth each of the SBVT’s allegations, coupled with a “but Jim Rassman has a different account” type of response, as if that resolved the matter. (Incidentally, this is a typical tactic employed by the media when discussing positions taken by Bush or Republicans). But saying that Rassman and Kerry disagree with the Swift Boat vets proves nothing. The existence of starkly differing accounts is the point. I would like the major media to check into the differences, rather than just chalk it up to “Republican attacks.” After all, the media seem quite happy to investigate any charge by the Dems against Bush, even an old charge (e.g., that he was “AWOL” from the National Guard, a charge aired in the 2000 campaign).

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:16 am 37. Barry Dauphin:

Considering that Rassmann is interested in the truth, perhaps he could get the name right: Swift Boat Veterens for Truth (not for Bush -which he says twice). He goes on to say, “This smear campaign has been launched by people without decency, people who don’t understand the bond of those who serve in combat. ” These guys “don’t understand the bond of those who serve in combat”? These are Kerry’s fellow officers, and we’re not talking about one or two people. People can be tempted to say all kinds of things or remember events on the basis of such “bonds.” Remembering events under the halo of gratitude wouldn’t make somone a bad or indecent person-I believe Rassmann is a decent guy. But name calling about decency steers this particular boat swiftly away from trying to ascertain the facts of all the charges from the SBVT.

Rassmann barely touches the substance of what they say. Moreover, he’s accsuing a large bunch of former officers of lying and is denying that they may know Kerry in a different way than an underling, such as himself, did. It is possible that Kerry both acted bravely at times and lies about or embellishes such events for his political interests. Of what benefit would it be for a large group of former officers to publicly lie like this? What do they get out of it? Oh, I forgot, they’re indecent, that must explain it.

I feel for the guy, and he wears his heart on his sleeve. However, his guilt by association tactics and rewinding of the previous election don’t come across as those of a political neophyte. Perhaps he was a neophyte prior to January, but he’s been coached on some political tactics of his own. What he doesn’t seem to realize is that by printing his op-ed the WSJ has been far fairer to him than the rest of MSM has been to SBVT. His presentation (and Nightline’s) only underscores that Kerry does not want to address the specifics of this.

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:18 am 38. jerry:

By focusing on the where was Kerry at Christmas 1968, we are losing sight of the most important facet of the issue. Why did he make the statement in the first place? He was giving a Senate speech in support of an anti-Semitic Communist Dictator, Daniel Ortega. (No hyperbole here either. One of Ortega’s most outrageous acts was the confiscation of the Managua Synagogue and the building’s subsequent handover to the PLO for use as an “Embassy.”) This was John Kerry of “Winter Soldier” fame in action. Just as Kerry supported the communists in Vietnam, he was supporting the communists in Central America. And just as he supported Ortega, he supported Saddam Hussein’s seizure of Kuwait. Remember, in 1990 the Soviet Union still existed and Iraq was a Soviet ally. To Kerry, Ortega = Ho Chi Minh, Saddam = Ortega. Therefore, no to US imperialism, yes to the “heroic resistance. That is the real story behind his Christmas 1968 “secret” mission to Cambodia on behalf of President Nixon.

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:24 am 39. Mark Poling:

Just to fling a little mud (hey, the air’s already full of it):

These vets who appear with Kerry so often. Anybody know if they get honoraria for those appearances?

Inquiring minds want to know.

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:26 am 40. Knucklehead:

Ter0:

How can the Kerry campaign possibly make the claim that Kerry never said he was in Cambodia when his very own website carries the WaPo story?

http://www.johnkerry.com/pressroom/news/news_2003_0601.html

Just zip on down to the bottom. If Kerry was misquoted in the WaPo article then why didn’t they clear it up through their website. The man is a loon. The electorate needs to send this guy off to Paris as our ambassador there with strict instructions that his formal attire at all French government functions needs to include his Cambodia/CIA hat.

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:47 am 41. PeterArgus:

Knuck:

You have me typing on the floor in hysteria. What is French for “pow”? pouf?

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:53 am 42. Fresh Air:

DC–

“The government gave them to me” is the best defense Kerry has in regard to his medals–which is why he should release all the information pertaining to them.

Mark P.–

The “band members” don’t receive honoraria; just breathing in Kerry’s exhaled molecules is compensation enough for them.

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:54 am 43. Knucklehead:

DC:

There are no dumb questions!

How could the DOD Records or after-action reports, etc. contradict the medals?

For starters it isn’t the “medals” that risk contradiction. Those were awarded. Its the paper trail and evidence used to get to the award of the medals, as well as the different recollections of people on the scene, that is in question here.

The paperwork in the DoD records would show who signed what and when. Big military, big war. I guarantee you it proabably wasn’t particularly difficult to slip paperwork here and there under somebody’s nose for signature while holding up a case of Jim Beam or somesuch for their perusal.

Seems simple enough – turn over the records and remove any doubt that there was any disagreement or chicanery in the paper trail.

Release the records! (This is fun, no wonder the moonbats did it for both Bush elections.)

Aug 10, 2004 - 11:54 am 44. Knucklehead:

PeterArgus:

I think we just get “pow” but I admit to having to rely on the internet for this sort of thing:

Je recieved cette casquette d’une CIA opÈrative dans Cambodge. Je le porte maintenant pour honorer mes amis franÁais. Pow.

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:03 pm 45. jerry:

Knucklehead:

I believe DC is only showing his ignorance of how the military works. Just as he believes the verbiage in fitreps should be taken at face value, he thinks that the wording of the awards is gospel. There were a lot cheap medals given in Vietnam. Even the Army gave a few less then honest awards. None of Kerry’s actions, as describe by his friends, would have resulted in bronze or silver stars under WWII and Korean War criteria.

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:16 pm 46. insatty:

The mainstream liberal media and even FNC seem to downplay or entirely miss an important angle to this entire affair: Kerry fabricated his Cambodia story to denigrate Reagan’s Nicaraqua policy after Kerry poodled up to dictator Ortiz. Reagan’s policy was ultimately successful after the Nicaraquan peasantry eschewed liberal-elite Democrat orthodoxy and replaced Ortiz’s communists with a democratic government. Like his support for the nuclear freeze and his opposition to America’s confronting the evil empire in the cold war, Kerry again placed himself on the wrong side of history with his fellow liberal appeaseniks.

Kerry’s Cambodia lie, therefore, not only exemplifies his tendency to fabricate facts to influence policy, but also his actual beliefs that America’s military might is a negative force in this world.

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:20 pm 47. Pat Curley:

Nightline was terribly disappointing. They spent so much time explaining why the Swift Vets can’t be trusted and almost none explaining the specific charges. I may be biased, but the Christmas in Cambodia story seems to be a real Gordian knot for Kerry; if he can twist his way out of this one, I’ll give him a tip of my lucky hat.

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:23 pm 48. Beldar:

McQ at QandO has a good thread started — just scratching the surface, actually — regarding the FactCheck.org piece. Take, for example, the “Louis Letson is lying because his signature’s not on Kerry’s treatment form” meme. Letson’s very consistent and credible explanation has been not just in the blogosphere, but in the MSM (like, fer instance, the Dog Trainer — errrr, L.A. Times), since at least May 5th: The guy who signed the form, Jesus C. Carreon, was a Hospitalman (basically a medic as I understand it), now deceased, who filled out the paperwork after Letson did the treatment. Letson points out that he was the only medical officer at the base at that time.

So does FactCheck.org deal with this? Do they confirm Carreon’s position, posting, and date-of-death? Do they directly challenge Letson’s sworn affidavit testimony — the substance of which they’ve had available for over three months?

Naw. Easier to repeat the Media Matters/Joe Conason talking point. “His name wasn’t on the paperwork. It WASN’T!” Well, duh. Do they want the SwiftVets to dig up poor ole Jesus’ corpse and wheel it in to ask him about the shape of the grenade fragment? It seems like only divine intervention could satisfy these folks.

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:34 pm 49. Beldar:

Oh — and about the Lucky Hat.

Power Line claims to have found a photograph with a likely candidate. I, by contrast, continue to insist that this is the same hat, just slightly revolved in the Power Line picture in order to keep young Kerry’s eyesight clear. (Mea cupla for link-whoring, Roger, I’ll try to resist the temptation.)

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:39 pm 50. ter0:

Ter0:

How can the Kerry campaign possibly make the claim that Kerry never said he was in Cambodia when his very own website carries the WaPo story?

Link…

Just zip on down to the bottom. If Kerry was misquoted in the WaPo article then why didn’t they clear it up through their website. The man is a loon. The electorate needs to send this guy off to Paris as our ambassador there with strict instructions that his formal attire at all French government functions needs to include his Cambodia/CIA hat.

Posted by: Knucklehead [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 10, 2004 11:47 AM

Knucklehead — Excellent point and more proof that JFK is not ready for prime time as CEO, CiC, or head of the Executive Branch. What a bunch of maroons.

I thought I had to do a Nexis search and cut n paste to post that article over at Tom Maguire’s site last night — who would have guessed it was linkable at Kerry’s campaign website?

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:51 pm 51. Sandy P:

Roger, could you ever even conceive of this stuff?

It’s going to be one hell of a book.

—

Via Vodkapundit, take w/a grain of salt, but the last paragraph…:

According to a Kerry campaign source, senior campaign advisers tasked two Washington-based campaign staffers to vet the recently published Unfit for Command.

“The purpose was to compare what that book had with what we had on file from Senator Kerry,” says the campaign source, who said that the research project developed more than 75 instances where Kerry’s recollections, previous remarks, or writings conflicted with the book’s reporting.

“We took some of the most glaring examples, like the Christmas in Cambodia story, and presented them to senior staff, and we assume that those things were put in front of Senator Kerry,” says the source. “We haven’t heard a word about it. All we were told is that it was being taken care of.”

The campaign source said that the book was not considered a “serious” problem for the campaign, because, “the media wouldn’t have the nerve to come at us with this kind of stuff,” says the source. “The senior staff believes the media is committed to seeing us win this thing, and that the convention inoculated us from these kinds of stories. The senior guys really think we don’t have a problem here.”

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:52 pm 52. Sandy P:

You know, McCain might have forgiven Kerry, but can you imagine an ad from guests at the Hanoi Hilton talking about how Kerry’s words were used against them?

Aug 10, 2004 - 12:56 pm 53. Knucklehead:

Ter0:

Just trying to help. I can’t take credit for finding the link. Roger pointed somewhere, I read that, somewhere in the bottom of that was a “Kerry’s campaign site uses the WaPo puff piece” link.

What I can’t fathom is how the media isn’t all over this and how they let his spokespeople get away with nonsense like this. If his spokespeople haven’t vetted the candidate they work for you’d think they would have at least vetted the stuff on his campaign site.

The MSM will try to let him get away with this, but I don’t know if it will hold up.

I’ll toss this out for any MSM readers out there…

You know longer need to keep the race tight to keep eyeballs on your screens. Now you can switch to keeping eyeballs on your screens by letting the people watch a really bad candidate implode and then claim to be doing the nation a service. Suck it up guys!

Aug 10, 2004 - 1:04 pm 54. Charlie (Colorado):

DC, the problems with citing Rassman as a dispositive source are many, but high among them are, first, the fact that Rassman was a Special Forces officer who rode along as a passenger for a few days — hardly someone who “served under” Kerry, or even “served with” in the same sense that Kerry’s fellow officers in the Swifties, or his chain of command did; and second, the fact that he’s asserting a group of something like 250 Swifties are lying, but he and a half-dozen other guys are telling the truth.

As a logician, I suppose I have to grant the possibility — but as a cowboy TV show fan, I’ve got to tell you, “I doan’ theeeeeeenk so, Cisco.”

Aug 10, 2004 - 1:07 pm 55. Fresh Air:

Sandy P.–

The attitude of Kerry’s advisers is exactly the same as Jim Wright’s before Newt Gingrich ran him out of office.

Aug 10, 2004 - 1:11 pm 56. Rick Ballard:

Sandy P.,

I can hear the next Kerry campaign reply:

Ma non, mes amis, zat beret is not a Special Forces beret, it was actually given to young Messieur Kerry upon return from his secret bicyle incursion into East Germany to deliver a critical message to George Smiley. The beret once belonged to Toulouse Lautrec and grateful members of the French Resistance wanted Ms. Kerry to have it as a token of their respect.

Knucklehead,

I really don’t think that the MSM has received a script from the DNC. I think this thing is being polled like mad in order to find the response that minimizes the damage. They just can’t find a big enough rug to sweep it under.

Aug 10, 2004 - 1:11 pm 57. Beldar:

Perma-linkless Jim Geraghty on NRO’s “The Kerry Spot” (08/10 03:56PM) sez that the Prowler quote is a fake, but offers up another intriguing quote in its stead. Did he mean “Faust” instead of “Freud,” I wonder?

Aug 10, 2004 - 1:14 pm 58. Beldar:

To clarify, the Prowler quote is what Sandy P quoted from VodkaPundit in an earlier comment — the “senior staff”/”innoculated” stuff.

Aug 10, 2004 - 1:17 pm 59. ter0:

Knucklehead — I’m with you, I just want to help (mostly so we can drive a stake in this beast and I can get back to contributing to the economy in some small fashion). As GWB says: It’s amazing what can be accomplished when you don’t care who gets the credit.

I posted the article as proof that JFK was still telling the Cambodia story last summer on the campaign trail. You have the campaign (as of 5 minutes ago at least) acknowledging JFK in Cambodia during his 4 months of service in Viet Nam.

As for credit? In some of the flurry of blogs yesterday, I saw a passing reference to the article somewhere and tried to find it in WaPo’s archives. I found other articles by the same author but not the June 6, 2003 — I wrote it off to my poor searching skills or equally likely WaPo’s unreliable search engine — so I went to Nexis. Now I read on Powerline that WaPo may have removed the link to the article. Hmmmm.

Aug 10, 2004 - 2:17 pm 60. Kevin P:

Roger and Everyone:

If you want to know how the MSM is going to cover this just read doublecola and the Rassmussen editorial and you have the script.

This is an outrage- The army gave Kerry the medals, it is an outrage to question this brave soldiers integrity! The fact that it is fellow brave decorated soldiers who are making this charge makes no difference. The fact that they have written a detailed book about it makes no difference either. They are Republican operatives. The fact that they are not is beside the point. If they are, or have been, or have ever voted Republican or associated with any republican organazation this elevates them to Dirty Trick operatives.

Screw the details, examine the motivations- They won’t cover the details of the book, they will focus on the motivations of the swifties. They will hint at financial windfall, they will talk about bitterness, jealousy, anything but the specifics of the story.They were not on his boat. The fact that these boats operated in teams, that these people lived with Kerry and knew him quite well is beside the point. THEY WERE NOT ON THE BOAT. Well, except one but he doesn’t count.

John O’Neil is a child of Nixon- the fact that Nixon chose O’Neil to debate Kerry on the Cavett show is conclusive proof that O”Neil is a stalker and a dirty trickster. Nixon -O’Neil, thats all you need to know.

The eventual SBV scandall. There are over 200 SBV’s in this group. The odds that there is a messy divorce, a drug or Alchohol problem, or some messy personel story among them is great. Right know the veterans of the DNC Bimbo Eruption team are scowering the internet and court records for dirt. The moment they find anything on one of them it will make the front page of the NY or LA Times. They will use this to smear the entire group.

They will cover it but it will be a process story. They will not pay attention to the accusations in the Book. These guys are used to operating under fire of bullets but they are going to find it difficult to handle the bombshells of the Press and their group leader on this story Lanny Davis.

It will be interesting how they handle the fact that Kerry will not release ALL of his records. But they will find some angle on why Kerry won’t do it. they will probably land with a “Well Kerry should release his full war records but not under these circumstances.” They will swallow whatever weasel language the Kerry team coughs up because that is the way the MSM works.

Aug 10, 2004 - 2:22 pm 61. Joanna Smith:

>Je recieved cette casquette d’une CIA opÈrative dans Cambodge. Je le porte maintenant pour honorer mes amis franÁais. Pow.

Mon nom est Jean Kerry et j’approve c’est message.

Aug 10, 2004 - 2:26 pm 62. ter0:

I’ll toss this out for any MSM readers out there…

You know longer need to keep the race tight to keep eyeballs on your screens. Now you can switch to keeping eyeballs on your screens by letting the people watch a really bad candidate implode and then claim to be doing the nation a service. Suck it up guys!

Posted by: Knucklehead [TypeKey Profile Page] at August 10, 2004 01:04 P

Well that should work, but I vote for getting a Screenwriter involved with a reprise of Arnold and Jamie Lee in a remake of the comedy thriller True Lies

JOHN KERRY

Let’s face it, Harry, the Vette

gets ‘em wet. But it’s not

enough. If you want to really

close escrow, you gotta have an

angle.

HARRY

And you’ve got one.

JOHN KERRY

It’s killer. Look at me– I’m

not that much to look at. No

really. I can be honest. But I

got ‘em lining up, and not just

skanks, either.

HARRY

So what’s your angle?

JOHN KERRY

Sorry. Trade secret.

HARRY

(grinning)

Sure. Set me up and then don’t

tell me.

JOHN KERRY leans forward, conspiratorially.

JOHN KERRY

Okay, just ask yourself. What do

Democrat women voters really want? You take

these bored housewives, married

to the same guy for years. Stuck

in a rut. They need some

release. The promise of

adventure. A hint of danger. I

create that for them. CIA? Cambodia?

HARRY

So you’re basically lying your

ass off the whole time? I

couldn’t do it.

JOHN KERRY

Well, think of it as playing a

role. It’s fantasy. You have to

work on their dreams. Get them

out of their daily suburban grind

for a few hours.

HARRY

Isn’t that hard to keep up, in

the long run?

JOHN KERRY

Doesn’t matter. I like change.

You know, constant turnover. As

soon as I close the deal, it’s

one or two more times, then

adios.

HARRY

Use ‘em and lose ‘em.

JOHN KERRY

Exactly. The trick is, you gotta

pick your target. They have to

be nice little housewife types.

School-teachers. But, I’m

telling you, you get their pilot

lit, these babes, they can suck-

start a leaf-blower.

[apologies to James Cameron -- please delete if this violates any film type rules]

Aug 10, 2004 - 2:39 pm 63. doublecola:

Charlie,

The 250 Swift Boat veterans aren’t all challenging his Medals, are they? I know a few are, but for the most part the Swift Boat veterans don’t think Kerry’s fit for command because of the statements he made upon returning home from Viet Nam. Which I understand. But it’s not 250 Swift Boat Veterans against Kerry and Rassman’s account of that one particular story. As far as saving the life of Rassman, again, I’ll take the word of the guys on his boat. Rassman didn’t serve under Kerry–I don’t get Rassman’s motive–15 minutes of fame? I don’t know…anything’s possible, and I know you disagree, but I still have my doubts.

The Cambodia story is a completely different matter. It will be interesting to hear Kerry’s response.

Aug 10, 2004 - 2:49 pm 64. jerry:

Kevin:

My wife tells me that the latest CNN trust questions has more people trusting Kerry then Bush. The Democratic controlled MSM still calls the shots. They have successfully created an image of a President lying about yellowcake, WMD and the threat from Saddam. It doesn’t matter how many Presidential, Parliamentary or Congressional commissions report out the opposite story line the public at large will not change their mind when confronted with contradictory information.

Time to move on. The story is already dying. The Kerry legend will win out. Kerry is going to win the election and lots of MSM indoctrinated Americans are going die.

Aug 10, 2004 - 3:28 pm 65. Fresh Air:

DC–

I don’t think all 200 Swiftees would be in a position to challenge each medal. But each purple heart is being challenged (two were self-inflicted, the third allegedly undeserved), as are the Bronze Star (Rassman incident). The book by no means restricts its accusations to the Anti-war Kerry.

Aug 10, 2004 - 4:30 pm 66. Fresh Air:

Jerry–

Come on, man! This thing is just getting warmed up! Don’t worry about the polls. That’s so August 9th.

Aug 10, 2004 - 4:32 pm 67. blogaddict:

jerry–when were those polls conducted? This story really just broke, and (I hope) it hasn’t yet crested. Were the trust polls before the story or after the story?

Aug 10, 2004 - 5:47 pm 68. someone:

Of course we know that the MSM has never doctored or spun a poll to make Kerry look good…

Aug 10, 2004 - 7:48 pm

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