The Swiftboat Saga....

[luvmetender]

and this is from a rightwing...


August 7, 2004

The last word on the Swift Vets

All told, I have received over 100 emails addressing my recent comments on the Swift Boat Vets and their anti-Kerry ad. Many were complimentary of my decision to retract the post. Some voiced their displeasure. Still others expressed curiosity of what revealing bit of information convinced me to fully retract the post. In response to all the feedback, I want to let everyone know, as best I can, exactly how I feel about the ad and the subject of Senator Kerry's military service.

In the interest of keeping this post as short as possible, I'm just going to highlight the pertinent points.

There was no secret communique or blockbuster revelation that motivated me. Instead, it was a series of snippets of information that continued to cast more doubt on the ad. I decided that, until the ad could be verified to a significant degree, I would distance myself and my website from it.
I do not disbelieve the content of the ad. I have long been suspicious of Kerry's war story. Getting three purple hearts, a bronze star and and silver star in a little over 4 months is quite unusual, even suspect, especially considering he was not hospitalized even once for his injuries, as I understand it. That said, any negative claims of such magnitude levied against anyone should be verifiable before they are presented as truth. By the way, boy does that pertain to a whole heap of charges the left has made against one George W. Bush!
Speaking of Mr Bush, the President's military service is irrelevant in the pursuit of the truth about Senator Kerry's military service.
Those who would ridicule their fellow Americans for daring to question the military service of a decorated veteran should rethink their destructive criticism of a wartime president as he tries to protect us from a very real and dangerous threat to our national security. They cannot have it both ways. Either allow the criticism of Kerry without complaint or stop the criticism of the President.
I will not be discussing, in more than a cursory or informational manner, anything relating to the Swift Boat Vets' ad. Unless public knowledge surfaces that confirms their claims, this is The Blogging Caesar's last word on the subject.
posted by Scott Elliott at 12:50am 08/07/04
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August 5, 2004

Conditional retraction

If you have been a reader of this site for long, you know that I am interested in the truth above all else when it comes to the content of this site. I painstakingly strive to espouse only that which I believe is the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts; sometimes it is ugly. Sometimes it even means calling into question the military service of a decorated Viet Nam veteran such as Senator Kerry.

Sometimes, however, it also means retracting a post when enough doubt is cast on the veracity of the information contained in it. I do not condemn the Swift Boat Veterans and their anti-Kerry ad as Senator John McCain does, but, in response to McCain's statements and other feedback I've received from readers, I do feel compelled to remove my earlier post affirming them. Consider it a conditional retraction because if more comes to my attention concerning their activities, whether postive or negative, I will respond accordingly.

Let me make one thing clear - John Kerry granted a license to scrutinize his military service, war hero or not, when he made it such a critical part of his quest for the White House. If that service can stand up under such scrutiny, so be it - if it cannot, likewise.

Update: I said above that I would react if I heard more about this group and its claims. Well, I have heard more, and I will react. Much to the chagrin, I'm sure, of many right-wingers out there, I am moved by the additional information received to unqualify my previous retraction.
It is no longer conditional; consider the post in question fully retracted.

posted by Scott Elliott at 5:00pm 08/05/04
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[bobbcat]

These guys are responding to the squawks coming from the Kerry camp to the effect that they are ready to dispatch their lawyers.

Wimps.

This does nothing to take away the significance of the fact that Kerry will not come clean about his military record. People have been up the a$$ of Bush's military records with their microscopes, why not an examination of Kerry's?

Oh, forgot. Libbies and their double standards.....

[prism68]

The whole Kerry/Purple Heart thing makes me sick.
My dad got a Purple Heart and Kerry's history cheapens what should be an honor.

[tlspiegel -Closed]

Agreed prism. My dad also received purple hearts for his service in WWII. He was a surgeon while in India.

[Jwelch111]

prism68: "Kerry's history cheapens..."

Are you SO SURE that you know "Kerry's history", as it relates to his Purple Heart(s)?

From snopes:


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This book "cheapens" the service of Vietnam Veterans.

Bobbcat: Bush's complete military service has never been revealed. Very recently there was a Republican from a past administration (I think Reagan's) who said that he believed Bush's records showed he (Bush) was AWOL.

Guess you missed that (probably revealed during the Democratic Convention).

Kerry served our country in Vietnam; Bush did not. And that fact cannot be disputed. Kerry chose to go to Vietnam; Bush avoided it, every way he could. He could not even complete his service in THIS country.

[prism68]

Originally Posted by Jwelch111

prism68: "Kerry's history cheapens..."

Are you SO SURE that you know "Kerry's history", as it relates to his Purple Heart(s)?

From snopes:


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.

Well, I went and read that link and I am not impressed.
The fact remains that Kerry rec'd what amounted to a scratch for the bulk of those medals. It also remains that he was a reknowned war PROTESTOR until he decided it would look better to make himself out a hero for his candidacy.
The other thing that bugs me, is he was so insistent on requesting that third one so he could be reassigned as an aide for the rest of his tour. I don't care if he was ALLOWED to receive the medal for scratches; I care that he ASKED for them, when so many others suffered so greatly for theirs.

Originally Posted by Jwelch111

Kerry served our country in Vietnam; Bush did not. And that fact cannot be disputed. Kerry chose to go to Vietnam; Bush avoided it, every way he could. He could not even complete his service in THIS country.

Yet the point is: Bush isn't going around making himself out to be the Great White Hope of Vietnam.

[mayor]

Far more interesting is the fact that Kerry spoke for nearly an hour at the democratic convention. How many words did he use to describe what he has done in Senate during all these years of "service"?

73

Seventy-three words. Wow, what great accomplishments.

Oh, by the way. Have you heard that Kerry is a Vietnam veteran?

Mayor

[CagedTroll]

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[Jwelch111]

Mayor: Read a very interesting article about John Kerry in Time magazine today. In fact, a large portion of the August 2 (?) issue is devoted to the man.

I'm really not sure what you expected John Kerry to say at the Democratic Convention (about his service in the Senate).

As CagedTroll posted, Kerry has a Senatorial record (of merit), IF you want to know it. To suggest that Kery's record is flimsy is, quite frankly, dishonest. The record's there, for YOUR discovery.

And, within the Time article, Kerry's upbringing is mentioned. His mother in particular did not encourage her boys to "toot their own horn" (my paraphrase; another term was used). After the blowhard ramblings of War / Peace President "Bring 'em On!" I will find a Kerry Presidency refreshing indeed.

Incidently, AirAmericaRadio mentioned today that VP Cheney introduced 2 (TWO) bills during his time in the House of Reps. TWO: not exactly a busy man, was he??