John Kerry playin' the 180 blues.
Posted on 02/07/2005 8:39:39 AM PST by Kaslin
Sen. John Kerry reiterated his pledge on Monday to sign the form that would allow the government to release all his military records, but said he wanted to know exactly what was in his file before doing so.
"I have a stack of different material they sent me," Kerry told radio host Don Imus. "Every time they send me something I want to know what they sent me."
"I'll get it done," Kerry insisted in the next breath.
Last week the 2008 presidential hopeful suggested he wanted to review his full Navy file to make sure of "what is in the record and what isn't in the record" before signing Form 180.
"I'm going to sit down with them and make sure that they are clear and I am clear as to what is in the record and what isn't in the record and we'll put it out," he told "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert.
Kerry did not explain his reference to "what isn't in the record," though questions arose late in the campaign about why he received his honorable discharge six years after leaving the service.
Pressed earlier today on when he intended to sign Form 180, Kerry said only, "Shortly."
The full exchange went like this:
IMUS: You also told Tim that you would sign Form 180 releasing all of your military records. Have you done that?
KERRY: Yeah. We're gonna do that. Absolutely, I will. But listen, I also think . . .
IMUS: When are you going to do that?
KERRY: As soon as I get, as required by the military, precisely . . .
IMUS: Why don't you do it today?
KERRY; Because I have a stack of different material they sent me. Every time they send me something I want to know what they sent me. I'll get it done. . . .
IMUS: By noon today?
KERRY: No. But shortly. [END OF EXCERPT]
Kerry is defining an expression here that he calls "in the record."
In other words, he's not interested in a full, 100% release of information....he's only interested in releasing what's "in the record."
Therefore, he's attempting to narrowly define what "in the record" means. For example, he probably wants "in the record" to mean his "tour" or the time when he was active duty. If any subsequent board decision after his "tour" stripped him of anything, then that would not be "in the record," and he could then have it suppressed while still maintaining that he had released everything that was "in the record."
It all depends on what the meaning of "is" is. /sarcasm
This sounds like he plans to tell the Navy what they can and cannot release once he signs the form. Perhaps whatever Jimah Carter pardoned cannot legally be revealed and Kerry wants to make sure the Navy understands that. Is that possible?
I don't know how influential a Senator can be in removing or redacting something from his military records and keeping it quiet. Kerry does serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee. I agree with you that a full release of his military records would probably finish his political career, which is why he won't release them except if he can remove the damaging material. In the case of his first PH, that would be difficult to do.
"Just how often does the Military "send You"
your records without a request."
I have been wondering the same thing. I have never gotten anything from the Navy without a formal request. Neither has my husband who spent 23 years in the Navy.
Hedging on form 180? No. He just likes the attention stirred up by the comments on it and discussion with Imus and Russert. After all, people were all focused on Bush and the Inauguration and the State of the Union address. And not paying any attention to him (insert his pouty face here). He can't have that! And his tantrum at the Condi Rice hearings didn't get him quite the attention and press time he craved. In fact, who's really been paying attention to anything he's had to say lately? I think he's going with the old adage about no bad press. He'll milk this until some better cow comes along - and that's not a Tuhrayzuh reference!
Not going to work. The 180 release simply dumps the material our directly from the military to anyone that asks for the information. I suppose its possible that Kerry will try to alter his record but I doubt if he'll get away with it. It'd require an awful lot of people who have no reason to like him to actively cooperate in many serious felonies.
I guess the billionaire consort/longtime senator has been surrounded by sycophants and yes-men for or so long that he expected us to believe his press releases, too?
"Won't do it."
I agree. No way, no how. Once people figure out WHEN he got his honorable discharge and why, he is political toast, even to a great number of the "thinking" True Believers.
yeah the only reason the media is finally addressing this issue is Kerry is now officially a loser, the media lost their Great DNC Hope [if he couldn't beat Bush in these circumstances with all the money and 527's and Soros behind him Kerry can't beat anyone because you know the RNC will likely have a more moderate candidate in 2008 (word is the Bush family likes Gov. Milt Romney as their horse for 2008) and the DNC will likely foolishly go for a lefter leaning candidate unless Hilary can prevail, given Dean will get the DNC Chairmanship) but since Kerry is threatening to run again in 2008, the other DNC forerunners got to find a way to nip this in the bud asap.
By the way, funniest quote of the weekend from Kate O Beirne -CNN's Capital Gang - on the foregone conclusion that Dean is going to take the DNC Chairmanship - "The DNC is clearly committing doctor-assisted suicide" priceless.
The MSM doesn't want to challenge Kerry because they support his political ideolgy or they don't understand the process. I suspect the former not the latter is the case.
The WP (Michael Dobbs) did seek Kerry's military records, but did not press Kerry to sign an SF 180. They just mentioned that they had tried and failed. In the case of Bush, they just applied their infamous double standard.
Never hachi, ku, ju.
"And his tantrum at the Condi Rice hearings didn't get him quite the attention and press time he craved."
Boxer took care of that. LOL!
No disrespect to Imus, at least he has the balls to ask him.
I find it hard to believe not a single solitary MSM reporter had the cajones to ask him. Not one
No. If he signs the form 180 it is available directly from the military to the public. Only if Jimmy Carter the Incompetent placed Kerry's out of bounds for some national security reason can they be withheld. And that something was unavailable a note would be there that would raise more questions.
For whatever reason Kerry is hiding something.
One time...honorable discharge in the mail. BTW, 2 years after I was out
Kerry has been running successfully as a war hero ever since his election to the Senate in 1984. It is his MO. He has intimidated his opponents using his military record as a decorated war hero. No one has ever questioned him on it until the SBVFT challenged him. If Ohio had gone the other way, Kerry would be President despite the fact that he refused to sign an SF 180. I fault the MSM and the Bush campaign for not making it more of an issue.
Got that right.
If he keeps getting asked about the Form 180, watch for Kerry to drop his ass off the radar for about six months.
Right again.
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.