Free Republic

Has anyone ever said something about you that wasn't true? Something that, if people believed it, would significantly damage your reputation? How would you feel if you saw that falsehood printed on the front page of the Los Angeles Times? Would it make things right if the paper later retracted the false statement — with a brief correction buried inside the paper? For some, this is not a hypothetical question. Just ask L. Paul Bremer III, Antonin Scalia or the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Last year, The Times suggested on Page 1 that Bremer was a coward: "L. Paul...

In February, the ultimate obediant soliders, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and POW's for Truth will recieve the 'Courage Under Fire' at a banquet hosted by the Conservative Political Action Conference.Former US Senator Zell Miller, who was tapped to present this honor, said of the group, 'They performed an invaluable service to America..these veterans took a lot of undeserved criticism for daring to speak the truth.' This bizarre notion, and the fact that the Swift Boat Vets have been embraced by the Republicans and perhaps a significant percentage of the electorate, does not bode well for the cause of ethical...

The co-author of the Swift Boat veterans' book that attacked Sen. John F. Kerry [related, bio] plans to move to the Bay State this year so he can challenge Kerry for his Senate seat in 2008. ``I'm going to do it,'' said Jerome Corsi, 58. ``I've got serious political aspirations now.''      Corsi, who has had to apologize for inflammatory comments he made about Islam, the pope and Judaism, lives in New Jersey but plans to establish residency in Boston this spring.      Though not a veteran himself, Corsi co-authored ``Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry

Here are some pictures taken of the swift vets Un-augural gale held during the swearing in of George Bush!!

Leaders of prominent "527" military service veterans groups, film producers, Websites and authors who made substantial contributions to the veterans revolt against Senator John Kerry's 2004 Presidential bid were honored by their supporters at an "Un-augural" reception at the National Press Club Thursday. Unlike the scores of balls, parades and fetes typical of the frenetic day, the tongue-in-cheek event at the Club's First Amendment room was, according to organizer Lou Priebe, geared to "celebrate the absence of Senator Kerry from the Inauguration Day proceedings, most particularly the swearing-in ceremony." U.S. Army Infantry veteran Lou Priebe added, "These courageous advocacy groups...

Washington (CNSNews.com) - Vietnam Veterans who opposed Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry held an "un-augural" reception on Thursday afternoon in Washington to celebrate the fact that Kerry lost the election and to honor the veterans who helped defeat him. "We are celebrating the fact that John Kerry lost," said Jerome Corsi, co-author of the best-selling book Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry. Corsi wrote the book with former Swift Boat veteran John O'Neill. "The whole Swift Boat effort was organized, not to re-elect George Bush but to defeat John Kerry, and that was the...

Bush Sworn-In, Swift Boat Vets Glad It's Not Kerry Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:53 PM ET By John Crawley WASHINGTON (Reuters) - With thousands of Republican faithful cheering the inauguration of President Bush to a second term on Thursday, a group of veterans at the forefront of the "Swift Boat" campaign banded quietly to salute their part in thwarting the candidacy of Sen. John Kerry. "Swift Boat guys were not unified in supporting George Bush. Many were independent or many were Democrats. The only point of union was that they did not want John Kerry to be president," Jerry Corsi,...

As the special report on the scandal at CBS and "60 Minutes" was circulating around town, I was at a long-scheduled editorial dinner with the leader of the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, John O'Neill. Among the guests at the table was Jerry Corsi, co-author, with Mr. O'Neill, of the book that halted Senator Kerry's surge in the polls, "Unfit for Command." The Swiftboat Veterans for Truth is the 527 group that ran the advertisements on television and the Internet that so startled the American people and, many believe, did as much as any other single factor in delivering a second...

<p>Congratulations to all those nominated! The slate was very stiff this year and we're sure it was a tough call for all voters. We will be contacting all winners and you can help speed up this process by dropping a FReepmail to "Bob J" and giving him your contact information! Please let us know if you will be at the FR Ball!</p>

Hey guys, even though I know a lot of you hate O'Reilly , mainly because of the way he treated the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, he is actually doing something good for one of them. As you know, Steve Gardner is out of a job and I think it had something to do with his participation in the group. Anyways, O'Reilly had him on last night about the fact that he can't find a job. Bill wants anyone that has job prospects for him or any other connections to email the show. Just go to www.billoreilly.com and a link...

The last battle of the Vietnam War was fought on November 2nd, 2004, as John Kerry was defeated in his bid to become President of the United States by John O'Neill and the Swift Vets and POWs for Truth. What was the battle about? It was a battle to recapture the honor of the Vietnam veterans who served gallantly and heroically in that war. And who were the adversaries in this battle? It was the dishonest old media culture -- CBS, NBC, ABC, The New York Times, and the LA Times, who backed John Kerry’s version of how Vietnam veterans...

WASHINGTON - The end of the 2004 presidential election campaign doesn't spell the end of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the well-funded alliance of former servicemen that remains dedicated to preventing Sen. John Kerry from becoming president. The group, which recently changed its name to Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, plans to convene next month to celebrate its successes and to consider speaking out further about Kerry's military service, his anti-war activities afterward, and other issues, says William E. Franke, who ran the organization's day-to-day operations. In his first interview about his role in the anti-Kerry group, Franke,...

Post mortems in the liberal press on the role that Vietnam veterans played in presidential candidate John Kerry's defeat mask the key role of the liberal press, which tried to suppress the vets' story and is distorting it now. I was there at the creation of a veterans group and all along, and know better. The American people deserve to know better too. In 1971 I organized Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. John O'Neill enlisted to counter the smears of American servicemen in Vietnam. No one else spoke up for us, so we had to. The mainstream press was...

The end of the 2004 presidential election campaign doesn't spell the end of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the well-funded alliance of former servicemen that remains dedicated to preventing John Kerry from becoming president. The group, which recently changed its name to Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, plans to convene next month to celebrate its successes and to consider speaking out further about Kerry's military service, his anti-war activities afterward, and other issues, says William Franke, who ran the organization's day-to-day operations. In his first interview about his role in the anti-Kerry group, the Navy veteran said his...

The revolt of the Vietnam veterans By Bruce Kesler December 19, 2004 By Bruce Kesler Post mortems in the liberal press on the role that Vietnam veterans played in presidential candidate John Kerry's defeat mask the key role of the liberal press, which tried to suppress the vets' story and is distorting it now. I was there at the creation of a veterans group and all along, and know better. The American people deserve to know better too. In 1971 I organized Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. John O'Neill enlisted to counter the smears of American servicemen in Vietnam....

WASHINGTON - For one night only, it'll be spitballs and Swift Boats together on the same stage — a who's who of Sen. John Kerry bashing. The American Conservative Union on Thursday announced it has tapped Sen. Zell Miller D-Ga., to present the "Courage Under Fire" award to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth at the Conservative Political Action Conference's Feb. 18 banquet. Miller and the group of Vietnam veterans were behind perhaps the campaign's two fiercest and most memorable attacks on Kerry's unsuccessful presidential bid. Miller, who is retiring next month, scorched Kerry in a Republican National Convention keynote...

The Houston telephone book lists more than 16,000 lawyers, some clearly more famous than others. Very few – perhaps only one – can credibly claim to have helped pull the hand brake on a presidential campaign. John O'Neill had his day on the national stage 33 years ago, but this year he emerged from the weeds of his comfortable anonymity because of a burning belief that John Kerry would make an awful commander in chief – and had to be stopped. In February, Mr. O'Neill rallied more than 200 fellow Vietnam vets to form Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, one...

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that John Kerry's campaign mismanager blames/thanks for the Democrat presidential nominee's defeat, promises that it won't go away. Recently enlarged and renamed Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth, it is keeping an eye on Kerry, who has thrilled Republicans by saying he might run for president again in 2008. William E. Franke, who runs the organization's day-to-day operations, pointed out to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the group was need because the media establishment failed to report adequately and accurately on the admitted war criminal Kerry's past. "They have called us rag...

For one night only, it will be spitballs and swift boats together on the same stage -- a who's who of Senator John F. Kerry-bashing... Official military records and statements from swift boat veterans in Navy documents raised questions about their largely unsubstantiated accusations, but the political damage had been done. At a postelection forum Wednesday in Boston, Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's campaign manager, said she regretted underestimating the impact of the ads...

Mary Beth Cahill, the pro-abortion radical who mismanaged Sen. John Kerry's failed presidential campaign, admits her worst blunder was underestimating Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Astonishingly, Cahill said Kerry's campaign at first thought there would be "no reach" to the low-cost ad, which originally aired in only three states. Does the left still fail to grasp the power of Internet, radio and cable news? "This is the best $40,000 investment made by any political group, but it was only because of the news coverage that it got where it did," Cahill, a former underling to Sen. Teddy Kennedy, snapped Wednesday...

By JEFFREY McMURRAY, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - For one night only, it'll be spitballs and Swift Boats together on the same stage — a who's who of Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) bashing. The American Conservative Union on Thursday announced it has tapped Sen. Zell Miller (news, bio, voting record), D-Ga., to present the "Courage Under Fire" award to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth at the Conservative Political Action Conference's Feb. 16 banquet. Miller and the group of Vietnam veterans were behind perhaps the campaign's two fiercest and most memorable attacks on Kerry's unsuccessful presidential bid....

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - The campaign manager for Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites)'s failed presidential bid said Wednesday she regrets underestimating the impact of an attack advertisement that questioned Kerry's Vietnam War record. Mary Beth Cahill, who spoke at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government with Ken Mehlman, President Bush (news - web sites)'s campaign manager, said the Massachusetts senator's campaign initially thought there would be "no reach" to the ad from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Instead, the ad, which initially aired in just three states, became a central issue of the campaign, eventually forcing Kerry to personally...

The election of 2004 will be seen historically as the beginning of a dramatic reshaping of the techniques, methods and tactics of American politics. This year, the nation’s political process was turned upside down as the elites lost power and the masses of average voters gained it. “Mass communication” usually denotes the few speaking to the many through the journalistic and electronic media that they control. Now it must be redefined as the masses communicating and imposing their views on the elites, often over the furious objections of their former masters. The defeat of the networks in the war of...

Steve Gardner, the sKerry's swift boat Gunner who spoke out against the Presidential candidate, has sent out "Thank You" notes to all who came to his rescue after being fired for his political views.Gardner, as you may recall, was the only crew mate on Kerrys Swift Boat that refused to back up Kerrys lies and distortions, and he paid a very heavy price for it.Gardner lost his job for what many of us here a FReerepublic acknowledge was the biggest reason the socialist scumbag Kerry lost the election...He told the Truth!His note of appreciation, for those who may not of...

It's only appropriate that we Republicans - in the spirit of appreciation, graciousness, charity and comity - give thanks to those whose contributions were instrumental in securing control of both houses of Congress, a majority of governorships, a plurality of state legislatures, a clear majority of the popular vote (for the first time in 16 years) and, of course, the re-election of President George W. Bush.

Elites lost to people power The election of 2004 will be seen historically as the beginning of a dramatic reshaping of the techniques, methods and tactics of American politics. This year, the nation’s political process was turned upside down as the elites lost power and the masses of average voters gained it. “Mass communication” usually denotes the few speaking to the many through the journalistic and electronic media that they control. Now it must be redefined as the masses communicating and imposing their views on the elites, often over the furious objections of their former masters. The defeat of the...

WASHINGTON - Whatever the reasons John Kerry and the Democrats lost the race for the White House, lack of money wasn't one. Tax-exempt pro-Democratic groups raising big checks for this year's election collected almost twice as much money as their Republican rivals in the presidential race, a study shows. The financial advantage comes in addition to record fund raising by Kerry, the unsuccessful candidate, and the Democratic Party. In all, nonparty political groups, known as 527s because of the tax code section that covers them, raised about $534 million and spent roughly $544 million in the 2003-04 election cycle, the...

Turnpike Authority drops publicist Firm had worked for anti-Kerry group By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff  |  December 11, 2004 The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority, facing the wrath of state Democratic leaders, yesterday canceled the contract of a Washington, D.C., public relations firm that during the presidential campaign worked for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that attacked John F. Kerry's Vietnam war record. ..... In a statement that reflects the deep bitterness about the swift boat group's tactics, a Kerry spokesman blasted the decision to hire Russell and his firm, calling it ''just the latest breathtakingly stupid decision by the...

WASHINGTON - Embattled Massachusetts Turnpike Authority chief Matthew Amorello has hired the high-powered GOP public relations team that guided the controversial Swift Boat Veterans For Truth's assault on Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential bid to quell the raging Big Dig leak scandal. The Turnpike Authority last month retained Alexandria, Va.-based Creative Response Concepts for a three-month ``interim'' deal worth $75,000, officials confirmed. After the Herald inquired about the firm's work and Bay State congressmen complained, Turnpike officials indicated they would cut the company loose - but sources said the firm was still expected to be paid. ``The firm came highly...

As some of you Freepers know, my son Gary is a sophomore student at George Washington University (DC) and is a conservative political columnist for school newspaper, the GW Hatchet. As a matter of fact, he’s the only conservative on a very liberal newspaper staff. This morning, he was invited to a Republican Women’s Breakfast at the Willard Hotel in downtown Washington, DC, where the guest speaker was to be Chris Matthews. One of the members of the group invited Gary because she knew of his reputation as a good political debater who doesn’t get intimidated, and she wanted him...

Swift boat ads were too hot for Fox News Those who criticize the reporters and commentators of Fox News Channel for being in bed with the Republican Party can at least take heart that the Fox folks who sell airtime suffer from no such malady. Chris LaCivita, the GOP strategist who advised the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the fall presidential campaign, said last week that Fox refused to air two Swifties ads that other cable networks, including CNN and MSNBC, had no reservations over. He said Fox had “no problem with the facts; they just didn’t want to...

Dec. 13 issue - In the closing weeks of the campaign, a reclusive Texas home builder pumped nearly $7 million into two "independent" political groups to help finance TV ads against John Kerry. The builder, Robert Perry of Houston, got attention in August when he gave $200,000 in seed money for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth—the so-called 527 group that attacked Kerry's war record. Campaign records examined by NEWSWEEK show that, in October alone, Perry gave $3.8 million more to the Swift Boat vets and $3 million to Progress for America, a separate 527 organized by a GOP consultant...

John O'Neill's Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacked John Kerry where he was most vulnerable and helped prevent his ascension to the Presidency. “. . . never give in, except to convictions of honor and good sense.” -- Winston Churchill, October 1941, to the boys at his old prep school, Harrow.God bless our vets. Especially U.S. Navy "swifties" who challenged Senator John Kerry’s war record. Mainstream media - -hereafter, MSM -- all but avoided that record, when not extolling it. The 260-plus swift boat men -- officers and enlisted -- stepped up, duty-bound, to put Kerry’s character on the line....

aypal for Steve Gardner (corrected) Tony Snow has provided us the information that so many of you have been asking for in order to help Steve Gardner: Here's the info I have from Steve. He has a paypal account through his email: sgardner5@carolina.rr.com; there's also a snail-mail address: P.O. Box 908; Clover, SC 29710. P.S. Tony has made me a hero at home. He's coming through on the autographed photo for Mrs. Trunk. UPDATE: We have corrected the email address above; we had originally omitted the "s" in "sgardner5@carolina.rr.com." It now reads correctly. HINDROCKET wonders: Can Tony send three? Posted...

George W. Bush ran the most negative presidential campaign in history, and the media never covered the story, an aide to Sen. John Kerry's campaign said last Monday at the journalism department. Marco Trbovich, a United Steelworkers of America employee who advised Kerry on labor policy, told the 20 students gathered at Carter Hall that about 80 percent of Bush's campaign money was spent on negative advertising. "If you can think of a few positive commercials that you saw, you saw all of them that were there," he said. Bush's campaign played upon fear, using patriotic and religious fervor to...

This is the story of a military veteran whistleblower. He spoke out against someone he thought was dangerous for the nation, talked to local newspapers, and appeared on talk shows. In return, he was vilified by reporters, threatened by a political operative, fired by his company, and now he's broke. His name is Steve Gardner. He's also known as "The 10th Brother," as in Band of Brothers. He's one of two members of Sen. John Kerry's 12 Vietnam swift boat crew members who refused to stand with Kerry at the Democratic Convention. The other man remained silent. "They said I...

This is the story of a military veteran whistleblower. He spoke out against someone he thought was dangerous for the nation, talked to local newspapers, and appeared on talk shows. In return, he was vilified by reporters, threatened by a political operative, fired by his company, and now he's broke.His name is Steve Gardner. He's also known as "The 10th Brother," as in Band of Brothers. He's one of two members of Sen. John Kerry's 12 Vietnam swift boat crew members who refused to stand with Kerry at the Democratic Convention. The other man remained silent. "They said I had...

When Hillary Clinton runs for president, she may have to face her own version of the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth - in the form of her husband's accusers, the women the Clintons have been trying to erase from the national memory of Bill's presidency. snip...

The controversial veterans group that trashed the war record of Democratic Sen. John Kerry during the presidential campaign and helped hand President Bush a second term will remain a potent force, according to an associate of the group. Chris LaCivita, who was a paid political consultant to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth during the campaign but said he is no longer on the payroll, asserted that the organization, with 280 members nationwide, is pondering its next step. patrick g. ryan An associate of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth says the group, known for attacking Sen. John Kerry’s war record,...

Pundits have cast around for the reasons behind President Bush’s remarkable victory. Some have seized on moral values, or a poorly run Democratic campaign, even Kerry’s personality. One cause most overlooked in the mainstream media is a small group of Vietnam veterans, a bunch of political amateurs, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who redefined the central issue of the election. The Swifties, as they call themselves, made the election a referendum on character. Their ads, and best-selling book Unfit for Command, said that Senator Kerry is a man who lacks the character to be Commander-in-Chief. He gamed the system...

The election is over but the bickering never stopped. Some voters are suffering from "post election stress disorder." Pundits and partisans are stepping up to next face-off: judicial appointments. Yet the country has united on one issue: Vietnam. Ernest Lefever described the American attitude toward Vietnam: "The two diametrically opposed interpretations of Vietnam continue to vie for the American psyche. Until the issue is resolved, we will suffer from a kind of historical schizophrenia." The parade of Vietnam Veterans across the stage at the Democrats National Convention received a standing ovation, the first of its kind from the protesting class....

They Served Twice: the return of the Vietnam Vets ---------- John Kerry's campaign managers could hardly have foreseen the explosion of veteran resentment that would torpedo his cruise to the White House. No comparable opposition had materialized in his previous races, and a sympathetic establishment media could be trusted to spotlight Kerry’s small group of veteran supporters, presumably leaving anti-Kerry vets little opportunity to reach the public. Kerry had ridden his personal mythology of battlefield heroics to victory before, unleashing his "band of brothers" to attack any Senate opponent who dared question his patriotism. When Kerry greeted the Democratic National...

Failed presidential candidate John Kerry is considering filing a libel suit against the leader of the group Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, John O'Neill, whose book "Unfit for Command" is credited with capsizing Kerry's Vietnam-based campaign. "I don't know if they will actually go forward," a member of Kerry's inner circle told New York Post's PAGE SIX, edited by Richard Johnson. "But consideration is serious. If Kerry plans on running again in 2008 — and I'm hearing he will — it would make sense that he'd file the suit."

Of all the targets of vitriol and attempted ambushes during the presidential campaign, I most admired John O'Neill of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth for his calm determination to stand his ground on his charges against John Kerry's Vietnam service in Unfit for Command, the book he co-authored. O'Neill was called a ''liar'' to his face on a number of TV appearances, and, on an Oct. 14 ''Nightline,'' ABC-TV's Ted Koppel actually sent a crew to Vietnam to film alleged eyewitnesses in order to disprove one of the accounts -- how Kerry won his Silver Star -- in Unfit...

BOCA RATON, Fla.--"The last mission of Vietnam War veterans ended on Nov. 3, at 2:08 p.m. Eastern Time, when John Kerry conceded the presidential race to George W. Bush," announced James Warner, a lawyer who was a Marine pilot in Vietnam and spent five years and five months in Hanoi as a prisoner of war. On Saturday night, Mr. Warner gave a "debriefing" on the role that two controversial groups of veterans played in raising doubts about John Kerry's fitness to serve as commander in chief. His audience consisted of attendees at Restoration Weekend, an annual gathering of political activists...

I've just returned from the annual Restoration Weekend I put on, this year at the Boca Resort in Boca Raton. The highlight of the event was the Saturday night banquet where we gave our Annie Taylor Award to the men who defeated the party of defeatism and the saboteurs of the war on terror in this last election. Annie Taylor was the first woman to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and survive. It is a fitting award for American heroes who were slandered and defamed while they were being tortured in Communist prisons by an American traitor who...

Scarborough is currently discussing the heroism of the Swift Boat Vets and their impact on the election. He is lauding their efforts big time, and trashing the MSM. Next, he'll discuss the Oil for Food scandal. His show hasn't been that good lately but it's very good tonight. His panel includes Pat Buchanan, Jack Burkman, John Fund and Leslie Marshall (a liberal radio host).

BOCA RATON, Fla.--"The last mission of Vietnam War veterans ended on Nov. 3, at 2:08 p.m. Eastern Time, when John Kerry conceded the presidential race to George W. Bush," announced James Warner, a lawyer who was a Marine pilot in Vietnam and spent five years and five months in Hanoi as a prisoner of war. On Saturday night, Mr. Warner gave a "debriefing" on the role that two controversial groups of veterans played in raising doubts about John Kerry's fitness to serve as commander in chief. His audience consisted of attendees at Restoration Weekend, an annual gathering of political activists...

To The Citizens Of Free Republic: We will never ever forget your support and help. Your threads not only encouraged us but kept the truth alive in a period when Big Media sought to suppress the story. Your e-mails and phone calls to Big Media at least shamed them. The thousands of contributions we got from you helped us to organize our website, produce our earliest ads, and keep the light flickering in the darkest of times. The English at Agincourt would have executed Kerry for meeting with the enemy and betraying them. In contrast, we found a true band...

This is sweet indeed. The irony is just too, too rich to absorb completely. Who will tell the story of these men? Who will write the book? Who will make the movie? Here are men, slandered by this self-serving politician John Kerry, who lived their lives for the past 30 years with this ember of a stain, seemingly dead to the rest of us, but glowing and living within them. Most of them, I believe, came to the point where they were prepared to live with the injustice, come to terms with it. After all, it was over. What could...