Kerry's Vietnam war buddy on NBC's Today right now.

NBC Today Program | 01/22/04 | Self

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Katie Couric is interviewing a man named Jim Rassman on the Today show right now. Jim Rassman is a Vitenam War veteran who credits John Kerry with saving his life in combat.

During this interview, he admits that he was contacted by Kerry campaign workers and asked to appear in Iowa to promote John Kerry.

I was amazed that Kerry would use this man for his own political agenda. Furthermore, one must wonder...how is this so newsworthy that an appearance on the Today show is warranted?

[cyncooper]

Next, Bush and the Patriot Act. Katie adopts her "serious face" and the reporter package says the audience gave a reaction in the speech the president did not expect.

Like heck! He zinged the dems in a most excellent way with his "The terrorists will not observe that timetable" (paraphrase), making it clear he DID expect those buffoons to react as they did, and then he exposed them. That was Pete Williams. What a disappointment for him to miss that aspect.

Katie could use a bang trim...It's distracting to watch her bangs covering up her eyes.

Now music piracy. This interview must be in the next half hour?

[mabelkitty]

Who lied?
Kerry camp has been saying that he contacted them.

[Just mythoughts]

Fox News made a huge deal out of the fact that this guy came forward of his own after he was in a book store, Southern California.

The saved one claimed he pick up the book by Brinkley and just happened to come to the chapter that told his story and thus he made contact with JFKerry.

Sounded like a miracle, and now the story sounds like a hoax.

Clintonism is through and through these lying liberals.

[bushfamfan]

Yes, his record in Vietnam will not be scrutinized, but his record on military, intel matters and foreign policy will be scrutinized. This boy is a full-fledged Massachussetts liberal. And look at the cover of his book! Trashing our flag in the process. He is not fit to be President.

[cyncooper]

I thought I had heard or read that the Kerry campaign had contacted him, too, but I see the documented articles freepers have produced, as well as the memory of several reliable freepers, is that the story was being told the other way around.

[cyncooper]

Katie just promised the interview is coming up and repeated again that this man is "Being credited by many" for turning the Kerry campaign around.

[mewzilla]

Depends on the meaning of contact apparently. How Clintonian. You lie about something otherwise insignificant, then come clean right before you're busted. Nice work, Mary Beth. The reporters should have asked who contacted whom first. Sheesh. Well, the newsies got their freebie. The next time it happens, they won't be able to plead ignorance. It won't be the first time they'll have been suckered.

[cibco]

Thanks for the ping!

[cyncooper]

Segment on Peterson. San Mateo is a liberal community, we are informed. Rikki Kleimann even says "they want democratic jurors".

Ack

Peterson may get off as I can just imagine what these folks can be convinced comprises "reasonable doubt".

Ah, Lester Holt promises the interview I'm waiting for it NEXT.

[normy]

I was watching him in an interview with Carl Cameron on Fox and just as I thought he was going to say how Kerry called him up or he called Kerry Brit Hume abruply cut them both off. When it happened I thought it seemed very weird. I even turned to my in laws and said " what was that!? I wanted to see who called whom!". It seemed strange how fast they cut them off and I do not believe they went to a commercial after that. Did anyone see that?

[OldFriend]

Trouble is that the story the rescued man told is quite different from the story told by Kerry in the media. This is going to be interesting unless he has been extremely well coached.

[OldFriend]

Do you think the man will be asked what he thought of Kerry joining Jane Fonda and Ramsey Clark after his service and referring to our military as baby killers.

[OldFriend]

The man was strategically placed in the midst of the media who was in on the 'fake' reunion.

[mewzilla]

Check out this link. From the link:

It would feature an unrehearsed meeting with a Vietnam veteran, a former Green Beret who had called the Kerry office to say that the Massachusetts senator had saved his life in the Mekong Delta in 1969, and he wanted to publicly thank him. They had never met since and the staff thought it was risky to stage an unscripted meeting. But the event was a huge success. Senator John Kerry is on a roll and everything is suddenly going his way.

[mewzilla]

You gotta wonder: If they'd lie about something like this....

[OldFriend]

The media has become part of Kerry's campaign staff.

[mewzilla]

Not FNC, though. What's with them?

[cyncooper]

The interview just wrapped up.

**He contacted the Kerry campaign first**

He described in detail the circumstances of his being saved by Kerry, then gave the account of being in Los Angeles a week ago at a bookstore and seeing a book by Brinkley. He flipped through it and pointed out to his wife the segment in the book that gave an account that involved himself.

That Friday he was on the computer reading news and had been following the campaign and HE decided to give the campaign a call, figuring he'd be assigned clerical duties there in Oregon where he lives. About an hour later the Kerry campaign called him back and invited him to Iowa and he was there that very weekend.

He said all of Kerry's unit from Vietnam is involved in that campaign, too, and the guy that drove the boat that Kerry was in that saved him was there, too.

He was asked about Kerry's anti war protests when he returned to America. Rassman said he AGREED with Kerry, and if he'd been braver he'd have joined him. He thinks Kerry did the right thing.

He was asked what besides heroism in Vietnam did he think qualified Kerry to be president. He replied that he had followed "John's" Senate career, and while he didn't agree with every stance Kerry has, he agrees with MOST, and so he is backing him for president of the United States.

[mewzilla]

Thanks for the info! So much for unscripted.

[cyncooper]

He agrees with Kerry's anti Vietnam protests. He was not asked specifically about those names, but he was asked in general.