[martywake]

Attacking Kerry about his combat record is the wrong tactic to use. He has award citations and his records as documentation to back him up. His critics, who have the burden of proof, have only their side of the story, so this will degenerate into a "he said/she said" affair. And citations, records and DD2-14's will win every time. The telling story is not what Kerry did while he was in country. The important things are; A) He abandoned his men after only four months (remember he lobbied the Navy to leave theater, he wasn't MEDEVACED)B) he came back and testified before congress that he had heard others confess to war crimes ( a possibility that they occurred but not an indictment of the military as a whole, and something that he had heard second-hand) and C) his trip to Paris to meet with VC and NVA leaders (while he was still in the Naval Reserve.
This should be the primary focus, not his award records, because, bottom line, he has citations signed by commissioned officers that authorize him the the award and wear of his medals and ribbons.

[alnick]

His critics, who have the burden of proof, have only their side of the story, so this will degenerate into a "he said/she said" affair.

And the eye-witness testimony of the overwhelming number of people who were present, all decorated veterans themselves.