[atlaw]

Real facts? Let’s see, thus far on this thread we have: Kerry was a craven coward; Kerry was an unpatriotic chicken; four months on a swift boat was nothing; swift boat service was for pansies; Kerry was a loose cannon; Kerry was a baby-killer; Kerry was a murderer and a war criminal; Kerry’s superiors were happy to see a maniac like him go; Kerry acted like a deranged maniac just so he could get a medal to advance his political career; Kerry should never have gotten any medals because he was never really wounded; we know nothing about Kerry's service in Vietnam because he won’t release his records; it’s strange how Kerry’s “term of duty is so well documented, right down to video clips. How does he explain that?” . . .

Maybe we should pick one unsubstantiated, mudslinging rumor and stick with it. Or better yet, maybe we should leave this issue alone because it plays lousy with the voters, and instead go after Kerry on his policies and political record, an area that really matters in the here and now.

[syriacus]

Maybe we should pick one unsubstantiated, mudslinging rumor and stick with it.

Yes. Unsubstantiated rumors are a bad idea.

Let's just stick with the record.

Kerry's on the record saying he chose the swift boat assignment because he thought it would be safer

[Cuttnhorse]

Or better yet, maybe we should leave this issue alone because it plays lousy with the voters, and instead go after Kerry on his policies and political record, an area that really matters in the here and now.

I'm with you.

[antiRepublicrat]

instead go after Kerry on his policies and political record, an area that really matters in the here and now.

Good idea, because we can toast him on that.

[Robert A Cook PE]

And each of those comments has been backed up by specific quotes from either Kerry himself, or from members of the boats immediately around him.

Yes, I have read them.