Kansas City Kerry (Did he conceal knowledge of conspiracy to commit murder?)

The American Spectator ^ | March 24, 2004 | Paul Beston

[quidnunc]

Over the past week, the New York Sun and the Kansas City Star have been reporting another unsavory story about John Kerry's antiwar past. Witnesses and FBI meeting minutes conclusively place Kerry at an event he has always denied attending: The November 1971 meeting of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in Kansas City, in which a plan to assassinate pro-war senators was discussed. How seriously the plan was debated is in dispute; some veterans say it was nothing more than "guys ticked off and talking big at midnight," while others remember a bitter confrontation over the idea. All agree, however, that Kerry was not involved in the discussions and would never have approved of such a plan.

Nevertheless, the Kerry campaign is eager to distance itself from one of VVAW's most notorious episodes. Now that the evidence of his attendance is overwhelming, the campaign is trying to chalk up its earlier denials to faulty memory. Late last week Kerry spokesman David Wade conceded that Kerry had been there, but clung to the contention that the senator simply didn't remember the meeting. Wade's description of the Kansas City meeting as a "historical footnote" was too clever by half — if the meeting and Kerry's attendance really were footnotes, the campaign would never have cared about the story in the first place.

On Monday, the Sun reported on a former VVAW member who claims Kerry operatives urged him to change his story about Kerry's presence in Kansas City. John Musgrave, a Marine who earned three Purple Hearts in Vietnam, claims that John Hurley, head of Veterans for Kerry, asked him to call back the Star reporter he had spoken with and "tell him you were wrong." Hurley insists he only asked Musgrave "to be very sure of his recollection." Apparently this simple instruction required two phone calls to impart.

The Kansas City story has emerged at the same time that the FBI has revealed it conducted surveillance on Kerry during 1971 and 1972, when he was rising to fame as an antiwar spokesman. The FBI monitored the Kansas City meeting as well, though it's not clear if it picked up the chatter about assassination plots. When informed of the FBI story recently, Kerry unleashed his practiced moral indignation, harumphing about civil liberties and the sad abuses of power of the Hoover-era FBI: "I'm surprised by [the] extent of it. I'm offended by the intrusiveness of it. And I'm disturbed that it was all conducted absent of some showing of any legitimate probable cause [italics mine]. It's an offense to the Constitution. It's out of order." Then the Kerry campaign trotted out more of its defiant, desperate macho, claiming that the FBI revelation was "a badge of honor."

-snip-

[lainde]

bttt

[gonzo]

"...Kerry's latest statement has a familiar ring: "I want to say one thing to the American people. I want you to listen to me. I did not have assassination relations with that group, the VVAW," he said. Mr Kerry's face was red and his voice was shaking as he spoke to the assembled media at the Idaho Ski Lodge. With a raised clenched fist, Mr Kerry went on: "I never told anyone to lie, not a single time, never. These allegations are false and I need to go back to campaigning for the American people."..."

Y'know, we are definately gettin' too old for this $hit, spycatcher.

Stay well, old friend.............Barry/gonzo

Wait-a-sec... Where'd you old guys come from??

Not you, Deb.You know I love you.........

[prairiebreeze]

John Gibson and Joe Scarborough had segments and interviews about it on their shows yesterday and Brit Hume mentioned it in recap as well.

Prairie

[cyncooper]

Kerry has not explained why the FBI was wrong to spy on meetings where political assassinations were being discussed. If that isn't "legitimate probable cause," what is?

Indeed, the point many of us have made.

The senator likes to bluster about President Bush's supposed failures on homeland security, and perhaps he is worth heeding on that score. After all he, not our hopelessly provincial president, has real-world experience with groups threatening violent action. He should make the most of it. Perhaps a line can be worked into his stump speeches, right after the line about aircraft carriers: "I know something about assassination plots, too."

Sad laugh.

[cyncooper]

Drudge linked to one of the stories the other day.

Yes, I think it was the sympathetic LA Times piece that focused on the FBI tailing the group, BUT a thinking person would wonder why, and if they've subsequently heard about the assassination plot, would agree they deserved the tailing.

[cyncooper]

Don Imus talking about it. Asking Harold Ford Jr.

Ford Jr. says he was one year old and it was 34 years ago.

Imus asks him if he's heard about the French Revolution and what kind of answer was that.

Ford then says he takes Kerry at his word that he would never seriously discuss assassinating Senators. He says the way he heard it some guy came in and said it and was dismissed.

(Fact: It came to a VOTE.)

Imus says he's talking about it because the campaign brought it up, now segues into the 87 billion vote for then against and Ford agrees it was unfortunate phrasing.

Anyway, Imus spoke to Ford about the story and did a pretty good job setting up the scene.

[prairiebreeze]

(Fact: It came to a VOTE.)

BINGO AND BUMP!

Prairie

[spycatcher]

Drudge's choice of headlines in the last couple of weeks calls into question his editorial sanity.

Has anyone else noticed how suddenly it's no longer fair to question what someone did back in the Vietnam war days? Dems talking about the assassination of gov't officials sound like their talking about a jaywalking. It's hilarious to hear them half falling asleep. Of course, they see assault on the Constitution as just part of doing business.

If Robert Byrd was lying about a KKK meeting that discussed killing blacks they would also be yawning.

[guitfiddlist]

"I...forGOT...assassination was against the law."

[avant_garde]

Drudge has been a little subdued after the Kerry Bimbo Alert. Probably got a visit from Kerry's Knucke dragging PR men offering him a nice 2x6 room where the temperature is constant and has no windows with one door with 6 handles.

[spycatcher]

Yep, you're exactly right. Drudge is petrified of this story since the Kerry intern story went nowhere. He knows the big media and the Kerry spinsters are going to blame him if he links it.

Strange to see Drudge bowing to Kerry's thugs though.

[onyx]

OK .. let me see if I have this right ..

Having an FBI file on you regarding an assassination plot against U.S. Senator is a a badge of honor???





Don't look to me to find fault with your thinking. :)