Navy vets torpedo Kerry

New York Daily News ^ | 5/05/04 | HELEN KENNEDY

[kattracks]

WASHINGTON - A group of John Kerry's fellow Navy veterans went thermonuclear on the candidate yesterday, calling him a vain, indecisive, cowardly "loose cannon" who didn't deserve his medals and only went to Vietnam so he could run for office.

The new political group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, seeks to counter Kerry's "band of brothers" - veterans who served on his boat and campaign at his side.

Kerry's camp dismissed the new group as Republican shills and noted they have links to a shadowy pro-Bush operation called Republicans for Clean Air that attacked Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2000.

While some questioned whether Kerry should have gotten his first Purple Heart for a "rose-prick," their main concern was his anti-war statements after he came home in 1971.

At a remarkable news conference that showed how raw emotions can remain even after 33 years, 15 graying vets got up one by one to vent old bitterness. Some shook with anger and several choked up as they recalled Kerry testifying that troops had committed atrocities.

"With his specious medals secure, Lt. Kerry bugged out of Vietnam and began his infamous betrayal of our armed forces," said retired Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann. "He was a loose cannon. John Kerry is not fit for command."

Among the 200 vets signing a scathing letter demanding Kerry let the Pentagon open his records were some of his old commanders, including two who once wrote effusive praise for him.

Kerry's campaign says it has released all the records the Navy gave them. The evaluations they released last month all were glowing; praising his intelligence, courage, maturity, leadership - even his brilliant conversation.

Originally published on May 5, 2004

[AmericaUnited]

The evaluations they released last month all were glowing; praising his intelligence, courage, maturity, leadership - even his brilliant conversation.

Yes and one swift boat captain says some of those reports released belonged to HIM, NOT KERRY!!!

[backhoe]

Crosslinked:

[Jet Jaguar]

Thanks for the post.

[G.Mason]

"The evaluations they released last month all were glowing; praising his intelligence, courage, maturity, leadership - even his brilliant conversation."

Brilliant conversation? That must have gotten shot off in VietNam.

Well, now we know how he got one, of those three, Purple Heart awards.

...brilliant conversation ?

[CatoRenasci]

No, the purple heart came when his first attempt to get out of something (via brilliant conversation) was shot down. He was really wounded by that!

[G.Mason]

"No, the purple heart came when his first attempt to get out of something (via brilliant conversation) was shot down. He was really wounded by that!"

LOL

I'm going fishing today, and the vibes I'm getting from FR this morning make me think I'll need to take two coolers to stuff them all in.

[cajungirl]

Brilliant conversation AKA "a crashing self centered chattering bore who fancies himself more interesting than anyone else in the world".

[StonyBurk]

The first story in Boston Globe--by a black seaman --added to these reports, and put alongside th erecollections of the Medical Officer who treated Kerry's frag wound with a
bandaid all agree. And override the protests of the Kerry clones. I would not want to be "the next JFK from Mass."
Seems he had a bad ride down in Dallas.Americans ought protect Hanoi John from that -would be the compassionate thing to do . His church says he is not fit for Communion.
Those who served with him say, (as did Col.Eugene Holmes
did of "Run for the Border" Bill) that he would be unfit to
lead.How many will vote against Bush- to the harm of all?

[bornintexas]

"Kerry's camp dismissed the new group as Republican shrills and noted that they have links to a shadowy operation called Republicans for Clean Air that attacked Sen. John Cain (R-Ariz.) in 2000."

Isn't this rebuttal getting a little old? "A shadowy operation?" Their diatribe about everything Bush being "secret" or "shadowy" is getting tiresome.

Anyone that saw these men yesterday would not have come away thinking they were dishonest. Their contempt of skerry was evident, but no one with half a brain would think they were some VRWC group.

Skerry's crisis response team needs to come up with some new material. These guys keep telling us that anyone that criticizes their "war hero" is some kook or didn't serve and can't respond or is part of the VRWC. What idiots.

If these men get any publicity at all, it will be devastating for the coward skerry's campaign.

[CougarGA7]

Kerry's camp dismissed the new group as Republican shills and noted they have links to a shadowy pro-Bush operation called Republicans for Clean Air that attacked Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2000.

That's the kind of bold statement that I think requires some PROOF.