[Miss Marple]

You have done an excellent job in detailing this whole thing. I think the story smells fishy, too.

[Jumper]

If the other boat was hit by a mine and already taking fire . . . why did Kerry turn his boat around to assist a single crew member when and an entire boat was rendered helpless?

Was Kerry's decision made to keep from joining the true firefight and risk personal injury from actual combat? Is it possible that Kerry's crewmate was also a coward who jumped overboard so not to take fire, in a premeditated act that thereby allowed the good ensign to also emerge from the combat without exposing himself and crew to what was going to be real enemy fire.

Was there any additional mention that the other boat, taking fire and hit by a mine, was assisted by Kerry's or the third boat, and if so, how long was the engagement - a brief hit and run or a protracted battle. If it was a long engagement, did Kerry's boat FINALLY close with to both destroy the enemy and protect the other boat?

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

Excellent analysis. But I think there is a need for someone to counterpoint this. So I will do it, although I believe his first band aid purple heart was a joke.

"Why does his Bronze Star describe his "arm bleeding and in pain" when clearly there is no medical evidence to support such a description? Who in the hell investigated and wrote this very misleading and false citation description?"

I get a lot of bruises at my plant, handling wood panels all the time. Some bruises are combined with scrapes that clot up very quickly. I'm not certain about military lingo, but a scraped bruise can cause plenty of short term bleeding. [Or if he fell on a ketchup packet.]

[Amelia]

You know that this whole questioning Kerry's medals thing isn't doing too much with undecided people - their reaction is, "At least he *went* to Vietnam instead of getting deferments or joining the guard like those in the current administration did."

In other words, you may convince a few people, but your efforts may have the opposite result of the one you intended.

IMO, concentrating on Kerry's actions since he returned from Vietnam (saying he was guilty of war crimes and atrocities worse than the prison "torture", etc.) and his current Senate voting record is more productive and more likely to convince swing voters.

With the medals, you're (at most) preaching to the choir.

[G.Mason]

"Rassmann went on to say: "If he had done a lousy job in the Senate and I thought his ideas were ridiculous, I wouldn't have called him. I might have bought him dinner, but I wouldn't have called him.""

Proof that Rassmann is a Democrat.

Only a Democrat thinks an abstract thought is both clear, and logical.

The sad thing is that they (Democrats) don't even consider their lies to be lies.

[sirchtruth]

The dems call into the radio talk shows and all whine and complain about people disparaging JF'nK's war record...but we all know they are just trying to cover the lies and deceptions he spewing.

I believe there is going to be a group of commander's that served with Kerry that will all say he is not fit to be Prez...Just the political commercials I see on TV that Kerry approves show that he not only fit to be Pres, but he's an arrogant, elitist, wank.

[newsgatherer]

bump for noon issue

[Lynne]

"At least he *went* to Vietnam instead of getting deferments or joining the guard like those in the current administration did."

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Kerry try to get a deferrment to study in France? If so, he "tried" to dodge the draft, but failed, so he joined the Navy rather than get drafted and sent to the jungles.

[Just mythoughts]

Good points.

The story of "Jim Rassmann" brings up more questions than answers.

I do not remember how it was that "Rassmann" was where he was. What unit did he serve with?

[OldFriend]

The media was informed ahead of time about the 'reunion'. They had their stories ready for print and their cameras rolling.

Anyone who believes this 'just' happened is ready to believe that it was Ted Kennedy's cousin who was driving that car off the bridge at Chappaquiddick.

[Diddle E. Squat]

Another piece of the puzzle ping

[eeriegeno]

I get the sense that the entire Jim Rassmann story is a clever scripted story.

I get the sense that JF'nKerry's entire life is a cleverly scripted story!!!!

[doug from upland]

Where the hell is Col. Hackworth on this. If he did what he did to an honorable man, he should be exposing this.

[doug from upland]

What does this man say about it --