Posted on 08/06/2004 7:16:23 AM PDT by diotima
"Dishonest and dishonorable" is how John McCain described the attack ad now appearing on television in several swing states, courtesy of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Dishonest because the men who appear in the ad make false claims about John Kerry's wartime conduct and decorations. Dishonorable because these men have waited three decades to publicize their slurs, with partisan motives, during a presidential campaign.
**********SNIP SNIP SNIP********************
The hired help employed by the Swift Vets committee is thoroughly partisan, too. Aside from Spaeth and Thomas Rupprath, the private detective she recommended to provide research services, the group's IRS filing names several experienced Washington political operatives. The June 30 filing shows payments to Robert A. Hahn, a right-wing Internet activist and Web designer who also runs something called the Free Republic Network (apparently an affiliate of the extremist Free Republic Web site); and to Tom Wyld, a Navy veteran and former director of public relations for the NRA Institute for Legislative Action, the lobbying arm of the National Rifle Association.
The White House has deniability, to be sure, if charged with complicity in this campaign. The question is whether its deniability is plausible -- or risible.
As for the accuracy of the Republican veterans' accusations, they can be tested against the testimony of the men who served under Kerry's command -- all of whom but one have repeatedly endorsed his courage, his decency, and his candidacy. Denigration of Kerry's record should also be measured against the sterling evaluations that he received during the actual time of his service, including by Adm. Roy Hoffman, who now chairs the Swift Boat Veterans group.
No doubt the Republicans hope that attacking Kerry will distract from important issues they would prefer not to discuss or debate. But their campaign is backfiring, as drawing fresh attention to Vietnam does not flatter the candidate who avoided service there.
Regards, Ivan
Conason has it completely backwards, of course. It is Kerry who constantly speaks of Vietnam.
Joe states "drawing FRESH attention to Vietnam" as if this group comes on the scene and resurrects a long dead subject. That is absurd when we just watched the demcon mention it constantly as Kerry's apparently one and only qualification to be President of the United States and it has been the main plank in his entire campaign.
It is Kerry that tries to deflect questions about his senatorial record by claiming being called to account for his votes is "questioning his patriotism" and tries to tie any questions about his record as the questioner denigrating his Vietnam service.
Harping on the "Republicans" and throwing around words like "extremist" (little old normal and average me as a member of FR?! LOL) is ridiculous.
Apparently, for some reason it is of utmost importance in this country for the GOP to just lie down and let the John Kerry/Edwards team walk all over us and let their partisan hacks like Michael Moore and Hollyweird and entertainment extremests have free reign to vommit their accusations all over the airwaves and saturate this country through the media with their diatribe without ANY response whatsoever.
Yup,....Makes sense to me.
As I posted on an earlier thread;
No matter what you think about swiftvets (truth or right-wing hit job), you just can't avoid the fact that John Kerry made this bed with his own hands. Months ago he PERSONALLY joined the chorus of "Bush hasn't proven he wasn't AWOL" crap. And with the convention, he made Vietnam THE centerpiece of his campaign. So, per Kerry himself, Vietnam is EVERYTHING, and we should review records and nitpick like hell. So here we are.
57 posted on 08/06/2004 7:45:24 AM PDT by bobsatwork
Conason's the extremist. And an attack dog. Either the Swift boat vets allegations have merit or they do not. If they have no merit, ad hominem attacks arent needed. If they have merit, ad hominem attacks are irrelevent, since it is Kerry who was running on his Vietnam service. Clearly much of the swift boat claims have some merit, especially pointing out his anti-war testimony.
It seems Flipper wants it many different ways.
Kerry One: "I was in Viet Nam. I was a murderer. American soldiers are murderers."
Kerry Two: "I am here to serve, I am a big honorable hero. Soldiers have honor. Honor me."
Kerry Three: "These Swift Boat Veterans are liars. They have no honor."
When he said he was "Reporting for Duty" at the DNC, someone should have checked to make sure that he didn't have his zippo in his pocket.........
They're in my prayers too.
Someone on another thread posted that he wanted his "$25 back" from the Swift Boat Vets -- just because one signer of their petition, Elliot, has "retracted" (though that "retraction" was very nuanced).
I think I'll make a $25 contribution to make up for it.
LOL
That Joe Conason (Prince of Left-wing Extremism) is the author of a piece like this, is not just ironic--it's hilarious.
Conason is to liberalism what Tom Cruise is to Scientology.
Definitely #2: DNC's hired bitch.
"as drawing fresh attention to Vietnam does not flatter the candidate who avoided service there."
God damn it... Mr Bush DID NOT AVOID SERVICE IN VIETNAM!!! HE VOLUNTEERED FOR DUTY THERE BUT WAS NOT SELECTED TO GO BECAUSE HIS LOW FLIGHT TIME WAS IN A TYPE OF AIRCRAFT THAT WAS NOT USED IN NAM! PERIOD!!!
"as drawing fresh attention to Vietnam does not flatter the candidate who avoided service there."
damn it... Mr Bush DID NOT AVOID SERVICE IN VIETNAM!!! HE VOLUNTEERED FOR DUTY THERE BUT WAS NOT SELECTED TO GO BECAUSE HIS FLIGHT TIME WAS IN A TYPE OF AIRCRAFT THAT WAS NOT USED IN NAM! PERIOD!!!
I hope they don't go all Vanity Fair on us now that they've been outed as "operatives". Sheesh. You'd think Conason was some rube fresh off the turnip truck.
Oh, he might not want to go there; who's footing the bill for those robots that are with Kerry 24/7?
Mrs. Ketchup.
H&ll, I was an extremist before now! I am extremely in favor of Constitutional limited government and natural rights, and always have been.
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