Conversations with Hack III

8/9/04 | Frumious Bandersnatch

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Take you beef to Kerry.

>From what I can read into this the Swift Boat avengers will regret their two bit attack on a Vietnam vet.

Pls no further como.

Busy rpting the current war and don't have time to lament or distract from the Viet War in which my mind all that served there are heroes. Hack

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Colonel Hackworth, If you are not willing to ask the hard questions from Mr. Kerry, so be it.

If you are not willing to dig into this story and find out the truth, so be it.

It may be that you are correct. It may be that the vets are wrong. If such is found to be so, however, you don't deserve any credit for exposing them. For all you have done is gratuitously trash those who call into question Mr. Kerry's past without answering the very pertinent questions raised by the vets. I have asked you time and again to pressure Mr. Kerry into releasing all of his military records so that Mr. Kerry can refute the vets. You have never responded to this request. What are you afraid of Colonel? Tis a simple request, and can go far towards clearing up this whole mess.

If you feel strongly that Mr. Kerry has been impugned falsely, you should be amongst the first to urge Mr. Kerry to release his military records. Your silence on this matter is deafening.

Considering the tenor of our conversations, it wouldn't surprise me for you to be found using one of the Democrat's "Brown Books" to further trash those vets without actually answering any questions of substance.

But I do admit to some confusion about your last statement. If all who served in 'Nam are heroes, then why are you trashing the Vets who are raising questions about Mr. Kerry?

If I sound unhappy Colonel, it is only because I used to have a lot of respect for you. I was an avid reader of your D.A. archive. With your recent actions, I now have to ask myself the $64.00 question: "What else in your writings is false or misleading?" Sadly, since I don't know, I'll have to assume that all of it is misleading until proven otherwise. Is your reputation and integrity of so little account that you are not even willing to research the truth, let alone defend it?

Unless you notify me otherwise, I will accede to your wishes and not talk to you on this subject again.

[headsonpikes]

Your post is frumious indeed!

[Redbob]

"...in which my mind all that served there are heroes. Hack"

Hey Hack, there's at least one fella who "served" there, or maybe "swerved there" would be a better expression, who thinks you and all the others are a bunch of cowardly, back-shooting, baby-killers;

And he's running for President;
how do you like them apples, Hack? Or are you just too busy to even vote?

[stylin_geek]

Evidently consistency is not Hack's strong point.

[Steven W.]

I really feel the sense of dedication he has to his fellow vets ... NOT! that tells you all you know, he's a HACK, pure & simple.

[Use It Or Lose It]

I received this response from Hack today:

Response re Kerry…

 Got a truck load of queries regarding where I stand re: John Kerry and George W. Bush. So many in fact that I need to send this generic reply.

 As a military journalist I try to stay away from politics. If you will visit my archives (http://www.hackworth.com , Defending America—Archives) you will see that over the years I have blistered Republicans as well as Democrats.

 I am a registered Independent and take no political position. My only concern is the objective of SFTT: ensure our soldiers are well trained, well equipped, and well led.

 Your query has caused me to look into the attacks on “Bush: the Draft Dodger” and “Kerry: the Non-Hero.”

 Hopefully in a week or so I will have completed my homework on this issue and wrapped up a response for you and others in a subsequent weekly column.

 Hack

[ApplegateRanch]

"...in which my mind all that served there are heroes. Hack"

Lt William Calley? A HERO?!?

Piss-off, Hack.

[BradyLS]

Let's see. The Swifties are evil for "attacking" a fellow vet-- Kerry. But. Kerry is NOT evil for trashing his shipmates and servicemen in general in the '71 Sneate hearings? And NO recant from Kerry?

Why on earth would Hackworth cover for KERRY???

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

I got that same reply too from Hack from one of my emails to him. However, I guess another one of my emails to him struck a rather sensitive chord, so he responded more personally to me.

I don't have a problem with him defending Mr. Kerry per se. I do have a problem with him trashing others who question Mr. Kerry's heroic status without first doing at least rudimentary fact checking.

As far as him being an Independent, that concerns more his political affiliation, than it does his reporting capability