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Wolf Blitzer's interview with John O'Neill (Transcript)
CNN Transcripts ^ | 11 Augut 2004 | Wolf Blitzer

Posted on 08/11/2004 5:54:53 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16

A harsh critic of John Kerry's Vietnam war record is out with a brand new book entitle "Unfit For Command." Author John O'Neill is a Texas lawyer and a Vietnam veteran. Joining us now with more on O'Neill and his controversial book, CNN's Brian Todd -- Brian.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, this is a very emotional personal story between men who fought in one of America's most divisive wars. And it's by no means coincidental that this story is heating up to fever pitch right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TODD (voice-over): In his final sprint toward a life's ambition, John Kerry puts his wartime past front and center.

SEN. JOHN KERRY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know what kids go through when they're carrying an M-16 in a dangerous place and they can't tell friend from foe.

TODD: But as the campaign enters a heated stretch, Kerry's war record is becoming an increasingly bitter flashpoint.

The new book "Unfit For Command" by John O'Neill seeks to discredit virtually every wartime citation Kerry received, a case O'Neill has been making for years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are we coming forward? Because we were there. We know the truth and we know that this guy is unfit to be commander-in-chief.

TODD: O'Neill is a fellow Vietnam veteran who took command of Kerry's patrol boat after Kerry left and never served with Kerry. To back his claims in the book, O'Neill quotes superior officers, some of whom originally backed Kerry and people who served near Kerry but not on his boat.

About a dozen veterans who did serve on Kerry's boat have lined up to support him. O'Neill asserts that each of Kerry's three Purple Hearts came from self-inflicted or exaggerated wounds.

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: johnoneill; oneill; sbv; swiftboatvets; transcript
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1 posted on 08/11/2004 5:54:57 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16
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To: NavySEAL F-16; prairiebreeze; onyx; Texasforever; CyberAnt; BigSkyFreeper; Tamsey; ...

FYI PING


2 posted on 08/11/2004 5:55:53 PM PDT by Mo1 (Kerry & Edwards .... they will leave no Special Interest Group behind)
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To: NavySEAL F-16
bless your heart for this!!!!
3 posted on 08/11/2004 6:00:26 PM PDT by YaYa123 (@Pardon My Skepticism.com)
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To: NavySEAL F-16
O'Neill absolutely destroyed Crowe, Blitzer and John Kerry. Crowe should be ashamed of himself, Blitzer is as blind as he ever was and Kerry is being outed for who and what he is.

O'Neill, a democrat, is a great American even if he would vote for John Edwards.

4 posted on 08/11/2004 6:04:33 PM PDT by jwalsh07 (Donate to the Swifties, once again serving the nation selflessly)
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To: NavySEAL F-16

reading this transcript is even more difficult than watching the tape. Wolf and the Admiral are outright schills, they have no credibility at all. Worth the read.


5 posted on 08/11/2004 6:10:52 PM PDT by bitt
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To: NavySEAL F-16

thank you, thank you
John O'Neill is fabulous.


6 posted on 08/11/2004 6:14:22 PM PDT by motherof 3
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To: NavySEAL F-16

Good grief. O'Neill did an OUTSTANDING job. He absolutely NAILED all the points so vital to this issue. CNN rolled out the most credible person they could to rebut him, and Crowe ended up looking uninformed and political. I cannot believe this was on CNN. I'll bet it never gets repeated. I cannot wait to buy the book (I tried yesterday but the local Borders didn't have it and only have 6 copies on order).


7 posted on 08/11/2004 6:15:22 PM PDT by Rokke
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To: NavySEAL F-16

O'Neill's a very impressive guy. Admiral Crowe didn't even dent his story. Especially enjoyed the way O'Neill wouldn't let the Admiral pull Navy rank on his family.


8 posted on 08/11/2004 6:16:40 PM PDT by Swampmarine
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To: NavySEAL F-16
TODD: We spoke to an official at the Bush/Cheney campaign this afternoon. He said the campaign would not condemn that particular ad any more than they would others that are produced with so-called soft money. He said they do deploy the use of unregulated money to produce these commercials and the official added, quote, "I've not seen John Kerry condemn any of the ads against President Bush" -- Wolf.

Transcript error??? I believe the highlighted word should be deplore given the context. Otherwise, we have an accusation that the BC'04 campaign is deploying the SBV.

9 posted on 08/11/2004 6:16:41 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (When it came to Intelligence, Kerry was absent)
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To: jwalsh07

Ah! The whole game in that. Kerry resigns in the next week, and Edwards takes the ticket top, with a to be named in the VP slot.


10 posted on 08/11/2004 6:17:35 PM PDT by bvw
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To: NavySEAL F-16
I read the whole interview and I noticed that it is Crowe, not O'Neill, who is arguing from a partisan standpoint. But most importantly, near the end Admiral Crowe says that this book cannot be accurate because it is not in accord with the "official" Navy version.

No one was smart enough, or took the time, to ask the Admiral whether Kerry should sign the Form 180, which would permit the release of all remaining personal records from his career. Bush, of course, immediately signed such a Form, which is why the press is picking over the details of his personnel records.

The attack must continue day by day, and peel Kerry like an onion. Today, Kerry admitted that he was NOT in Cambodia on Christmas Day, 1968. Pressure, retreat, lame admission of dishonesty -- it is a pattern that will be repeated numerous times before the Kerry house of cards collapses on 2 November.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Says the Wuss: Ma, He's Touching Me"

If you haven't already joined the anti-CFR effort, please click here.

11 posted on 08/11/2004 6:18:07 PM PDT by Congressman Billybob (www.ArmorforCongress.com Visit. Join. Help. Please.)
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To: Mo1
and reading this is only half as good as witnessing for yourself the difference in the demeanor of Crowe and O'Neill.

An angry Crowe spent the time trying to discredit the book and Kerry's accusors, snarling out his responses with anger, but never responding directly to the points O'Neill was making. O'Neill was just the opposite, very factual, never flinching, and with no hesitation.

12 posted on 08/11/2004 6:18:17 PM PDT by YaYa123 (@Pardon My Skepticism.com)
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To: NavySEAL F-16
A harsh critic

First three words of the article................. God!

Harsh? What does that indicate. I hate CNN.

13 posted on 08/11/2004 6:18:47 PM PDT by beyond the sea (Free Martha Mitchell......... and Jail Teraaaaaayza)
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To: NavySEAL F-16
A harsh critic

First three words................. God!

Harsh? What does that indicate. I hate CNN.

14 posted on 08/11/2004 6:20:49 PM PDT by beyond the sea (Free Martha Mitchell......... and Jail Teraaaaaayza)
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To: jwalsh07
Blitzer is as blind as he ever..

Every time Blitzer (or anybody) claims that the SwiftVets "weren't on Kerry's boat" and therefor can't comment, O'Neill should throw it back in Blitzer's face and say something like, "Sure Wolf. That's like saying that nobody here at CNN knows you or could ever comment about what happened here today because they aren't sitting here at the anchor desk with you. Is that what you are saying, Wolf?"

Throw it back in Wolf's face and make him look like an ass.

15 posted on 08/11/2004 6:21:29 PM PDT by Edit35
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To: bvw
Ah! The whole game in that. Kerry resigns in the next week, and Edwards takes the ticket top, with a to be named in the VP slot.

That is my hunch as well, although timing is uncertain, and even reason is uncertain. The Swifties ought to sink Kerry, but if the media denies them the honor, then Kerry will volunteer due to health. He is unelectable as CINC, and the internal polls will show that clearly.

16 posted on 08/11/2004 6:22:46 PM PDT by Cboldt
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To: All

It is worth the read. And now, it's on CNN. O'Neill was outstanding.


17 posted on 08/11/2004 6:23:01 PM PDT by combat_boots (Dug in and not budging an inch)
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To: NavySEAL F-16
I lurked a thread at DU baout this interview. They were sh&&ing bricks and vowing to destroy O'Neill. One of them praised Crowe for denouncing O'Neill.

Funny thing, though: the DUers ALL TRASH WOLFIE!! They called him everything but a child of God! They say he is a right wing plant!! I was laughing so hard, my gut hurts. Those WHACKOS are so far left, CNN and Wolf Blitzed appear (to them) to be right wingers!

DU... Whew... they are OUT THERE!

18 posted on 08/11/2004 6:23:29 PM PDT by Chieftain (Support the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth and expose Hanoi John lies!)
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To: jwalsh07

What rank did O'Neil obtain in the Navy?


19 posted on 08/11/2004 6:24:38 PM PDT by stockpirate (Kerry and The Taxocrates must be defeated! "Kerry wasn't in Cambodia before he was in Cambodia.")
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To: NonValueAdded

Maybe an e-mail to counsel@gop.com is in order to correct the folks' at CNN's "typo."


20 posted on 08/11/2004 6:25:17 PM PDT by combat_boots (Dug in and not budging an inch)
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