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JANUARY -- NOT CHRISTMAS -- KERRY IN CAMBODIA (More Flip-Flop Spin!)
Drudge Report ^ | 8/12/04 | Matt Drudge

Posted on 08/12/2004 7:13:16 PM PDT by wagglebee

**Exclusive**

TOUR OF DUTY author and John Kerry historian Doug Brinkley is rushing a piece for the NEW YORKER: to set-the-record-straight on Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia tale, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

Kerry has turned to author Brinkley for a "modification" after it was exposed that Kerry was not in Cambodia during Christmas of 1968, as he once claimed from the Senate floor.

The Brinkley piece for the NEW YORKER will now say that Kerry was not in Cambodia during Christmas, but rather in January, publishing sources tell DRUDGE.

MORE

Since the early 1970s, Kerry has spoken and written of how he was illegally ordered to enter Cambodia. Kerry mentioned it in the floor of the Senate in 1986 when he charged that President Reagan’s actions in Central America were leading the U.S. in another Vietnam. Here’s what he said as excerpted from the new book, UNFIT FOR COMMAND:

"I remember Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by the Vietnamese and Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and have the president of the United States telling the American people that I was not there; the troops were not in Cambodia. I have that memory which is seared--seared--in me."

John O’Neil’s, author of UNFIT FOR COMMAND, comments on the “clarification:”

“John Kerry describes Christmas Eve in Cambodia as a critical turning point in his life. We now know that his story is completely false. My question is how many people do you know have invented a turning point, one that is seared in his memory? While it makes sense for John Kerry to come clean about the Cambodia story, it is one of several tales that the Kerry campaign will have to face and clarify.”

“By claiming we were engaged in a war crime and crossing international borders, John Kerry damaged the credibility of all the commanding officers above him and insulted the sailors who served with him,” said John O’Neill, member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.”

Developing...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; aidandcomfort; antiamerican; betrayal; bronze; cambodia; christmasincambodia; christmasncambodia; credibilitygap; dougbrinkley; flipflopslop; hanoijohn; hanoikerry; iaintfondajohn; iwasinbietbodia; johnkerry; kerry; kerrylieddotcom; kerrylies; ketchup; ketchupmoney; liar; liarliarliar; lyingliar; makekerrycryhard; military; militaryrecord; newyorker; nixonblaming; purpleheart; scambodia; sedition; skerrykerry; swift; swiftboat; swiftboatvets; swiftvetsdotcom; tang; tellingawhopper; thatstheticket; traitor; treason; unamerican; unfit; unfitforcommand; vet; veteran; veterans; veteransforbush; vets; vietnam; warcrimes; warcriminal; whenever; wintersoldierdotcom
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To: JustaCowgirl
You have to know that the latest revision will include unverifiable "facts." I just broke my rule and watched Hardball figuring this is the quickest way to the Dems talking points and spin.

Matthews called the Swift Boat Vets conservatives and laughed with the head of the Vets for Kerry organization, saying that of course the commanders would be Republicans. Matthews also said that the Navy (who awarded the medals) and Kerry's crew (who confirm his stories) are far more credible than the Swift Boat Vets. He was on the edge of almost spitting on O'Neill asking him to compare Kerry's record with Bush's. And even though O'Neill said he hadn't voted for a Republican in a Presidential race since 1988 he continued to call him a Republican. They never got to the Cambodia issue or his protest days and what that cost the honor and safety of our soldiers.

So it seems that the Kerry campaign strategy is to keep the controversy limited to his medals figuring his combat experience trumps Bush's service. It also seems that makes Cambodia (which they will rewrite) and the cost of his protest days his most vulnerable issues. If they can discredit the Swifties faster than these two issues grow it will control the damage or worse, make him into a sympathetic figure.
281 posted on 08/12/2004 9:25:22 PM PDT by Dolphy (Support swiftvets.com)
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To: ProudVet77
FWIW - IF I were going to insert SEALs or GB for recon of the Ho Chi Minh trail, I'd drop them in by para, and extract by chopper. A PCF sounds like a tractor trailor on the highway. No stealth there.

This makes a lot of sense to me. This early on, nobody was supposed to know we were operating in Cambodia. Why would you risk going up the Mekong by boat, where you could be seen and stopped.

282 posted on 08/12/2004 9:27:28 PM PDT by fhayek
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To: Dolphy

I watched Hardball earlier (and only to see O'Neill). I have never seen Chris be so nasty.


283 posted on 08/12/2004 9:27:50 PM PDT by cyncooper ("We will fear no evil...And we will prevail")
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To: wagglebee

Kerry is making Clinton look like a piker in the liar's scale of things.


284 posted on 08/12/2004 9:31:58 PM PDT by Peach (The Clinton's pardoned more terrorists than they ever captured or killed.)
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To: Dolphy

I agree with you about the medals. That will never go anywhere, there's too much deniability there. The Cambodia thing is the one that's going to stick, as far as his actual service. That's why getting him to move into ever-shifting, narrower timelines on the circumstances of his 'Cambodia trips' is pretty important. You and I both know he was never there, but taking away all remote plausibility is another.

It probably can't ever be conclusively disproven to the satisfaction of those who don't want to hear, but it needs to be tried.


285 posted on 08/12/2004 9:34:29 PM PDT by JustaCowgirl (Let he who has ears to hear, hear. Support the heroes of the SwiftBoat Vets.)
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To: MarkeyD

Nah, it was MLK's birthday, wasn't it?


286 posted on 08/12/2004 9:36:30 PM PDT by snuffy smiff
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To: ProudVet77
Late January, 1969 – Kerry joined his 5 man crew on PCF-94.

It was January 29th. Doesn't leave much time for a brand new skipper to move up the Mekong from the base and into Cambodia. He probably didn't do any missions until February, bacause the boat itself was fairly shot up as well as the previous OIC, from whom Kerry took over.

287 posted on 08/12/2004 9:36:37 PM PDT by El Gato (Federal Judges can twist the Constitution into anything.. Or so they think.)
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To: yatros from flatwater
he was "over there" on Jan. 6 or one of those other 12 days.

Ah, that's it. The South Vietnamese are Orthodox.

288 posted on 08/12/2004 9:37:32 PM PDT by McGavin999 (If Kerry can't deal with the "Republican Attack Machine" how is he going to deal with Al Qaeda)
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To: cyncooper
Kerry simply forgot to mention this detail and when he said "Christmas" in his head he was thinking of the family observance of *January 25*.

Not good enough. He didn't take over the -94 boat until the 29th, that according to the man he took it over from.

289 posted on 08/12/2004 9:38:56 PM PDT by El Gato (Federal Judges can twist the Constitution into anything.. Or so they think.)
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To: Wolverine
Thanks for the info.

As soldiers, away from their families, the Vietnamese would be unlikely to get excited about or even remember a day like Christmas. They would however, never forget Tet or Lunar New Year.

Here's an analogy that might work: Christmas to most Asians is kind of like Hannukah or Yom Kippur to many Westerners. The majority of the population lets the holiday pass without understanding its significance. If you are Jewish, however, you will observe the occasion, probably with more solemnity than revelry. That's how Christmas was (traditionally) viewed in Asia--a Christian religious occasion--not something to celebrate with a lot of revelry. Today the holiday much more commercialized, but Asians don't see it as important as Lunar New Year/Tet.

290 posted on 08/12/2004 9:39:07 PM PDT by wai-ming
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To: hobson
Wasn't he in training just prior to taking over the boat?

probably not since he was just moving over from the -44 boat. His website does say he and the other skippers went to Saigon on the 22nd to meet with Admiral Zumwalt and General Abrams, it does not say what the meeting was about.

291 posted on 08/12/2004 9:43:04 PM PDT by El Gato (Federal Judges can twist the Constitution into anything.. Or so they think.)
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To: wai-ming


WHY DON'T THE SWIFTEE'S GET SOMEONE LIKE BO DITTLE, ETC.

AND TAKE LIE DETECTOR TESTS., AND CHALLENGE KERRY TO DO THE SAME.


292 posted on 08/12/2004 9:43:37 PM PDT by wvromania (CHALLENGE KERRY TO GO TO IRAQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: El Gato

Kerry had PCF 44 in Dec & January (before pcf 94)with gunner Skip Barker who says they didnt go to cambodia..


293 posted on 08/12/2004 9:46:12 PM PDT by rolling_stone
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To: cyncooper
I watch him rarely anymore but I agree, he was nastier than I had ever seen him. I just wrote on another thread that his hatred looked like he was facing a man who had just violated one of his children. It was really troubling to me, really troubling.
294 posted on 08/12/2004 9:47:50 PM PDT by Dolphy (Support swiftvets.com)
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To: conservative in nyc
Kerry had some sort of top secret clearance

Not some sort, there is only one sort. Top Secret. Now their are compartments that require an SBI (special background investigation) whereas the normal TS only requires a BI, which is what Kerry had. I had two of the former at the same time! One for my civilian job, one for my Reserve assignment. One was renewed and reinvestigated. When the investigator came to the house, because he happened to be in the area and it happened to be a company holiday, but not a federal one, he scared my daughter (then a college freshman, but living at home) half to death. She walked in while we were sitting at the kitchen table, and he had failed to conceal his firearm. She later drug me outside on some flimsy pretext involving looking at her car, to ask me what was going on. She thought he might have bugged the house! :).

295 posted on 08/12/2004 9:52:50 PM PDT by El Gato (Federal Judges can twist the Constitution into anything.. Or so they think.)
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To: bootyist-monk

Should be interesting.


296 posted on 08/12/2004 9:52:51 PM PDT by texasbluebell
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To: texasbluebell

The photo of Kerry and Alston graces a DVD!

http://samplecdstore.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=JK-BIA&Category_Code=


297 posted on 08/12/2004 9:55:19 PM PDT by claudiustg (Go Sharon! Go Bush!)
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To: cyncooper; Dolphy

Matthews outdid even himself in shamelessness tonight.


298 posted on 08/12/2004 9:56:14 PM PDT by texasbluebell
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To: Morgan's Raider
how many South Vietnamese would be in CAMBODIA celebrating CHRISTMAS in 1968?

Which was it? Were the Vietnamese allies (ARVN) shooting at him or were they (ARVN) celebrating Christmas while in Cambodia.

I was in Vietnam Christmas of 1968 and I don't remember any Vietnamese celebration of Christmas with gunfire as if it was TET.

299 posted on 08/12/2004 9:58:20 PM PDT by lewislynn (Why do the same people who think "free trade" is the answer also want less foreign oil dependence?)
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To: Shermy
As for the Seals, it's not a big deal, his february record is full of drop offs in the delta.

Please help me here.

From what I see of maps--never was over there--'The Delta' seems to end before one reaches the Cambodian border. Could then the (real) Feb SEAL Team insertions have not been in Cambodia, but were for other missions along the river? Like maybe between Sa Dec & the border?
300 posted on 08/12/2004 9:58:40 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (The world needs more horses, and fewer Jackasses!)
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