[Niks]

It seems you get what you pay for. Rassmann is doing a lot more than recanting the "rescue" story. He is impugning the motives of others who remember things differently. He gets on these shows and doesn't just tell his "Kerry saved my life" story, but attacks other vets who remember it differently. He says he's an ex-cop. So where's he getting the money to permanently attach himself to Kerry? I've seen him in every town Kerry visits that is covered by the news.

Maybe next time Kerry should buy someone who memorizes the story better.

[TomGuy]

Kerry needed a PT-109-type heroism story for his future Presidential run. It seems the more scrutiny that is applied to his 4 months in VietNam, the more diminished his 'heroics' seem to become.

[Cboldt]

Rassmann is doing a lot more than recanting the "rescue" story. He is impugning the motives of others who remember things differently.

That's a good point. If there really just an honest difference of recollection, and he had respect for those who were serving with Kerry that day, he would refrain from impugning their motivives and making up stories about their association with the GOP. He's acting as though he has a dark secret, something that must be protected.

[TonyS6]

This whole sordid mess is going to blow up in the Republicans face.

Most people on this board are too young to remember the Vietnam era. There were hard-core protestors (e.g., Fonda, Kerry, Kovic), moderate protestors, hard-core Vets and moderate Vets. As usual, it was the extremes that fought each other. Kerry with his silly claims about combat experience and Cambodia (trying to justify his position as a "military man" and some hard-core vets who draw strict lines in the sand about what constituted service. Frankly, both sides have gotten unbearable - the hard-core vets will NOT convince the left and may lose the middle - the hard-core left is loved by the left, but may lose the middle. Frankly, most non-Freepers I talk to are starting to list to the Kerry side because of the personal attacks on Kerry. Yes, I know about that fat swine Michael Moore and those creepy leftists; but it is a matter of the swing voters - are they put off by the O'Neill types? My bet is yes, in the aggregate.

This is what O'Reilly was trying to say. ATTACK KERRY'S RECORD IN THE CONGRESS - SHOW HE IS A LAZY SOCIALIST! Attacking his military record does matter (I believe O'Neill and think Kerry is a liar and dangerous). But the swing votes may prefer to see the recent evidence.

Don't flame me. I just want Bush to win and I don't think this is the way to go.