Why Are The Media AWOL?

DavidLimbaugh.com ^ | August.17,2004 | David Limbaugh

[Reagan Man]

Contrary to the polite, watered-down dismissals of much of the beltway pundit community, there is simply no way to chalk up the opposing stories of John Kerry and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth as mutually honest differences of opinion.

I've now read the book "Unfit for Command," and am here to tell you that its multitudinous allegations against Senator Kerry are breathtaking. You cannot read this book without concluding that its co-authors John O'Neill and Jerome Corsi -- and the scores of Vietnam veterans they cite by name throughout the book -- are making specific indictments against Kerry that cannot be rationalized away.

John O'Neill doesn't timidly suggest that Kerry might have lied occasionally or exaggerated in Vietnam and afterward during his antiwar crusade. Rather he paints an unmistakable picture of Kerry as a ruthless, self-promoting egomaniac who systematically placed his own interests above his fellow soldiers and who was obsessively involved in building his resume at all costs during the entirety of his short tour in Vietnam.

O'Neill depicts Kerry -- with mountains of documented evidence -- as a pathological, unconscionable liar whose penchant for dishonesty in Vietnam was only exceeded by his brutal, unmitigated slander of his fellow soldiers when he rushed stateside to lobby against them, their superiors and the entire military establishment.

You can certainly say that John O'Neill and the some 250 Swiftees supporting his position are lying. Or you can say that John Kerry was lying about Vietnam and continues to today. But you cannot honestly say that both groups may be telling the truth. That choice is simply not open to us, as anyone who reads the book will be forced to admit.

You can also dismiss these charges out of hand by accepting the propaganda of Kerry's supporters, whose primary tactic has been to discredit the Swiftees as paid Republican mouthpieces who "did not serve on the same boat as John Kerry."

But John O'Neill himself denies that he's a Republican and says that many in his group are Democrats. Let the investigative reporters of the partisan media run that down if they dare.

And to suggest that the Swiftees had to have been on the same boat is flagrantly specious, as the boats traveled in close proximity to one another, affording the Swiftees firsthand knowledge of the events they describe. In one case, O'Neill charges Kerry with taking credit for the heroics actually performed by members of another Swift Boat. You can see how you wouldn't have to be on the same boat with Kerry to testify to that one.

In evaluating the respective disputants' credibility we should note that neither Kerry nor his defenders have even attempted to refute the great majority of the factual assertions in the book. They tried with the "Christmas in Cambodia" incident and dug themselves a far deeper hole, and they're still digging.

They haven't been willing to engage in a debate with Mr. O'Neill. Instead, they have shouted him down. Just review the transcript of O'Neill's appearance on CNN's "Crossfire," where James Carville and Lanny Davis ceaselessly berated O'Neill and literally wouldn't let him speak.

And Chris Matthews, though he allowed O'Neill to speak between interruptions, couldn't seem to get past his perception that Kerry had to be a hero because the Navy, as an institution, bestowed multiple awards on him.

But if Chris had read the book, he would have understood that one of its premises is that Kerry often circumvented those who had actual knowledge of events and duped his superiors into giving him honors by falsifying reports and presumably recommending himself for these awards when his superiors refused to do so.

Kerry could clear much of this up by releasing all his medical and military records, but so far he has been quite selective with their release. We need to know, for example, if he filed false reports, such as claiming that certain self-inflicted wounds were a result of enemy fire.

But what's even more damning to John Kerry's credibility is his unsubstantiated defamation of his fellow servicemen in his opportunistic Senate testimony and elsewhere upon his return from Vietnam. Kerry not only indicts his fellow soldiers as war criminals, but the entire command structure of the U.S. military as directing these types of activities.

Yet Kerry has never been able to produce specific names and dates of those who committed these actions, nor any real proof of systematic, much less top-down orchestrated atrocities. Kerry has never apologized for these slanders.

If just one tenth of what the Swiftees assert is true, we should shudder at the prospect of a Kerry presidency. Where are the media?

[LakeLady]

"Where are the media?"

They're in Cambodia with Kerry, hiding from the truth.

[ILS21R]

Here's what I think. If this story ever got the coverage it deserved, it would CRUSH Kerry's candidacy.

The media wants (needs) the race to be close. Sell more papers, sell more commercials, make more money. Who's going to pay attention when Bush is leading 60/40. Nobody.

[Frank_2001]

The presstitutes WANT Kerry to win, and they've been successful enough that 50% of the country thinks this idiot gigolo should be President. Don't let the media get away with this , for the country's sake!

[Reagan Man]

No no. The media is windsurfing with John Kerry somewhere and ignoring the truth.

[Viet-Boat-Rider]

Kerry thought that the Media was lost in Cambodia, so he went to go find it on President Truman's orders, and while there he found 3 Purple Hearts behind a hooch that he burned down because "we all did it", and after he shot a teenager in the back while running away he rescued Rassman who was drowning in a pile of brown rice, a piece of which got stuck up Kerry's butt.

This was all filmed by a CIA Agent who's hat Kerry stoled and is now hung in a special place of Honor in the Communist War Museum honoring Kerry for assisting the Communist's win the war while our POW's were being tortured with the words that came out of John Kerry's mouth when he threw his medals over the White House fence while chanting "DEATH TO AMERICA" with Jane Fonda.

[ladyinred]

John O'Neill doesn't timidly suggest that Kerry might have lied occasionally or exaggerated in Vietnam and afterward during his antiwar crusade. Rather he paints an unmistakable picture of Kerry as a ruthless, self-promoting egomaniac who systematically placed his own interests above his fellow soldiers and who was obsessively involved in building his resume at all costs during the entirety of his short tour in Vietnam.

This so rings of the truth! This reeks John Kerry! The media is instead smearing the vets who are telling the truth of course.

[conshack]

The media is in the same place they've been throughout this process, that is: trying to find some little tidbit to slam GW with. They're even finding that hard to do these days. One can only hope that as this book has time to circulate a little, some "undecides" and conservative type democrats will take some stock in what 250 people have to say. The media won't be able to run from it if it gets to a certain level of attention. FOX was on it for a while, but it seems to be simmering there at this point. One can only hope it will get revitalized.

[LakeLady]

Very astute. It's always best to follow the money, unless it leads you to Cambodia hunting for medals.

[concerned about politics]

If just one tenth of what the Swiftees assert is true, we should shudder at the prospect of a Kerry presidency. Where are the media?

Why aren't they demanding all Kerry's military records like they did President Bush's ??

This will prove their is a liberal media. I think people will notice, because the Bush military records debate has gone on since 2000, yet with Kerry, there's silence.

[Reagan Man]

The Night Before Christmas (Cambodian Version)

[BY: Russ Vaughn 2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment 101st Airborne Division Vietnam 65-66]

Twas the night before Christmas and we were afloat
Somewhere in Cambodia in our little boat.
While the river was lightened by rockets red glare
No one but the President knew we were there.

The crew was all nestled deep down in their bunks,
While the Spook and I watched the sampans and junks.
Our mission was secret, so secret in fact,
No one else would remember it when we got back.

When out on the water there arose such a clatter
I leaped down from the bridge to see what was the matter.
The incoming friendly was starting to flash
And I knew that the ARVN’s were having a bash.

The snap of friendly fire on the warm tropic air
Convinced me for sure no one knew we were there,
On a clandestine mission so secret it’s true
That I’m still convinced only Tricky Dick knew.

While I huddled for safety in the tub on the bow,
I thought of a title, “Apocalypse Now.”
To give to the films I was I making each day
To show all the voters when I made my big play.

As I sat there sweating in my lucky flight jacket,
Spook said, “Merry Christmas!” and tossed me a packet.
And what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a new lucky cap, which I still have right here.

I keep it tucked here, in this leather brief case,
Just sharing with the press its secretive place
As I regale them again with my senate refrain,
That Christmas in Cambodia is seared into my brain.

Don’t bother to quibble with history my friend,
By pointing out Johnson was President then.
Don’t listen to Swiftees who try to explain,
For I tell you that night is seared into my brain.

Down Hibbard, down Lonsdale, and you too O’Neill,
So you don’t remember? Well it’s something I feel.
I don’t need all you Swiftvets to support my campaign,
Cause Christmas in Cambodia is seared into my brain,

Into my brain, into my brain, into my brain...

[concerned about politics]

but it seems to be simmering there at this point. One can only hope it will get revitalized.

O'Neil did an excellent job on Scarborough tonight. It took up most of the show.
Some democrat talking head was there to represent the other side, and he was getting peeved. Every time he brought up a Navy document supporting Kerry, O'Neil brought up Kerry's own book, Tour of duty, where even Kerry contradicted the Navy records! He even told people what pages the contradictions were on! It was great.

[Defender2]

MSNBC = Matthews Sucks Nothing But Communists!!!!
CNBC = Communists, Nothing But Communists!!!!
NBC = Nothing But Communists!!!!
CBS = Communists Bull Sh*t!!!!
ABC = ALL Bullsh*t Communists!!!!
BBC = Bill's Bullsh*t Communists!!!!
C-SPAN1 = Communists-Socialists Aided Network #1
C-SPAN2 = Communists-Socialists Aided Network #2
Al Jazeera = Global Terrorists Media Outlet Network

Fairweather whichever way the wind blows(like kerry, o'reilly) FOX sometimes rocks!!!!

The Mighty Maja Rushie, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity RULE the Airwaves!!!!

D2

[borisbob69]

EXCELLENT! What a terrific adaptation!

[RavenATB]

Truthfully...you're not seriously asking why the media isn't reporting a story that would be greatly damaging to Kerry's presidential campaign. Tell me you're not seriously asking...

[Brimack34]

O'Neil also said he had a line of people on his side. Kerry keeps marching out the same guy, along with people that were not even there.

[gilliam]

"Where are the media?"

THAT IS THE STORY HERE FOLKS!!!

[Ursus arctos horribilis]

And flying out his hair dresser on a private jet to OR for a cool $50,000.00 to get John F'f Kerry's hair trimmed. God, that is the most disgusting thing one can imagine, the puking phony ego of the 8astard.

[LisaMalia]

Thank you so much for your service to our country.

For years, I have been a conservative without a voice. I found mine here at FR.

I live in rural Ohio, and walked into the general store tonight to buy a pack of cigarettes. As a rule, I know everyone in our little area. But as I stood at the counter to pay, I heard a loud voice to the right of me. I didn't recognize the guy.

He was dressed in tattered clothes, kind of unkempt looking, and he was spouting off about who should be our president. I mistakenly took him for as a "bad backer", (as my late Daddy would call them), able bodied men living off the government. I thought he was on the Kerry soapbox, and I was not going to let him say his piece without speaking mine (although there were only a handful of people there to listen...:)

I looked at him and said, "So what are you saying? I think we have a great president."

And he replied to me, "I just don't want to see that *&^% Kerry that betrayed me for being in Vietnam to be our president". Many more expletives followed in his rant on Kerry, and I had to smile in agreement.

Then as I was leaving I looked at him in the eye, and thanked him for serving our country.

I'm hoping I run into him again, because I want to keep thanking him over and over again for his service in Vietnam. It's WAY overdue.

[Dont Mention the War]

But John O'Neill himself denies that he's a Republican and says that many in his group are Democrats. Let the investigative reporters of the partisan media run that down if they dare.

This cannot be hard to prove. Voter registration data are public records. Anyone know where O'Neill lives? Maybe a Freeper could go down to the local county courthouse, make a copy of his voter registration and post it online to prove he's not a Republican. (Blacking out his full address, naturally.)