Rush Limbaugh: SwiftVets Still Afloat

RUSH: Well, John Kerry has thrown everything he can at these swift vets, and they're still out there. They have threatened television stations that run the swift vet ads. They have filed FEC complaints against the Swift Boat Vets for Truth for running the ad. They are trying to collect dirt on the swift vets or play gotcha with them and run the stories in the Boston Globe and the Washington Post. They've thrown Lanny Davis and James Carville at these guys. They've used MoveOn.org to run ads against them, and also against Bush, to counter all this. And now Kerry is suggesting today that questioning his record is to question his patriotism and the patriotism of his brothers, his band of brothers, while incidentally they continue to trash the vets who oppose him. That's I guess what he means when he says he's not gonna allow him or his brothers to attack. (doing Kerry impression) "I'm going to attack thoooose guys, they're goooing to attack me, well, I'm going to attack them." Well, he won't answer their charges. You know, whatever happened to the liberal mantra, "It's the seriousness of the charge"? You know, these guys are trying to say the nature of the evidence is such that we don't need -- what evidence? We haven't got any evidence, because the Kerry campaign won't come forth and defend any of this.

Now, John O'Neill has responded to some of what the Kerry campaign has put out, Kerry himself, and so has Thurlow. I'm just printing that out, I'll get to that in just a second. But here's O'Neill's response to Kerry, because Kerry is out there (doing Kery impression), "This is all political. This is a Republican-funded attack. George Bush ought to denounce this." O'Neill says the Navy did not send Republicans or Democrats to the island of Antois. We are responding and dealing with something that is deeply personal: our own record and the record of our unit in Vietnam. These are issues Senator Kerry raised, and we regret that he used ad hominem attacks instead of dealing with the actual facts. He's doing that because he can't deal with the truth. For example, for 35 years he said he claimed that one of the turning points in his life was spending Christmas Eve and Christmas illegally in Cambodia, libeling our commanders and our nation with accusations of war crimes. That's a totally false statement because he was nowhere near Cambodia on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Kerry campaign continues to flip-flop on the Cambodia issue. There have been four different versions of this now. He was there on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, but no, he was 50 miles away. Then he was there for one day, might have been close. No, then there were four secret missions. No, there's five versions now; the fifth version is there were three secret missions. And O'Neill's point and everybody else made this point, too, this is a turning point, this is something that was seared in him, seared in his memory, and there are five different versions? And guess who gets to tell us these different versions?

We haven't heard these versions from Kerry. We've heard them from his spokesman, Michael Meehan. We've heard 'em from another spokesman, Tad Devine. We've heard these versions from Lanny Davis. We've heard these versions from James Carville. Last I looked, they weren't nowhere near Cambodia, either. Last I looked, they weren't even anywhere in Vietnam. But we're supposed to believe what these guys say because their attitude is, if we say it, it's true; if the other guys say it, it's a lie, believe us. We don't have to prove what we say because we're who we are. We don't have to prove anything. You should believe us because we're who we are. And that's their defense, in addition to coming out and trying to trash the motives, the reputations, and other elements of character made by their accusers. O'Neill continues. "In addition, Senator Kerry closed the Democratic National Convention with a story in which he claimed that five of the boats fled on March 13th after a mine went off, and he came back. His campaign is now admitting that he fled and we stayed, and that's our story. Attacking our organization does not respond to the facts that occurred in Vietnam. Senator Kerry says that he has learned to charge into an ambush in connection with this, and instead he's fleeing down the river from the facts." You know, that's a point I made in the first hour.

Look it, folks, I mean I wouldn't be saying any of this if he had not made it the cornerstone of his campaign. But he has. And he's made these four months the cornerstone, these four months in Vietnam, the cornerstone of his campaign, and not only that but it is his heroism and bravery that we can count on that makes him a good president. Well, whatever he faced in Vietnam, I have to tell you something. Whatever it was, it has to be far more dangerous than this. He did traverse areas where there were mines, he did traverse areas where there were enemy fire. He was in Vietnam, for crying out loud. What's happening now ought to be nothing compared to what he did face, and yet he won't face this. He runs from it. Imagine trying to fight a war like, (doing Kerry impression) "I'm nooot going to fight those Vietnamese, they're dishonest people. You caaan't believe what they say." That's not what they're saying. It's what they did.

Anyway, I find this amazing. Because this ought to be nothing compared to what actually went on there in Vietnam. answer these charges from these guys. Not true, say so, get the Department of Defense to release everything. Let's find out who provided the citations for this report for Thurlow and the controversy here over whether there was enemy fire or not. Now, I have this statement here from Thurlow, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth member, and this is it. "I am convinced that the language used in my citation for a Bronze Star was language taken directly from John Kerry's report, which falsely described the action on a Bay Hap river as action that saw small arms fire and automatic weapons fire from both banks of the river." Let me set this up. The AP version of this story, which was originally run today in the Washington Post, "Vietnam veteran who claims that Senator Kerry lied about being under fire during a Mekong Delta engagement that won Kerry a Bronze Star was under constant fire himself (this is Thurlow) during the same skirmish, according to Thurlow's own medal citation, the newspaper reported. The newly attained records of Larry Thurlow showed that he, like Kerry, won a Bronze Star in the engagement and that Thurlow's citation said he also was under attack. Thurlow, also like Kerry, commanded a Navy swift boat during the Vietnam War. Thurlow swore in an affidavit last month that Kerry was not under fire when he rescued James Rassmann from the Bay Hap river. Thurlow's records obtained by the post under the Freedom of Information Act -- (wonder why we can't use those for Kerry's records. I'm just the curious.) -- include references to enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire directed at all five boats in the flotilla that day. In his Bronze Star citation Thurlow is praised for helping a damaged swift boat despite enemy bullets flying about him. Thurlow told the Post he got the award for helping to rescue the boat that was mined. 'This cast doubt on anybody's awards,' he said. 'It's sickening and disgusting.' He said he believed his own award would be fraudulent if it was based on coming under enemy fire. 'We weren't under enemy fire he insisted.'" The Post thinks they've nailed a swift boat vet here and actually what they've done is a larger service. They have raised a question of who wrote the citation?

In other words, who provided the details for Thurlow and Kerry to get the bronze stars? Where did this come from? Thurlow says he didn't do it. Well, that's what his statement is about today. Thurlow's statement, "I'm convinced that the language used in my citation for a Bronze Star was language taken directly from John Kerry's report." Which Thurlow says falsely described the action to the Bay Hap river as action that saw small arms fire and automatic weapons fire from both banks of the river. "To this day," Thurlow says in his statement, "I can say without a doubt in my mind, along with other accounts from my shipmates, there was no hostile enemy fire directed at my boat or at any of the five boats operating on the river that day. I submitted no paperwork for a medal, nor did I file an after-action report describing the incident. To my knowledge, John Kerry was the only officer who filed a report describing his version of the incidents that occurred on the river that day. It was not until I had left the Navy approximately three months after I left the service that I was notified that I was to receive a citation for my actions on that day. I believed then as I believe now that I received my Bronze Star for my efforts to rescue the injured crewman from swift boat number 3 and to conduct damage control to prevent that boat from sinking. My boat and several other swift boats went to the aid of our fellow swift boat sailors whose craft was adrift and taking on water. We provided immediate rescue and damage control to prevent boat 3 from sinking and to offer immediate protection and comfort to the injured crew. After the mine exploded, leaving swift boat 3 dead in the water, John Kerry's boat, which was on the opposite side of the river, fled the scene."

Now, we could go back here to O'Neill's statement, in which he claims that the Kerry campaign admitted this at the convention in his speech. "U.S. Army Special Forces officer Jim Rassmann who was on Kerry's boat at the time fell off the boat and into the water. Kerry's boat returned several minutes later under no hail of enemy gunfire to retrieve Rassmann from the river only seconds before another boat was going to pick him up. Kerry campaign spokespersons have conflicting accounts of this incident. The latest one being that Kerry's boat did leave but only briefly and returned under withering enemy fire to rescue Mr. Rassmann. However none of the other boats on the river that day reported enemy fire nor was anyone wounded by small arms action. The only damage on that day was done to boat 3, a result of the underwater mine. None of the other swift boats received damage from any enemy gunfire. And in a new development, Kerry campaign officials are now finally acknowledging that while Kerry's boat left the scene, none of the other boats on the river ever left the damaged swift boat. This is a direct contradiction to previous accounts made by Jim Rassmann in the Oregonian newspaper and a direct contradiction to the 'no man left behind' theme during the Democrat National Convention. These ever changing accounts of the Bay Hap river incident by Kerry campaign officials leave me asking one question. If no one ever left the scene of the Bay Hap river incident, how can anybody be left behind?"

Now, let me tell you something about these swift boat vets. I have to, this is just a conclusion that I've arrived at. These guys have seen what has happened in previous campaigns to people who have come forward. You want to go through all the names of the Clinton administration, the troopers, Gennifer Flowers, Paula Jones, Monica Lewinsky, they've seen this. They knew what was headed their way. But exactly as I have told you about Kerry, these men all faced far tougher challenges to their persons and to their lives in Vietnam than in a presidential campaign. Presidential campaign is basically made up of words. And they've been toughened by it and they're sticking to it and they are not backing down. And every attempt the Kerry campaign comes up with to discredit them, they have a credible answer for. They have an answer that nukes the Kerry response. And the Kerry campaign does indeed keep changing its tune ever so slightly, ever so often, in order to accommodate an element of truth the swift boat vets happen to be saying. The swift boat vets are pulling their weight here and moving the agenda. And they have placed the Kerry campaign on the defensive as evidenced by Kerry telling the firefighters convention today what he thinks about all this, but he's still not defending himself. So he's personally gotten involved now as everybody's requested that he do, but he still hasn't answered any of the charges.

So at first, it was said that Kerry's boat was the only boat that fled, everybody denied that. No, wait a minute, Kerry's boat did flee, and their campaign even admits that it fled but it came back real fast. Came back real fast, when they realized there was no enemy fire, folks. And you can't really blame Rassmann. Rassmann, you know, he's driving along in Kerry's boat and all of a sudden he's in the water and he hears an explosion. He doesn't know what's going on. It's a mine, Kerry plucks him out of the water, you can understand his involvement in all this, the emotional attachment, but these other guys are witnesses to all this and nobody is telling the story Kerry is telling.

So every time the Kerry campaign tries to nail these guys and thinks they have, the swift boat vets come back with a reasonable-sounding explanation that makes them even tougher, their resolve stronger and firm. They're not being deterred, they're not being intimidated. And again, as I said in the last hour, look at this. This is a $150,000 ad that's run on three or four TV stations. Not ran, it's been picked up on all the cable outlets. $150,000 ad and it's causing all this havoc versus the $15 to $20 to $50 million the Democrats have spent on their 527s and the Michael Moore movie and all these books. And nobody's concerned about the campaign finance reform implications of all that, but here comes this one little swift boat ad and all of a sudden everybody is raising questions about campaign finance reform and this loophole, and you know why? How come $150,000 carries so much more weight than $15 to $20 million or $50 million? How come it's causing so much angst? It's not because it's a Republican donor that's part of the supply of money. It's because it's true, probably. I mean, the truth does cause people to react this way, especially when people aren't telling the truth the truth is out there and the truth doesn't go away. You know, what's the old saying, "The truth will make your boat float?" We're talking about boats here. Swift boat vets are still afloat after numerous attempts to sink their mission by the Kerry campaign. That alone says something about it.

Let me ask you a question, folks. We got two stories here. We got Kerry's story of his service in Vietnam and we've got these Swift Boat Vets for Truth story. Which of the two stories keeps changing and which doesn't? What does that tell you? I mean, that alone. The Kerry story keeps changing every day. There's a new version of something, swift boat vets story has not changed, they just keep sticking to their guns.

We got two stories here. We got Kerry's story of his service in Vietnam and we've got these Swift Boat Vets for Truth story. Which of the two stories keeps changing and which doesn't? What does that tell you? I mean, that alone. The Kerry story keeps changing every day. There's a new version of something, swift boat vets story has not changed, they just keep sticking to their guns.

Rush was on fire today! He just nailed it here!

Yep, Rush nailed it. Kerry and his sycophants have all checked in. The first to fire their guns were the tag team of evil, Carville and Davis. They couldn't slam the door. Then Democrats in the general media tried, and failed. Then Kerry himself took a shot, and failed.

Now the New York Times (cue the celestial harp music) is going to take it's shot. They too will fail, and they will not understand why they failed. So be it. Congressman Billybob

Latest column, "Carville, Davis, and Other Pests -- 'Those We Don't Speak of' "

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

We are responding and dealing with something that is deeply personal: our own record and the record of our unit in Vietnam.
These are issues Senator Kerry raised, and we regret that he used ad hominem attacks instead of dealing with the actual facts. He's doing that because he can't deal with the truth.
For example, for 35 years he said he claimed that one of the turning points in his life was spending Christmas Eve and Christmas illegally in Cambodia, libeling our commanders and our nation with accusations of war crimes.
That's a totally false statement because he was nowhere near Cambodia on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The Kerry campaign continues to flip-flop on the Cambodia issue.

There have been four different versions of this now.

Kerry brought up his war lies...and the guys that were there are setting things straight...Kerry cannot afford to let Americans see him for the LIAR he truly is....Bill Clinton snuck way under American's radar with that 'character doesn't count' schtick....

Kerry has none of the Charisma Clinton to trade on...he also has no political record to brag about his sole campaign hook was being and 'Anti War' War Hero....if his image is proven to be false he is done in the majority of Americans eyes....

Perhaps America will once again demand that it's leaders be truthfull and honorable men...

If this happens then it is the Swift Boat veterans and their patrons we have to thank along with the God over us all who pricked the conscience of those Americans who will throw the voting machine lever against Kerry and for GW Bush...

imo

Hannity had O'Neil on and he was terrific. The media took their cue from John-John and tried to pull Kerry out of the water now that he is under heavy fire, but you're correct--it will fail.

Hannity also said that Kerry's were scheduled to come on the program tonight, but canceled at the last minute.

I can only guess 2 reasons why they did this:

1. Now that the NYT and WP have come on board to defend Kerry, they decided to hide behind their skirts and let them try to destroy the Swift Vet Heroes.

2. Or, Kerry's people have realized that open, fact based, hard debate shows like Hannity and Colmes or even Crossfire are counter productive. The facts are not on their side, so they are in terrible danger everytime they appear.

I saw the H&C segment and agree--John O'Neill is absolutely unshakeable. With Hannity moderating and O'Neill telling his story I can't blame the dems for not wanting to show up. It's very telling that the dems didn't throw a talking head at O'Neill. It means that they're very afraid of the Vets. A one-on-one confrontation will leave them (dems) devastated. They have to lob their s**t bombs from a distance and hope for the best.

The truth WILL out here, and SHAME on the Democrats and their lib allies in the mainstream media for sliming those who have the guts to air just that.......

I saw the original press conference the Swift Vet Heroes gave back in May. It was only covered by C-SPAN on TV. It was the most devastating indictment of a political candidate I had ever seen. The men were credible and composed. There were many journalist there---lots of them. But the next day, there was almost no ink from any of them. In short---the lamestream media spiked their story.

The Swift Vet Heroes have stated publically that they had to produce their ad because the media had ignored their May press conference.

IMO, Kerry no longer knows what is the truth and what is the lie. He has been telling the same stories for so long, it's become "true" to him.

I never thought I'd say this, but John Kerry is no Bill Clinton. For whatever the reason BJ has what people perceive as charisma. Everyone I've ever talked to that has met Clinton says is is personally charming (and most of these people voted against him both times).

Clinton's biggest success in lying came from two things:

1. People perceived America as being safe.

2. People were very enthusiastic about the economy.

Because of this, the general public was unwilling to "upset the apple-cart", people were content with their own live's and were unconcerned about having a president who was an ass.

John Kerry has none of this charisma, nobody actually likes him. I think as November approaches, even the "anybody but Bush" crowd will begin to realize that Kerry would be a complete disaster.

I can't blame the dems for not wanting to show up.

They may go back on Chrissy Matthews show---he has snapped his thong twice now for Kerry's people on his show. Last week, he was so hyper and rude he would not allow O'Neill to even speak.

Today, he jumped all over Michelle Malkin and blew another spark plug. He was shameless in his cheerleading for the John-John. But don't worry---their anger only means the Swifties have hit the optic nerve.

Also from El Rushbo today:

RUSH: What medals and ribbons did Bob Dole earn in World War II and George H. W. Bush. What medals did they win in World War II?

CALLER: Stammering) I, uh, I... I wish I could... I certainly give them credit for their service. I don't know the medals.

RUSH: Yeah, I don't, either. I really don't. (Dole: Two Purple Hearts, Bronze Star. Bush: Distinguished Flying Cross, three Air Medals, Presidential Unit Citation)

CALLER: Kerry did make an issue of that by tossing them over the wall.

RUSH: Well, that's my point.

CALLER: Yeah, I understand.

RUSH: We don't know about the medals that these heroes won because they're not running around telling everybody under the sun. I guess we could go look up what medals Bob Dole won in World War II -- almost lost an arm -- and I guess we can look up the medals that George H. W. Bush won in World War II. But that's what we would have to do. We would have to look them up because we don't know, because they aren't bragging about it, and they've both run for president. We know about Kerry's medals because he won't let us forget it. Something suspicious about that, to me.

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