Kerry Hires Joe Lockhart to Combat Swift Boat Veterans

MSNBC 'First Read' Political Insider Memo ^ | 8/20/04 | Liz Wilner

[gopwinsin04]

The Los Angeles Times notes this morning that he Kerry campaign has hired former Clinton White House Press Secretary Joe Lockhart and Joel Johnson, a lobbyist who worked for President Clinton to help respond to the Swift Boat Veteran's attacks.

Group officials who discuss strategy on condition of anonymity said that the anti-Kerry group plans to hammer the Democrat for his war claims and protests after he left Vietnam, especially his claims that US soldiers committed war crimes.

The group are also arranging local veterans to criticize Kerry when he vists their states.

Aides said Kerry has been flooded with calls from concerned veterans, and a CBS poll released last night showed the senator losing significant support amongst those who served in the armed forces.

Instead of rebutting each charge, Kerry blamed Bush for sanctioning such highly personal attacks, though there is no evidence that the presdients campaign has any direct connections to the anti-Kerry group.

[js1138]

Rush's rant today is about an AP story quoting a Kerry campaign official saying, "It took americans ten years to turn against the Vietnam war. Kerry only has six weeks."

[freeperfromnj]

President Bush called him on it today in Pennsylvania.

Bush accuses Kerry of 'mixed signals' that threaten troop morale, undermine war effort

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/politics/index.ssf?/base/politics-0/109587684318960.xml&storylist=politics

[js1138]

I think it's pretty cold, however, for the Kerry campaign to describe its mission as turning Americans against the war. Michael Moore can do this; he's not running for office, but if this becomes widely known, it could kill the party.