Swift Boat Accounts Incomplete And Flawed, Clashes Roil Kerry Campaign.

WashingtonPost ^ | 08/22/04 | Michael Dobbs

[Pikamax]

Swift Boat Accounts Incomplete And Flawed Clashes Roil Kerry Campaign

By Michael Dobbs Washington Post Staff Writer Sunday, August 22, 2004; Page A01

When John F. Kerry rescued James Rassmann from the Bay Hap River in the jungles of Vietnam in March 1969, neither man could possibly have imagined that the episode would become a much-disputed focus of an American presidential campaign 35 years later.

For Kerry, then a green and gangly Navy lieutenant junior grade and now the Democratic challenger to a wartime Republican president, that tale of heroism under fire has become integral to his campaign. A centerpiece of public rallies, videos and a new campaign advertisement last week, it has helped distinguish the candidate from his Democratic primary rivals and from President Bush, who spent the war at home as a member of the Texas Air National Guard.

[Pikamax]

whoa.. they already have sunday's articles up and ready.

[coconutt2000]

Connection: Michael Dobbs - close friend of Kerry and Kerry campaign....

I smell illegal coordination. ;-)

[goldstategop]

Yep... hard at work trying to discredit the Swiftees. Naturally, no bias here and its just fair-minded reporting. <sarcasm

[RoseofTexas]

I told you folks! Don't count out the RAT out yet! Lurch is well funded by those liberal establishment and they ain't gonna let their BUTT BOY wither on the vine...AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

[jbstrick]

"Connection: Michael Dobbs"

Is this the reporter that refused to meet with the swift vets a few weeks ago?

[NavySEAL F-16]

Wikipedia Article: Michael Dobbs

Michael Dobbs is a British academic and author of books and TV, mainly political fiction.

[tsmith130]

Not only do they (Kerry's water carriers, i.e. LSM) slam Vietnam vets that served in theater, but do they realize that they might be alienating all those who served in the National Guard, past and present, by insinuating that it is 'lesser' service? I think they may be losing more than the vet's vote with that tactic...IMHO.</p>

[Drango]

The Compost doesn't seem to understand...it's mostly about what Kerry did after the war.

[staytrue]

I smell illegal coordination

you make this comment in jest.

I think it is time for some of us freepers to file FEC complaints that the Post and others are violating campaign finance laws by not filing as a 527 group.

Further, the inevitable Post endorsement of Kerry in the editorial pages in Oct. is surely grouds for a violation of FEC laws and regulations.

Basically, if the editorial pages are off limits to campaign finance, then all anyone has to do is start some sham newspaper (and the ny times come close) and then start running tv ads reprinting your "editorial" views.

[toomanygrasshoppers]

We always knew that once the lefty media decided to cover the story that they would slant it in favor of Kerry. I'm getting a little concerned that most of the campaign is focused on the Vietnam issues and not the most important issue - which cannot be denied - Kerry's voting record. He conveniently left his Senate service out of his campaign speech. We know why. It is a disgrace. We need to continue to hammer away on his voting record. Hopefully the Bush campaign will do the same.

[ride the whirlwind]

...neither man could possibly have imagined that the episode would become a much-disputed focus of an American presidential campaign 35 years later.

I beg to differ........JfnK plotted since his youth to run for president someday and his military time was all a part of the plan.

[Pikamax]

HA! They even have graphics

[rolling_stone]

I disn't find this particularly damaging to Swiftvets, but it is a call for Kerry to release his records along with eveyone else...interesting....what will Kerry do?

[Howlin]

Kerry himself was the only surviving skipper on the river then who declined a request for an interview.

"In "Tour of Duty," these thoughts are attributed to a "diary" kept by Kerry. But the endnotes to Brinkley's book say that Kerry "did not keep diaries in these weeks in February and March 1969 when the fighting was most intense." In the acknowledgments to his book, Brinkley suggests that he took at least some of the passages from an unfinished book proposal Kerry prepared some time after November 1971, more than two years after he had returned home from Vietnam. "

"In his book, Brinkley writes that a skipper who remains friendly to Kerry, Skip Barker, took part in the March 13 raid. But there is no documentary evidence of Barker's participation. Barker could not be reached for comment."

"Kerry's boat raced off down the river, away from the ambush zone."

[TheGeezer]

Unfortunately, the obscene McCain-Feingold revocation of free speech exempts bonified news media from political commentary restrictions. As Rush Limbaugh predicted, major media's support of McCain-Feingold free speech restrictions had a reason: liberal media can continue to spout propaganda, but unregistered private citizens cannot advertise their views.

Neat, huh?

[Howlin]

Well, from the graphic, it's not hard to tell who bugged out, is it?

[RS]

Great catch - but Kerrys own remarks in the Congressional Record says that Rassmann fell off when he made a quick turn, and does not mention any other explosion.

[Howlin]

I agree with you; it was very informative and I thought it was fair.

[Howlin]

I wondered about that.

[Jeff Head]

Yea, with all that "heavy a/w [automatic weapons] and s/a [small arms] from both banks." you would sure think that amongst all of those boats that there would be more damage than three 30 cal holes to one boat...which may have come from another ambush the day before for that particular boat.

Sorry, anyone with even a lick of intelligence and analytical skills has to see that this doesn't pass the BS test.