Gainesville/Alachua County GOP Flier business BLOWN WIDE OPEN!

Miami.com/AP Wire and AllVeteransForKerry.com ^ | August 20, 2004 | mattdono

[mattdono]

Since this story has broken, there has been some serious questions about the veracity of these claims. I'm posting this to show that the story is a total fabrication and has direct ties to none other than John Kerry.

A volunteer for John Kerry said Friday he picked up a flier in a Bush-Cheney campaign office in Gainesville, Fla., promoting Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group the Bush campaign has insisted for weeks it has no connection to.

Bill Shilling, a Kerry volunteer in Gainesville, says he went to the GOP offices there Thursday and picked up the flier from a pile of literature on the table.

"The flier they gave me was on the same table as some Bush-Cheney bumper stickers," said Shilling. "I asked them if the Swift boat veterans were coming to Gainesville, and the woman I talked to said yes."

Shilling said he went back to Kerry headquarters and turned over the flier.

"I thought there was supposed to be some separation between Bush-Cheney and the Swift boat controversy but I didn't understand there was a big deal about this," said Shilling. "I think this whole thing attacking Kerry's war record is a diversion by Bush-Cheney from the real issues of the campaign."

Emphasis Added.

Source: The Miami Herald
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/politics/9455783.htm?1c
Extracted 08/21/2004 1352

So, this person, Bill Shilling picked up copy of the flier at GOP HQs. I want to repeat something very important, "I thought there was supposed to be some separation between Bush-Cheney and the Swift boat controversy but I didn't understand there was a big deal about this".

That seems like he wasn't really aware of the magnitude of this, right? As if it was "news to him", right?

So, who is Bill Shilling? Is it possible that Bill Shilling is just a volunteer who stumbled onto this flier?

That would be quite a find for the Kerry campaign, wouldn't it? The so-called "smoking gun" just laying around?

So, who is Bill Shilling?

Bill Shilling
After going on active duty I successfully completed basic artillery officer training at Fort Sill. I was assigned to the 2nd Battle Group, 31st Infantry Division, Fort Rucker, Alabama. As a first lieutenant, platoon leader, field artillery, our unit was responsible for training light-wing aircraft crews and helicopter crews on observing artillery fire. My three years in the Reserves came before I was commissioned and were served in Lakeland, Florida, in an MP unit, reaching rank of corporal. Three of these four years were concurrent with my four years of ROTC at Florida Southern College. After I served my two years of active duty it became clear to me that the military would not be an appropriate career for me. I like to think for myself, and I work very hard at whatever I do. I learned that in the military working hard didn’t pay off. It was better as an officer to just stay in the background with as little responsibility as possible and to stay socially connected. I was prepared to fight for my country if my country was truly threatened, but not interested in Vietnam. After my active duty service became an anti-war activist and a supporter of the Civil Rights movement based in Atlanta. I respect the US military and those who serve, but not in the ways those in ultimate authority use our military to promote the interests of American corporations and to extend “the empire.”

Source: All Veterans For Kerry
http://www.allveteransforkerry.org/Advboard.htm
Extracted 08/21/2004 1359

So, as it turns out, this "flier find" was found by a member of John Kerry's advisory board.

Also, I would like to point out that the flier was found on Thursday, August 19th. It was found the day after John Kerry crewman, Del Sandusky, spoke in Gainesville (at the Unified Training Center, 809 W. University Ave, Gainesville, Florida; August 18th, 7:00-9:00 PM).

Is it possible that Mr. Sandusky and Mr. Shilling shared their frustration with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth the night before? Is it possible that Mr. Shilling took it on himself to plant this flier?

Some very interesting questions. I will wait for the media to start turning the focus back onto the Kerry campaign and, once again, its decietful tactics in this campaign.

[DJ MacWoW]

BUMP2

[Cboldt]

Dated: Saturday, August 21 2004 @ 09:30 AM PDT
Viewed: 813 times

For Immediate Release

Saturday, August 21, 2004

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Disavow Florida Political Flyer

August 21, 2004 - Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), a non-partisan group representing more than 250 Swift Boat veterans who served with Senator John Kerry in Vietnam, repudiates and disassociates itself from the flyer that was allegedly distributed in Florida regarding an upcoming political event. SBVT has not authorized any such rallies, communications, events or other similar political activities with any political party, candidate or other political organization. Any suggestion that SBVT coordinated the production and distribution of this flyer promoting an event, or the event itself, with a political party is false.

SBVT is an independent organization dedicated to correcting the false statements made by Senator Kerry about his service record in Vietnam and the service records of the men who served with him. SBVT acts independently from and is not affiliated with any political party Republican, Democratic, or independent or any candidate for public office. Only the SBVT Executive Committee, comprised of men who served on Swift Boats in Vietnam, has the authority to authorize communications on behalf of the organization or official events.

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Disavow Florida Political Flyer <-- Clickit

[mattdono]

To respond to you and several of the others....

1. I don't think the story is a big deal. I think that it is being blown way out of proportion
2. I am only documenting the connections so that we have them documented and the connection directly to Kerry solidly made. The dems will play the little games. This detail provides solid proof.
3. Someone asks about the size of this story...if you haven't heard the Kerry campaign is saying that this is the smoking gun and that they have "busted" the Bush campaign. To me, it is just a bunch of rhetoric, but they (and their accomplices in the media) will make this out to be much more than it is. I don't want that to happen

[JerseyHighlander]

Very good work matt, Alachua county is on the map now.

The timeline of this story shows the clear and dangerous duplicity of the press.

For those interested, this is the compliant to the FEC regarding the SBVT(IN PDF here)

[concerned about politics]

Go to any Democrat or MoveOn site and they're blatant about their "friendship."
This flyer is a non event, and Kerry can't do anything to anyone. He's trying to silence dissent. It won't work. This is a free country.
The left is pulling at straws, and they look like spoiled children. Kerry is their top bully.
The left can't fight the SBV's. The only way they can is to show all of Kerry's military records, and they wouldn't dare do it. They've lost this issue.

[concerned about politics]

I don't think the story is a big deal. I think that it is being blown way out of proportion

A FOX political lawyer said the only way Bush would be violating the CFR rules is if Bush and O'Neil were talking directly to each other on the phone.
This is just spin on the democrats part. Pretty pathetic attempt considering MoveOn, don't you think? LOL.

Kerry and his ilk are all dorks!

[noexcuses]

Has anyone gone done to the Gainesville Plaza that was mentioned in the flyer to see if there was indeed a rally going on? Seems to me that if this was an actual planned event that there should be people there right now with picnic baskets, speakers, microphones, etc.

And of course, with copies of the flyer.

Wouldn't there also be some kind of permit needed for this type of rally?

[whatexit]

Does Kerry realize that he no longer gets medals for self-inflicting wounds?

[deadeye2]

Please don't misunderstand me. I'm poking fun at Kerry's people for making this an issue after some of the stunts the Democrats have pulled in the past.

[mattdono]

Has anyone gone done to the Gainesville Plaza that was mentioned in the flyer to see if there was indeed a rally going on?

Veritas et equitas ad Votum is on scene right now. There is an event going on. There will be probably be an after-action report by Veritas later today.

Pinging Veritas.

[pabianice]

We had a technical name for people like this in the service: "*ssh*le."

Let me say for my shipmates and myself, thank you for leaving the military at your earliest opportunity.

[noexcuses]

Thank you... I'll keep an eye out but I would appreciate a ping to his afteraction report :-)

[lewislynn]

The only reason for the FEC request is to use it as a vehicle to ask for the immediate withdrawl of the ads, nothing else.

[hgro]

The Dims are urinating into the wind and getting a little blow back.

[FReepaholic]

..."I thought there was supposed to be some separation between Bush-Cheney and the Swift boat ...

Separation of Bush and Swift. Is that in the Constitution somewhere??

[Mo1]

So, as it turns out, this "flier find" was found by a member of John Kerry's advisory board.

Well ain't that just special .. just happen to come across it huh??

IMO .. it's a set up

[Mo1]

FYI Ping

[upchuck]

I tried your link but it requires registration and I refuse to do that just to read their lousy article.

If you're still interested, use slashdot@slashdot.org as the email address and slashdot as the password. slashdot usually works for these types of websites.

[onyx]

My God.

This time I am somewhat surprised.

[nopardons]

Great find!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!