Regards, Ivan
Posted on 08/21/2004 5:07:43 PM PDT by MadIvan
In his first interview for the British press, the Vietnam veteran leading the attack on John Kerry tells Charles Laurence why he must act
The Vietnam veteran at the heart of an increasingly vicious campaign to discredit John Kerry's "war hero" status has vowed to do "whatever it takes to stop that man becoming commander-in-chief of America's armed forces".
In an outspoken interview with the Telegraph, John O'Neill, speaking in his publisher's office in the shadow of Capitol Hill, denied being a Republican stooge, saying that his campaign to prevent Mr Kerry reaching the White House was driven by personal loathing of the Democratic presidential nominee.
Exasperated by three weeks of allegations that he had exaggerated his Vietnam war record, Mr Kerry finally filed a complaint with government regulators on Thursday alleging that Mr O'Neill's pressure group had "illegally co-ordinated with the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign".
On Thursday night, a heated Mr Kerry told an audience in Boston: "The President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. He wants a debate about our service in Vietnam. Here is my answer: bring it on."
The White House mocked the senator for "losing his cool" and Mr O'Neill - the author of the book Unfit for Command and spokesman for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group - again accused him of betraying former Vietnam comrades.
"John Kerry ravaged the souls of people," said Mr O'Neill, his face trembling with rage as he talked of events that happened more than 30 years ago. "I don't really care about the presidency, but that is why I will do everything I can, whatever it takes, to stop that man becoming commander-in-chief of our armed forces.
"I am not a Republican. I tend to support the Democrats more than the Republicans at home in Texas, and in this election I would have voted Democrat. I would vote for John Edwards [the vice-presidential candidate] for president. But I will do everything I can to stop John Kerry."
He admitted that it was the senator's behaviour following the war - Mr Kerry served just four months in Vietnam before being repatriated after receiving his third Purple Heart medal for combat wounds - that motivated his campaign. He pointed out that he had attacked Mr Kerry during a television debate about Vietnam as long ago as 1971.
According to Mr O'Neill, Mr Kerry was known in Vietnam as "the jerk who wants to be President" and returned home to make a name for himself as a leader of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He testified to the Senate, led marches on Washington and - to Mr O'Neill's enduring ire - accused the American forces in Vietnam of routinely abusing the civilian population and of "war crimes".
Mr O'Neill said: "That buzzard got out after four months and betrayed the people he served with. Millions of people opposed the war. I have no problem with that. But it is a whole different world to come back and say that the kids you served with are war criminals, and the people in your command are war criminals.
"We were still riding the river and this buzzard was in Paris, on television, talking to a Viet Cong in their so-called peace delegation while the Viet Cong were killing our men. We lost 55 men in that campaign."
While Mr O'Neill accused Mr Kerry of "embroidering and exaggerating his war", and of "posing and posturing", surprisingly he also conceded that although publicly he supported specific claims about the accuracy of Mr Kerry's war record, much of the detail was in fact lost in the fog of war and conflicting memories.
All the specific charges against Mr Kerry are also contested by veterans who support him, including Jim Rassman, a Green Beret whom he pulled from the Mekong River and who is campaigning alongside him despite intending to vote for President Bush.
The anti-Kerry veterans have alleged that Mr Kerry won a Silver Star for rescuing a special forces officer while under fire when there was no enemy fire at the time. They say he secured a Purple Heart for a minor shrapnel injury which was "self-inflicted" in a non-combat incident involving a grenade.
He claimed to have killed Viet Cong combatants when, they argue, records show that the "enemy" were a woman and child. Finally, they accuse him of shooting a wounded Viet Cong in the back when his Bronze Star citation had him turning his swift boat into enemy fire and charging up the river bank.
"The citation has Kerry charging into intensive fire against overwhelming enemy force - well, he killed a wounded, fleeing kid," said Mr O'Neill. "That was fair combat as far as I'm concerned, but it is the posturing I object to. He should apologise and tell the truth."
Democrats have pointed out that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is bankrolled by leading Republican fund-raisers in Texas, President Bush's home state. Partners in Mr O'Neill's successful law firm in Houston have enjoyed close ties with both the President and Karl Rove, his chief aide.
Mr O'Neill agreed that he had known the two biggest donors, Harlan Crow and Bob Perry, for many years. Mr Perry gave the group $200,000 (£110,000) and is also the state's most generous Republican donor.
Doubts were also cast on Mr O'Neill's claim that he usually supports Democrat candidates when details of his financial support for politicians were published in the Washington magazine Capitol Hill Blue last week. Federal Election Commission records revealed that the Texan lawyer has contributed $14,650 to various Republican candidates since 1990, yet national and local election data showed no contributions to Democrat politicians.
But Mr O'Neill denied that he had given money to Republicans, rather than Democrats. "That story is inaccurate because it focuses only on the money I have given to local Republican candidates, candidates I supported because I liked them or their policies and not because they were Republican," he said.
"I have recently given $20,000 to Democrats running for the Houston City Council. It is unfair to characterise me as a Bush guy. If the Democrats had come up with any other candidate, I would not be here now and I would be back home in Texas."
Regards, Ivan
Ping!
I believe they have mixed up the Silver Star incident (killing the wounded Vietnamese) with the Bronze Star incident (saving Rassman)
"I am not a Republican. I tend to support the Democrats more than the Republicans at home in Texas, and in this election I would have voted Democrat. I would vote for John Edwards [the vice-presidential candidate] for president. But I will do everything I can to stop John Kerry."
He's go to stop saying that. His contributions have all to Republicans over the years. These statements discredit him. I can't imagine why he keeps repeating them. STOP JOHN.
The idiot reporter needs to get some grounding in this story before submitting his stories.
He inverted the silver and bronze star incidents.
Considering the current polls showing the fast growing distate for Kerry among military vets, a Kerry presidency would be a huge disaster for the morale of our troops. Conscription would certainly have to become a reality because recruitment of volunteers would go in the tank quickly.
Our troops need and have our support. So does John O'Neill.
>>> He's go to stop saying that. His contributions have all to Republicans over the years.
He was a Nixon operative, even!! I don't think he has much credibility, but on the other hand I don't think most people who pay casual attention to this stuff know how deep his Republican affiliations run (which is good).
I was wondering when his rope-a-dope would end... it looks like he's had it with The Buzzard's nonsense.
Censorship!
All? That's patently false. Not even most.
This is a Kerry deflection point. It's gaining traction.
Mr. O'Neill has given $7K to Republicans over the years, not $14K (another O'Neill was confused with his name). He HAS given $25K over the past 15 years to democrats ($1,000 to Sheila-Jackson Leigh!), and voted for Gore in 2000.
So you're believing the Kerrycrats?
C'mon, he's a player. Of course he donates around. And would support Edwards, they share the same job.
Yes. And he would have voted for a Democrat for President who wasn't Kerry. Its not so simple to paint him a Bush shill and at least the British reporter doesn't allow an agenda to get in the way of the facts. You wish our own media could at least be above board with regards to the background of the Swift Boat Vets' leader but they ignore it since it doesn't help Kerry.
This reporter really needs to do his job and at least try to get his facts straight.
The rescue incident resulted in Kerry's Bronze Star.
The Silver Star came about when Kerry killed the wounded Viet Cong.
Thank you for setting the record straight. Sheila jackson Lee? Wow...
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=TX&last=O'Neill&first=John
Here is his campaign contribution history. I don't see any Democrats. His name is John E. His partner is Jack or something like that. If somebody was donating in the others name than that's a problem too. I am sure he isn't foolish enough to get involved in that.
Go, go, go Johnny, go, go.... Go, go, go Johnny go, go!
Why in the world would John O'Neil vote for John Edwards? Perplexing.
That's true. There is more than one attorney named John O'Neill in the Houston area. I know one of them personally. In fact, during the first thread here when we were talking about O'Neill on Dick Cavett I thought at first it was "my" John O'Neill.
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