Shots Hit Kerry's Weak Spot

L.A. Times ^ | August 26, 2004 | Max Boot

[Cincinatus' Wife]

...........The anti-Kerry veterans who have banded together as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth may be sincere in their version of what happened in 1969, but the weight of evidence still supports Kerry's original story. They have caught him in only one, relatively inconsequential untruth — Kerry's claim that he was in Cambodia on Christmas Day 1968. (He now admits that something that didn't happen was "seared" into his memory.) But Kerry has been slow to respond to the allegations, and he's paying a political price. The University of Pennsylvania's National Annenberg Election Survey found last week that 57% of respondents were aware of the Swift boaters' allegations and 46% of those found them believable.

It's easy to understand why Kerry is now asking the referees at the Federal Election Commission to eject his foes from the ring, but it's hard to muster much sympathy for him. As Bob Dole pointed out, Kerry was practically inviting attack with his nonstop invocation of his war record as the rationale for his candidacy. Most Vietnam War vets remember Kerry not for his wartime heroics but for the calumnies he cast upon them once he came home. It's no surprise that some of them get a tad riled up when they see this onetime antiwar protester running for office as GI John.

This political punch-up raises a couple of interesting points. First, it once again confirms that, for all the conservative caterwauling about the insidious power of liberal reporters, the establishment media have little ability anymore to control the national agenda. The press would have been happy to parrot Kerry's version of his war story as reported by his authorized chronicler, Douglas Brinkley, in "Tour of Duty." But the iron triangle of Rush Limbaugh, Fox News Channel and Regnery Publishing .....

[Jim Robinson]

Just a tad, Mr. Times. I believe your boy screwed the pooch.

[Interesting Times]

Lie. Spin. Rinse. Repeat.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Thank you for this outlet for truth.

[Jeff Chandler]

I don't need to read any more, all I have to do is read "But the iron triangle of Rush Limbaugh, Fox News Channel and Regnery Publishing ....." and chuckle.

[Southack]

More cracks in the liberal media's former monolith...

5 Legislative Days Left Until The AWB Expires

[Cableguy]

I think the Swifties have proved more than what Max Boot alleges. My count shows:

- Kerry lied about Cambodia
- Kerry's dog VC was a lie
- Kerry's first purple heart was a self-inflicted wound (or at least his journal contradicts it)

There may be more, but the above are at least what I know (which doesn't rely on the Swift Vets as eye witnesses but on Kerry's own words)

[boxerblues]

First, it once again confirms that, for all the conservative caterwauling about the insidious power of liberal reporters, the establishment media have little ability anymore to control the national agenda. The press would have been happy to parrot Kerry's version of his war story as reported by his authorized chronicler, Douglas Brinkley, in "Tour of Duty."

As if this isnt what they have been doing

[jongaltsr]

FARFRUMRIT 9/11

QUESTION? Or rather a comment in the form of a question. Kerry has some "Strengths"?.

We already know he has his weaknesses.

[BurbankErnie]

Why do I subject myself to read a Times article? Whenever it looks too good to be true coming from them, it usually is a slimey disengenious slam on the President. Which of course, this is.

[goldstategop]

Its not just about Cambodia. There's the Purple Heart lie, and his fib about the Buddy the dog. All of which plays into Kerry's image as a shifty dissembler and world-class liar. Too bad Max Broot bought into the mainstream media's image of Kerry as a man who has the record on his side. If the truth WAS on Kerry's side, he would already released ALL his records and he wouldn't be sending out flunkies to threaten the freedom of speech of his opponents. Like I said, its all about Kerry the man and that's why this isn't going to go away any time soon.

[Sapper26]

... the establishment media have little ability anymore to control the national agenda.


You can hear the unsaid "d@mn it". Actually, any admission that the media DID/DOES control the national agenda is surprising.

[ProudVet77]

If I were W, I'd have the press story about Kerry ignoring the warnings from security people at Logan Airport before 9/11. The moment Kerry says anything about intel failures, zap him.
That story has never received the circulation it deserves. To bring it up at a debate would be devistating.

[goldstategop]

Exactly. And dissembling about Cambodia is hardly an inconsequential matter. If Kerry can't level with us about his past, how can we believe him on the issues or think he will play straight with us as President. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Kerry is tanking the polls precisely because his credibility as a candidate is being called into question and it is the candidate himself who is destroying what remains of it piece by piece with one new lie after another. Broot should know we haven't uncovered the full extent of Kerry's reinventing his past. Indeed, who knows what tomorrow will bring next.

[maryz]

If the truth WAS on Kerry's side, he would already released ALL his records

Marty Meehan's son was on Hannity & Colmes last night, claiming that Kerry has posted all his military and medical records on his website. Colmes was interviewing and (surprise) didn't call him on it.

BTW, where does the "sKerry" come from? I've seen it constantly here, but I seem to have missed its origin.

[Mo1]

They have caught him in only one, relatively inconsequential untruth — Kerry's claim that he was in Cambodia on Christmas Day 1968

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1199352/posts?page=10#10

To: NorCoGOP
Everything Kerry says about Vietnam is a lie. Much of what is below is stolen from other freepers. Sorry to plagiarize and not give proper credit:
Christmas in Cambodia –

Kerry now admits that he lied about spending Christmas in Cambodia in 1968 and claiming that Nixon was President at the time. He’s told the story for decades – said it was “seared” in his memory – and it was a lie.

Flying Dog –

Kerry has said that in the incident that won him a Bronze Star (see below for more), when the mine went off under his boat, his dog (“VC”) went flying overboard and was thought to be lost. The dog was later recovered by another boat. Only problem – a mine did not go off under his boat. The story is a lie.

Throwing away the medals –

Kerry has said that he threw away his medal in a famous public demonstration.
Kerry has said that he only threw away his ribbons in a in a famous public demonstration.
Kerry has said that he actually threw away another man’s medals at that famous public demonstration.
Kerry has said that he never threw his medals away.
Kerry filed paperwork to get new medals (guess he lost ‘em somewhere).

The evidence of the need to get new medals is highlighted by the signatures on the citations:

Kerry's multiple Silver (3) and Bronze (2) star citations: Two of the five were signed by John Lehman who was Secretary of the Navy in the Reagan Administration 5 Feb 1981 - 10 Apr 1987. There are three Silver Star citations supplied by Kerry. One was signed by ADM Zumwalt, one by ADM Hyland, and one by Secretary Lehman. The Bronze Star citations were signed by Zumwalt and Lehman.

Purple Hearts --

From: "Unfit For Command"

Dec. 2, 1968: Kerry was awarded his first Purple Heart for a tiny piece of shrapnel in his left arm, above the elbow. (Self inflicted.) p.34

Feb. 20, 1969: Kerry was awarded his second Purple Heart after sustaining a minor shrapnel wound in his left thigh. (Self-inflicted, according to his crew.) p. 78

March 13, 1969: He was awarded his third Purple Heart for a contusion (minor) of the right arm sustained in the incident when another boat, PCF 3, detonated a mine. He also fraudulently claimed that the shrapnel in his buttocks, sustained when he and Rassmann blew up a rice cache on land that morning, occurred in this incident. (Contusion doesn't qualify for a PH and shrapnel was self-inflicted.) p. 88

Bronze Star –

Wins Bronze Star for fleeing the scene of a mine explosion.

13 Mar 1969 - Five Swift Boats are sent to raid a Vietcong village: Kerry PCF-94, Droz PCF-43, Pees PCF-3, Chenoweth PCF-23, and Thurlow PCF-51. Special Forces Lieutenant Rassman goes along for the ride on Kerry's boat. They depart the LST anchored offshore at 7:30 am, cruise about 11 miles up the Bay Hap River, then about 3 miles up the Dong Cung Canal, and get to the village at 8:15 am.

1. The village is deserted. As they are returning to the boat, Kerry and Rassmann decide to blow up a five-ton rice bin. They climb on top of the huge pile and dig a hole in the rice. On the count of three, they toss their grenades into the hole and run. Kerry doesn't run fast enough. He gets hit in the butt by some pieces of rice.

2. As the five boats are returning down the Bay Hap River, they come to a fishing net stretched across the middle of the river. As PCF-94 is going around the fishing net to the right and PCF-3 is going around it to the left, a mine explodes under PCF-3.

3. Simultaneously: (a) Kerry goes to full throttle, which causes Rassmann to fall overboard, and flees down the river with all his guns firing at the shore, and (b) the other three boats go to help PCF-3 with all their guns firing at the shore.

4. After 40 seconds, PCF-43, PCF-23 and PCF-51 cease fire, but Kerry keeps on firing and fleeing down the river.

5. PCF-43, PCF-23 and PCF-51 work together to rescue the crew of PCF-3 and keep PCF-3 from sinking.

6. Kerry finally turns around, comes back, and fishes Rassmann out of the water.

7. As PCF 23 is leaving the area to take the three seriously injured men from PCF-3 to the Coast Guard cutter offshore, Kerry jumps in PCF-23 and goes with them.

8. PCF-94 (without Kerry) tows the badly damaged PCF-3.

9. Kerry writes the after-action report that portrays him as a hero. He does not mention the fact that he abandoned the other boats and fled from what he thought was a battle, or that he abandoned his own boat and rode home with the wounded.

Silver Star –

Kerry won this award for shooting a wounded man in the back. That’s not necessarily an improper action (the man was apparently holding a rocket launcher). But the Silver Star is our nation’s third highest award. It is not usually given out for administering a Coup de Grace to a wounded enemy.

Additionally, Kerry’s Silver Star apparently came with a V citation. But Silver Stars never come that way, so there is either a lie buried in there, or else a file clerk made an error (which could happen easily enough).

9 posted on 08/25/2004 3:58:33 PM EDT by ClearCase_guy (The Fourth Estate is a Fifth Column)
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1199352/posts?page=40#40

Here's another Kerry whopper for your list. It's from today's Opinion Journal -Best of the Web:
Another Seared--Seared--Memory
From a John Kerry speech commemorating Martin Luther King Day, Jan. 20, 2003:

I remember well April 1968--I was serving in Vietnam--a place of violence--when the news reports brought home to me and my crewmates the violence back home--and the tragic news that one of the bullets flying that terrible spring took the life of that unabashedly maladjusted citizen.

In fact, Kerry did not go to Vietnam until November 1968.

40 posted on 08/25/2004 4:09:49 PM EDT by AHerald

[Cincinatus' Wife]

You should read the whole thing...Max Boot lands some good (and deserved) punches.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Bump!

[Cincinatus' Wife]

BUT "old" media hasn't been able to control it!!!

[goldstategop]

The bloggers will be the first to ascertain if Kerry filed a standard form 180. I believe its a word play on "scary." Come to think of it, The Lurch certainly looks like he can't make people comfortable around him.