Posted on 08/27/2004 9:10:17 AM PDT by dennisw
Anti-Kerry veterans: Biography spurred TV ads
By TOM INFIELD and RON HUTCHESON
Knight Ridder Newspapers
WASHINGTON - Leaders of the Swift boat veterans group criticizing presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam War record said Thursday they were motivated to attack in part by a book published earlier this year in which Kerry revealed the high opinion he held of himself - and the low opinion he held of some of them.
Kerry's former commanding officer and two other officers who were above Kerry in the chain of command said the book "Tour of Duty" made it seem as if Kerry, as a junior lieutenant in the Navy, had been the only hero in a war that later, as a war protester, he labeled as wrong-headed and immoral. The book, by historian Douglas Brinkley, was based in large part on Kerry's previously private war diaries.........
MORE: http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/politics/9506417.htm?1c
Uh, no.... Thirty years of distorting, mischaracterizing, double-crossing, and general lying by one John Forbes Kerry created it. Deal with it.
Kerry created Kerry's problems.
> Anti-Kerry veterans: Biography spurred TV ads
But not just that.
Kerry's use of that unit photo (SBVFT front page), without
the consent of all depicted, also enraged them.
They probably would have acted against Kerry regardless,
but that incriminating bio got them going early enough to
prepare a solid campaign (and even write their own book).
"Tour of Duty" - the lies begin with word one of the title.
You F'd up, you trusted Kerry!
Brinkley released his book in January 2004. For the first time the Swiftees saw Kerry's accounts of events they were familiar with as well as what awards he won and for what. When they started comparing notes among one another, it was obvious that Kerry was lying. Moreover, Brinkley's book was also in conflict with official records. The SBVFT were formed in March and the battle joined. Brinkley did us a favor, something Kerry didn't plan on.
Is this article a trial balloon to see if Kerry can blame yet another staffer for his own failures?
bump -_ Good post.
he'll follow the typical liberal path....deny attack delay
Doogle
Many FReepers are requesting this EXPOSE KERRY'S FRAUD SWIFT BOAT VETERANS FOR TRUTH sticker.
They are being made by a disabled vet FReeper who has a bone to pick with Kerry, like we all do!
Large $20 (24" Wide 12" Tall) like mine
Small $10 (12" Wide 6" Tall)
Profits go to SwiftVets.com
FReep mail for details.
No way. What is the first word in "authorized biography?"
Brinkley. What a sad sack he's become.
Gee, I hate to be right, but on Sunday I predicted ("Will Douglas Brinkley Be the Next Casualty of Kerry's War?") that they would try to make Brinkley the fall guy.
Did Brinkley mention Kerry's nickname was "Boston Strangler?"
Being a "presidential historian" is rather a racket. With all the opportunities for getting on television and turning out opinion pieces, these guys and girls get pretty sloppy in their research and writing.
And in comparison to the other TV historians, Brinkley always looked young, unpolished, and inexperienced to begin with. With less wisdom, experience, or restraint, he was likely to stumble into such a mess.
Today, the media get in the way on these things. In old days campaign biographers were more or less lackeys -- even when, like Franklin Pierce's biographer, Nathanael Hawthorne, they were quite talented. Today, though, the campaign biographer can get on television and in the way of the story the candidate wants to put out.
It's doubtful that earlier presidential candidates would have ever risked letting their biographers take the initiative and go on the attack like this. It was also a miscalculation for Kerry to let so much ride on his experiences 35 years ago, but then, what else does he have going for him?
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