You're doing fine.
Posted on 08/27/2004 10:33:51 PM PDT by NavySEAL F-16
Here's how "presidential historian" Douglas Brinkley figures it: Various factual inaccuracies and contradictions in Tour of Duty, his famously sycophantic biography of John Kerry, are frequently cited by opponents of Kerry's presidential campaign. On the other hand, the sycophantic parts of the book are just as frequently cited by Kerry's friends. In other words, both parties find his work useful. And what better proof of his academic objectivity and integrity could there be than that?
So, nah, Brinkley's "not worried" about appearing biased, he tells the New Orleans Times-Picayune in a "wide-ranging interview in the soaring lobby of his Uptown home" published August 27. Sure, he says, "I'm sympathetic to Kerry in his 20s." And "it's no secret I think he would make a first-rate president." And, okay, Brinkley's "angry" about "false accusations made against Kerry's military record." Also, Brinkley cohosted a fundraiser for Kerry in February 2003. Plus which, he spoke at a rally for Kerry in New Orleans this past March. . .
(Excerpt) Read more at weeklystandard.com ...
No, no bias there. Unbelievable. Do these people hear themselves?
So when Brinkley's account of the historical record is challenged, rather than responding with interviews or documents to defend his account, he attacks the eyewitnesses disputing his account for being "right-wing". He loses any claim to be a historian right there.
This guy's career as an historian is finished. He sold his soul and reputation for John F'in Kerry.
Why with the libs, it's always somebody else's fault?
Brinkly knows kerry's a serial liar yet he still covers for him. He knowingly authored a biography that's filled with lies. Brinkly has made himself a liar of the same calibur.
After reading what I've read of his over the last couple of days he has my vote.
I can smell the toast
The guy's career as a historian is finished. His career in academia, unfortunately, is now promising and boundless.
Exactly.. French Toast.
Somebody on one of these talk shows should ask Brinkley if he would have really revised portions of his book to make Admiral Hoffman look better as Kerry had promised they would if only Hoffman had been willing to join Kerry's band of brothers.....
GRIDLEY Website page on John Kerry
http://home.nycap.rr.com/pwcarter/the%20kerry%20page.html
Other crew members speak about John Kerry
(Looks like Kerry's shipmates, who did serve with him,
say he lied and told whoopers about his time on the GRIDLEY.
Remember these are not Swift Boat Vets,
BUT Kerry's crewmates who served with him on the GRIDLEY)
Examples follow:
"As everyone must surely know by now, John F. Kerry came on board
GRIDLEY as a boot Ensign when we returned from our 1967 Westpac
Cruise. He remained on GRIDLEY through the 1968 cruise. Politics
aside, shipmates of the time who have read TOUR OF DUTY, the
authorized campaign biography, will have something to say about the
chapter on GRIDLEY. "
1. Kerry never talked about his time on GRIDLEY. He says on page
74 that it is because “nothing much of note” happened while
he was
onboard. He uses words like monotony and tedious, when, despite
being a boot ensign he was given every opportunity for responsibility
by Captain Slifer and Commander Kelly (XO). He came aboard
designated for Electrical Officer (80100), a grunt position in the
Engineering Department and spent four months in that position. He
was assigned duty as First Lieutenant, as Commander Kelly recalls,
because of his knowledge of seamanship and his experiences with small
boats and sailing. Besides being responsible for the decks of the
ship, the First Lieutenant is also responsible for the ship’s
small
boats. He also was assigned collateral duties as Public Affairs
Officer. Despite all the responsibilities he was given, he gives the
impression that serving on GRIDLEY was somehow beneath him. He
certainly had less of an opportunity to collect “gongs” there.
2. Page 78 – “motivate 400 swabbies” – The First
Lieutenant is
responsible only for the personnel of 1st Division, not the entire
crew. 1st Division had a roster of about 30 in 1968. To the extent
that other divisions had responsibility for deck space, their
officers would have been responsible for motivating them.
3. Page 87 has Kerry “shuttling sailors and provisions”
between
GRIDLEY and KITTY HAWK in a small motor whaleboat out in the Gulf of
Tonkin. The regular method of travel between the two ships was via
helo. That is how I went over to the KITTY HAWK. If such an event
did occur, it would have been unusual and hardly a shuttle.
4. Later on page 87 Kerry talks about Olongapo in the Philippines.
He talks about bloated corpses floating in the river and starving
women with babies dying of malnutrition. Now Olongapo was a wild and
wooly town that existed solely for the entertainment of the US Navy,
but in over three years of calling there, I never saw a single
instance of either thing happening. Kerry uncovered this in his
first visit. If this was from his letters home then he was certainly
writing for dramatic effect. Balderdash.
5. The trip to Danang – GRIDLEY went into Danang for briefings
before going to Northern SAR. This section is so full of hyperbole
that the urge to giggle is almost uncontrollable. “The panic and
pressure onboard GRIDLEY, strapping on a .45, wondering if I would
have to use it, B-52’s howling overhead”. A B-52 over Danang
would
have been so high that only contrails would have been visible, cloud
cover permitting. David Simons confirmed my recollection that during
our brief stay in Danang Harbor, the sky was overcast to the point of
being ominous.
More seriously, no one can remember John Kerry going ashore. I was
part of the shore party that went to Monkey Mountain. We were taken
in a screened in truck (to protect against grenades being tossed in)
and made to unload our .45’s. The driver said that he did not
want
us newbies to shoot anyone by accident.
Neither Commander Kelly nor LCDR Rueckert (Kerry’s immediate
boss)
can recall approving a trip ashore for Ensign Kerry. The author uses
remarks of David Simons IC2 as a lead in to the Danang section. I
spoke to David and he has no personal knowledge of Kerry going ashore
at all. He did talk to a researcher and made some generic remarks
about Danang but had never discussed Danang with Kerry. He recalls
arguing with the researcher because he tried to put the
words “cowboy” in his mouth, which ended up in the book.
There is no mystery about the “gruesome site of a pile of dead
VC.”
We saw no sign of anything like this. However, our escort to Monkey
Mountain did tell us how the VC bodies were stacked up on the
LZ’s
after the TET Offensive, which had been several months before.
Ensign Kerry would have been told this story by members of the shore
party.
If, indeed, he got to the pier, because he was in charge of the
motor whaleboat, it certainly would not have been within his purview
to wander Danang, eating dog meat and drinking beer in a bar (under
arms). It also seems amazing that he had all these observations on
Vietnam in such a brief visit.
6. In command – Again with the hyperbole. Kerry makes much
about
being “in charge” of the ship after the Captain and XO. The
OOD is
in charge of the operation of the ship during his four hour watch but
hardly in charge of the ship. Kerry qualified almost immediately as
OOD(P), in port OOD but that is a given. For much of his time
onboard he would have been Junior Officer of the Deck when underway.
Although his fitness report as of 22 March says "he is qualified as
OOD(I) now" (Independent steaming – with no ships or land
anywhere
near) , only OOD(P) is listed under duties. His Fitness Report from
July 1968 lists two months as OOD(I) which would mean he qualified
after leaving the war zone.
Liberals are kind of like vampires in that way: they don't like to look into mirrors because it reveals their true nature.
LOL!
Brinkley claiming to be objective......that made me laugh so hard I almost puked on my Kerry Voodoo doll.
Brinkley is going to be discredited like Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Thanks for the ping, Tonk.
For us who were not there, it helps to hear what those who were there have to say.
Thank you!!
Why with the libs is corruption, lying, cheating, falsifying, stealing ok (but for them only)? Why with the libs is there a double standard on absolutely everything?
A point was mentioned today on Rush's show - "the libs are trying to make us accept the double standard".
Made me jerk my head up!......Yes, they are! That is why we see so many examples of the double standard thrown our way. Our complaints are ignored and we finally quieten down. They ARE making it the norm. Notice how they could care less how we react to their corruption, stealing, manipulating? How often have you heard a dem say "But what will the GOP say?"
How absolutely stupid are we? Why do we let the democrats run this country when they are not elected? Why do we allow them to determine what is politically correct and what we can or cannot say?
I am sick of them confiscating our freedoms and making us bow to assumed power when they have not won that right through the vote of the people.
First - we must stop caring what the dems say about anything. Stop allowing this fear of their reaction to curtail out actions. We might as well set about making them accept that there will be no double standard.
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