Posted on 08/28/2004 9:19:28 PM PDT by buzzyboop
An axiom of politics is: "Don't feed a bad story." By going postal about the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, John Kerry has laid out a veritable banquet.
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Kerry has accused the Swifties of smearing him by criticizing his Vietnam service. But he has gone further, declaring the Swifties to be Republican shills, put up to attacking Kerry by the evil Bush. If Kerry were to acknowledge the real reason why the Swifties hate him -- because he falsely accused them and other Vietnam veterans of committing war crimes -- it would not enhance his appeal to swing voters.
Kerry's "evidence" for this charge is that most of the seed money for Swift Boat Veterans for Truth came from a $200,000 contribution from Houston home builder Bob Perry, a frequent contributor to GOP candidates.
The New York Times has tried to help Kerry out by publishing a complex genealogy which indicates that Swiftie John O'Neill, principal author of "Unfit for Command" and now a prominent Houston lawyer, knows Republicans who know other Republicans who know Bush. (That Times article didn't mention that O'Neill says he's an independent who voted for Al Gore in 2000.)
If the "Republican attack machine" were behind the Swifties, it did a lousy job. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had barely $250,000 on hand when they launched their first ad in three mid-sized markets in Ohio, Wisconsin and West Virginia. By contrast, the three largest independent committees have raised and spent nearly $60 million on ads attacking Bush.
Benjamin Ginsberg, national counsel for the Bush-Cheney campaign, resigned after it was disclosed that he was also providing legal advice to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Ginsberg said the Bush campaign was unaware of his connection to the Swifties.
The law says there can be no coordination between campaigns and 527 groups, but attorneys are specifically permitted to provide legal advice to both campaigns and independent groups.
Robert Bauer, the national counsel of the Kerry-Edwards campaign, also represents America Coming Together, one of the largest of the anti-Bush 527s. He hasn't resigned from either post.
One of the anti-Bush 527s is run by Jim Jordan, Kerry's former campaign manager. Kerry staffer Zach Exley came to his campaign from MoveOn.org, the 527 that has run the most vicious anti-Bush ads.
Kerry can be confident that while the "mainstream" media will trumpet his charges, there will be no exploration of possible collusion between his campaign and these supposedly independent groups.
On May 9, for instance, the Democratic National Committee issued a press release that said: "The Democratic Party is partnering with MoveOn.org, People for the American Way, Campaign for America's Future and dozens of other groups representing millions of Americans to organize a massive public mobilization."
The biggest unreported story of this campaign is the extent to which the major media are in the tank for Kerry. But media bias -- which has reached comic proportions in the Swift Boat vet controversy -- may be doing Kerry more harm than good.
If journalists were more interested in covering the news than in covering up for Kerry, they would have explored the Swifties' charges back in May, when the group first raised them. Had due diligence been done then, it might have been possible for Kerry to put the controversy behind him. At least, it might have kept Kerry from making his alleged heroism in Vietnam the theme of the Democratic National Convention. Now it has exploded on him at a critical time, knocking him off message.
When Kerry's attack on the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth forced the story onto the front pages, the media tried to provide damage control. But what might have been contained as a small fire in May had become a raging inferno by August.
Despite the media attempt at a blackout, the charges made by the Swifties were causing a hemorrhage of support for Kerry among veterans, thanks to the efforts of dozens of Web loggers. Still, his escalation of the issue is puzzling. Thanks to Kerry, many, many more people have heard of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and are curious about what they have to say. The publisher of "Unfit for Command" can't print books fast enough to meet demand.
While still small potatoes as far as 527 committees go, the Swifties are now -- thanks to Kerry -- relatively flush. The group reports having received more than $1.7 million in Internet contributions since Kerry attacked them. They won't be going away anytime soon.
Not if Kerry drops out (wishful thinking) :)
God Bless the Swifties!
"Kerry is a piece of S---!"
Now this struck me as interesting because this guy is about as apolitical as it gets. In 15 years he has never uttered a thing about politics or a candidate. Anyway, he went on to say that EVERYONE in the VFW hall was up in arms over Kerry, that they supported the Swift Vets and that Kerry had absolutely NO SUPPORT among the veterans there.
To show you how much Kerry is despised, the VFW hall has 3 TV's running all the time over the bar and pool table, in the evening I have NEVER seen them off and I walk by the place every other day (exercise). I happened to be walking the night Kerry gave his acceptance speech live and went right by the hall at the exact time he was giving his speech. There are windows facing the street and I decided to see if the vets were paying any attention to this guy, seeing as Exeter tends to be a very liberal community. Well, I looked in and EVERY ONE OF THE TV's HAD BEEN TURNED OFF and everyone I could see was otherwise occupied.
The vets I know are up in arms over Kerry because of his actions against them when he returned from Vietnam. They don't "want Vietnam to go away," Kerry besmirched their honor and they want to set the record straight!
This has nothing to do with Bush and everything to do with truth, honor and Kerry's traitorous actions. We lost in Vietnam because of Kerry and his ilk, and now he is making himself out to be a "hero" to generations who were not around in 68 through the early 70's, while the rest of us, according to Kerry, were and are war criminals. The Vietnam vets know he lied in the past, they are not going to allow him to lie now and get away with it. The truth concerning JF'n Kerry is not going to be swept under the carpet this time and THIS IS NOT GONG TO GO AWAY, NEITHER ARE THE VIETNAM VETS GOING TO "MOVE ON" and talk about something else because it is NOT about politics, it is about truth, honor, OUR reputations and setting the record straight for posterity!
What a refreshing read.
Love this: "The biggest unreported story of this campaign is the extent to which the major media are in the tank for Kerry. But media bias -- which has reached comic proportions in the Swift Boat vet controversy -- may be doing Kerry more harm than good.
"If journalists were more interested in covering the news than in covering up for Kerry, they would have explored the Swifties' charges back in May, when the group first raised them."
Cold day in a hot place and all that.
You could tell the GOP you are standing in solidarity with the Swift Boat Vets and since they can't associate with the GOP, you are also refusing to do so in your efforts to fund the truth reaching Joe and Jane Six-Pack.
;-)
Why would you want someone who is losing to drop out???
Make'em suffer.
Thanks for the Vets-at-the-VFW hall news.
This is a campaign unlike any I've seen. I wonder what else is coming down the pike.
Cant wait for the October surprise!!!!!
Good advice but it has already gone out in the mail. I have a tendency to be blunt. I don't have the "class" that you have. (Chuckle.) Next time, I'll do it your way.
Thanks.
But, there is no coordination. Actually, I agree, this activity does not cross a threshold. And, in that spirit, conservatives should embrace the same tools.
Aactually, it is a possibility. And if it happens, the DEM party is on the ballot in all 50 states, and DEM voters may pull levers for "to be determined"
It's over $2 million now, and the average contribution is $65. All this hoo-hah in the media about "Republican fat cats" funding it is BS.
We are American citizens, unlike George Soros.
we have every right to speak out and fund who ever we want!
It is heartening to know that God, in His mercy has raised a new generation of young people like yourself who are willing to take a stand and serve, a generation of brave young men and women willing to fight, defend and perhaps even to die for the very freedoms the 60's and 70's generations besmerched and took for granted, remember:
Freedom is NEVER FREE, it is paid for by the blood, sacrifice and devotion of men and women who are willing to fight and defend it from those who would take it away from us.
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