Posted on 08/30/2004 3:17:37 PM PDT by KeyLargo
townhall.com
Who Will Answer Bill Maher's Good Question?
Jay Bryant
August 30, 2004
Friday night, Bill Maher had John O'Neill on his HBO television program. O'Neill, of course, is the principal author of Unfit for Command, the book version of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign to challenge John Kerry's military record.
The interview itself was almost unbearably anger-provoking, as Maher snidely attempted to skewer O'Neill over and over again, while a studio audience laughed and applauded the host's every word. At least, unlike Chris "Motormouth" Matthews, he didn't interrupt O'Neill's every sentence.
In the face of this hostility, O'Neill was calm and respectful, not giving an inch, but always unflappably reasoned. I can only suppose he manages to stifle the urge to trade invective with a wiseacre like Maher by basking in the secure knowledge that he and his compatriots among the Swift Boat Veterans are an astonishing political success, the surest measure of which is the hateful reaction they have provoked among the Kerry-worshipping news media.
In the process of the interview, Maher asked at least (and perhaps only) one interesting question: if all that O'Neill says is true, why is it that other Swift Boat veterans are backing Kerry?
O'Neill didn't rise to the bait, and contented himself with pointing out that Kerry has in fact the support of fewer than twenty Swift Boat veterans, whereas well over 200 had signed up with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.
But it is a good question, nonetheless, much better than Maher imagines, because it leads - or at least should lead - to some follow-up questions that, so far as I know, no news organization has undertaken.
The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are, collectively, individually and wrongly pilloried by the media as stooges for the Bush campaign and the Republican Party. One Swiftee was found to be a Bush volunteer, and this was played as damning evidence. One of the group's larger contributors is from Texas and has met Karl Rove, and this was taken to mean Rove instructed the man to send the money to the Swiftees. Attorney Ben Ginsberg was discovered to be a legal advisor to both the Swiftees' 527 Committee and the Bush campaign, which although perfectly legal and no different from Democrat lawyers advising both Kerry-backing 527's and official party and campaign organizations, was taken to be some sort of collusion.
All these charges come out in the same way. The Kerry campaign does the research and feeds the story to the media. The media immediately rushes it into print with no further research, and thus it becomes a meme, Richard Dawkins' excellent word for the cultural analog to a gene, a self-replicating idea.
But what about the other side of the equation - the side Maher's question raises, but no one (least of all Maher) bothers to research or investigate?
Why indeed are some Swift Boat veterans backing Kerry? Especially, as is often cited as proof of their superior credentials, those closest to Kerry.
Let's consider, for example, the case of Jim Rassmann. In a Wall Street Journal article responding to the first Swift Boat Veterans TV commercial, Rassmann identifies himself as "a retired police officer with a passion for orchids." He says, "Nobody asked me to join John's campaign. Why would they? I am a Republican, and for more than 30 years I have largely voted for Republicans. I volunteered for his campaign...."
Maybe so, but there ought at least to be a follow-up question or two. Rassmann, as you probably know, is the man John Kerry pulled out of the Bay Hap River in Vietnam, saving his life and earning the Bronze Star. So why wouldn't somebody in Kerry's campaign ask Rassmann to join them? Just because he's a registered Republican? If I were a Kerry strategist, Rassmann's Republican background (If true. Has anybody checked?) sure as heck wouldn't have stopped me from asking, because the bang for the buck would be even greater, and if owing your life to somebody doesn't override political affiliation, what does?
Rassmann famously showed up, in the recent words of Fred Barnes, which I quote to show how completely the story is accepted, "unannounced for an emotional reunion two days before the [Iowa] caucuses." Okay, it was certainly unannounced BY the campaign. But was it truly unannounced TO the campaign? That's the impression given to the public - that Rassmann just walked in to the meeting unbidden. I'll go on record right now as saying it sounds too cute for me, but has any news organization ever investigated?
Moreover, is Rassmann still a campaign volunteer? Since he's retired, he presumably has enough to live on, and buy a few orchids, but is he being compensated in any other way? Who has asked? Anybody?
And what of the rest of the small coterie of Swift Boaters who are supporting Kerry? It is insisted on by the Kerry side that they were the sailors closest to him, the ones on his boat. That's another way of saying that they would be the ones first sought out by the campaign, those most eagerly subject to persuasion. What form did this persuasion take? Has anyone in the media done any due diligence here?
Kerry's wife is a billionairess, whose financial tentacles reach a vast array of business, charitable, ideological and other organizations. Has anyone attempted to find out if any of Kerry's vets have been compensated by any of them?
Hey, the answer to Maher's question may well be "because they love the guy."
Or maybe not. And it would be nice to think that some news gathering enterprise would be interested enough to check it out.
Veteran GOP media consultant Jay Bryant's regular columns are available at www.theoptimate.com, and his commentaries may be heard on NPR's 'All Things Considered.'
There are idiots and lackeys everywhere.
Didn't some of Kerry's crewmen also get medals or citations for the "action" which gained Kerry his Silver Star?
| Who Will Answer Bill Maher's Good Question? |
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| Posted by KeyLargo On News/Activism 08/30/2004 5:17:37 PM CDT · 13+ views Town Hall.com ^ | August 30, 2004 | Jay Bryant townhall.com Who Will Answer Bill Maher's Good Question? Jay Bryant August 30, 2004 Friday night, Bill Maher had John O'Neill on his HBO television program. O'Neill, of course, is the principal author of Unfit for Command, the book version of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign to challenge John Kerry's military record. The interview itself was almost unbearably anger-provoking, as Maher snidely attempted to skewer O'Neill over and over again, while a studio audience laughed and applauded the host's every word. At least, unlike Chris "Motormouth" Matthews, he didn't interrupt O'Neill's every sentence. In the face of this hostility,... |
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| Who Will Answer Bill Maher's Good Question? (Why are some swift vets supporting Kerry?) |
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| Posted by rabidbushie On News/Activism 08/30/2004 5:16:23 AM CDT · 46 replies · 1,776+ views Townhall.com ^ | Aug 30, 2004 | Jay Bryant Friday night, Bill Maher had John O'Neill on his HBO television program. O'Neill, of course, is the principal author of Unfit for Command, the book version of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth campaign to challenge John Kerry's military record. The interview itself was almost unbearably anger-provoking, as Maher snidely attempted to skewer O'Neill over and over again, while a studio audience laughed and applauded the host's every word. At least, unlike Chris "Motormouth" Matthews, he didn't interrupt O'Neill's every sentence. (Snip) In the process of the interview, Maher asked at least (and perhaps only) one interesting question: if all... |
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Maybe Big Mama wrote a few checks.
$$$$$$$$
Theres some awfully big money behind John Kerry.
"Raymond Shaw is the bravest, kindest, most wonderful human being I have ever known."
- Laurence Harvey's brainwashed platoon members in THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE
My bad - ignore the first one...it's this thread...
Kerry's paying them to like him. They're on his campaign payroll.
I think its funny how Bill Maher thinks of himself as some sort of independent thinker.
I believe the campaign later admitted the meeting was staged.
Free meals, junkets around the country, fifteen minutes of fame, being best buds and sharing a stage with maybe the next president of the US.
Teresa's just big-boned.
If by "interesting", the author means "Totally stupid" then yes, it's a very "interesting" question.
I mean, really, that's one of the dumbest questions I've ever heard. Since I'm of the opinion that Maher's too smart to earnestly ask such an obviously insipid question, I have to believe he said it simply for effect.
How's about a lifetime supply of ketchup? Now we're talking an offer no one can refuse.
What are the political leanings of those vets?
George Soros has a big enough bone for both of them.
I still havent found the answer to my question, Did the same Crew Kerry had serve under O'Neil when he took over Kerry's boat? If not where were they? If so how do they feel about O'neil.
New Swiftee ad Tuesday.. ribbon tossing etc. It will air extensively in Florida as well as TN to coincide with JK's speech to the American Legion.
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