Swift Boat Controversy Remains Hot Topic for Democrats

New York (CNSNews.com) - Supporters of Sen. John Kerry can't seem to get enough of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The issue continued to figure prominently in the political race, popping up repeatedly at the Democrats' rally Monday at Grant's Tomb.

One of Kerry's most prominent Vietnam crewmates, Del Sandusky, wasted little time in his speech Monday attacking the anti-Kerry group.

"I served with John Kerry," Sandusky said to a round of applause. "Those twinkies on TV are spreading a pack of lies."

The Kerry campaign has dispatched Sandusky and other Vietnam veterans to back up the Democrat's record, which came under attack earlier this month by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The group has released two television ads and a best-selling book.

"I was with John Kerry when he won his Silver Star, his Bronze Star and two of three Purple Hearts, and he earned every one of them," Sandusky claimed.

"Thirty-five years I've known John Kerry, and he's never lied to me," he added. "When he says something, I know it's true. I've never heard him tell a lie in the last 35 years, and that includes the things he says in front of the press. He says the same things in private."

Sandusky wasn't the only participant in Monday's rally willing to bring up the issue of Kerry's Vietnam service. U.S. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) mentioned it both in his speech and afterward to reporters.

"I wish [Kerry] would just take them to the mat," Rangel said. "I wish he would just ask for everyone's discharge papers and put them on the table. Then put this behind us so we can discuss the economy and jobs and education and housing."

Rangel added, "It is so abundantly clear that as long as we're discussing something that happened 30 years ago, every issue that has been raised in every presidential campaign is moot."

The issue didn't get as much play at the Democrats' press briefing Monday morning. Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack called it a "smokescreen that was created in an effort to get people's attention away from the record of [the Bush] administration."

But veterans who spoke at the rally seemed eager to take on the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. World War II veteran Percy Sutton, who served with the Tuskegee Airmen, concluded his remarks with a condemnation of President Bush.

"Wherever you are on Election Day, run to the nearest place to vote," Sutton told the crowd. "Run to vote out this man from Texas, this cowboy, this man who never served in the military, but instead has initiated a string of people to attack Kerry, who did serve."

Sandusky also blamed Bush for the veterans' attacks. The president's campaign has denied any connections to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, although its lawyer resigned last week after acknowledging he offered legal advice to the veterans' group.

"I've never heard dirty politics, never heard any mudslinging, never heard any plots," Sandusky said of his yearlong association with the Kerry campaign. "Nothing like the Republicans are doing. You can't trust a Republican with a nickel."

To read the latest on the Franchurian Candidate's bizzare exploits, click the picture, goto "last," and work backwards:

If you would like to help the Swift Boat Vets ( as I have, and I urge all to do-- even a few dollars will help ) kindly click on this logo:

If, perchance, the top "click the pic" link is not visible, click here:

-John Kerry- some selected, informative links...--

Judge for yourself- see the SwiftVet ads here:

Swift Boat Ad #3: Kerry's Own Shipmate Calls Kerry on Lie

The video

The first two ads:

http://www2.swiftvets.com/index.php?topic=Ads

Take a look at these three short video clips, especially the last one. You will walk away with a heavy heart.

POW'S TELL ABOUT TORTURE

Here is a link to page full of video and audio links.
"Stolen Honor" is at the top.

July 30, 2004

Fox News (excerpted)

Del Sandusky is one of them. He joins us now from Boston.

Del, Kerry's band of brothers has been, of course, a big part of his campaign. Can you all help Democrats look strong on national defense?

DEL SANDUSKY, FORMER KERRY SHIPMATE: I'm not sure. I'm just here because I love, honor, and respect John Kerry as does, I think the entire boat crew of 1968 and 1969 crew. We're here. We were with John Kerry and we were awarded medals for it, you know, for the actions that we had in Vietnam.

John Kerry is an excellent leader. We think that he'd make a great commander-in-chief.

NAUERT: You know, a part of the reason you all have been asked to be there is to attract, not only the Veterans' vote, but also make the Democrats more appealing to moderate and swing voters. How did that feel to you being, sort of, used in a way, if you will, as a political backdrop?

SANDUSKY: I don't know, I've never thought of it that way. I volunteered for this. John Kerry saved my life, I saved his. The band of brothers was formed because of the bond that we feel with John Kerry. We owe him, so, you know, we came here.

NAUERT: So, is it the politics of John Kerry or is it the man that you love?

SANDUSKY: The warrior in John Kerry. You know, when we were together in Vietnam, he saved our lives, we saved his.

NAUERT: Does that necessarily mean that he is fit or is the best, perhaps, this is the better way to put it: does that necessarily mean he's the best person to serve as commander-in-chief because he did perform heroically when you were with him, as you say?

SANDUSKY: I believe that he's the best. He is a warrior, he has the experience, and he's a statesman. He's been in the U.S. Senate, you know, for 20 years. He's very good on foreign policy. I know that he's extremely intelligent. Mentally, I had to step it up another notch just to keep up with him because he is very smart.

NAUERT: Now, there are plenty Veterans out there, who in fact, don't support him. They're angry with the position he took during Vietnam, basically saying that Americans had committed atrocities and also upset that he threw away his ribbons. Should Veterans out there who are considering who they want to vote for, should they ignore that fact?

SANDUSKY: I've talked to a lot of Veterans; I've been in the Kerry campaign since January, in Iowa and we went to New Hampshire, et cetera around the country. A lot of Veterans I've talked to, either Republican or Democrat, a hawk or a dove, you know, we're all going to speak our mind; that's part of our country.

I think this is the era of the Vietnam Veteran. We've all come of age since World War II and Korean vets are slowly passing away, God bless them, the more and more Vietnam Veterans, I think, are going to emerge and get into politics. Vietnam Veterans especially, you know: we're concerned, we've been in a dumb, stupid war in Vietnam and now we've got another dumb, stupid war over in Iraq.

All the Veterans that I've talked to, the majority and consensus of opinion is that we're all worried about our kids are dying over there on the other side of the planet. Veterans need to stand up.

NAUERT: There are Iraqis that we actually just interviewed yesterday, who are very thankful that our forces are there protecting them and preventing Saddam Hussein from digging more mass graves. But let me ask you quickly about a video that's going to be shown tonight. Some of this video was shot of Kerry in Vietnam. His critics say that he actually re- enacted some scenes, perhaps that he might use later on in a political campaign. Some of this video we will see tonight.

Is there anything about that that makes you uncomfortable; the notion that he may have re-created scenes to use for political gain?

SANDUSKY: I think it's an atrocity. I mean all wars are an atrocity. But I think it's really distasteful and people should say these things or talk about it. I was with John Kerry. We never had time to shoot movies or do any staging for any political reason or any other use that just a home movie. I didn't have a movie camera. I had a small camera. I took less than two rolls of film in two and a half years that I was in Vietnam. I don't know of any -- none of my boat crew knows anything about, you know -- the whole idea is just beyond us.

NAUERT: Del, you were there for two and a half years. Does it bother you all that Kerry was in an out in less than four months?

SANDUSKY: No, it doesn't. If I had been shot three times, I would have left too.

NAUERT: All right.

SANDUSKY: After my boat crew left, what was he going to do? Start up another boat crew and just tempt the odds to get shot again?

NAUERT: All right. Del Sandusky, thanks a lot for joining us from Boston tonight.

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.