Posted on 09/05/2004 10:29:40 AM PDT by areafiftyone
Sen. John Kerry's campaign biographer Douglas Brinkley said Sunday that if an ongoing Navy investigation into Kerry's military decorations turns up evidence of "purposeful" deception, it could spell doom for the top Democrat's White House bid.
Praising reporter Thomas Lipscomb, who broke news of the Navy investigation on Friday, Brinkley told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg, "Journalists are going to have to see whether there's a discrepancy on [the citations posted to Kerry's] web site - whether there's something wrong that's said there or not."
"If so," said the "Tour of Duty" author, "Kerry would have to fix it immediately - and it does raise some questions as to why that would happen."
"Is it sloppiness, is it purposeful intent, is there an easy explanation for it?" Brinkley wondered.
He said that while questions raised by the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth about Kerry's war record have been very damaging, "so far they haven't been lethal." But Brinkley predicted that a discrepancy with Kerry's medals could seriously escalate his political problems.
Asked if inconsistencies uncovered by the Navy probe could be the "death knell" for Kerry's campaign, Brinkley told Malzberg, "It could."
In the next breath he hastened to add, however, "Right now it's unclear. So we have to just wait to see what all this adds up to."
The presidential historian called on Kerry to authorize the release of his full military file, saying, "Clearly some of these military records should be made available to the press."
If Brinkley is this weak after all of the documnetation he's seen, then all that's left is playing real hard here in the 2nd half and the outcome will be sure.
Bush through Rove could still find a way to suppress the Conservative vote and lose, but I pray they are smarter than that.
Why would he pursue the legitimacy of a signed, official document just for a guy's biography? One would think everything that he was privy to via Kerry was legitimate.
They'll just brazenly deny everything and call the mess a Republican smear/plot/conspiracy.
Yeah...
Kerry resigns the nomination
No way Dems are going to let Pretty Boy be the nominee
Hillary comes on her white horse...
Its all in the cards.
Before the convention I would have agreed with you, but after the dims had their convention I don't think they can change their candiditate.
If I'm wrong someone correct me.
Jack
This Hillary stuff is fantasy and always has been.
Starting pool on Edwards life expectancy after taking office.
I say 30 days
I'm puttiing some money on Santorum. (Sp?)
Brinkley.... Does he know the difference between a discerning historian and being a clerical typist?
First of all, it depends on what they are investigating. I think too much attention is being paid to the non-issue of the "V" device on the SS. As indicated, the first PH and the issuance of new medals are more important, i..e, the Lehman connection.
Thanks for your explanation. However, how do we know exactly how thoroughly they are going to investigate?
Yeap, sounds like the rats are jumpin' off the ship.
They would need a miracle....
>>>
Or an Arkancide, a Ron Brown plane crash, a Fort Marcy Park...the Kerricelli option seemingly left after nomination, but none of this stuff gets in the way of the Clinton/McAullife Communist DemocRATic Party machine...
ping
Not having read any of his books, I assume he only had the material given to him to write the story with. He wasn't investigating, he was hired to write the biography of a big phony. For all I know he's a good author.
The fact that even he is distancing himself from Kerry speaks volumes for Kerry's character.
Somebody sent me a link to the 50 states' election law the other day. Every state has a deadline for registering a candidate for the ballot. Many states' deadline has already past for the November elections. How do you suppose the Dems get around that?
Do you think President Bush or Karl Rove are stupid enough to let them get away with it?
If she spent all her time in the leftist haven of Hawaii, she might pull that state close. She'd lose everything, everywhere. She'd produce a lot of noise from the MSM and the 25% of voters who have wet dreams over her, but she'd cede the middle of the electorate even more than Kerry is now. The MSM won't be able to help her -- if they could make a difference, they'd be helping Kerry now. She's got nothing.
LOL! Great work, thanks...
Brinkley is finding out now what it means to go out on a limb and put one's credentials at stake on the say so of someone who apparently ain't all that honest. But things being what they are, we'll probably hear the defenders in the press tell us all about how there should be no consequence to the actions of either party.
No way Jose. You will lose your $100. Some people can't let go of the Hillary boogeyman. Before the Dem convention, there was speculation that Hillary would be the nominee. Now, even after the convention nominates Kerry and with the election less than 60 days away, Hillary is somehow going to still be the nominee. Unbelievable scenario.
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