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."
hehehe like rats off a sinking ship scurry scurry scurry...
Hillary will need more than a white horse to unseat Bush. But I figure they know that and have some Oct surprise in store for GWB.
Kerry/s record has been scrubbed but they haven't had experience with the swifties and with Freepers who will comb that record like nobody's business. We have people on this site who can find needles in haystacks. And I am sure, in the name of patriotism, they will "report for duty"
He has ALL the documents and letters, etc, did interviews, wrote a glowing book...and he doesn't know if what he wrote was true?
Some historians should switch over to novels and get it over with...not continue to deceive us with their own partisan agenda.
I hope Brinkley goes down with Kerry.
He doesn't want to be at the soup kitchen with Jayson Blair and Michael Besialles.
Strangest thing but I still have this gut feeling that this is what Wesley Clarke was saying was going to ruin Kerry's campaign. He had said this off the record and for some reason I think he knew something about this.
Nice try. But it will be quashed somewhere along the bureacratic line. When the story disappears, we can raise questions, but who will listen? We love to get our hopes up, but, as we learned with Clinton, don't expect the government to be principled or helpful in this sort of thing.
Hillary can't. SKerry has already received the nomination. They would need a miracle....
Why am I fearing that the investigation will find nothing? We all will be wearing egg on our faces. Not to mention, the huge backlash.
The night I posted a thread about how Judicial Watch filed the complaint to get this started, I heard a lot of 'so what' criticism, and the story was pulled from breaking news.
It seems like a pretty damn big story to me.
I'll bet the Navy won't finish their investigation before the election.
Brinkley is in full CYA mode,,he knows or suspects and wants to get on the right side of this.
"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"
It COULD spell doom? Like the voters want a liar for president? (Again)
Well, maybe he's right. There's still a possibility even after that, the media could spin things so it's Bush's fault.
I'll put my money on "Bureacratic snafu"
Its not the story that does it, its Judicial Watch that makes people skeptical. Their track record is horrible!
All as she planned.
She will soon whisper that one word in his ear which will inform him that it's time to withdraw.
"Foster"
My take exactly.
It sounds like Brinkley is distancing himself from his own Kerry biography.
"Hey, I only went with the facts as they were presented to me by Kerry and his associates. I accepted documents in good faith from a sitting Senator. I took him at his word. Who would have thought.... I mean, I had no idea that....."
Brinkley must have a good idea what could emerge. He seems uncertain as to which way events will unfold, and he's playing his cards very carefully.
"Hillary comes on her white horse..."
...to win one for the Zipper?
Perhaps Brinkley could tell Kerry to put his silver shoes on, click them together three times and say "I wish I was home in Kansas".
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.