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."
Click here to check out my web site dedicated to exposing Hillary.
Waiting for '08 means that she'll have to stand for re-election, perhaps against Rudy.
...she doesn't want to walk into a career knock-out blow delivered by a sitting popular President...
Bush is not that popular.
Damn, looks like we're going to have to depend on Doris-Kearns Goodwin for our official history. Unless Jayson Blair decides to give it a try.
Got him mixed with that rotund foreign policy fellow...an Eagle Burger would be a tad illegal...
Brinkley now running for cover, trying to recover some of is good reputation.
"Hillary comes on her white horse..."
It's too late for her to get on the ballots... Unless it was Edwards/Clinton?
Eeek.
"...."Is it sloppiness, is it purposeful intent, is there an easy explanation for it?....."
How many times can the dems use this excuse? I seem to remember Sandy Berger's problem was inadvertant and most likely a result of sloppiness. Has this become SOP for the DNC?
I just want that repeated, as it is correct according to what my husband has been saying since Kerry's Silver Star has been discussed. Non-military people just didn't understand that a Silver Star wouldn't be awarded for anything but valor.
How is it that Brinkley didn't learn of this stuff? Not so careful of a historian, is he?
Of course we do. This is why Dubya's second term has to be huge. It was Reagan's coattails that enabled 41 to win. Let's see if Dubya's coattails can do the same for the GOP candidate in '08.
It must be a governor that wins the nomination (no, not the Governator). Bill Owens of Colorado is my first pick.
The simple fact is "Hillary needs Bubba, dead or alive". It only means re-phrasing sentences. What I'm saying is: If Bill Clinton had never been President, we wouldn't know who the heck she is nor would we care".
She was the wife of the Governor of Ankansas for cripes sakes. Who knew?? She's a leach!
Yet more on this probe, ping.
Equine feces. She already has plenty of money and HER people in Kerry's campaign.
She'd have no chance, being such a divisive figure against a President with approval ratings over 50.
And Bush isn't a divisive figure?
But mostly, he'll be playing the good soldier and keeping the party intact.
Kerry is an impish spoiled brat and a total wimp. If Theresa pulls the pulg (or if Hillary pulls the trigger), he'll take the dive, or else.
In the 1990's Adm. Boorda, a highly respected career officer, committed suicide because of the question of his "V" for valor citations on the Silver Cross.
(same questions pending for Kerry).
After his Adm. Boorda's death, Kerry's remarks were critical of the Admiral for enhancing his record.
This could be huge.
DON'T confuse us it's: This could be HUGH
I only had to go to post 7 to find what I wanted to say.
Apparently, if the deception isn't "purposeful", then it'll be no problem.
What deception by Kerry in this instance wouldn't be purposeful? If the deception was an "error" and not purposeful (and only JFK knows at this point), he naturally would have filed whatever paperwork was needed to correct the "error", right? And he wouldn't be claiming that all 240 of the swifties were vicious liars.
Right?
Man, the stench of Clintonism still hangs heavy in liberal demoland...how I hate these Clintonites.
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