Posted on 11/18/2004 9:02:57 AM PST by NavySEAL F-16
Failed presidential candidate John Kerry is considering filing a libel suit against the leader of the group Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, John O'Neill, whose book "Unfit for Command" is credited with capsizing Kerry's Vietnam-based campaign.
"I don't know if they will actually go forward," a member of Kerry's inner circle told New York Post's PAGE SIX, edited by Richard Johnson. "But consideration is serious. If Kerry plans on running again in 2008 — and I'm hearing he will — it would make sense that he'd file the suit."
(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...
pppplease, Brer Flipper, don' th'ow us in dat dere briar patch!
Uh.... John?
Better dig out those old college texts.
That copy of Prosser?
Try opening the cover, there's all kinds of writing inside.
Look for the part about "truth is an absolute defense"...
GREAT! Put Kerry under oath and ask him all sorts of questions. Get Kerry's diary and make it public, make his entire Navy file public. Please do it!""
sKerry better have John Edwards explain the legal meaning of the word "DISCLOSURE" to JFK. His Form 180 would come to light, and I believe the outpouring of support and money for the Swifties would be overwhelming.
While they are in the disclosure phase of things, get Douglas Brinkley on the record with what he REALLY knows.
There would be plenty of high rollers in the media who could be cut off at the knees with this. Dan Rather and the sources of his phoney papers against BUSH could also be vrought into the fray.
BRING IT ON!!!!! SOONER THE BETTER!!!!
We need to back the Swiftboad guys with our support.
Let's hope he is stupid enough to pursue such a suit! Would give cause for legal release of his records by the DoD.
Kerry is hoping he can run O'Neill and the other Swiftees off by threatening to bankrupt them. What he is not counting on are:
1. The number of Vietnam veterans like myself who will donate what little treasure we have accumulated to help these honorable men defend their honor and
2. The countersuits O'Neill and others will bring against JFK, THK, Soros, and others.
A word to JFK and THK: Think of the last decent Democrat president, Harry S Truman who said, "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."
Or maybe today's version should be to paraphrase Alec Baldwin: If you can't stand the heat, move to France.
The discovery process will be fun. :-)
Please do it Kerry.
Disclosure!!!!!!
KERRY FIT TO SUE 'UNFIT' AUTHOR, NY POST, PAGE SIX
November 18, 2004 -- LIBERAL loser John Kerry might be planning to strike back at John O'Neill, the "Unfit for Command" author who claims some of the credit for Kerry's defeat, sources say.
In the book, published by Regnery not long before the election, O'Neill — who, like Kerry, commanded swift boats in Vietnam — attacked Kerry's war record and branded him a traitor.
O'Neill sold over 800,000 copies and his group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, raised $25 million to battle the Kerry campaign and ran TV ads trashing the candidate. Former Sen. Bob Dole endorsed the group.
O'Neill says he wrote the book because Kerry called his fellow Vietnam vets monsters, terrorists and war criminals, for which he has never apologized. Kerry has called O'Neill's charges lies, though he made some of the comments in front of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971.
"I will leave it to the professionals to decide whether we played a crucial role in defeating Kerry, but I am very satisfied," O'Neill crowed to the London Sunday Telegraph days after George W. Bush's victory.
The paper reported Kerry was "furious" at staffers who advised him not to fight back against O'Neill and noted that the nominee was "enraged" over the book.
Now, "the Kerry camp is thinking about filing a libel lawsuit against Regnery and O'Neill," a source close to the candidate's inner circle tells PAGE SIX. "I don't know if they will actually go forward, but consideration is serious. If Kerry plans on running again in 2008 — and I'm hearing he will — it would make sense that he'd file the suit."
Kerry's rep, David Wade, said he hadn't heard about any proposed lawsuit, but promised to look into it.
"It would be a lot smarter of Kerry to just apologize," O'Neill told PAGE SIX. "No lawsuits are going to change the testimony he gave and the impact it had on POWs."
O'Neill, who is now a lawyer in Houston, says he has not heard from the Kerry camp, but will defend himself against any legal action. O'Neill, who charged that Kerry faked his wounds and won his medals under false pretenses, says he won't write another book if Kerry runs in 2008, but will definitely campaign against him again.
Golly!! this is a no brainer If all I had to do was sign my 180 and I would be president, no contest. Ha Ha, But wait if I sign and am exposed criminal religated to the dregs of Military History. Take a chance Kerry!!!!
I think it's nothing more than a pre-emptive ploy, knowing there is an ongoing movement to get him kicked out of the senate.
kerry is trying to figure out how to use the 15mil left over from his campaign to further his political career
Indeed. I would feel badly for the disruption it would cause Mr. O'Neill and his family, but I'm sure he considered this risk before proceeding. And you're right. I don't think he'd have too many problems covering his legal bills.
But I don't think it will proceed. If it did, Kerry's reputation is finished.
actually I don't know why the Swiftees don't sue the Traitor
BRING IT ON!!
"If Kerry plans on running again in 2008 — and I'm hearing he will.."
And if he does, he'll fare about like Gore.
Kerry failed.
Getting to know him better, won't make people like or trust him more.
Kerry would probably be forced to produce his full records in discovery--which he apparently doesn't want to do.
Not to mention the difficulty of a public and political figure attempting to enforce the libel laws against the 1st Amendment
I suspect O'Neill is thinking the same thing...
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