Posted on 12/17/2004 9:38:15 PM PST by freespirited
The Houston telephone book lists more than 16,000 lawyers, some clearly more famous than others. Very few – perhaps only one – can credibly claim to have helped pull the hand brake on a presidential campaign.
John O'Neill had his day on the national stage 33 years ago, but this year he emerged from the weeds of his comfortable anonymity because of a burning belief that John Kerry would make an awful commander in chief – and had to be stopped.
In February, Mr. O'Neill rallied more than 200 fellow Vietnam vets to form Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, one of the independent political groups known as 527s made possible by campaign finance reform. . . .
Mr. O'Neill was no stranger to the argument. He had debated Mr. Kerry in 1971 on national television. More than three decades later, with his old nemesis running for president, major newspapers and networks mostly ignored Mr. O'Neill for months, until his anti-Kerry broadside Unfit for Command stormed the best-seller list. So huge was the Swifties' impact that traditional media grudgingly picked up the story, if only to challenge their claims.
But the fog of political warfare they generated never quite dissipated. Mr. Kerry, a Navy vet, made his military service the centerpiece of his campaign, but the Swiftie assault stopped the Democrat's momentum cold. Mr. Kerry never fully regained his offensive footing.
Love him or hate him, Mr. O'Neill turned a presidential election on its ear. For his drive, vision and influence, we name him a 2004 finalist for The Dallas Morning News Texan of the Year.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
He claimed to be a Democrat during the campaign. I wonder if now he prefers to be a Rapublican...
I don't remember him claimng to be a democrat... I believe he said he has voted for BOTH parties, including even a 3rd party in Ross Perot..
How about a Medal of Freedom.
We will never know how much was saved by one man standing
his ground. He changed to course of history.
It's a shame that O'Neill won't get the Medal of Freedom because of the appearance of improperly operating a 527. No one says boo, however, when moveon.org claims ownership of the dims.
Yes, mine too and my admiration.
He sure did.
Oh, and has Kerry sued Mr. O'Neill yet? No?
Two predictions:
1. Kerry doesn't sue, and
2. Kerry won't run for president again (as long as O'Neill is alive anyway).
Last laugh in deed.
5.56mm
No, he said he's an Independent.
He also stated that when Nixon invited him to the White House during his first debates with sKerry he let President Nixon know that he was a Democrat. However, back in those days everyone was a Democrat in Texas, either Conservative or Liberal.
Hand brake, hell he shoved a 2 by 4 thru the spokes! It took guts, but the courage of the Swifties was never in doubt. We owe a debt of gratitude to those who kept the lying bastard John Kerry out of the oval office.
We don't have party registration in Texas. These days I'm sure he votes mostly Republican, unless there are moderate Democrats around. He's probably an American patriot but not a radical right wing.
My understanding from his previous statements is that he used to be a Texas Democrat but along the way he has voted for the best candidate, and that would be mostly Republicans of late.
We Americans should get together and have an event bestowing him with a high honor of some type.... something given to him by the Citizens of the United States.
Wouldn't that be cool!!!!
Maybe we can do it in his home town of Houston, TX. What you all think? We can do it after the inauguration of President Bush or something during the spring.
Haven't posted much lately and just noticed my tag line is PASSE. he he
(John O'Neill would be my nominee for such an accolade.)
bump
I believe there is a Private Citizen category among the FR Eagle Awards. I'm with you regarding who deserves it.
What do people do, just declare themselves Republicans or Democrats?
I do believe when I saw him in San Francisco in Sept that he mentioned that he is/was a Democrat when questioned on his partiality.
Of course the whole Swift Vet thing was nonpartisan, they just wanted the truth to come out about Kerry.
I am sure he has voted conservatively for quite some time.
The speaker with him, Buzz Patterson, who worked in the Clinton Administration in the 90's and carried the Nuclear Football was a Democrat.
His book, Dereliction of Duty is a great one too.
Am still seething with anger over the mistreatment this great American received from the girlie "Laurie" O'Donnell on Scarborough not too long ago.
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