You might recall that Bush didn't saw down any sort of lies, even about himself, being told by the Kerrynistas. Bush said "above the fray" but that doesn't mean he or Karl Rove didn't appreciate what the Swift Vets did.
Heck, we all appreciate what the Swift Vets and other Vietnam Vets did. Bless them all.
Well, I'm not being critical of the Swift Vets at all!
My criticism is with Bush and Rove not helping them out more or supporting their claims. IIRC, when the Swifties began getting some attention, McCain was openly critical and Bush was indirectly critical (lumping them in with groups like MoveOn.org which he thought should be curtailed).
They didn't say "Perhaps the media should look deeper into their claims" or "I think Kerry should answer their questions" instead of just ignoring them.