I like it. I still want to know who changed Kerry's discharge to honorable.
Best political investment I ever made!
But they also bagged an intended target, the MSM, showing that in 2004 they were not journalists but the PR staff for the Kerry campaign. The handling of the Swiftees along with Rathergate exposed the MSM to the average viewer for what they really are.
Ping for Swifties..
"O'NEILL:...None of us will ever forget the day Kerry testi-fied before Congress. It was like the Kennedy assassination. And so we just couldn't live in the United States if we didn't make a statement about his testimony in 1971...."
"...TAE: You didn't receive criticism from the media alone. Even President Bush criticized your group. Were you disappointed by his reaction?
O'NEILL: I would have felt more comfortable if he would have simply recognized this was an issue between us and Kerry that was not really related to him. This is about criticism of our unit and fellow veterans. I didn't think his comment that 527 ads should cease was unreasonable, although I disagree with it...."
"...TAE: What general lessons do you think can be taken from the Swift Boat vets' experience?
O'NEILL: One thing is that you cannot simply leave the conduct of national elections to politicians and political parties. It's simply a process that's too important. And they each have their own reasons for not wanting to cope with difficult issues or facts. I believe that the cardinal design of the First Amendment was free political speech. I don't think there would be a better example of it than our group coming forward. It's obvious that the materials we dealt with, the record of Kerry in Vietnam, his false war crimes charges, were very, very important in the selection of a President.
I think a second thing, as naive as this sounds, is that it's possible for a small number of people to influence things. And I think it indicates that the truth itself has a certain power that may at times overpower money and control by the media and the like...."
O'NEILL: Yes. I believe that he did that without fully understanding the circumstances. All of us say things we regret, and I hope he regrets that. I really hope he apologizes for it. I think that John McCain, candidly, confused senatorial courtesy with the suppression of free speech.
We were very grateful when his roommate at the Hanoi Hilton, Colonel Bud Day, came forward to strongly endorse our efforts. Colonel Day was the most decorated United States soldier since World War II and the winner of the Medal of Honor. It was good when he and many other POWs came forward to disagree with McCain.
TAE: Will this lead to media reform?
O'NEILL: I think reform is occurring right now. You've seen a tremendous drop in the ratings for the networks. There's a tremendous drop going on in readership for newspapers like the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune. Why are people leaving and seeking their news elsewhere? Because they start by simply wanting to get a good, factual account of what occurred. Then they're happy to listen to opinion pieces, but they're not willing to accept people who simply suppress the underlying facts. That's why people have gone to the Internet and to other sources for their news.
John O'Neill - he gets it. I was proud to in my small way, along with so many others, to publicize his group's original announcement, which of course got NO media coverage (save for Newsmax, WND, NRO ?), and to lay out their case against Kerry in the subsequent weeks and months. And FR was interested in this from the start, as well. I originally signed up with FR after tracing a few threads. And a lot of them came here. But the original announcement was big news on Drudge. That's how I learned about it. And I can't believe Hannity was on it before then.
Dearest Cableguy, You have NO idea how timely this story is with the happenings in my life today. Nothing really to do with Kerry, but the Vietnam Vets, our military - you name it.
I have to share this story with you all. I am at work now, at the Driving Range my family runs. We have had a guy here for about a week doing some odds and ends - hired by another friend we deal with. He is an older man - so I thought - and a VERY hard worker. He always says 'yes ma'am', and has been so polite to everyone.
Today, he came in for a moment (he very rarely takes a break), and somehow we started talking about 'stuff'. I offered him a cup of coffee (even though it is sitting out and is free for the taking, he will not - unless invited), and the conversation turned to kids these days, how parents don't do their jobs, teens are unsupervised - and I began to tell him about my son Josh, who wants to be an Army Ranger. He smiled and said, "That's what I was."
We began to talk about Freepers, the economy, the war. Hearing the point of view from a Vietnam Veteran is perhaps the most moving thing you can experience.
He talked about his faith in God. He told me he did his first tour, came home - and watched the squad he commanded come off the airplane. First, the 'walking' ones, then the wounded, then the body bags. He did not have anyone meeting him at the airport. He said he caught a taxi, and went straight to the nearest recruiting office, and signed up for his second tour. He wanted to make sure the next plane ride had more 'walking', than the last.
By the time he was finished with his story, we were both in tears. I thanked him - from the bottom of my heart for what he had fought for, and what he had gone through.
As he walked outside he said, the only thing that makes him angry is that he was fighting for the protesters too - those who blamed them and called them names. With tears he said - "that was my job, I was fighting for their freedom too. They just do not understand."
I just wanted to share this story with you all. It is one thing to listen to these guys talk on T.V., or read articles - but when you are face to face and can feel their pain - it sickens me that ANYBODY who claims to be an American - could be as hateful to the military as they are.
But, as he said, they have rights, too, even though we don't like what they have to say. I just pray WE continue to strengthen, and can make a difference in this world. Just like my friend. JK
Thanks for posting the article!
DOWNLOAD MP3 AND LISTEN TO ONE FINE SOLDIER
A studio quality version of ONE FINE SOLDIER is available on the new Parody CD -- YOU'VE BEEN FREEPED, Vol. 1. It also has a song about Kerry's 1971 vote in Kansas City about whether senators should be whacked for supporting the Vietnam war.
Time to bring this back. Will Jimmy Carter testify during confirmation hearings? Many of us suspect that he changed Kerry’s dishonorable to an honorable discharge.