Posted on 06/06/2005 10:38:14 PM PDT by nickcarraway
ANOTHER KERRY DISCHARGE
Before Memorial Day weekend, Sen. John Kerry sat down with editors of his hometown newspaper, the Boston Globe and announced that he had signed the form SF 180, authorizing the Department of Defense to grant access to all his military records. This, more than a year after he had claimed the press and public had seen all there was to see from his military record.
Only one problem: according to several sources who formerly worked on the Kerry campaign, the senator expects that little to nothing new will be in the files that are released. "He's fairly confident that there is nothing in there that would be considered embarrassing or controversial," says a former adviser of Kerry.
According to another former campaign staffer, there was talk late in the campaign that Kerry and senior advisers had previously filed a request for the documents from the Defense Department, and had viewed the file that would be made public. "If he did, there was nothing earthshaking, or else you would have seen people go into defense mode," says another former campaign staffer.
But why is Kerry -- if he actually has gone ahead -- signing SF 180 now? During the election cycle, the New York Sun was the only newspaper of record to delve into Kerry's odd military and post-military career. The paper's reporting -– which included background quotes from a former Harvard Law School administrator stating that Kerry's application to the school may have been scuttled due to issues surrounding his background and military service -- led many to believe that Kerry's record would be dynamite material. After all, how does a man who attended the best private schools and Yale undergrad end up going to what was then a mediocre Boston College law school?
Kerry has claimed that BC Law was not his choice. He'd lost his run for political office in the fall of 1972, then learned his then-wife Julia was pregnant, so Yale Law was out. He then claimed that he never did apply to Harvard because he missed the submission deadline.
But the New York Sun last November 1 reported a different scenario:
Mr. Kerry has said, "I applied to Harvard, Boston University, and Boston College. I was extremely late. Only BC would entertain a late application."
It is hard to see why Mr. Kerry had to file an "extremely late" application since he lost the congressional race in Lowell, Mass., the first week of November 1972 and was basically doing nothing until he entered law school the following September of 1973. A member of the Harvard Law School admissions committee recalled that the real reason Mr. Kerry was not admitted was because the committee was concerned that because Mr. Kerry had received a less than honorable discharge they were not sure he could be admitted to any state bar.
Kerry campaign staff when presented with the N.Y. Sun story last fall never addressed the issue directly, and some believe the SF 180 document will answer a number of those unanswered questions from the campaign.
"Our greatest fear as a campaign was that someone enterprising enough would figure out a way to get to those files through other sources and means and do to Kerry what we did to Bush's National Guard files," says one of the former Kerry staffers. "But as time went by, it became clear that there just wasn't anything out there. We were safe."
But this time around, it may not be Republicans looking for dirt about Kerry. Some Democrats with an eye to 2008 are interested in seeing Kerry taken down a couple of notches, taking him out of play for another run at the White House.
A VICTORY FOR TOM DELAY
According to staffers at Americans United for Separation of Church and State, their boss Rev. Barry Lynn requested a speaking slot at the Campaign for America's Future "Take Back America" conference last week but was rejected. His organization was allowed to set up a table on the concourse, but that was it.
"They're not letting Barry speak this year," one disappointed Americans United staffer said. When asked if Lynn would show up at all during the conference, Lynn's people said no, not even as an ordinary participant. "That's not his style," one said.
This isn't new apparently. Lynn hasn't been given a spot in previous years either.
On the other hand, left-wing evangelical Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics, was featured at the event's Friday sendoff and given a special book signing period.
Interestingly, Americans United for Separation of Church and State was listed in the conference program as simply "Americans United," dropping the "church and state" part of its name.
Clearly, even the left doesn't want to appear anti-religious.
F180 ping
"He's fairly confident that there is nothing in there that would be considered embarrassing or controversial," says a former adviser of Kerry.
translation: he paid off his friends or blackmailed certain Navy officials to destroy anything that could be embarasssing or controversial, ie he had his record further whitewashed?
because if there is nothing there, why didn't he deflate the Swift Boat Vets by releasing his military records then and there....
the good news is if there is nothing there, he'll piss off all the Democrats for yet another strategic blunder....
then again this is the same guy that said he knew the Viet Cong and they would have no reason to kill the South Vietnamese after the war ended....
My, my, my......
Our brave Silver Star and three Purple Heart winner -- was tossed on his ass?
I wonder if this will ever be proved and made REALLY public?
Semper Fi
I would imagine "The Swimmer" could get Kerry in just about any bar he wanted to go to.
And will the press admit that the Democrats are unforgivable for even suggesting that Kerry be their leading candidate in 2004?
Perhaps the "V" on your Silver Star will now be explained, Senator Kerry.
I have always detested Carter for that.
You and most of the veterans who served honorably during that difficult time period. Carter was a weasel doing the work of the liberal, hate America crowd. His despicable action in this whole affair smells very BAD.
I too feel that his Navy records were sanitized. It would be real interesting to read what the FBI has in his file.
It would be nice to learn the WHOLE truth about this bastard --and the bastards that helped clean up his mess..
Carter could have been involved.... It sounds like something he would do ---- clean up a fellow American traitor's record..
Semper Fi
If I read this correctly it has not been released to the general public but to the Boston Globe. The Boston Globe is his number one cheer leader. How do we know it was released except for the Bostons Globes word. If it was released to them and them only they will not publish anything bad about Kerry.
This stinks.
where's a conservative minded Mark Felt when you need him eh?
Unless someone that I trust sees the SIGNED 180 I won't believe John Kerry.
Not to worry...
Whatever Kerry comes up with -- Rest assured that money will flow into the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, to get to the REAL truth...
Lots of money..... More than enough money......
You just gotta love those guys......
They remain the only effective "Nuclear Option" the "right" has.... We have learned, the pansy ass "Republican Congresscritters" are as worthless as tits on a boar hog.
Semper Fi
The fix is in....
>>If I read this correctly it has not been released to the general public but to the Boston Globe.
I'm wondering the same thing.
See this thread, which is based on new information supposedly released as a result of Form 180 signing:
Transcript shows Kerry's Yale grades similar to Bush
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1417975/posts
I am a bit confused. Does the 180 make his records public domain? Can anyone access them? If not, what is the purpose of the 180?
LT ping
Thank you for the ping!
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