Posted on 06/09/2005 8:36:30 AM PDT by CHARLITE
A front page story in the Boston Globe claimed that: "Senator John F. Kerry, ending at least two years of refusal, has waived privacy restrictions and authorized the release of his full military and medical records." In another Globe story Kerry had promised "The truth in its entirety will come out." But did it?
Kerry's election hopes faltered last summer and fall as accusations of fraudulent and incomplete military records were aired. The fact that Kerry repeatedly refused to sign a single-page military form called the Standard Form 180, that would have released all his military records to the public, was taken as proof he had something to hide.
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth head John O'Neill, who raised many of the charges against Kerry during the campaign, was challenged by Kerry on "Meet the Press" in January. Kerry promised he would sign his Standard Form 180, but he wanted former Swift Boat officer O'Neill to sign as well.
All depends on how it's filled out
O'Neill did sign it and provided copies to the Chicago Sun-Times. According to O'Neill, "The Standard Form 180 could release 'the full military and medical records.' Or it could release just a few. It all depends on how it is filled out and where it was sent."
"There is nothing magic about signing a SF 180," said former Naval Judge Advocate General Mark Sullivan. "It is sort of like your checkbook. You can fill out a check for one dollar or a million. It is the same check form."
"And the Globe story says Kerry sent it to the Navy Personnel Command, which is only a limited storage location. So it is not surprising that the Globe then notes that what they received was largely 'duplication' of records previously released. The Navy Personnel Command primarily stores a subset of service records rather than a person's full military records. There is no doubt there are a lot of after-action records missing from what Kerry has released," said Sullivan.
Kerry's not talking
Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs has already found a discrepancy confirmed by the Department of the Navy of "at least a hundred pages" missing from those already disclosed by Kerry.
"If you take a look at my SF 180," O'Neill said, "you will see I have authorized the total release of all my records to anyone requesting to see them. But without seeing how Kerry's SF 180 was filled out, everyone is only guessing about what was released."
So how an SF 180 is filled out is as important as signing it. But no one in the press has yet claimed to have seen a copy of Kerry's SF-180. When asked if she had a copy of Kerry's SF 180, the Globe's Managing Editor Mary Jane Wilkinson said, "I haven't seen it, and I don't know if anyone here has."
Kerry's Senate offices could not provide a copy of the Kerry SF 180 and would not answer inquiries. Is it possible that Kerry filled it out wrong or sent it to the wrong place?
O'Neill made Kerry an offer. "I'll be happy to bring one to Kerry's office and help him fill it out. And then we can take mine and his and deliver them to the right place together to make sure, as Kerry puts it, 'the truth in its entirety will come out.' "
Now that the Boston Globe has in its possession what it claims are Kerry's "full military and medical records," is the Globe ready to make these records available to the public? Wilkinson replied, "It is my understanding that Kerry will release these papers to anyone else now that he has signed the Form 180. The Boston Globe is not going to make available the papers we have received."
Thomas H. Lipscomb is a senior fellow at the Annenberg Center for the Digital Future at USC.
bump!
Out frigging standing! Big momma there looks like she is going to stomp a mudhole in both their butts and then walk it dry. Thank you for giving me a good laugh today. NSNR
"O'Neill made Kerry an offer. "I'll be happy to bring one to Kerry's office and help him fill it out. And then we can take mine and his and deliver them to the right place together to make sure, as Kerry puts it, 'the truth in its entirety will come out.' "
OK, Mr. John F. Kerry -- so why don't you do it?
Gotta love O'Neill!
Thank God for his persistence and courage to continue speaking up.
(The preceding laugh was brought to you by www.strangepolitics.com)
""And the Globe story says Kerry sent it to the Navy Personnel Command, which is only a limited storage location. So it is not surprising that the Globe then notes that what they received was largely 'duplication' of records previously released. The Navy Personnel Command primarily stores a subset of service records rather than a person's full military records. There is no doubt there are a lot of after-action records missing from what Kerry has released," said Sullivan."
People should look at the damn Form 180. Sending the request to the Navy is not an option. For anyone from Kerry's years in the Navy the request has to go to code #14, which is the NPRC in St. Louis.
Also the Form 180 is really just a request for the "separation" details. There wouldn't be "after action reports" in it. For crying out loud.
This is typical of the sloppiness involved here.
Well, if you see a guy with a knife sticking out each eye, screaming in pain for help...
I'm the guy behind him rinsing his eyes out.
Rumors were floating around that Kerry had FBI problems due to his anti American Vietnam activity and that Carter helped wipe his slate clean. He used his 3 Purple Heart scratches to bolt from Vietnam and I am convinced it was planned. He had no intention of staying a full tour. I was amazed to see soldiers get one Purple Heart for numerous injuries that were serious. This joker Kerry manages to find 3 people that would award him medals? I would like to see the names of the 3 men signing off on the awards.
How can you be such a self-acknowledged Viet Nam War "hero", when you are such a sniveling coward when it comes to a little after action paper work?
Genuinely courageous people can look adversity squarely in the eye, and deal with the issues and consequences honestly, completely, and without flinching. (For an example of such a courageous person, you need look no farther than our President Dubya).
I'd like to see O'Neill at the UN or in the Senate knocking heads.
heh, O'Neil makes me chuckle when he offers to take a form to him and help him fill it out! heh
W released reams and reams of pages... they keep digging for more like a missed physical or something but there is no more.
I think there is little doubt that Hillary will go negative on Kerry.
Normally a candidate going down in the primaries runs out of money. When they get strongly attacked the money dries up. Then the candidate with draws and the race is over.
I don't think Kerry can run Hillary out of money. I don't think Kerry can run Hillary out of money.
I suspect both would go for the jugular even if the cost was a Republican winning the presidency.
Sit back and relax... The Democratic Primary campaign in 2008 may make the Blood Baths in Roman Coliseum look like a Sunday school picnic.
Thus in 2004 he put more emphasis on getting to the polls the people who would vote for President Bush but may not vote, rather than the traditional approach of only going after thee undecided voters and the bass. The voter turn out in 2004 was 122 million, in 2000 it was 105 million compared to 103 million on 1992. Republicans and the Democrats obviously got out lots of voters.
The Rove genious was to go after the consevative but unlikely voter harder than he went after the undecided voter. He also went after the Conservative Democratic voter. And he only did it in states that were up for grabs.
There are, I think, Lessons from both 1992 and 2004 that give us a clue of some strategies that could be helpful in 2008.
Click here for the 'tator take on the lessons of 1992 applied to 2008
"John Kerry, the storm continues to gather and it will not go away. I promise you that."
What the fool does not realize is he can do it now and hope it all blows over or he can do it when Hillary comes knocking at primary time.
That was uncalled for :(
Jimmah Carter's blanket amnesty for war protestors was no help either. Worst President in my lifetime. Disgraceful.
I know W released reams and reams of paper. I'm just wondering if he signed a form 180 and who he release the info to because the typical DIM response will be: "W didn't sign one, so why does sKerry have to".
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