Posted on 05/04/2006 1:13:03 PM PDT by Phil Harmonic
Two years ago, Charleston's Billy Schachte was caught in the undertow of presidential campaign debates over the circumstances of John Kerry's first Purple Heart. He had commanded Kerry's first Vietnam combat mission and his recollection of the experience was very much different than Kerry's published account.
Today, this tussle over truth and confusion simmers on just beneath the public's attention. That's likely to change soon. Television news veteran Marvin Kalb and his daughter are working through a Harvard-based grant to publish a book that will include commentary on the effectiveness and the credibility of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and Schachte's personal role in the 2004 campaign.
Billy Schachte was a hesitant player on America's biggest political stage. Next time, he says, he will not be so reluctant. He has a pointed response to Marvin Kalb's inquiries and to anyone else who wants to join the discussion: facts define truth and truth cures confusion; Senator Kerry should release all his military records and his personal chronicle. The disagreement can be settled accordingly.
[snip]
In early 2004, New Orleans-based historian Douglas Brinkley published "Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War." Kerry recalled he was in command of the skimmer, and his version includes engaging enemy sampans and then being wounded in an exchange of fire and that's how he said he qualified for his first Purple Heart.
"According to him, I was not even in the boat," the admiral says. "I was astonished. A rookie would never be put in command, and his account of how he was wounded in his first mission is just incredible."
[snip]
...the admiral and many others were nagged by the looming questions: How could Kerry be so confused, and how did he qualify for his first Purple Heart award?
(Excerpt) Read more at charleston.net ...
Did you know that John Kerry served in Viet Nam?
Ping
what would China do?
If we don't get on the ball, China will get there before us!
The admiral bristles at such a premise and wonders why Kalb does not insist that Kerry release his entire service record.
"The truth is not scattered, it's in John Kerry's records," Schachte contends. "This debate is so unnecessary, and Senator Kerry should end it once and for all and authorize release of all his military records. He owes it to America to do just that."
Great article. John we are still waiting for you to release your service records!
Did he really? He should have said so during his political career and not be so modest.
I heard he was a vet, therefore capable of expounding on many topics unrelated to war and other such stuff.
PS (or BS) he was wounded in action.
"Idle speculation"
Hillary has John pinned down by the Post-election Tim Russert interview where Kerry said he would release all of his records. Kerry had a selective release to the Boston Globe to calm the furor, but that won't do. A detailed book defending him from Hahvard might give the MSM enough not to look into this further.
BTW I think this first purple heart story is a wash, a maybe, maybe not situation.
The truth is not scattered, it's in John Kerry's records," Schachte contends. "This debate is so unnecessary, and Senator Kerry should end it once and for all and authorize release of all his military records. He owes it to America to do just that."
To be precise, he released them to the LA Times and the AP as well.
BTW I think this first purple heart story is a wash, a maybe, maybe not situation.
To this day, as far as I know, the circumstances under which his first PH was awarded (some 2-3 MONTHS after the "qualifying" event) are unknown. Perhaps Marvin Kalb will fill in the blanks?
Yep, it look like Kalb was retained to put an end to the SwiftVets so they don't come back in 2008. You can be sure that, behind the scenes, Hillary is working to damage Kerry.
Hold Kerry to his own standard, have some one leak the docs for the good of the country.
Hold the phone!
Did I read this right here, that fake, phony, fraud John Kerry STILL hasn't released his full military records?
Go public with it!
If CBS could, why can't we?
Kerry has not released papers to show that he served in Viet Nam or that he even received any Purple Heart of any other medals. It is possible that he wrote up all of the info himself and has not properly received any medals.
John Kerry prove yourself!
I'm unsure at this point as to Kalb's motivations, nor who, if anyone, might be motivating him. As Kerry is overtly engaged in his own political rehabilitation, it is within the realm of plausibility, if not certainty, that his rivals for the '08 nomination may develop a newfound interest in the Swift Boat allegations. It would be interesting to learn what political inclinations Kalb may have demonstrated in his journalistic career...or who he may have overtly supported, if anyone.
You can be sure that, behind the scenes, Hillary is working to damage Kerry.
Well, it looks like Demos have all but discounted Kerry as viable for '08 (Eleanor Clift recently described him as a "windsurfing dilletante"). I'm thinking that in Hillary's calculus, Kerry isn't yet on her radar.
He's a lefty!! He's at the Harvard School of Jounalism.
Marvin Kalb, Lecturer in Public Policy, is a Senior Fellow at the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy and Faculty Chair for the Kennedy School's Washington programs. Kalb was the Shorenstein Center's Founding Director and Edward R. Murrow Professor of Press and Public Policy (1987-1999). His distinguished journalism career encompasses 30 years of award-winning reporting for CBS and NBC News....."
This will be a slime job on the Swift Boat Vets - it is probably the first salvo in Kerry's attempt to run for President again in '08.
The best (and most) political money I ever spent was on the Swift Boat Vet's efforts to derail Kerry. It worked ...a bit too close for comfort but it worked!
I'm ready to back them again....any time, any where!
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