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Media Go Cuckoo For Kerry Accepting Pickens Swift Boat Challenge
NewsBusters ^ | November 17, 2007 | Noel Sheppard

Posted on 11/17/2007 10:33:31 AM PST by faq

Did you hear about that challenge famed oilman T. Boone Pickens made on November 6 when he offered $1 million to anyone that could disprove even one charge made against Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?

Like most people that weren't at the American Spectator dinner the evening Pickens made the offer, you probably didn't learn about this until Kerry accepted the challenge ten days later.

[...]

For those interested, this was Pickens's formal reply:

Dear Senator Kerry:

So glad to hear from you regarding the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth political ad campaign, and an offer I made public at an American Spectator dinner in Washington, D.C. last week. I am intrigued by your letter, and am certainly open to your challenge.

My concern at the Spectator Dinner was, and continues to be, that you and other political figures were and are maligning the Swift Boat Veterans, and I want to prevent this important part of American history from being unfairly portrayed.

In order to disprove the accuracy of the Swift Boat ads, I will ultimately need you to provide the following: 1) The journal you maintained during your service in Vietnam. 2) Your military record, specifically your service records for the years 1971-1978, and copies of all movies and tapes made during your service.

When you have done so, if you can then prove anything in the ads was materially untrue, I will gladly award $1 million. As you know, I have been a long and proud supporter of the American military and veterans' causes. I now challenge you to make this commitment: If you cannot prove anything in the Swift Boat ads to be untrue, that you will make a $1 million gift to the charity I am choosing -- the Medal of Honor Foundation.

Sincerely,

T. Boone Pickens

[This is an excerpt]


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: kerry; swiftboat
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To: faq

2) Your military record, specifically your service records for the years 1971-1978,

the very thing that kerry fears the most.......I sincerely hope that Pickens et al know that it is the Secretary of the Army who had the authority and responsibility for upgrading discharges for all services, not just the Army.....


21 posted on 11/17/2007 11:04:24 AM PST by Vn_survivor_67-68 (CALL CONGRESSCRITTERS TOLL-FREE @ 1-800-965-4701)
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To: Freee-dame

Ping Ping Ping


22 posted on 11/17/2007 11:05:08 AM PST by maica
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To: faq

Ha, ha, ha!

I thought maybe T. Boone Pickens had stepped into it when he made that offer.

No, it appears that Kerry has stepped into it.

Pickens got where he is by being a very sharp guy.

Kerry got where he is by marrying increasingly rich women.

And it shows.


23 posted on 11/17/2007 11:05:44 AM PST by Cicero (Marcus Tullius)
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To: faq

As if the “career” of John Forbes Kerry wasn’t enough of a disaster, he is about to make it even worse.


24 posted on 11/17/2007 11:05:59 AM PST by montag813
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To: faq
I now challenge you to make this commitment: If you cannot prove anything in the Swift Boat ads to be untrue, that you will make a $1 million gift to the charity I am choosing -- the Medal of Honor Foundation.

Image Hosted by ImageShack.us

25 posted on 11/17/2007 11:06:50 AM PST by RoadKingSE (How do you know that that light at the end of the tunnel isn't a muzzle flash?)
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To: BuffaloJack

1977-78 is also the time when certain of his records were changed during the Carter Administration.


26 posted on 11/17/2007 11:06:51 AM PST by maica
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To: marvlus
Too risky for Kerry.

Kerry thinks that having a few former crewman on the Heinz payroll will somehow provide the requisite "truth".

Good thing Pickens wants documentation. That'll throw a monkey wrench into Kerry's plan.

I vaguely recall one instance where Kerry's journal doesn't even jibe with his letters sent home (Brinkley inadvertently let that one slip).

27 posted on 11/17/2007 11:08:21 AM PST by angkor ("There! half man, half bear, and half pig! Do you see it?!." Al Gore, South Park 11.12)
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To: Vn_survivor_67-68

Kinkos is going to need TWO fax machines to fabricate this many documents.


28 posted on 11/17/2007 11:15:38 AM PST by weegee (NO THIRD TERM. America does not need another unconstitutional Clinton co-presidency.)
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To: faq
This is the treatment of the Pickens/Kerry challenge that I read today.

Surprise.......according to this AP reporter, the Swiftboat Veterans have already been proven wrong.

You've got to hand it to the main stream media.

Kerry vows to disprove Swift boat claims

11/16/2007, 7:48 p.m. CST By GLEN JOHNSON

The Associated Press

(Edited by poster)

First in the book "Unfit for Command," and then in a series of television commercials, Kerry's critics challenged the circumstances for his military awards, accused him of doctoring reports and argued he never traveled into Cambodia as claimed.

While fellow veterans and reporters disproved many of the group's claims at the time, Kerry refused to air ads responding to the criticism. His own response was muted for fear of legitimizing his critics' attacks. The senator conceded after losing to Bush that his lackluster response likely cost him the election.

Ever since, Kerry has worked to lay the criticisms to rest.

In May 2005, he began allowing reporters access to his full Navy personnel and medical records — something he refused to do during the campaign.

Those records mostly duplicated documents Kerry released during the 2004 campaign. In addition, they included numerous commendations from commanders who criticized Kerry's service during the presidential race.

That disclosure renewed questions about why Kerry did not respond more forcefully with control over the White House at stake.

Kerry decided against launching a second bid for president, but vowed to defend his record and prevent other candidates from being "Swift-boated."

29 posted on 11/17/2007 11:28:06 AM PST by cerberus
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To: marvlus
I really don’t think Kerry is going to follow through

Ditto that. How many times has ketsup boy siad that he was going to sign his Form 180 and/or had already signed it? But it still aint signed.

30 posted on 11/17/2007 11:29:57 AM PST by fella (The proper application of the truth far more important than the knowledge of it's existance."Ike")
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To: faq
Hehehehe. Gotta love Pickens for calling out Kerry. It is now put up or shut up time for Kerry.
31 posted on 11/17/2007 11:41:29 AM PST by Parley Baer
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To: cerberus
"In May 2005, he began allowing reporters access to his full Navy personnel and medical records — something he refused to do during the campaign."

So he let "reporters" only see his records? I heard it was only ONE "reporter" who just happens to be a Kerry supporter. And if it makes Kerry look so damn good, why not release it to the public?

32 posted on 11/17/2007 11:42:13 AM PST by boop (Who doesn't love poison pot pies?)
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To: faq

Kerry will never run for president ever again, no sir... so why shouldn’t he release his form 180? Because there is something in it more embarrassing than simply being shown to be a traitor and liar. What is it? And will he try some slick trick to somehow prove something wrong, without releasing his records?


33 posted on 11/17/2007 11:49:36 AM PST by Richard Axtell (Keith Oberman represents the nadir of American journalism.)
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To: cerberus

He should be honest and say that he wants to prevent other candidates from being “Mark Folied”.


34 posted on 11/17/2007 11:57:11 AM PST by weegee (NO THIRD TERM. America does not need another unconstitutional Clinton co-presidency.)
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To: Richard Axtell
Kerry will never run for president ever again, no sir... so why shouldn’t he release his form 180?

I still have a hunch that his "sleepwalking" problem was resulting in Kerry ending up crawling into occupied bunks...if you know what I mean. That might be a long shot but I'd need to see the 180 before I could totally abandon that hunch.

35 posted on 11/17/2007 12:00:47 PM PST by Perchant
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To: Parley Baer

T Boone may live in Amarillo, but he ain’t totally dumb.

Wonder if you can buy some “book” on jon cary taking the bait?


36 posted on 11/17/2007 12:05:15 PM PST by dusttoyou (FredHead from the git go)
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To: faq

This will end badly for kerry. T. Boone Pickens is not some beltway fop. kerry’s own arrogance and denial of reality have come back to bite him hard.


37 posted on 11/17/2007 12:05:16 PM PST by ozzymandus
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To: Richard Axtell

“Senator Kerry, let’s get down to business. Tell me which single charge you are disputing and in the interest of speeding up to process, we’ll just mark all the others are true and undisputed.”


38 posted on 11/17/2007 12:05:24 PM PST by Ingtar (The LDS problem that Romney is facing is not his religion, but his Lacking Decisive Stands.)
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To: faq

I expect Kerry to put in every bit as much work proving his record as O.J. has finding his wife’s “real” killer.


39 posted on 11/17/2007 12:07:06 PM PST by Egon ("If all your friends were named Cliff, would you jump off them??" - Hugh Neutron)
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To: faq
Hey, hey
Ho, ho
Kerry: sign the one-eight-oh.



Tonk memorial chant
40 posted on 11/17/2007 12:08:10 PM PST by NonValueAdded (Fred Dalton Thompson for President)
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