[marron]

"Swift boat" has become the synonym for the nastiest of campaign smears, a shadow that hangs over the presidential race as pundits wait to proclaim that the Swiftboating has begun and candidates declare that they will not be Swiftboated.

In NewYorkTimesWorld thats what it means. In the real world, its telling an inconvenient truth about a candidate, usually one he and the NewYorkTimes have worked to keep well hidden.

[Apercu]

I prefer this definition:* ‘swift-boat (v.t.) 1) :to tell the truth about a Left wing peacenik trying to portray himself as a war hero. 2) to expose Liberal hypocrisy and lies.