Jeb Bush defends McCain, but supported Swift Boat attacks against Kerry

CNN ^ | 7/20/15 | Jeremy Diamond and Jake Tapper

[jimbo123]

fter Donald Trump questioned Republican Sen. John McCain's status as a war hero, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush quickly jumped to McCain's defense.

"Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans - particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration," he tweeted on Saturday.

But that outrage was missing ten years ago, when a political group attacked another Vietnam veteran -- then-Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee who sought to unseat Bush's brother, the incumbent president, during the 2004 election.

Instead, Bush praised Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that lobbed attacks questioning Kerry's service record in Vietnam -- attacks McCain unequivocally criticized in 2004 as "dishonest and dishonorable."

When his campaign was asked if Jeb Bush saw a double standard, a spokesman rejected the premise.

"A thank you letter to Col. Bud Day, Medal of Honor recipient and Air Force Cross recipient, twice captured as a POW, is not in any way analogous to condemning Donald Trump's slanderous attack on John McCain," said Bush campaign spokesman Tim Miller.

[jimbo123]

Poor Jebbie. The liberals are mad at him again.

[originalbuckeye]

Coud it be that Jeb supported the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth because they were, in fact, TELLING THE TRUTH??

[grania]

Does logic befuddle Jebster’s team?

[Farmer Dean]

Which ever way the wind blows....

[Paladin2]

The Jebster should just throw his support to Linda.

[DoughtyOne]

Jeb is one of those miracles of nature.

Until now, there still has been no scientific reason found for Jeb’s head not caving in.

[kingu]

Poor Jeb, everyone’s hatin’ on him. (gleeful chortle)

[hoosiermama]

Did you see mc Cain with Leibeeman and Graham today. All pawns of GOPee and Bush

[jimbo123]

Jebbie and his advisors should have known that the liberals would use this against him. But it’s all part of their “Designated Loser” game plan to get Hillary elected.

[longfellow]

Listen to john fn kerry attack mcCaine about vietnam. You want to talk about BALLS.

[Bryanw92]

>>Poor Jebbie. The liberals are mad at him again.

They’re just mad because he’s getting his butt handed to him by Trump and, “darn it, he’s just so electable and the best chance for the Republicans to win and we really want the Republicans to win this time.”

Because liberals are such nice guys! /s

[realcleanguy]

Well, I don’t support gay marriage, but.....I really don’t have an issue with a guy who wants more than one wife, or a woman who wants more than one husband. Both are destined for disaster, but I won’t stand (Or sit) in their way ;)

[Darren McCarty]

The Swift Boats attacked the Traitor as deserved.

[VerySadAmerican]

Instead, Bush praised Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that lobbed attacks questioning Kerry’s service record in Vietnam — attacks MCCAIN unequivocally criticized in 2004 as “dishonest and dishonorable.”

And I voted for the SOB. Forgive me, America.

[BlackAdderess]

What about McCain’s slanderous attack against us, no doubt Jeb! is on board for that too, huh?!

[shalom aleichem]

Right, In the one instance, the Jebster is only being consistent.

[kosciusko51]

And I voted for the SOB. Forgive me, America.

I know what you mean. But as the Bard said, "There's small choice in rotten apples."

[Fledermaus]

Jeb either can’t read or is deaf...Trump DID NOT DESPARAGE McCain at all.

But I forget, words don’t mean anything these days.

And I recently saw one of the most laughable “news reports” about Jeb: He plans to ‘shake up the Washington crowd.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

He IS the DC crowd.

[Seaplaner]

John O'Neill is and was a brave, honest, and quite well-spoken American Naval Officer.

John Kerry (IIRC) never has come clean on the type and events surrounding his discharge.

At a time when true heroes were being wounded, Mister Kerry was begging for purple hearts from such things as a (again, IIRC) sting from and airborne grain of rice.

All we need to know about Mister Kerry's representation for his time in uniform is (1) he ceremoniously threw away his medals as a dis on this fine Country; and (2) he lied about being part of a dangerous "black ops", attempting to steal valor from those who actually did such things (real black ops heroes never brag, one might add).

Jeb, who I do not support in the primaries as he is pro amnesty for illegal aliens, did get the Trump and Kerry comments correct.)

Note: I don't care for McCain (even a little), but I will defend him and his service against the likes of poseur Trump.)

.

[nathanbedford]

We conservatives ought to take a very important lesson from the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. The truth is that the left lost the argument during the election but won the argument after-the-fact. We saw the same phenomenon occur in the hearings for the confirmation of Clarence Thomas, the majority of the country believed he was innocent at the time of the hearings but after a sustained media campaign a majority of the country subsequently believed he was guilty.

If you watch the clip on CNN that accompanies the article, it is simply reported that the weight of established opinion favors John Kerry and debunks The Swift Boat Veterans. A bit of research on the Internet will confirm that analysis. In other words the truth of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been stood on its head.

The ghost of Saul Alinsky still haunts us.

Some time ago I made this point:

Swift boating should be defined as the exposing of a poltroon who inflates his biography.

This is often confused, quite deliberately by the mainstream media, with " Borking " which should be defined as " to attack viciously a candidate or appointee, especially by misrepresentation in the media” According to William Safire in The New York Times.

Our mission on FreeRepublic should be to "Swift boat" the unworthy and to prevent the "Borking" of the worthy.