Posted on 10/03/2025 12:30:16 PM PDT by where's_the_Outrage?
As a former state commander of a major Veterans Service Organization, I know firsthand how difficult it is to obtain service records from the National Archives. That's why, when I learned that a political operative tied to Jack Ciattarelli - the Trump-endorsed Republican running for governor in New Jersey - was handed the unredacted service records of his Ciattarelli's opponent, Democrat Mikie Sherrill, my B.S. meter went off at full siren.
This was a movie I had seen before. As a college student, I had the honor of chauffeuring former Senator Max Cleland around New Jersey and New York. Cleland, a decorated Vietnam veteran who lost three limbs in combat, became one of the most shameful targets of political attacks. In 2002, his opponents, led by Karl Rove, launched attack ads questioning his patriotism and loyalty to America because he opposed parts of President George W. Bush's post-9/11 security policies. The ads even morphed his image alongside Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein, suggesting that a man who had literally sacrificed his body for his country was somehow soft on terrorism. It was a devastating smear campaign that weaponized Cleland's service and sacrifice, an early and ugly example of how Republicans perfected the tactic of discrediting veterans when they couldn't win on the issues. Cleland lost his bid for reelection in Georgia to Republican Saxby Chambliss.
Something similar played out when Senator John Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, ran for president against George W. Bush in 2004. Kerry had commanded a Navy swift boat in combat, earned multiple medals, and built his candidacy on national security credentials. But instead of debating him on policy,
(Excerpt) Read more at msn.com ...
Waaa, Waaa. Change my diaper. Rolling Stoned.
Babylon Bee may be a satirical site, but it has more credibility than the Rolling Stone.
The article is right about a few isolated facts, but the tone is that of standard Democrat screed.
The Kerry analogy is excellent.
Kerry’s team thought he was a pile of excrement.
They knew the man better than anyone else.
Yikes!
Proof that this whole article is BS...
All JFnK had to do to exonerate himself was to sign Standard Form SF-180 releasing his military records to the public, but he insisted on releasing a copy his lawyers had sanitized instead.
BIG FAT LIE.
He is a Traitor and a LIAR. He has been since the 1970’s.
John Kerry testifies against U.S. involvement in Vietnam, April 22nd, 1971.
https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4351577/user-clip-john-kerry-vietnam-hearing-1971
Wiki page states it was a friendly fire accident. Grenade dropped off someone else’s webgear... so yeah, no Purple Heart for that.
I heard the reason they had to get Kerry out of Nam was because he almost got fragged. He was only there for a month or two.
John Kerry and national security credentials?! He never had any. But hey.... it's Rolling Stone.
Voters need to have their candidates FULLY vetted...should know who they’re voting for. We’ve had enough unpleasant surprises.
FU Rolling Stone. Go scream fascist and Nazi.
But it’s not dirty when done to a Republican
These statements in the quote above are non-sequiturs. We can honor someone's service and sacrifice while still condemning their ideology. The former deserves the utmost respect. The latter is subject to the utmost scrutiny and, if deserved, opprobrium.
Rolling Stone?
The band, mostly dead, but still good.
The joke of a mag?
Started rotten and went down from there.
Not even close to believing that dork.
Yeah, no.
That would be like purposefully stepping in dog poop.
Does RS know how Obama got into the Senate? Divorce records from his opponent were unsealed. It’s all dirty tricks but if it’s true folk should want to know.
My recollection was it was his own grenade.
They talk about “swift boating “ as if it were some sort of unfair attack on Kerry, when it actually was the complete truth about Kerry.
His company said he ran like a coward from a firefight dumping one of his men into the water, who then had to be rescued by another boat -while they were still under fire.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.