"Kerry turned out swift boat crewmen, his Navy superiors, and even retired admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt Jr. at Charlestown Navy Yard to sing his praises. Ted Kennedy, too, stepped in. "
Why did Zumwalt praise him in the past?
As I indicated earlier, Zumwalt had bigger fish to fry. Agent Orange killed his son after a long, lingering illness and Zumwalt was seeking Congressional support to advance that issue. Also, Zumwalt probably felt a certain obligation to support Kerry as a former naval officer under his command. The fact that Zumwalt's other son, Jim, is part of the Swift Boat Vets against Kerry, says something about the way the family really feels about him.