Posted on 08/05/2004 2:07:18 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
White House repudiates anti-Kerry ad
2 hours, 5 minutes ago Add Politics - AFP to My Yahoo!
COLUMBUS, United States (AFP) - The White House distanced itself from a commercial by a controversial veterans' group that accuses Democratic presidential hopeful John Kerry (news - web sites) of lying about his service in Vietnam.
"We have been very clear in stating that, you know, we will not and we have not and we will not question Senator Kerry's service in Vietnam," spokesman Scott McClellan said as US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) made a campaign stop here.
The advertisement by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth accuses Kerry of exaggerating his bravery in the Vietnam War, lying about the first of his three Purple Hearts and lying to get his Bronze Star. Kerry was also awarded a Silver Star.
The group also charges that, by testifying against the war when he returned to the United States and alleging that US soldiers had committed wartime atrocities, Kerry betrayed US forces still in Vietnam.
With national security issues atop the agenda for the November 2 election, Kerry has been touting his service as the skipper of a patrol boat known as a "Swift Boat" in an implicit contrast to Bush, who did not go to Vietnam and faces questions about whether he completed his National Guard service.
His former crewmates have aggressively campaigned on his behalf, appearing at his side at political rallies and telling audiences stories about Kerry's exploits during the war.
Senator John McCain, a former Vietnam prisoner of war who challenged Bush for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000, has denounced the group.
And the Kerry campaign has branded the allegations as "garbage," noting that none of the men levelling the accusations served on Kerry's boat.
The group attacking Kerry does not have formal ties to Bush's reelection campaign, and benefits from a loophole in campaign finance restrictions that enables it to spend as much "soft money" as it wants on its political message.
The groups -- the best known of which, MoveOn.org, has fiercely attacked Bush -- are known as "527s," a reference to the tax-code provision that grants them special status.
McClellan coupled his comments about the ad to a broader call for closing the loophole that allows the groups, most of which are hostile to Bush, to operate.
"The president deplores all the unregulated soft money activity," he said, calling the ad "another example of the problem with the unregulated soft money activity that is going on."
"We hope the Kerry campaign will join us in calling for an end to all this kind of activity," said McClellan.
The group pulls no punches in its 60-second spot, which is running in the up-for-grabs states of Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin and features 13 veterans attacking the senator from Massachusetts.
One of the veterans says Kerry's "account of what happened and what actually happened are the difference between night and day."
Another says: "When the chips were down, you could not count on John Kerry."
Agent France Press.
"Misinterpreted by the press."
Intentionally misreported maybe?
Where is the text of the ad? I keep looking and not finding. Assistance appreciated.
In regard to your tagline...it might seem like that, but you are not alone.
ROFL!! The press is being very uh...creative today.
The press corps vs. the Swift Boat veterans. Seems like an unfair advantage. The veterans have fought communists. The press corps have surrendered to communists. Who has the advantage?
This headline is false. There was no "repudiation."
that's the kind of distancing I like....."we are in now way associated with this ad....but they have the freedom to run it......."
"The White House distanced itself"
That's exactly what they should do. That's what McCain should of done.
If what is in the book, and the comercials is true, which I believe it is, then leave the dirty work to the Swift Boat guys, who in my opinion are coming to the defense of their country once again. God Bless them.
John Edwards: "If you have any question about what John Kerry is made of, just spend 3 minutes with the men who served with him."
Al French: "I served with John Kerry."
Bob Elder: "I served with John Kerry."
George Elliott: "John Kerry has not been honest about what happened in Vietnam."
Al French: "He is lying about his record."
Louis Letson: "I know John Kerry is lying about his first Purple Heart because I treated him for that injury."
Van O'Dell: "John Kerry lied to get his bronze star ... I know, I was there, I saw what happened."
Jack Chenoweth: "His account of what happened and what actually happened are the difference between night and day."
Admiral Hoffman: "John Kerry has not been honest."
Adrian Lonsdale: "And he lacks the capacity to lead."
Larry Thurlow: "When the chips were down, you could not count on John Kerry."
Bob Elder: "John Kerry is no war hero."
Grant Hibbard: "He betrayed all his shipmates ... he lied before the Senate."
Shelton White: "John Kerry betrayed the men and women he served with in Vietnam."
Joe Ponder: "He dishonored his country ... he most certainly did."
Bob Hildreth: "I served with John Kerry ...
Bob Hildreth (off-camera): John Kerry cannot be trusted."
Announcer: "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is responsible for the content of this advertisement."
I love how the article says "questions remain about Bush's guard service" as though question don't exist about Kerry's resume-padding trip to Nam.
No it hurts Bush among conservatives, who'll think that Bush caved in to the lefties.
Look, even if Bush or the RNC were behind this (I know that they're not), who cares? Soros, MoveOn, and all these left-wing groups trashed Bush and not one Democrat denounced them. Payback's a female dog.
Good job by Scott McClellan staving off their biased questions on the Swift Vet ads. He stayed on message
That's got something to do with reproductions "Right" </sarcasm>
DummycRATS have lined up something new every week, supposetly not coming from them (but from GW hater Soros). Just watch, if it is not Mooron, now it is idiot musicians, books, etc. That is their "reform". Where do I contribute for Vets ads?
Holy Shiite. No wonder there's a storm up! Gotta see that ad, folks!
I think they sense a pretty good chance of a backfire. It's already started with McCain's comments.
They know most people will think these loose cannons are part of the Bush campaign. I predict they will denounce it unequivocally soon.
Main Entry: re·pu·di·ate
Pronunciation: ri-'pyü-dE-"At
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -at·ed; -at·ing
Etymology: Latin repudiatus, past participle of repudiare, from repudium rejection of a prospective spouse, divorce, probably from re- + pudEre to shame 1 : to divorce or separate formally from (a woman)
2 : to refuse to have anything to do with : DISOWN
3 a : to refuse to accept; especially : to reject as unauthorized or as having no binding force b : to reject as untrue or unjust
4 : to refuse to acknowledge or pay
The problem, as I see it, is that "repudiate" has several meanings, and furthermore that the MSM is taking full advantage of the ambiguity in this particular case-- while they write that the WH "repudiated" the veterans' claims, the WH press transcript clearly indicates a reluctance to do so expressly, and the only way in which the article can be brought into agreement with the facts is by using definition #2 ("to refuse to have anything to do with : DISOWN") whereas that probably is not the definition that most people would associate with the word (just imho-- in my case, I associated the word with definition #3).
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