EMPIRE STRIKES BACK AGAINST ANTI-KERRY VETS

Drudgereport ^ | 08/19/2004 | Matt Drudge

[kcinnh]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX THU AUG 19, 2004 17:45:25 ET XXXXX

EMPIRE STRIKES BACK AGAINST ANTI-KERRY VETS

More than 3 weeks after the DRUDGE REPORT began shooting up flares warning of an impending campaign battle surrounding former Vietnam veterans who would not support John Kerry for president -- the media empire strikes back!

In a series of world exclusives begging in late July, this space outlined and detailed the coming book UNFIT FOR COMMAND -- a book which now sits at the top of the charts -- and the top of Friday's NY TIMES.

TIMES editor Bill Keller has reserved the lead of Page One for "the story of how swift boat veterans with a grievance were found by Republicans looking to tarnish Kerry's image," newsroom sources tell DRUDGE.

"A modern day tale of the creation of a political attack machine," declares TIMES reporter Jim Ruttenburg.

The TIMES plans to piggyback on comments made by John Kerry on Thursday against allegations that he exaggerated his combat record in Vietnam.

Kerry accused President Bush of using a Republican front group "to do his dirty work."

"Some of the veterans have recanted their stories and made charges that military records prove untrue," the TIMES explains in its 3,500-world splash, which has been previewed by DRUDGE.

Impacting late Thursday.

[SunStar]

I saw Joe Cline on CNN saying Swift Boat Vets was bad for Democracy

Funny... They didn't say this about Fahrenheiht 9/11...

[lavrenti]

Might be a good idea to change the subject and start talking about Dewey Canyon.

Oh, and what many VVAW "comrades" actually thought of John Kerry, after he left.

[Soul Seeker]

The NYT's is going to enter the fray? Cool.

I look forward to seeing the SBV's destroy them as they will anyone not armed with the truth in this matter.

[section9]

what a surprise..

That Kerry is a pompous, vain, clueless git? There should be no surprise here.

If ever I saw any indication that Kerry is not ready for Prime Time, his handling of this story is it. Kerry's campaign should have issued a press release refusing to dignify O'Neill's charges with a response and recognizing that while opinions differed about the Vietnam war, he, John F*#kin' Kerry, could bring the nation together to fight this war.

Unlike the AWOL, cocaine-snorting, draft-dodger Bush.

Bush has remained focused and has not used the Swiftvets story as a club with which to beat Kerry over the head. He has refused to endorse their story, but he has also refused to back away from it either.

Meantime, Kerry is using up all his media oxygen responding to John O'Neill while Bush is out in the country talking about the twin issues of economy and war.

Kerry is the hollow onion. With no Senate record to speak of, Kerry put his service record at the center of his campaign. What he never counted on was the Swiftvets peeling away the shell.

Guess who wins the election?

Be Seeing You,

Chris

[Ken H]

These swifty vets have not fallen into this trap. They have made their stuff available on the net, have let people quote from it and talk about it. The word has gotton out on the net, and anyone whi is the least bit interested can access it.

Yes, the internet and talk radio are flexing their muscles now, to the dismay of the old gray media.

I don't want to jinx it, but I think the SBV story has slipped out of their control and they will end up with egg on their faces.

Kerry is dead in the water, was this Hillary's plan all along? Oh this is so much fun. I hope that these scum who are in fact responsible for over a million Cambodian's deaths. the ruination of their culture and by extension Tibet's and Hong Kong and maybe even Carter's caving into Ayatollah  Ruhollah Khomeini ~ I want to see them all to be exposed for what they really are.

No telling where this will all lead, now that the MSM has an equal or superior competitor on the public stage.

[Enchante]

Below is an email I received from a 25 year US Navy man, a retired Commander, who flew off carriers from the mid-fifties to late-70s. I hope as the story gets more and more play that a lot more voices will speak out, first privately and then very publicly, against Kerry:


"Putting on my Navy experience hat, the 250 swifties who have joined to expose Kerry are the real stuff. I'm outraged that their credentials should be questioned. The men of Kerry's crew who support his fraudulent legacy have been swept up and brainwashed and their memories are no more than that of innocent kids with faint memories of a time long gone by. Conversely, the statements of the most prominent of the 250 swifties are the statements of mature men, men who were mature during Kerry's time, who observed him to be what he is, and who have outstanding reputations as military officers. The more I hear and read, the more I see Kerry as a total fraud."

[tanknetter]

Anyone have a link to those poll numbers from a while back showing the public's trust in the MSM having imploded over the last 20 years or so? It would make a great rebuttal point when this story hits tomorrow ...

[dasboot]

John Kerry is going down big time!

The Rex Sox will win the World Series in '86! (BillyBuckBlooped)

Bill Clinton will NEVER get elected ...TWICE!

Bill Clinton will be indicted and tossed! THE BLUE DRESS!

Moral: don't be so sure!

[FierceDraka]

This is what the Democratic base gets for handing the nomination this far-left Liberal during the primaries.

And the editors of the NY Slimes are not doing themselves any favors with their constant and unrelenting defense of Kerry against all legitimate inquiries, and their constant and unrelenting attacks on the Bush Administration.

Most people should be smart enough to smell a rat when the coverage is blatantly tilted and biased.

[razorback-bert]

I was thinking Monopolistic Socialist Media.

[razorback-bert]

heavy fire for 5000 yards

5000x3 = 15,000

15,000/5280= 2.84 miles of heavy fire.

[faithincowboys]

Yeah, we have to bring that up deftly--not in the whiny manner that Kerry has brought up the Texas GOPers and the Swifties. I tend to think that most Americans are more nervous by a Hungarian, billonaire financier like Soros and his tens of millions in Moveon.org and the mediafund than a good old boy from Texas who gave 200 Gs (small potatoes in the big scheme of things) to help patriotic vets get their voices heard.

[faithincowboys]

Tomatoealive (nice dig at Quayle) might be a Moby candidate.

[NYCVirago]

Yeah, we have to bring that up deftly--not in the whiny manner that Kerry has brought up the Texas GOPers and the Swifties. I tend to think that most Americans are more nervous by a Hungarian, billonaire financier like Soros and his tens of millions in Moveon.org and the mediafund than a good old boy from Texas who gave 200 Gs (small potatoes in the big scheme of things) to help patriotic vets get their voices heard.

I agree. The Bush campaign needs to do something to emphasize this. The media won't point out the contrast -- they see the "Texas Republican" who gave a few hundred grand to the Swift Boat veterans as much more of a danger to democracy than Soros is. The only way the contrast will get covered is if Bush or Cheney mention it.

[Enchante]

It's here - NY Slimes publishes its hit piece, full of shoddy analysis and unsubstantiated assertions:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/08/20/politics/campaign/20swift.html?hp=&pagewanted=all&position=

Mainly they try to paint the SBVFT as tools of the VRWC, of course.... they do quote a few of the Swiftees, but it's a very one-sided piece.

The good thing is that this puts the story "on the map" - I don't think the MSM can pretend any longer that this is not a MAJOR story, even as they rush to prepare their hit pieces.

[faithincowboys]

Unfortunately, a WaPo guy (Jim Vandehei)was on Scarborough Country saying that he thinks the new Swifty ad is about his anti-American testimony in front of the Fullbright Committee (BTW, didn't his horse-faced daughter Vannessa just get a Fullbright Scholarship in medicine?). I generally have a "shout it from the rooftops" attitude towards that-- I don't think we can bring those slanderous statements of enough-- but I was hoping the ad would also feature CAMBODIA. Hopefully, the WaPo guy is wrong.

[MJY1288]

LOL, It would take an entire Division of VC to lay down intense fire for 2.84 miles from both shores, as described by John Kerry

[Shermy]

Unfortunately, a WaPo guy (Jim Vandehei)was on Scarborough Country saying that he thinks the new Swifty ad is about his anti-American testimony in front of the Fullbright Committee

Lurker swiping rumors from FR. :)

[Walkingfeather]

Sift boats is not about changing peoples minds its about solidifying it. Those that would be Kerry voters would be demoralized about voting so they will less likely show up to vote. Which is just the same as voting for Bush.

[faithincowboys]

Our we watching Nightline, folks?