Posted on 09/05/2004 4:18:53 PM PDT by CT
Douglas Brinkley, author of the John Kerry biography Tour of Duty, was on Steve Malzberg's radio show today. He called on John Kerry to release his military records, saying: "Clearly some of these military records should be made available to the press."
Brinkley also said that if the Navy investigation reveals deception in connection with Kerry's medals, it "could be" the "death knell" for Kerry's campaign. Professing uncertainty about what to make about the Swift Boat Vets' claims, Brinkley said:
Right now it's unclear. So we have to just wait to see what all this adds up to.
While the piece linked to above provides only brief excerpts from the Brinkley interview, it sounds like he is trying to distance himself from Kerry, and has less than full confidence in Kerry's honesty. Considering that Brinkley's book has been termed a hagiography, and that until now he has been an unabashed advocate for Kerry, that's a striking development.
And in our last episode, our hero Brinkley was
desparately struggling to keep from falling into
the black hole he caused when his shoddy work caused
Kerry's unstable neutron star to collapse.
> Brinkley said: "Right now it's unclear. So we have to
> just wait to see what all this adds up to."
Whoa.
> ... it sounds like he is trying to distance himself
> from Kerry, and has less than full confidence in
> Kerry's honesty.
"Tour of Duty" is a work of fiction, starting with the
title. On Hollywood scripts, there is a "continuity
person" to check for internal consistency. Brink's
work wasn't up to B-grade direct-to-video standards.
> Could this be a set-up where Kerry releases his
> records and they find nothing?
Nope. The obvious problems with the released docs are
the smoke of a major fire below.
> Could it be possible that all these documents will
> be altered and then released to try to prove Kerry's
> statements.
The Navy won't tell you what's in Kerry's jacket without
his consent, but I'll bet they WILL confirm/deny that
any "records" Kerry releases are legit. They are
already investigating the Silver-V and the curious
three (3) separate citations for the Silver Star, one
disowned by the SecNAV whose name appears on it.
> Brinkley is a Yale Professor and he must be taking
> a lot of "hits" from his colleagues ...
After this outing, he needs to be watching out for hits
of the Fort Marcy Park kind.
Not the wording I'd use
She goes by "Hillary", and a biographer should know that going in.
I don't trust it either - Kerry has plenty of democrat moles in the government that can rewrite his record again. It won't undo the lies that we already caught ("seared, SEARED in my mind...."), but it can be made to show him in the best possible light.
"Brinkley also said that if the Navy investigation reveals deception in connection with Kerry's medals, it "could be" the "death knell" for Kerry's campaign."
Plot thickens after checking records
August 27, 2004
BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB Advertisement
In the midst of the controversy between the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and Kerry campaign representatives about Kerry's service in Vietnam, new questions have arisen.
The Kerry campaign has repeatedly stated that the official naval records prove the truth of Kerry's assertions about his service.
But the official records on Kerry's Web site only add to the confusion. The DD214 form, an official Defense Department document summarizing Kerry's military career posted on johnkerry.com, includes a "Silver Star with combat V."
But according to a U.S. Navy spokesman, "Kerry's record is incorrect. The Navy has never issued a 'combat V' to anyone for a Silver Star."
Naval regulations do not allow for the use of a "combat V" for the Silver Star, the third-highest decoration the Navy awards. None of the other services has ever granted a Silver Star "combat V," either.
Like rats off a sinking ship......
I don't see her this go round either.
We already know that two of his Purple Hearts were wrongly awarded. The first PH was awarded when there was no enemy contact on the day he claimed to have been WIA. And on the "rice cache" WIA again, no enemy contact.
Once the Navy goes over those reports and records, Kerry will have to return those medals plus there is no "V" (for valor) on a Silver Star...so that's a bogus award too.
The clown has more baggage than Delta Airlines...
If he makes it 'til November 2, it'll be a miracle!!!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
IMHO the investigation itself is something of a formality. Brinkley can read the writing on the wall and he is distancing himself from Kerry.
Kerry would have released them a month ago if there wasn't anything to hide.
Kerry is in desperate trouble.
In a word, NO.
Sounds like kerry's hack knows which way the wind is blowing and wants to salvage the shreds of his professional reputation. It looks to me like he knows the truth about lurch is coming out, and he's preparing the Sgt Schultz defense: "I know nuzzink!"
That's better...
Brinkley is a professor at the University of New Orleans, not Yale, as some posters to this thread have said. Brinkley seems to have concluded that Kerry is a lost cause, and that he needs to start salvaging the threads of his professional reputation, because Kerry may soon be gone, but he hopes to have a career for years to come.
Would she turn her back on a mortally wounded Democratic Party and selfishly devote all her energies to nursing an ailing Billy Jeff back to health? Nope.
Somebody has to ask this question, so it may as well be me: What the heck is a "hagiography"?
"Kerry's record is incorrect. The Navy has never issued a "Combat V" to anyone for a Silver Star."
http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/002350.php
Blogger site
Leni
Isn't it too late for the DNC to pull the plug on Skerry with less than 60 days to go? If they did, wouldn't that be political suicide?
DB is desperately trying to retain some semblance of cred. Right now, it doesn't look so good.
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