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Does the fact that Bill O'Reilly wrote a complementary blurb for Doug Brinkley's bio of Kerry "Tour of Duty" explain why Bill O hasn't covered the Swift Boat Vets for Truth story with an open mind?

Bill O has been totally pro-Kerry.

In "Tour of Duty", Kerry says Sandusky was driving and Rassman was on PCF-35, not PCF-94 (Kerry's boat).

The fact that Rassman was on Kerry's boat bolsters Oneil and the rest of the Swifties claim that Rassman was on Kerry's boat, and only fell overboard because Kerry fled the scene.

In "Tour of Duty," Douglass Brinkley includes excerpts from Kerry's war journal. It seems Kerry's story and Rassman's WSJ Op-Ed differ on a significant fact.

In Brinkley's book, which relies on excerpts from Kerry's war journal, Rassman isn't on Kerry Swift Boat. Brinkley says Rassman fell of PCF-35, while Kerry was OIC of PCF-94 on that day.

On Kerry's campaign website, a press release maintains the Brinkley line:


January 17, 2004
Kerry Reunites with Fellow Veteran in Iowa Veteran says Kerry saved his life in combat; has not seen him since 1969

For Immediate Release

Des Moines, IA - Former Lieutenant John Kerry was reunited today with fellow Vietnam veteran Jim Rassmann, who says Kerry saved his life during combat.

On March 13, 1969, Rassmann, a Green Beret, was traveling down the Bay Hap river in a boat behind Kerry’s when both were ambushed by exploding land mines and enemy fire coming from the shore. Kerry was hit in the arm, while a mine blew Rassmann’s boat out of the water. With enemy fire coming from both sides of the river and swift boats evacuating from the area, Kerry’s crew chose to turn their boat toward the ambush to save Rassmann.

“We were still under fire, and he was wounded at the time…,” recalled Rassmann. And with his boat’s gunners providing suppressing fire, Kerry extended his wounded arm into the water and the two lieutenants locked arms.

Kerry and Rassmann have not seen each other since 1969. Yesterday, Jim Rassmann called John Kerry’s campaign headquarters and said: “I saw that John is in another tough fight, and I want to lend a hand.”

Rassmann, a retired Los Angeles county sheriff who now lives in Florence, Oregon, flew to Iowa this morning to reunite with Kerry. Kerry, with fellow veterans around him, said he was moved by Rassmann’s decision to come to Iowa.

“I remember the day and the moment we last met; the lingering bond between us comes from the shared experience of our service,” Kerry said. “I told Jim what I tell the thousands of veterans I have met in Iowa: As president, I will never—ever—forget your service.” Kerry added.

For Kerry’s bravery, Rassmann recommended that he be recognized, and Kerry was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V. The citation that followed the award read as follows:

“The man was receiving sniper fire from both banks. Lt. Kerry directed his gunners to provide suppressing fire, while from an exposed position on the bow, his arm bleeding and in pain, with disregard for his personal safety, he pulled the man aboard.

Lt. Kerry then directed his boat to return and assist the other damaged craft and towed the boat to safety. Lt. Kerry's calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the US Naval Service.”

Rassman, in response to the Swift Boats for truth, penned an Op-Ed for the WSJ. Rassman like the anti-Kerry Swifties place Rassman on Kerry's boat:


On March 13, 1969, John Kerry's courage and leadership saved my life.
While returning from a SEA LORDS operation along the Bay Hap River, a mine detonated under another swift boat. Machine-gun fire erupted from both banks of the river, and a second explosion followed moments later. The second blast blew me off John's swift boat, PCF-94, throwing me into the river. Fearing that the other boats would run me over, I swam to the bottom of the river and stayed there as long as I could hold my breath.

Interesting, no?

Wow, Kerry is a big, big liar about everything.

See post 20 for more documentation on Kerry's Rassman lie.

go to this thread for more on Kerry's lies

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1191162/posts

LOL

Kerry did the most for Hanoi.

I'm sorry, Kerry didn't do anything for this country. On the contrary, he did much against this Country.

Amen, my brotha.

Matthews and Hurley are vile a-holes.

Shocking...

That was disgusting.

Matthews is a vile POS.

Speechless.........

You caught that too?

Lanny is a skillfull, skillful liar.

These Clintonistas have really killed truth in this Country. A Country can't get by without truth.

These guys make me ill.

Good description.

When a pol makes the extreme choice to deploy Lanny, you know they are in a world of crap. Sending out Lanny speak volumes-- it says, "Yeah, I'm as guilty as sin, but Lanny is going to lie his a$$ off on my behalf and exhaust the posse on my tail."

Lanny is a nightmare. What a smarmy, conscienceless dude!!!

Anybody catch Lanny Davis on Scarborough w/ Buchanan?

Lanny was freaking vile as usual. Unbelievable!!!

It's probably been destroyed by Lamb by now.

Hack is a Leftwing Hack.

The Left has finally lost it.

Kerry's foray into Nam doesn't show he is braver than Bush, but it does show he was far more ambitious. Kerry was running for President in the womb. Kerry took a risk to get a PT 109 story so he could be POTUS.

He ended up serving four controversial months, snagging very iffy Purple Hearts and other medals and slandering a whole generation of Vets. Now he acts like Vietnam was the Revolutionary War-- that's not what he said in '71. He said it was a dirty, immoral war fought by war criminals.

If our nation has any respect left for Duty, Honor Country-- this guy gets creamed in November.

Limbaugh just blew it. He let an obvious seminar caller monopolize the conversation and spread misinformation.

The SC kept on saying that Kerry saved Rassman's life and that the other Swifties were sitting there passively as Kerry played hero.

The truth is that Rassman's life was in peril only because of Kerry. After Swift Boat 3 (not Kerry's boat) hit a mine, Kerry fled the scene causing Rassman to fall overboard. Meanwhile, the other OICs, Thurlow and Chenoweth were the real heroes: saving the wounded on boat three and shooting suppression fire in case there were enemies around--which there weren't.

Kerry only returned to the scene after Thurlow and the rest had determined that there were no enemies around and stabilized the situation. When Kerry picked Rassman out of the water, there were other boats closing in to do the very same thing.

This is a case of Kerry again inflating his service and demeaning the service of others. This is another Kerry lie-- Rassman has got to be getting paid off. This is madness. Rush blew it.

Yup-- no accident.