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May 06, 2004, 8:27 a.m. Overspun Defense Why two of John Kerry’s critics were defending him in 1996. By Jim Geraghty The Kerry campaign clearly didn't want Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to go unanswered this week. A candidate who had rocketed to the Democratic nomination on a war-hero biography and by referring to his service in Vietnam in almost every answer to every question, including ones on animal rights, didn't need a boatload of his former commanders declaring him "unfit to be commander in chief." So after Swift Boat Veterans for Truth made their presentation at the National Press...

Swift Change Of Heart Critic once saluted Kerry's bravery, loyalty, moral courage AUGUST 20--The broadside against John Kerry's war record is particularly bizarre in light of what one of the leading bomb throwers had to say about the Democrat while both served in Vietnam. George Elliott, a key member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth who appears in the anti-Kerry group's virulent TV commercial, recommended Kerry for a Bronze Star in 1969. In the below Navy report, Elliott, a lieutenant commander, recounts how Kerry was "highly courageous in the face of enemy fire" during a fight on the Bay Hap...

ELECTION 2004 Kerry's 'fraudulent' report basis for military records Officer at scene of Bronze Star event insists they didn't receive 'enemy fire' Posted: August 19, 20041:51 p.m. Eastern By Art Moore © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com Responding to a Washington Post article questioning his veracity, a critic of John Kerry's war record insists military records cited in the story are based on a fraudulent after-action report by Kerry himself. The Post reported today that newly obtained military records of Larry Thurlow, who commanded a Navy swift boat alongside Kerry in Vietnam, contradict Thurlow's claim that Kerry was not under enemy fire when he pulled...

BOSTON, Massachusetts (Reuters) -- One of presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam war comrades, who had appeared to back off his criticism of Kerry's war record, recanted Friday and said, yes, in fact he did question whether the U.S. senator deserved his medals. Last week at his nominating convention, Kerry painted himself as a decorated war hero capable of leading the nation in troubled times and a man better qualified to be commander-in-chief than President Bush. That portrayal of his time as commander of a Navy Swift Boat sparked a heated exchange this week between those who support him and those...

August 07, 2004 Kranish Is Cooked Michael Kranish rocked us on Friday with a story, headlined "Veteran retracts criticism of Kerry", which told us that: "a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions. Lieutenant Commander George Elliott said in an interview that he had made a ''terrible mistake" in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star -- one of the main allegations in the book. Elliott is quoted as saying that Kerry ''lied about what occurred in Vietnam . . . for example, in connection...

WASHINGTON — The controversy surrounding ads questioning John Kerry's war record grew Friday when a key figure in the veterans' group airing the ads was quoted in the Boston Globe retracting one of his central allegations. But later in the day, retired Navy Lt. Cmdr. George Elliott issued a statement saying he had been misquoted in the newspaper. The ad, sponsored by an anti-Kerry organization called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, features 13 Vietnam veterans accusing the Democratic presidential nominee of betraying his shipmates, dishonoring his country and telling lies to win combat decorations as a swift boat skipper in...

WASHINGTON -- A report that one of a group of veterans opposing Senator John F. Kerry's bid for the presidency had said he made a mistake signing an affidavit questioning Kerry's medals rocketed around the airwaves yesterday, sparking a backlash on conservative radio programs and the Drudge Report website. The programs asserted that retired Lieutenant Commander George Elliott had been misquoted in yesterday's Boston Globe when he said he had made a "terrible mistake" in signing an affidavit suggesting Kerry did not deserve to be awarded the Silver Star. Kerry was awarded the medal for killing a Viet Cong soldier.

One of the swift boat veterans included in a new television ad questioning the veracity of Democratic presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam war record stands by his criticism, despite reports he had recanted, according to the group sponsoring the ad.     "Captain George Elliott describes an article appearing in today's edition of the Boston Globe by Mike Kranish as extremely inaccurate and highly misstating his actual views," said a statement released yesterday by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group opposed to Mr. Kerry's election.     "He reaffirms his statement in the current advertisement paid for by the Swift Boat...

WASHINGTON, Aug. 6 - A commercial by a group of veterans accusing Senator John Kerry of exaggerating his decorated Vietnam War record was strongly challenged Friday by Democrats as new questions arose about the claims of one of the men calling Mr. Kerry a liar in the advertisement. The Boston Globe quoted the man, Lt. Cmdr. George Elliott, retired, who as Mr. Kerry's commander in Vietnam had recommended him for a Silver Star, as recanting a recent sworn statement that he did not believe Mr. Kerry deserved the decoration because of allegations that he earned it by shooting a fleeing,...

Wartime Comrade Questions Kerry's Vietnam Record Fri Aug 6, 2004 06:23 PM ET By Svea Herbst-Bayliss BOSTON (Reuters) - One of presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam war comrades, who had appeared to back off his criticism of Kerry's war record, recanted on Friday and said, yes, in fact he did question whether the U.S. senator deserved his medals. Last week at his nominating convention, Kerry painted himself as a decorated war hero capable of leading the nation in troubled times and a man better qualified to be commander-in-chief than President Bush. That portrayal of his time as commander of a...

  Anti-Kerry Vietnam Veterans Hold Strong   The following statement from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is in response to an article appearing in the morning edition of the Boston Globe ("Veteran Retracts Criticism of Kerry") which implies that one Vietnam Veteran wishes to retract an affidavit he signed regarding John Kerry's actions during and after Kerry's time in Vietnam. The signed affidavit can be seen below. "Captain George Elliott describes an article appearing in today's edition of the Boston Globe by Mike Kranish as extremely inaccurate and highly misstating his actual views. He reaffirms his statement in the...

Fox News has just reported the Boston Globe/Swift Boat Veteran "retraction" of his damninmg words about Kerry as fact, and omitted that the man quoted has since called the Globe a liar and reaffirmed his statement. Is Fox screwed-up or has this story changed again??

TV Station WTVG 13-ABC, Toledo, Ohio dropped the anti-Kerry vet ad on Friday after the Kerry campaign used the GLOBE/Kranish story to convince the station's management the ad was false.] BOSTON GLOBE 'REPORTER' COMMISSIONED TO WRITE CAMPAIGN BOOK FOREWORD -- WHILE COVERING KERRY BOSTON GLOBE journalist Mike Kranish has been commissioned to write the foreword of the Kerry-Edwards campaign book -- just as he is covering the campaign in an official capacity as a journalist for the BOSTON GLOBE! Kranish made waves on Friday by reporting in the GLOBE how a key figure in the anti-Kerry vet ad campaign, Kerry's...

<p>Captain George Elliott indeed feels that Kerry shot Viet Cong in the back, however he admits not to have witnessed the event.</p>

Rush just read a press release, I believe, from the Swift Boat Vets and Lt. Elliot. Elliot stands behind his previous statements. The Boston Globe reporter who wrote this article HAS JUST FINISHED WRITING THE OFFICIAL KERRY-EDWARDS CAMPAIGN BOOK. The reporter is also Kerry's biographer.

BOSTON GLOBE reporter Mike Kranish made waves on Friday by reporting "a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions." But Captain George Elliott claims the Kranish article is "extremely inaccurate" and highly misstated his actual views. Oddly, journalist Kranish has been commissioned to write the forward of the official Kerry-Edwards campaign book -- just as he is covering the campaign in an official capacity as a journalist for the BOSTON GLOBE! Developing...

The following statement from Swift Boat Veterans for Truth concerns an article appearing in morning edition of the Boston Globe: "Viet Vet Captain George Elliott describes an article appearing in today’s edition of the Boston Globe by Mike Kranish as extremely inaccurate and highly misstating his actual views. He reaffirms his statement in the current advertisement paid for by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Captain Elliott reaffirms his affidavit in support of that advertisement, and he reaffirms his request that he ad be played. “Additional documentation will follow. The article by Mr. Kranish is particularly surprising given page 102...

Vet denies retraction of Kerry war criticism Boston Globe story saying he backed off 'extremely inaccurate', 'highly misleading' Posted: August 6, 20042:16 p.m. Eastern © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com A Vietnam veteran who appears in a television ad critical of Sen. John Kerry says a Boston Globe article asserting he retracted his criticism of the presidential candidate's war service is "extremely inaccurate" and "highly misleading." In a statement, Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth says "Captain Elliott reaffirms his affidavit in support of that advertisement, and he reaffirms his request that the ad be played." The Globe story by Michael Kranish said Elliott, in...

John Kerry's commanding officer in Vietnam has backed away from attacks on the Democratic presidential candidate, saying he made a mistake in accusing the U.S. senator of having lied about his wartime record. George Elliott, who was one of Kerry's superiors in Vietnam when he was awarded medals for heroic actions, had signed an affidavit suggesting Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star. In the document, Elliott said, "I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back." But in Friday's Boston Globe, Elliott said: "It was a terrible mistake probably for me...

Anti-Kerry Swift boat vet Lt. Commander George Elliot retracts and regrets anti Kerry statements. He is the one that said Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star medal and was featured in the commercial. Heard it just now on the radio - nothing in print yet.