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Sen. Hillary Clinton gave a fundraising boost to Sen. Maria Cantwell's re-election Friday, headlining a Seattle luncheon that attracted more than 1,200 people, according to the Cantwell campaign. The crowd paid $150 to $1,200 a plate to hear the first-term New York senator, considered in political circles as a leading contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 and either the best or worst decision the party could make in its effort to recapture the White House. The lunch, inside Qwest Field, was closed to the media. The Cantwell campaign declined to say how much money was raised. >snip A...

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE PRESIDENT--PART 2September 7th, 2004 This is the second in a series of articles about John Kerry. They are intended to present facts about him and his phony war record that the media refuses to cover.... Why has the Judicial Watch organization sued demanding an investigation into his claims by the Department of Defense?... Why will Wal-Mart, Borders and other major bookstores not restock or even stock the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth book, "UNFIT FOR COMMAND," which is becoming a national best seller. ...Rassman and I both worked as Los Angeles County California Deputy Sheriffs...

This morning, 02 Sep 04, I went to a Kerry-Edwards event in Parkersburg, W.Va., which featured James Rassman, Kerry's main Swift Boat supporter. They've been doing this around W. Va. this week. I spoke to Rassman shortly after he arrived at the site (Veterans' Memorial in the City Park) and before the event began. I stood next to a couple of media attendees - one print, one radio - and had my trusty tape-recorder with me. I know the drill from my newspaper work. At an appropriate point, I asked Rassman why Kerry would not sign a Standard Form 180...

Tuesday, August 31, 2004 MISSION: IMPLAUSIBLEAnother discrepancyerodes Kerry's story Conflicting version of Rassman heroicssupports claim made by swiftboat vets Posted: August 31, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern By Art Moore © 2004 WorldNetDaily.com In a eulogy entered into the Congressional Record six years ago, John Kerry gave a conflicting version of the now-famous incident during the Vietnam War in which he rescued Special Forces officer Jim Rassman. Kerry reunited with Jim Rassman in Iowa. Rassman's dramatic on-stage reunion with Kerry 34 years later, just before the crucial Iowa caucuses in January, is regarded by some political analysts as the campaign's catalyst to victory and...

There was the time we were carrying special forces up a river and a mine exploded under our boat sending it 2 feet into the air. We were receiving incoming rocket and small arms fire and Tommy was returning fire with his M-60 machine gun when it literally broke apart in his hands. He was left holding the pieces unable to fire back while one of the Green Berets walked along the edge of the boat to get Tommy another M-60. As he was doing so, the boat made a high speed turn to starboard and the Green Beret kept...

El Rushbo, reported today, that Kerry, in a speech to the Senate several years ago gave an account of the Rassman incident that was different from any version he has floated to date. Essentially, acknowledging that Rassman simply fell off of his boat, when Kerry accellerated out of the area after the mine went off. Has anybody heard this report from another source.

John Kerry placed in the Congressional Record on January 28, 1998 the eulogy he gave (apparently) at the funeral of a former swiftboat companion. He describes what could be an entirely different version of the Rassman falling in the river/mine exploding story. Then again it could be a completely different incident or something he made up. * * *  the Congressional Record (.pdf files: first page, second page) — Those with time and better research skills can check this out further.

The White House today slammed Senator John Kerry for staging a 'political stunt' at the presidents ranch and for a double standard on attack ads.White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Kerry's dispatch of former US Senator Max Cleland and Vietnam Vet Jim Rassman to Crawford was an attempt to divert attention from Kerry's 'out of the mainstream political record and out of the mainstream views.''Senator Kerry says he wants to talk about the issues. Today's political stunt is an interesting way of showing it, McClellan said.'If Senator Kerry was interested in focusing on the issues, he would join the president...

Jerry Patterson, the Texas state land commissioner and a U.S. Marine who served in 1972-73, is greeting the duo and will be handing back to Cleland and Rassmann a letter for Kerry signed by Reps. Duncan Hunter, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee; Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Califwho spent 21 years in the Navy and Sam Johnson, R-Texas, who spent 28 years in the Air Force. Also signing the letter are Robert O'Malley and James Fleming, who both received Medals of Honor for their service in the Marine Corps during Vietnam, retired Lt. Col. Richard Castle and Lt. Gen. Dave...

John Kerry's Final Mission in Vietnam John Kerry's last mission in Vietnam was a deadly Swift boat patrol up the Bay Hap River where everything was ventured but nothing gained -- except another medal and more horrific memories. By Douglas Brinkley March 13, 1969, would prove among the worst and best days John Kerry spent in Vietnam. Three years earlier, with the main thrust of the antiwar movement yet to come, Kerry had graduated from Yale University, delivering his class oration. Although he had just signed up with the U.S. Navy, in that address he questioned U.S. involvement in Southeast...

The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads and the book Unfit for Command have traction and have legs. But, we must not just discuss them here. The liberal press ignores most the facts, but even the few friendly reporters or comentators may not know much of what is known here. In addition to posting here, it is important to email them when they do not raise or refute a point sothey will be better prepared to do so in the future. It is also important to write letters to the editor. We can't just preach to the choir here.

<p>WASHINGTON -- When John F. Kerry rescued James Rassmann from the Bay Hap River in the jungles of Vietnam in March 1969, neither man could possibly have imagined that the episode would become a much-disputed focus of an American presidential campaign 35 years later.</p>

Read this March 13th, 1969 spot report on Kerry's site spot report very carefully. I did, and my jaw dropped at what Kerry & Rassman are now telling. Rassman now states publicly Washington Post Kerry got rice/shrapnel in his ass when he & Kerry fragged a rice bin with some grenades and Kerry did not get out of the way in time when they went bang. As Rassman said in the article, "Evidently, Kerry did not run fast enough. "He got some frags and pieces of rice in his rear end," Rassmann said with a laugh. "It was more embarrassing...

I heard a short time ago on KFI radio in Los Angeles that Kerry supporter Jim Rassman had a problem that forced him to resign from the L.A. Sheriff's Department. KFI's Eric Leonard said that it is not widely known outside the department, but is very widely known inside the department. Leonard reports that Rassman took a female colleague in a sheriff's vehicle to a secluded area and "something happened." He was vague and wouldn't say what, however, she filed a complaint with the department. Rassman was allowed to quietly resign rather than face charges. Leonard's claim was something I...

I do not doubt the sincerity of James Rassman. However, my own experience and review of such part of the record as is available for review convinces me that Mr. Rassman is right about then Lieutenant John Kerry pulling him out of the water but wrong about Kerry heroically saving his life. I was an Operations Officer for 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment during the first Gulf War. I was on active duty U.S. Marine Corps Officer for over a decade. I have watched how men behave under fire. snip………………………. Here are my findings: .................

Clearly Jim Rassmann's account of being under fire when he was in the water differs from that of the Swift Boat Vets. But after reading this statment from Swift Boat Vet Van O'Dell is it possible that what Rassmann thought was enemy fire was really the suppression fire laid down by all the Swiftboats? Given O'Dell's description of the "black billowing smoke" from the blown up swiftboat, and Rassmann's understandable disorientation from having been blown out of a ship, it seems possible he could have been mistaken.

John Fraud Kerry has been on the stump saying that he would leave NO American behind if he were elected. Well, the question needs to be this WHY are 9 people actually supporting Kerry's Vietnam lies? NOT, why are 60 people questioning him! Especially Jim Rassman! Jim Rassman was thrown off Kerrys boat after boat #3 was hit by a mine and kerry hit the gas! then Kerry fled the scene for 5 minutes, leaving Jim Rassman behind! then he came back to pluck him out of the water. If i was Rassman I would of kicked Kerrys ass! Kerry...

<p>Check out this, which Captain Ed mentioned at the bottom of a post regarding some of the Swift Boat stories. I have blogged about it here as well.</p> <p>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.</p>

 On March 13, 1969, Jim Rassmann, a U.S. Army Green Beret, was aboard PCF-35 - one of three swift boats traveling together on the Bai Hap River - when one, the PCF-3, struck a mine and immediately began to take incoming fire from the river bank. Kerry's boat at some point turned around and headed toward the damaged vessel when a second mine exploded nearby, throwing him against a bulkhead, causing an contusion to his right arm. The explosion also tossed Rassmann out of a third vessel, the PCF-35. With Rassmann in the water, it is alleged that enemy...

Did anyone else see this? This was the first time I have heard him claim this. Is he just saying this because he knows Kerry will never file a SF180 to release his records? I suspect John Kerry actually put himself in for the Silver Star, but we have no way of knowing, do we?