Free Republic

Of course, if serving in Vietnam were the primary qualification to be president, the United States would need thousands of Oval Offices, but John Kerry, trying to avoid his Senate record, chose to make a four-month stint decades ago the centerpiece of his campaign. And every day now he must be regretting that decision. Kerry's latest faux pas: calling Vietnam veteran Robert "Friar Tuck" Brant and asking if he knew about that awful group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. "I said, 'I am one, John,'" Brant said. The Massachusetts Democrat failed to note that Brant had appeared at a news...

Sen. John Kerry was so eager to confront accusations that he lied about his Vietnam War medals that he telephoned one of his former bunkmates - and was bluntly told off, the former sailor said yesterday. Kerry also brought his campaign to defend his war record to Manhattan yesterday, accusing the Bush campaign of using "fear and smear" tactics to avoid tougher issues. The sharp exchange between former Navy officers took place Sunday when Kerry called Robert (Friar Tuck) Brant, a skipper on a Navy Swift boat patrolling the Mekong Delta in 1968-69 and a member of the Swift Boat...

August 25, 2004 -- One of the Vietnam vets behind the TV ads blasting John Kerry says the senator called him last weekend to seek a meeting on why so many war buddies are speaking out against him. Robert "Friar Tuck" Brant — one of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth who signed a letter charging Kerry with sliming fellow Vietnam vets by accusing them of war crimes — said Kerry asked to meet with him, but he refused. Brant, a retired Navy commander, said Kerry called on Sunday, asking if he knew about the Swift Vets for Truth, and...

NEW YORK - This morning, John Kerry used New York City as the launching pad for his latest rounds of attack on President Bush and urged the GOP to abandon the negative attacks of "fear and smear" and to return to the debate on issues. However, it is clear from a reported phone call that Kerry participated in Sunday evening that Kerry sees that the discontentment of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth as fundamentally non-related to the Bush campaign. Kerry reportedly placed a call to Robert Brant (Ret.) Commander, United States Navy. Brant had skippered boats #96 and #36...

<p>Kerry's campaign now says is possible first Purple Heart was awarded for unintentional self-inflicted wound...</p> <p>Kerry received Purple Heart for wounds suffered on 12/2/68...</p> <p>In Kerry's own journal written 9 days later, he writes he and his crew, quote, 'hadn't been shot at yet'... Developing...</p>