As usual, in the Orwellian alternate universe in which we have all languished since the coup in 2000, the increasingly unhinged and incredibly shrinking _resident and the "vast reich wing conspiracy" and the major network news organizations that are propping them up want to argue about something other than what this argument is about, in this instance they want to turn this firestorm over character, character assasination and false accusations into a struggle over the campaign finance laws...Well, of course, there are two issues...The principle issue is the FALSEHOOD of the SBVT ads, and the secondary issue is whether or not campaign finance laws have been violated...Most people in America now know about the SBVT character assasination ads about Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mekong Delta), but how many people in America know about these ads from our side attacking the increasingly unhinged and incredibly shrinking _resident? Where are they? How come their content is not being heatedly debated? How come no one from the Kerry-Edwards campaign has resigned to avoid controversy (so far two individuals have quit the Bush-Cheney campaign over allegations of impropriety)? Where is the controversy? Well, of course, the difference is that the "attack ads" from our side are FACTUAL and have not been challenged for their accuracy. No one has resigned because of them because our side is following the letter of the law. There is no moral equivalency between Move On or Media Fund and SBVT. Move On is a PAC, not a 527. Move On has hundreds of thousands of members, and has been around since the obscenity know as Ken Starr. Media Fund is a 527, but it is not runnng any ads questioning the legitimacy of medals won for courage in combat. How could it? Neither the increasingly unhinged and incredibly shrinking _resident nor his VICE _resident served in Vietnam. Nor have they been savaging the increasingly unhinged and incredibly shrinking _resident on the still unanswered questions about his stint in the Alabama Air National Guard. Although the LNS suggests that this issue be raised, but not by the Media Fund or Move On, but by the Kerry-Edwards campaign and the DNC directly. Yes, they should run an ad comparing JFK's military record with that of the increasingly unhinged and incredibly shrinking _resident and ask the US Electorate to decide for itself, and the ad should end with "I am John Kerry and I endorse this ad!"
Daniel Ruth, Tampa Tribune: If the Swiftboat Veterans Shilling For Karl Rove had any less credibility they'd make Jayson Blair look like Diogenes.
Perhaps the political lesson here ought to be that if you are going to attempt to launch a cheesy smear campaign, especially against a presidential candidate, it's probably a good idea not be more tainted than Monica Lewinsky modeling for the Gap.
For the problem with the allegations made by the Swiftboat Veterans For Bush/Cheney's Bidding is that their claims have been repeatedly exposed as having less veracity than ..., well, ``Mission Accomplished.''
The problems begin with the group's funding - $100,000-plus from Texas Republican fancy-pants Bob Perry, who has also contributed millions of dollars to the GOP across the country.
Thus we're hardly dealing with merely a civic-minded, nonpartisan group of veterans.
Next, the leader of the Swiftboat Veterans For the Lion of Crawford is led by Texas mouthpiece John O'Neill, the same John O'Neill the Nixon crowd dug up to debate Kerry, then an anti-Vietnam War activist, some 30 years ago.
As well, many of the veterans now accusing Kerry of being more of a poltroon than Barney Fife were supporters of the candidate, some as recently as a year ago.
Others have recanted their accusations against Kerry and, even more importantly, those who insist the senator was the Milo Minderbender of the Vietnam War weren't even witnesses to the events for which the various decorations were awarded...
After Rood pretty much showed up the smear campaign against Kerry for the smarmy right-wing propaganda effort that it is, O'Neill fumbled and bumbled away with this quote to the Chicago Tribune: ``We also stand by our judgment that while the action involved a degree of courage, it was not ... worthy of a Silver Star.''
``Degree of courage''? Since when did a political huckster like John O'Neill become the national arbiter of what constitutes courage under fire? What's next? Will O'Neill allege that if John McCain had been a better pilot he wouldn't have wound up living the life of Riley as a prisoner of war?
Here's the real act of cowardice: Hustings thugs created a blatant special interest group that exploits Vietnam veterans who served with distinction, and who may well have a fair beef with Kerry over his antiwar activities, simply to advance the political career of a candidate who used the war himself as little more than a glorified dental plan.
Cleanse the White House of the Chicken Hawk Coup, Show Up for Democracy in 2004: Defeat Bush (again!)
http://tampatrib.com/MGBF7XRQAYD.html
Smear Effort Not The Most Swift Of Ideas
DANIEL RUTH
Published: Aug 25, 2004
If the Swiftboat Veterans Shilling For Karl Rove had any less credibility they'd make Jayson Blair look like Diogenes.
Perhaps the political lesson here ought to be that if you are going to attempt to launch a cheesy smear campaign, especially against a presidential candidate, it's probably a good idea not be more tainted than Monica Lewinsky modeling for the Gap.
For weeks now, the Swiftboat Veterans For Rent have been flitting about the landscape trying to portray Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry as being more gutless under fire during Vietnam than Robert Vaughan in ``The Magnificent Seven.''
Gracious, if you believed merely half of what the Swiftboat Veterans For W have been alleging, you might think Kerry had really spent the entire Vietnam War sitting around the Cote d'Azur sipping Campari and reading Marcel Proust in the original French.
Nixon Crowd
Indeed, the Swiftboat Veterans For Whatever have suggested that Kerry's Silver and Bronze Stars and three Purple Hearts awarded for combat heroics are less deserved than Milli Vanilli's Grammy.
Could it be possible John ``Bring Me A Shrubbery!'' Kerry was more spineless than Monty Python's Knights of the Round Table?
Insert ``Oooooopsie!'' right about here.
For the problem with the allegations made by the Swiftboat Veterans For Bush/Cheney's Bidding is that their claims have been repeatedly exposed as having less veracity than ..., well, ``Mission Accomplished.''
The problems begin with the group's funding - $100,000-plus from Texas Republican fancy-pants Bob Perry, who has also contributed millions of dollars to the GOP across the country.
Thus we're hardly dealing with merely a civic-minded, nonpartisan group of veterans.
Next, the leader of the Swiftboat Veterans For the Lion of Crawford is led by Texas mouthpiece John O'Neill, the same John O'Neill the Nixon crowd dug up to debate Kerry, then an anti-Vietnam War activist, some 30 years ago.
Real Cowardice
As well, many of the veterans now accusing Kerry of being more of a poltroon than Barney Fife were supporters of the candidate, some as recently as a year ago.
Others have recanted their accusations against Kerry and, even more importantly, those who insist the senator was the Milo Minderbender of the Vietnam War weren't even witnesses to the events for which the various decorations were awarded.
Cue an Emily Litella ``never mind'' moment right about here.
Oh, and then there is this: Virtually every Vietnam veteran who served aboard Kerry's vessel, and/or were cheek to jowl with him in combat, have supported his version of the events attesting to his bravery under fire - including William Rood, now a Chicago Tribune editor who, over the weekend, refuted the attacks on the candidate's war record.
How absurd has this gotten?
After Rood pretty much showed up the smear campaign against Kerry for the smarmy right-wing propaganda effort that it is, O'Neill fumbled and bumbled away with this quote to the Chicago Tribune: ``We also stand by our judgment that while the action involved a degree of courage, it was not ... worthy of a Silver Star.''
``Degree of courage''? Since when did a political huckster like John O'Neill become the national arbiter of what constitutes courage under fire? What's next? Will O'Neill allege that if John McCain had been a better pilot he wouldn't have wound up living the life of Riley as a prisoner of war?
Here's the real act of cowardice:
Hustings thugs created a blatant special interest group that exploits Vietnam veterans who served with distinction, and who may well have a fair beef with Kerry over his antiwar activities, simply to advance the political career of a candidate who used the war himself as little more than a glorified dental plan.
Posted by richard at August 26, 2004 02:15 PM