Attacks on John Kerry Discredited

Wade Sanders | June 19, 2006
There are those who are already so entrenched in their hatred of Kerry, that no official Navy records, no verified eye-witness testimony, no facts will every cause them to re-evaluate their point of view. However, I am assured that there are many who, regardless of their political background, are interested the facts and see knowledge as an evolutionary process, and who take the time to research their opinions and speak from a foundation of fact. It clearly is not necessary to like John Kerry, or agree with his record as a Senator, but it seems to me that a vicious attack on any man's integrity and honor deserves to be based on something other than lies and distortions. Well, here are some facts based on the official Navy record, Navy messages, the Navy archives, and the statements of witnesses who were really there.

As a retired Navy Captain, a Vietnam combat veteran, and a Swift Boat skipper who served in the Mekong Delta at the same time as John Kerry, I have been appalled by recently published articles which often open with a recycled whopper: a tangled conspiracy theory about Navy records related to Kerry's Silver Star medal for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on February 28, 1969.

(snip)

One recent editorial demanded that “it is time we all got to see a picture of the famous Kerry ‘lucky hat' (given to him on the mission to Cambodia). Well, those who read Kate Zernike's recent New York Times article would have noticed that one of the pictures accompanying the piece shows lt.(j.g.) Kerry wearing -- you guessed it -- his lucky hat. Of course, no discussion of the Swifties' lies about operations in Cambodia could be complete without mention of the stunning August 2004 revelation that John O'Neill himself was on audio tape telling his commander-in-chief, President Nixon: “I was in Cambodia.”

(snip)

As a Swift Boat combat veteran, I find any attack on any veteran who has honorably served distasteful and any such attacks based on innuendo and distortions, completely reprehensible. That is why I find the distortions and lies about Kerry's VVAW activities particularly irksome. And, it is amazing to me that you will hear them go on about being called “baby killers” and “war criminals” when Kerry never used those words to refer to anyone who served in Vietnam.

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http://www.military.com/opinion/0,15202,101730,00.html

The Republican propaganda and swift boating was so damn good even some die hard Democrats believed them.......

Seems that the MSM had a certain narrative that it was interested in promoting, and truths like this just didn't fit. :spank:

many things came out which supported Kerry's side . but people didn't care including some Dems . they thought Kerry still deserved the attacks since he made mention of his service.

Sanders has a pretty partisan track record, and this is a personal oped piece. Read the comments on the article.

As I have said on other threads, no one is going to change their minds, change their behavior, or get sued over this. Its all water under the bridge. Refighting it now given Kerry's current positions only makes it harder to win over Joe- Six Pack, who is the swing voter in the US.

You know...free nations.

So the idea of "swing voters" in Imperial Amerika, where national leaders are selected by the Ruling Party with a little bit of input (suggestion, you might say, and ones easily overridden if the "wrong" person is chosen), is absurd.

And a little bit sad to those of us who remember what we once had and lost.