Swift Boat Vets Update
The Swift Boat story is taking off, with too much material for any one blogger to keep with. Instapundit, Power Line, Captain’s Quarters, Hugh Hewitt, and Beldar come pretty damn close, though.
A Washington Post article titled Swift Boat Accounts Flawed is getting some praise for decent research. It has some interesting nuggets. On the pro-Swiftvets side, it notes that “Kerry’s accusers have succeeding [sic] in raising doubts about his war record” while saying that they haven’t (yet) proved him a liar.
Particularly interesting is this discussion of what records Kerry has released:
Although Kerry campaign officials insist that they have published Kerry’s full military records on their Web site (with the exception of medical records shown briefly to reporters earlier this year), they have not permitted independent access to his original Navy records. A Freedom of Information Act request by The Post for Kerry’s records produced six pages of information. A spokesman for the Navy Personnel Command, Mike McClellan, said he was not authorized to release the full file, which consists of at least a hundred pages.
This answers the question I asked the other day about the efforts that the Post had made to obtain Kerry’s records through FOIA.
The article makes the point that SBVT members haven’t released their full records either. But who’s running for President again?
A Chicago Tribune editor named William Rood has written a first-person account of one of the disputed incidents. He apparently has refused to make himself available for follow-up interviews, saying: “My intent is to tell the story here and to never again talk publicly about it.” No examination has been made of his campaign contributions, political connections, etc.
No matter. The Los Angeles Times uncritically prints it on Page One today. Would the Times give such prominent and uncritical treatment to a Swift Boat Vet who wanted to publish his story, but forbid any follow-up interviews? Excuse me while I finish laughing heartily.
Okay. I’m done.
Beldar says Rood’s article is a good piece that doesn’t say much to contradict the Vets anyway.
Meanwhile, John Leo and Michael Barone write on Christmas in Cambodia. Leo once again shows that he is a reader of blogs. Good for him.
Newsweek has one of Kerry’s principal defenders going backwards on the claim that he knows Kerry was under fire when he rescued Jim Rassmann.
Check out what Les Jones says about the Sunday yakkers’ treatment of the Vets’ accusations.
Perhaps somewhat off topic (but short):
One of the “dogs that’s not barking” in this story is the reaction of Vietnamese-Americans to Kerry’s candidacy, in particular to his telling of the story of the Viet Nam War, and his combat role in it. After all, it was their country, at the time. Do they think:
– That American soldiers were by and large war criminals, per “Winter Soldier”? Or not?
– That the US-supported Ky and Thieu regimes were the best of a bad lot, far preferable to the Communist re-education camps and murders that followed 1975? Or not?
– That the Boat People exodus of the late seventies and eighties was a by-product of Kerry’s position at the time (and still)? Or not?
The LAT would be in a particularly good position to do such stories, given Los Angeles’ Little Saigon. I don’t know what unbiased queries or a poll would yield, but I think the results would be interesting. I guess the paper doesn’t agree.
Comment by AMac — 8/22/2004 @ 2:13 pm
I believe Orange County has the largest Vietnamese community in the state. There was a near riot a few years ago when someone hung a picture of Ho Chi Minh in his video store. Recently, some of the cities have passed resolutions that only the South Vietnamese flag be recognized as the official flag. I can’t blame them. Last week, I asked a Cambodian friend who was 13 y/o when the Khmer Rouge came into power what happened to her. It was horrible. This isn’t some abstract memory to them. Since, the Vietnamese overwhelmingly support Bush, I sincerely doubt the LAT will do a story.
Comment by julie — 8/22/2004 @ 3:37 pm
I just went to Amazon to check on the Sales Rank
of “Unfit for Command”.
IT DOES NOT APPEAR ON THE BESTSELLERS LIST ANYWHERE!
The 9/11 Commission report is the first entry!
It’s sales rank is #2.
In the “other books” under the 9/11 report is a link
to “Unfit”.
It’s sales rank is #1.
This is the most blatant scam I have ever seen.
Please publicize this gross deception. I have already
sent Amazon an email, asking them what’s going on.
If they’re taking sides this blatantly, they’ve lost a
customer for life.
Ken Smith
Portland, OR
Comment by Ken Smith — 8/22/2004 @ 5:17 pm
The WashPo may have been good today but Beldars
site tells a story about tomorrow that is back
to the old grind of bashing Bush, lying about
him and not accepting Dole’s comments or rather
distorting them.
Should have known this newspaper is good for that, good one day, change the next, maybe they
think it will make them look fair. Huh!
I already wrote Amazon and told them to remove
me from their files. They are just playing games
and they will find there are plenty of places
to buy books, and they are not needed. It is
in my opinion rather stupid as the book will be
read, by whoever wants to in time and we have
time. They are only hurting themselves.
It was at 1 earlier this evening.
The battle is still on!
Comment by cjg — 8/22/2004 @ 10:13 pm
I just checked Amazons website and Unfit is ranked #1 (and appears at the top) on their bestseller list, although only #11 on their front page, whatever that indicates. It was the same yesterday when I ordered it, which I did as soon as I saw that Kerry was trying to get it banned. (Just the kind of guy we need as president, and so much for his band of brothers image, right?) Keep up the pressure, Pat. Even if Bush doesn’t win, and I think he will, at least the Vietnam vets have had a chance to reveal Kerry for what he was and is still today, another leftist that despises those that serve. They deserved to have their voices heard and if what they have to say sinks Kerry, then that is just icing on the cake. I am also deeply satisfied that the MSM has had to reveal their utterly unapologetic partisanship throughout the whole affair in order to cover for Kerry. We owe the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth alot, in more ways than one.
Comment by mikem — 8/23/2004 @ 12:43 am