John Kerry Will Kick Your Ass
If they try to “Swift-boat” John Kerry again, he’s gonna kick their asses:
Asked if he dreads the prospect of being “Swift-Boated” all over again, Kerry counters that he would relish such a fight.
“I’m prepared to kick their ass from one end of America to the other,” he declares. “I am so confident of my abilities to address that and to demolish it and to even turn it into a positive.”
Tom Maguire notes a few things that he hopes will “come out in the ass-kicking.”
P.S. To “Swift-boat” someone means “to raise legitimate questions about their record.” It’s hard to pick up from context, I know.
UPDATE: For specifics on the strength of the Swift Vets’ claims, and more on what has been missing from the documents produced by Kerry to date, go to this post of mine from May.
The Swift Boating effort involved massive lying about Kerry’s record not the raising of legitimate questions as Pat falsely portrays. It made RatherGate look like a mistaken reliance on documents that should have been more fully authenticated.
But I like the fact that when the media runs with lies against a Democrat, it is merely the raising of legitimate questions and not bias.
It’s all about Pat, not principles.
Macswain (76d8da) — 9/14/2006 @ 10:47 amNope, Macswain, you’re wrong. Mr. Kerry put himself up on the Vietnam hero pedestal and the Swift Boat Vets brought him down. As I remember, most of the media was on his side. Nightline actually went to Vietnam to find witnesses among the former Viet Cong for one of his medals. Kerry’s own book contradicted the one “witness” they did find. And what happened to those military records whose release he was going to authorize?
nk (77d95e) — 9/14/2006 @ 10:57 amAnd what happened to those military records whose release he was going to authorize?
Dude, please keep up with the most basic facts of the story. Kerry has released all of them while Bush still refuses.
During the campaign, I called for both Kerry and Bush to release their records. To my dismay, neither did, but Kerry has since.
If you were truly a principled person, you would now have the decency to acknowledge your error and would chastize Bush for not doing what you suggest Kerry do (and, in fact, has done).
The clock is on … tick tock.
Macswain (76d8da) — 9/14/2006 @ 11:20 amWhat records hasn’t Bush released and, in any case, will he be running for a third term in 2008? As to Kerry, I read that he authorized a partial release to the Boston Globe who selectively published some of them. Was there more?
nk (77d95e) — 9/14/2006 @ 11:28 amReally Macswain?
Then perhaps you could direct us to the records regarding each of his three Purple Hearts?
As in:
When and what was each action?
Who put him in for each decoration?
Who authorized each one?
Remember, we’re not asking for someone who says they were there, we’re talking about the actual US Navy/Department of Defense documents.
Since he’s released them, I’m sure you could point us to the web-site where there’d be an HTML or PDF of them?
Lurking Observer (ea88e8) — 9/14/2006 @ 11:31 amWhat records hasn’t Bush released and, in any case, will he be running for a third term in 2008? As to Kerry, I read that he authorized a partial release to the Boston Globe who selectively published some of them. Was there more?
Click through the Maguire link.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 11:35 amI’ll take the word of a Swift Boat Vet every time over the flip-flopper. John Kerry’s string of self-aggrandizing lies disqualify him from any benefit of the doubt. That man’s a phony jerk and a disgrace to the armed forces, which of course makes him a perfect Democrat.
Black Jack (507b6e) — 9/14/2006 @ 11:46 amKerry signed a form 180 authorizing release of all his military and medical records, Bush has not.
I’ve yet to see a single one of you call Bush out on this. Pat simply tries to hide behind someone else’s skirt without the courage of being specific about what he is saying (isn’t that the Ol’ Professor’s trick).
As to the lurker … I’m not here to take homework assignments from you. If your host wants to put his credibility on the line by joining your statement that Kerry has not released his records regarding his purple hearts and silver and bronze stars, then I might consider doing the Google search to give you a whacking.
Pat, back to you. You down with your fan lurker?
Macswain (76d8da) — 9/14/2006 @ 12:17 pmI’m still waiting to see whether Kerry will ever publicly release the after-action report on the so-called “Sampan Incident”.
That, to me at least, is far more important an issue than how he acquired his combat injuries.
DubiousD (4437aa) — 9/14/2006 @ 12:32 pmKerry has signed a Form 180, but in every case I know of but one, all of the records first passed through Kerry’s office. From there, they went into the hands of friendly journalists — journalists who then claimed that the records were now complete, even though they had made the same claim earlier, during the campaign.
In one case, the records were sent directly to Michael Kranish — another friendly reporter who has distorted the facts to help Kerry.
I am going to update the post with a link to a previous post of mine that spells out some things that are missing.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 12:35 pmMacswain highlights yet another Kerry flip flop. Kerry told Tim Russert in January of 2005 that he would sign form 180 releasing all his military records. Kerry authorized a limited release of his records to three friendly journalists who are always willing to carry his water. He has not signed an unrestricted FT180.
I do know that Kerry has is more cunning since 2004. Rumor has it that he has employed those professional Photoshoppers from Reuters to “adjust” his personal photo collection in order to debunk all those Swiftvet allegations.
Poor Macswain, he ain’t got no stinkin’ links.
PC14 (98b75e) — 9/14/2006 @ 12:45 pmJohn Kerry is just up-set becuae the SWIFT BOAT vets exposed his dirty secrets including his meeting with hanoi jane and how his picture is in amuseum in ho chi minn city he is just your avrage dirty demacrat and frankly he is the one who should have his butt kicked clean out of america
krazy kagu (4ca035) — 9/14/2006 @ 12:53 pmAnd I thought it was all about Pat.
Anyway, Kerry’s a f***er, but he’s not a fighter.
Dan Collins (1b3398) — 9/14/2006 @ 12:58 pmBWAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA
Macswain appears, declares absolutely that Kerry has released all his documentation, then when asked where it is (b/c all of the questions asked would be part and parcel of a Form 180), huffs, “I’m not here to take homework assignments from you!”
My dear fellow, it’s hardly a homework assignment if you state definitively that the data is out there. After all, you must have seen it already, if you know that it’s out there.
Having taken the liberty of googling already, I think it’s safe to say that the actual records of Kerry’s Purple Hearts are not, in fact, publicly available, for all the reasons others have already noted.
But feel free to whack away. It’s rather stuffy here, and the breeze would be refreshing.
Lurking Observer (ea88e8) — 9/14/2006 @ 1:45 pmMaybe we now know what sandy berger took from the National Archives. (Not really, but seemed appropriate).
I don’t care if nothing the Swift Boats said was true, the idea that someone can make a name for himself collaborating with the enemy and making false generalizations about American soldiers (which he continues to make, waking up poor Iraqis in the middle of the night, etc.) and then try to make himself a military hero is mind boggling. The only thing more mind-boggling is he mostly got away with it.
Yes, I want to see him “kick some butt” with the Swift boat vets, at least it will be more fair than cussing out secret service agents who interfere with his skiing…
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 9/14/2006 @ 1:49 pmI can’t believe that no one is focusing on Kerry’s promise to “kick their Ass from one end of America to the other.” Do you folks realize how much it hurts to get hit over the head with a squash racket?
JVW (d667c9) — 9/14/2006 @ 2:02 pmSo here’s the scorecard:
No. 1: Lurking Observer, Pat doesn’t have the courage to say it to your face … but no, he isn’t going to join your allegations. (But … pssst … your a conservative, so you can say whatever you want about Kerry without Pat ever calling you out).
No. 2: nk, Pat, etc. — I’ll I take it as an admission of your lack of principles that not a one of you has called out Bush for not signing a Form 180 regarding release of “all” his military and medical records while in the service.
No. 3: Pat, you don’t have the evidence to make the statement that Kerry’s office screened the docs before they went to the AP and LA Times (nor to make the charge that Kerry’s office deleted documents from those produced). The releases signed by Kerry authorized the military to send “all” of the documents directly to all three media outlets. You make an unequivocal charge that the docs did not go directly to them, where’s your proof for that twisted smear?
Your claim that the three are “friendly” media sources is also just so much B.S. and requires a conspiracy beyond comprehension to have any validity to your suggestion that they hid something.
You ought to correct these baseless charges … but that would require actual principles.
Tick tock … where’s Bush’s form 180, hypocrites?
Macswain (76d8da) — 9/14/2006 @ 2:02 pmAnd where do YOU get your FACTS Macswain? And Bush DID release every single last one of his military records, long before the 2004 campaign, multiple times. He has signed his Form 180 THREE SEPARATE TIMES AND RELEASED HIS RECORDS THREE SEPARATE TIMES.
And as to “lying” about John Kerry – I am a Vietnam widow and I know for a FACT that he is a stone liar. He spent 4 freaking months in Vietnam. My Charlie died on his THIRD TOUR, in the last month of that tour. And he wasn’t over there raping women or murdering babies. He was trying to defend a people who didn’t WANT a Communist government.
Let’s also talk about Kerry’s trip to Paris to palaver with the North Vietnamese while still a member of the ACTIVE RESERVE. That is ILLEGAL and he should have been (and maybe was) dishonorably discharged from the Navy and tried for treason. Funny how reticent he is about his military records and even more interesting the fact that his so-called honorable discharge wasn’t issued until it was signed by James Earl Carter – many years after the event supposedly took place.
In the meantime, John “Fraude” Kerry sounds like Baghdad Bob with his pontifications and pronouncements! What a loser. I have a 25# cat who could kick this girlie man’s ass!
Gayle Miller (855514) — 9/14/2006 @ 2:11 pmThe releases signed by Kerry authorized the military to send “all” of the documents directly to all three media outlets.
Really? Tell the LAT, which said otherwise.
It’s really hard to see where I got the idea that the records went through Kerry’s office. You have to click the link in the above post, which leads to a post that says:
Jeez . . . you gotta click on yet another link now to see where I got that. So much clicking! Finally you come to a post that quotes an LAT article as saying:
I guess they went though his office.
If you read that post, by the way, you see that the reporter a) previously said that Kerry had released his records, and b) talks about the new records that hadn’t been previously released. A bit contradictory.
And, as the Maguire post and my previous post make clear, there are documents missing from those provided pursuant to the Form 180.
Is Bush making a big deal out of what a hero he is for having been in the National Guard? Has he said he’s going to go around kicking people’s ass on the issue? If so, why then yes, he should definitely sign that Form 180.
How’s about toning it down, buddy?
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 2:18 pmBy the way, I believe Bush did issue an executive order to have his records released. But if would make you happier to have the same thing done through a Form 180, then fine: let him sign it.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 2:21 pmTo Gayle Miller,
Thank you for contributing to the discussion.
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 9/14/2006 @ 2:45 pmPat,
You didn’t think I actually went through this exercise without knowing what your prior argument was, did you?
I knew you were relying on a tortured reading of a single sentence in the LA Times. Indeed, the logical reading of that sentence was and is that the docs were “released under federal guidelines by Kerry’s Senate office” by his signing of the Form 180 not by his office physically handing them over (I like how you now acknowledge that you “guess” the docs went through Kerry’s office).
Though limiting it to a guess is not what you said here.
Pursuant to the form itself, the docs are sent directly to the media source. Why would we believe the military did not do that in all cases as opposed to just Kranish’s?
Now I imagine we can expect to see a correction of your unequivocal assertions as you so vehemently demand of others who aren’t accurate on every hair splitting piece of minutiae.
Thank you for calling on Bush to sign the 180.
Macswain (76d8da) — 9/14/2006 @ 2:54 pmPeople attacking Kerry for his military service are no better than people who spat on soldiers when they returned from Vietnam. Even if I take it as a given that he lied about everything he did in Vietnam (and I don’t as the people who served with him back him up) he still volunteered to serve and volunteered for combat duty. Two steps more honorable than what our president, vice-president, sec. of defense, presidential advisor, sec. of state, and on and on, ever did.
Paul (aeea58) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:06 pmI think it sounds better if you say, “I have a 25# cat who could kick that pussy’s ass.”
Dan Collins (1b3398) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:07 pmI don’t attack Sen. Kerry for his military service, but for what he did after he returned from Vietnam and then playing both sides. He essentially said, “I’m a decorated war hero who slandered my fellow soldiers and cooperated with the enemy in playing public sentiment, and I will not tell you why I did not get an honorable discharge until years later by President Carter.”
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:15 pm(I like how you now acknowledge that you “guess” the docs went through Kerry’s office)
You’re not real good on irony, huh?
Did his office sign the form? Or did he?
The logical conclusion from the sentence I quoted is that the office released the docs. But it doesn’t matter — I acknowledged that one journalist got them straight from the Navy, and there are still some missing.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:17 pmI don’t attack Sen. Kerry for his military service . . .
Neither do I. Also, some of the Swift Vets said things that seemed suspect. However, when Beldar challenged people to prove a material factual misstatement — as opposed to statements that were contradicted by others, showing only a conflict in the evidence — nobody could.
So I criticize the media for pretending otherwise, and recognize the simple truth: the Vets raised some real questions about some of his actions.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:19 pm#23
I do not buy your argument that people who do not believe Senator Kerry and dispute his record of miliary service are equivilent to those who “spat” on soldiers when they returned from Vietnam.
In the first case, Senator Kerry’s service in vietnam and his actions thereafter were of no importance until he chose to run for president of the United States. Subsequently they became important because they reflected upon the Character of the Man and people can draw inferences about how a man will behave based upon history.
Those who spat on returning soldier were assaulting men and women because their service to the United States. These people were not questioning the judgement, wisdom and character of a man who sought to be president of the United States, they were behaving like three year old brats.
Make an argument that makes the behaviors morally equivilent.
not a yank (a47dbe) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:23 pmOh jeebus … John Kerry is not included in John Kerry’s office? My god man, you are truly desperate to make this argument (or more likely desterate not to admit your mistake).
C’mon man, your fans are sitting by breathlessly for you to put the wood to Macswain and conclusively provide the smoking gun evidence that the docs were culled through by the Kerry team before they were turned over to the LA Times and AP and all you got for evidence is an argument that you read Kerry’s office as excluding Kerry himself (and not to mention you’ve got nothing – zero – on the AP allegation).
Now that it’s become evident that you were wrong, I like your “it doesn’t matter” quip. Its not like you’ve smeared Kerry and suggested a conspiracy theory between Kerry and the AP, LA Times and Boston Globe.
Corrections require principles.
Macswain (76d8da) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:38 pmOf course, it also depends no what you mean by signing SF 180.
Apparently, as of May 2005, it wasn’t actually clear whether SF180 releasing the documents had been transmitted back to the Navy, regardless of whether John Kerry’s John Hancock was on them.
Now, Michael Kranish, in June 2005, wrote about Kerry’s records, but then, as he notes, “On May 20, Kerry signed a document called Standard Form 180, authorizing the Navy to send an ”undeleted” copy of his ”complete military service record and medical record” to the Globe.”
So, we have
Kerry biographerGlobe journalist Michael Kranish’s word that there’s nothing to see here, folks, let’s move along.And, in an Internet driven world, it’s amusing to note that there’s not an HTML or PDF file to be seen. Just a journalist’s word. (I wonder how Kranish’s book sold, anyway?)
What’s in John Kerry’s records? The Shadow knows, but not thee nor me.
Lurking Observer (ea88e8) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:40 pmLurkOb–
Dan Collins (1b3398) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:48 pmKranish would have come clean, but he was afraid that Kerry would kick his ass from sea to shining sea.
all you got for evidence is an argument that you read Kerry’s office as excluding Kerry himself
No, what I’m saying is that if Kerry signed the form and the records were sent directly to the journalists, it would be very odd to say the records were released by Kerry’s office.
If you work for IBM, I wouldn’t say: IBM has been making silly arguments on Patterico’s blog — even though IBM doesn’t exclude you.
Saying Kerry’s office, to me, indicates that the documents were mailed from Kerry’s office. But I acknowledged months ago that at least one journalist got them directly, but that the journalist is friendly to Kerry. The other journalist I’m aware of who got them (Braun at the LAT) has written stories pro- and anti-Kerry.
I know nothing about the AP, but the AP is a biased organization.
I think it would be interesting if Kerry were to sign a Form 180 that actually released the docs to someone who might be critical of him.
And even if he did, the Navy obviously doesn’t have all the docs — including docs that Brinkley has seen. Again, see the Maguire post.
Obviously Kerry is hiding some docs from us, and I wonder why. Macswain will ignore this, naturally, and say nothing about Maguire’s assertions that Brinkley saw “War Notes” and other docs that seem to have disappeared.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:53 pmAnd why in the hell would this require a conspiracy? As anyone with reasoning powers can easily see, it wouldn’t. It would require only Kerry being a weasel.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:55 pmWhy is John Kerry hiding documents, Macswain?
Will you address that?
Maguire says:
So where are they, Macswain?
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:56 pmMore Maguire, from a while back:
Macswain?
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 3:59 pmOK, I looked into it further, and you’re right. I found the actual Form 180s here.
Braun simply worded the story poorly.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 4:09 pmI have corrected the posts.
Patterico (de0616) — 9/14/2006 @ 4:14 pmRespect due.
I hope I will show the same courage when I make the inevitable errors that are undoubtedly going to occur in the fast paced world of blogs.
Macswain (76d8da) — 9/14/2006 @ 5:06 pmWe should not forget what a highly decorated soldier John Kerry was. Consider that he was actually in combat for 4 months and during that time received 3 Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and Bronze Star. That set new commendation records…Audie Murphy is jealous.
He worked the system, left his unit and got out early…way early.
PC14 (98b75e) — 9/14/2006 @ 8:49 pmpatterico’s definition of “swift-boat” is in error.
assistant devil's advocate (597708) — 9/14/2006 @ 10:35 pmfrom my perspective, “swift-boat” means to drum up a series of desperate lies about an opponent’s military service record.
john kerry faced north vietnamese fire. george w. bush faced cocktails, cocaine and high-end hookers while working on a friend’s senate campaign in alabama. no amount of distortion can make bush’s record more valiant than kerry’s.
“from my perspective, “swift-boat” means to drum up a series of desperate lies about an opponent’s military service record.”
The problem is, that’s not what the Swift Vets did. It was John Kerry who made his questionable military recorc a campaign issue.
“john kerry faced north vietnamese fire. george w. bush faced cocktails, cocaine and high-end hookers while working on a friend’s senate campaign in alabama. no amount of distortion can make bush’s record more valiant than kerry’s.”
I’m really tired of this bullshit kneejerk response to any criticism of John Kerry’s war record. HE was the person who injected it into the discussion. He could have avoided any criticism of his behavior during or after the war, but he chose to make it a centerpiece for his campaign (“Reporting for duty!”). Obviously, the Democrats were so delighted to have a candidate who had a military record that they didn’t bother worrying about WHAT his service record said about him.
I’m sick of hearing about Kerry’s 4 freakin months in Vietnam. My father spent 18 mos in Vietnam. I was 18 mos old when he left & 3 when he came back and denied for months that this man was my dad (I thought a picture of him was my dad). He had gone to war leaving a wife & 3 small children behind. THAT’S sacrifice. Toodling around in a boat and taking movies of yourself isn’t honorable service. So just cut the crap.
sharon (dfeb10) — 9/15/2006 @ 3:58 amThank you Sharon. I agree with you completely.
And I like the edit supplied for my comment about my cat, Sam. Much better wording.
Look, the bottom line is that what John Kerry did or didn’t do IN Vietnma is irrelevant. The posters who said that the issue was what he did AFTER his 4 months in Vietnam were utterly correct. And from that standpoint, the record is clear and pretty convincing that he will never be the poster-boy for honor or truth. Furthermore, in my view (to which I am absolutely entitled) he is wholly unqualified to ever serve as President of the United States.
Gayle Miller (855514) — 9/15/2006 @ 7:51 amI’m a Nam vet and disabled because of it. #18 Gayle, can I borrow your cat? There’s a girly-man out there that needs an ass-whoppin’.
Skul (d17970) — 9/15/2006 @ 7:59 am1. Bush wasn’t running as a war hero.
2. Bush released all of the actual records. A 180 would be redundant.
Besides, if you want to see anything in Bush’s military records, just make up whatever you want it to be. It’s the Democrat way.
Bud Day is a war hero. John Kerry is a liar.
Pablo (efa871) — 9/15/2006 @ 8:09 amOf course we remember one tidbit of information revealed by Kerry’s Form 180 was that his grades at Yale were slightly less than Bush’s. A fact, if I recall correctly, was not initially reported by the LAT and not accurately reported by the Globe but rather nuanced so as to avoid actually stating that Bush had the better academic record.
Something just smells about Kerry’s selective release to the Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and Associated Press.
Imagine the tinfoil outrage over at Kos if Bush had done the same and released records to say Fox News, Washington Times and Wall Street Journal.
PC14 (98b75e) — 9/15/2006 @ 8:43 amI continue to not care about this because John Kerry is not going to be the Dem nominee in 2008. He had his shot and he lost.
The last guy that got a second chance at a national nomination after losing was Nixon (1960 and then again 1968). Prior to that you have to go back to Adlai Stephenson. National parties do not give second chances in the modern (post TV) era.
That’s my position and I’m sticking to it.
For now.
Dwilkers (a1687a) — 9/15/2006 @ 9:14 amI agree with assistant devil’s advocate’s statement #40. However, I also agree that Kerry shouldn’t have trotted out his war record after denying it’s existence by throwing his medals onto the White House lawn (an undeniably powerful statement, but one that he corrupted with his later-life tap-dancing).
I think it’s silly for sharon to suggest that being on a swift boat in the Vietnam War is equivalent to
“Toodling around in a boat and taking movies of yourself”.
Soldiers on swift boats had some of the highest casualty rates in the war. Their situation gave a whole new literal meaning to the term “shooting fish in a barrel”.
Don’t apply your logic to Kerry (who I agree is a weasel, but that’s not the point) unless you’re willing to apply it universally.
If we want to talk about Bush unjustly smearing someone, let’s forget about Kerry; What about John McCain?
Leviticus (3c2c59) — 9/15/2006 @ 9:27 am@gayle miller:
assistant devil's advocate (cd66ff) — 9/15/2006 @ 9:30 amyou have a 25 pound cat?
is it a maine coon cat?
here’s a link to 35 pound leo, 2006 guinness world record holder for the longest cat in the world:
http://www.verismocat.com/htmscripts/leo-guinness.htm
Yes, my beloved Sam is a Maine Coon cat. Thanks for the link ada!
Gayle Miller (855514) — 9/15/2006 @ 11:04 amAs the son of a World War II veteran, “Swift Boating” to me is a disgusting way of gaining political leverage at the expense of every honorable veteran. Support the Troops (TM), but only if it furthers your political ideology. You really have no idea how insane your position appears, do you? Fine, support a draft-dodging son of privilege; the facts are indeed murky and that’s your right. But you besmirch the honor of every veteran when you start dissecting the origin of every commendation these brave men and women received, for whatever reason was determined at the time. Your hypocrisy is obvious, as are your intentions.
mmm...lemonheads (a9d53b) — 9/15/2006 @ 11:49 amlemonheads:
As the son of a WWII vet, then, I trust you are absolutely disgusted w/ the likes of Sidney Blumenthal, who “raised questions” about whether George Herbert Walker Bush (Bush ’41) left his fellow crewmates aboard the Avenger to die?
And you are disgusted with those who tried to make political hay by belittling Bob Dole’s war injuries, claiming that all he did was what anyone else would do?
Somehow these are swept under the rug, even though neither Bush ’41 nor Dole ran as a war hero.
Lurking Observer (ea88e8) — 9/15/2006 @ 12:04 pmIf Kerry gets support from Chuck Norris, the country is doomed. Disputing Kerry’s medals is pretty sleazy. There was a time and a place for that, back in the 70s. That essentially puts into question everyone’s medals who served at that time. Besides, it doesn’t even help politically, even less so now that it isn’t fresh. Kerry’s obscenely liberal voting record is enough to defeat him.
Wesson (c20d28) — 9/15/2006 @ 12:24 pmI am in receipt of an “authorized” communication, probably mis-addressed:
—
Mr. Kerry is NOT NOW and NEVER HAS BEEN a weasel, of any stripe.
Thank you.
[signed]
Chief Weasel
—
htom (412a17) — 9/15/2006 @ 12:31 pmI would like to know why Kerry’s silver star certificate was signed years later, many years later. That may be why some of the records will never see the light of day, especially from the reserve period. I know another Swift Boat captain from the same period and my brother-in-law was an 18-year-old rifleman in the same area of Vietnam when Kerry was there. Neither of them saw any atrocities, but what would they know compared to “90 day Kerry?”
Mike K (6d4fc3) — 9/15/2006 @ 1:06 pmI completely agree, lemonheads. I can’t imagine that anyone would ever vote for a sleazeball politician who claimed to Support the Troops ™ and then spread vicious, slanderous lies which accused honorable veterans of having
That kind of dishonest hack who would say anything to get ahead should never be elected to office.
Shad (964013) — 9/15/2006 @ 1:28 pmLemonheads, I’ll get straight to the point. — Been there done that. kerry is a traitor. Stuff your self-rightousness, you don’t know squat!! Pardon my freaking spelling.
Skul (d17970) — 9/15/2006 @ 5:51 pmAs badly as I hate to give Gary Trudeau any credit, he used to be able to spot a phony.
Bildo (72e1fa) — 9/15/2006 @ 8:58 pmhttp://www.doonesbury.com/strip/kerry_faq.html
Excellent find, Bildo.
[Will it still be found on that site 6 months from now??]
MD in Philly (3d3f72) — 9/16/2006 @ 7:51 amYou folks don’t disappoint. Bob Dole? War hero. George Herbert Walker Bush? War hero. John Kerry? War hero. Max Cleland? War hero. Every man and woman who has served honorably for our country? A hero on some level. The 101st Fighting Keyboardists who “pontificate” about the rightousness of the Iraq war from the comfort of their homes, many of whom are of serving age? You decide.
mmm...lemonheads (a9d53b) — 9/16/2006 @ 8:36 amYet, somehow, the incorporation of Blumenthal into Bill Clinton’s (not a war hero) inner circle of advisors didn’t draw much attention from those outraged by the 101st Fighting Keyboardists.
Claim that Kerry wasn’t all that he claimed to be in Vietnam, outrage lemonhead. Claim that Bush Sr. bailed out and abandoned his crew to die, and, well, get rewarded.
Nor do comments like this somehow never seem to get lemonhead’s goat:
Why is that, lemonhead? Where’s the outrage? Or are Democratic members of the 101st Fighting Keyboardists immune from your anger? Especially when they’re senior Presidential advisors like Sid Blumenthal? Guess it’s okay to cast aspersions on Republican war heroes, eh?
Lurking Observer (29e13c) — 9/16/2006 @ 9:56 amBlumenthal’s comments do piss me off, but they weren’t funded to the hilt by PACs, given major commercial airtime during an election and bloviated about by every right wing wanna-be pundit. As a result, they did not significantly alter public opinion on a presidential election. Again, you miss my point. Combing through commendations to find fault with them is disgusting, no matter who’s doing it. The fact that there’s now a verb in common vernacular, “Swift Boating”, shows that particular instance was especially egregious.
mmm...lemonheads (a9d53b) — 9/16/2006 @ 11:30 amAnd there are no “Democrat” 101st Fighting Keyboardists, silly.
We put up or shut up.
Forgot one thing. Don’t most of you consider moral relativism a fault, if not a sin? Yet when someone calls a rightie out for despicable behavior, someone invariably cries, “well you do it, too!”. The same goes with this morally bankrupt torture debate. “Well we’re not the ones beheading people!” You’re right, we’re better than that. We’re also above torturing people, at least we used to be.
mmm...lemonheads (a9d53b) — 9/16/2006 @ 11:41 am>>here are no “Democrat” 101st Fighting Keyboardists, silly.
aphganistan?
frendlydude2k (3eeea5) — 9/16/2006 @ 2:11 pmI’m not quite sure where “aphganistan” is, but when it comes to Afghanistan there’s a quite a difference. We had plenty of forces on hand to fight it, and most of us on the left agreed it was the right thing to do. Moral decision + no need for more personnel = no problem. I was against Iraq from the start for a myriad of reasons, but we went anyway. That presents the equation of second war + need for more personnel – people of serving age who support the war but won’t go themselves. Thus the coining of said term. I could have gone with “chickenhawks” but I was trying to be nice.
mmm...lemonheads (a9d53b) — 9/16/2006 @ 2:22 pmplease forgive my spelling error. the bottom line is you supported a war that you weren’t willing to fight. but it seems that the definition of “101st Fighting Keyboardists” (chickenhawks) changes to suit your needs.
frendlydude2k (3eeea5) — 9/17/2006 @ 11:19 amOh, bullshit. It shows that there was lefty hysteria and an ongoing desire to perpetuate it.
Pablo (08e1e8) — 9/17/2006 @ 11:32 amPat, I note your reference to Beldar. What happened to him? Is he ok? Any info would be appreciated. During the whole Swiftboat thing, that was my favorite blog. Bledar had a certain elegance to his writing and I miss it.
PC14 (98b75e) — 9/18/2006 @ 8:29 pm