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The Swiftliars were discredited from day one by surrogates, if not from Kerry directly. Subsequently, they were knocked down every time they poked their heads up on the talkies and in interviews.
Not so with this story on AWOL. Every document so far proves that there was a gap in Bush's service that is not explained by records of dental visits or by 'requests that Bush help out on that capaign in Alabama. Calhoun is the ONLY one who says that he recalls Bush at the Alabama base. That is incredible in the face of Kerry's band of brothers who stand with him today after 35 years, and comically, in the face of the dozens of other swiftboat veterans who claim to remember Kerry's actions intimately. Where is Bush's band of brothers?
How anyone can characterize the response of the Bush camp as an effective strategy is beyond me. First, the Bush camp drew attention to the absense from duty of Bush and the refusal to serve of Cheney by allowing the Swiftliars to broadcast and repeat their ridiculous war on Kerry's heroism without rebuke.
Secondly, the Bush camp is now in the position of responding to documents that they had to know existed, and there is also a question of what lengths they employed to suppress the documents. The missing records only saw the light of day because of the AP lawsuit. This after Bush promised that all of the records had been released. Not very smart politics to rely on the cover-up of the records to exonerate Bush.
Now the records are out there, and Barnes will cap the revelations off with his appearance on 60 mins. The only defense against Barnes has been McClellan's assertion that Barnes is a Democrat. But this morning I heard a report that Barnes was the chief financial coordinator of a republican campaign in his state, THE CAMPAIGN OF MCCLELLAN'S MOTHER!!
Some strategy. If Bush and his campaign were as smart as some want us to believe then they would have suppressed the Swiftliar's attack. It seems that they were, at least, ignorant of the backlash effect from the lies, and at worse, unable to exert control over their own cabal. Now comes the reckoning!
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