Kerry campaign's response to SBVT

(Also groups aligned with the Democratic Party):

May 4, 2004. The Kerry campaign held a press conference directly after the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" event. (Above are, r-l, Wade Sanders, Del Sandusky and Drew Whitlow). Senior Advisor Michael Meehan said, "The Nixon White House attempted to do this to Kerry, and the Bush folks are following the same plan." "We're not going to let them make false claims about Kerry and go unanswered," Meehan said. He said his first instinct was to hold a press conference with an empty room where veterans could testify to their time spent in the military with George W. Bush and Dick Cheney.

The campaign provided an information package which raised significant questions about "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Spaeth Communications, which hosted the event, "is a Republican headed firm from Texas which has contributed to Bush's campaign and has very close ties to the Bush Administration." Lead organizer John O'Neill, a Republican from Texas, "was a pawn of the Nixon White House in 1971." Further some of the people now speaking against Kerry had praised him in their evaluation reports in Vietnam.

John Dibble, who served on a swift boat in 1970, after Kerry had left, was one of the veterans at the Kerry event. He said of Kerry's anti-war activities that at the time, "I didn't like what he was doing." In retrospect, however, Dibble said, "I probably should have been doing the same thing...probably more of us should have been doing that." He said that might have meant fewer names on the Vietnam Memorial and that Kerry's anti-war activities were "a very gutsy thing to do."

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/interestg/swift050404c.html


Kerry campaign's quick response to Swift boat vets
By Marie Horrigan
UPI Deputy Americas Editor
Washington, DC, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- The campaign for Democratic Party presidential nominee Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts issued an exhaustively researched and extensively sourced 36-page refutation Thursday of allegations Kerry lied about events during his service in Vietnam, including how and why he received medals, and had fled the scene of a battle.

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040805-012143-5349r.htm



Kerry: Bush lets attack ads do 'dirty work'
McClellan points out criticism by anti-Bush group
Friday, August 20, 2004 Posted: 2:37 PM EDT (1837 GMT)
BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry accused President Bush on Thursday of letting front groups "do his dirty work" in questioning his military service during the Vietnam War.

"The president keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that," Kerry told a firefighters' union conference in his hometown of Boston.

"Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: Bring it on."

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/08/19/kerry.attackads/



http://www.johnkerry.com/petition/oldtricks.php


On Aug. 19, 2004 Kerry himself responded directly in a speech to the International Association of Firefighters' Convention in Boston. (from prepared remarks)


...And more than thirty years ago, I learned an important lesson—when you're under attack, the best thing to do is turn your boat into the attacker. That's what I intend to do today.
Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn’t interested in the truth – and they're not telling the truth. They didn't even exist until I won the nomination for president.

But here's what you really need to know about them. They're funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They're a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won't denounce what they’re up to tells you everything you need to know—he wants them to do his dirty work.

Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam.

As firefighters you risk your lives everyday. You know what it’s like to see the truth in the moment. You're proud of what you’ve done—and so am I.

Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: "Bring it on."

I'm not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America—then, now, or ever. And I'm not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me.

And let me make this commitment today: their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security – the issues that really matter to the American people...

http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/ads04/swiftadresponse.html




August 5, 2004


VIA FACSIMILE

Re: Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

Dear Station Manager:

We are counsel to the Democratic National Committee and John Kerry, respectively. It has been brought to our attention that a group calling itself "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" has bought time, or may seek to buy time, on your station to air an advertisement that attacks Senator Kerry. The advertisement contains statements by men who purport to have served on Senator Kerry's SWIFT Boat in Vietnam, and one statement by a man pretending to be the doctor who treated Senator Kerry for one of his injuries. In fact, not a single one of the men who pretend to have served with Senator Kerry was actually a crewmate of Senator Kerry's and the man pretending to be his doctor was not. The entire advertisement, therefore is an inflammatory, outrageous lie.

"Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" styles itself as a group of individuals who personally served with John Kerry in the United States Navy in the Vietnam War. In truth the group is a sham organization spearheaded by a Texas corporate media consultant. It has been financed largely with funds from a Houston homebuilder. See Slater, Dallas Morning News, July 23, 2004.

In this group's advertisement, twelve men appear to make statements about Senator Kerry's service in Vietnam. Not a single one of these men served on either of Senator Kerry's two SWIFT Boats (PCF 44 & PCF94).

Further, the "doctor" who appears in the ad, Louis Letson, was not a crewmate of Senator Kerry's and was not the doctor who actually signed Senator Kerry's sick call sheet. In fact, another physician actually signed Senator Kerry's sick call sheet. Letson is not listed on any document as having treated Senator Kerry after the December 2, 1968 firefight. Moreover, according to news accounts, Letson did not record his "memories" of that incident until after Senator Kerry became a candidate for President in 2003. (National Review Online, May 4, 2004).

The statements made by the phony "crewmates" and "doctor" who appear in the advertisement are also totally, demonstrably and unequivocally false, and libelous. In parrticular, the advertisement charges that Senator Kerry "lied to get his Bronze Star." Just as falsely, it states that "he lied before the Senate." These are serious allegations of actual crimes -- specifically, of lying to the United States Government in the conduct of its official business. The events for which the Senator was awarded the Bronze Star have been documented repeatedly and in detail and are set out in the official citation signed by the Secretary of the Navy and the Commander of U.S. Forces in Vietnam. And yet these reckless charges of criminal conduct are offered without support or authentication, by fake "witnesses" speaking on behalf of a phony organization.

Your station is not obligated to accept this advertisement for broadcast nor is it required to account in any way for its decision to reject such an advertisement. Columbia Broadcasting System v. Democratic National Committee, 412 U.S. 94 (1973), You Can't Afford Dodd Committee, 81 FCC2d 579 (1980). The so-called "Swift Boat Veterans" organization is not a federal candidate or candidate committee. Repeated efforts by organizations that are not candidate committees to obtain a private right of access have been consistently rejected by the FCC. See e.g., National Conservative Political Action Committee, 89 FCC2d 626 (1982).

Thus, your station my freely refuse this advertisement. Because your station has this freedom, and because it is not a "use" of your facilities by a clearly identified candidate, your station is responsible for the false and libelous charges made by this sponsor.

Moreover, as a licensee, you have an overriding duty "to protect the public from false, misleading or deceptive advertising." Licensee Responsibility With Respect to the Broadcast of False, Misleading or Deceptive Advertising, 74 F.C.D.2d 623 (1961). Your station normally must take "reasonable steps" to satisfy itself "as to the reliability and reputation of every prospective advertiser." In re Complaint by Consumers Assocation of District of Columbia, 32 F.C.C.2d 400, 405 (1971).

Under these circumstances, your station may not responsibly air this advertisement. We request that your station act immmediately to prevent broadcasts of this advertisement and deny andy future sale of time. Knowing that the advertisement is false, and possessing the legal authority to refuse to run it, your station should exercise that authority in the public interest.


Please contact us promptly at either of the phone numbers below to advise us regarding the status of this advertisement.

Sincerely yours,
Marc Elias
Perkins Coie
607 14th Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20005


General Counsel
Kerry-Edwards 2004 Joseph Sandler
Sandler, Reiff & Young
50 E Street, S.E. #300
Washington, D.C. 20003


General Counsel
Democratic National Committee


http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/ads04/dem080504ltrswift.html


Some Responses to the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" Ad
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ran its initial ad, the :60 TV spot "Any Questions," starting August 5, 2004 in select markets in OH, WV and WI. O'Neill and Corsi's book Unfit for Command (Regnery) came out in the second week of August. On August 20 the Swift Boat Veterans announced a second ad "Sell Out."

The Kerry campaign was seen as too slow, and many observers said inept, in responding to the Swift Boat charges and they dominated discussion for much of August. Democrats called on President Bush to specifically repudiate the "smear" ad, but he would only repudiate the 527 ads generally. Democrats also sought to show a "web of connections" between the Swift Boat group and the Bush campaign and associates.



The DNC in an Aug. 5, 2004 posting on its Kicking Ass blog ("Swift Boat Veterans for Trash") described "Any Questions" as a "negative smear ad." According to Kicking Ass, "Not a single veteran in the ad served on a Swift Boat with John Kerry. Not a word of the ad is true." The blog also cited Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) description of the ad as "dishonest and dishonorable."

* * *




On Aug. 5, 2004 the General Counsels to the DNC and the Kerry-Edwards 2004 campaign faxed a letter to station managers at the relevant stations stating that the ad is "an inflammatory, outrageous lie" and requesting that they "act immediately to prevent broadcast of this advertisement and deny any future sale of time."



* * *

From the transcript of the Aug. 5, 2004 White House Press Briefing with Scott McClellan:

Q Do you -- does the President repudiate this 527 ad that calls Kerry a liar on Vietnam?

MR. McCLELLAN: The President deplores all the unregulated soft money activity. We have been very clear in stating that, you know, we will not -- and we have not and we will not question Senator Kerry's service in Vietnam. I think that this is another example of the problem with the unregulated soft money activity that is going on. The President thought he put an end -- or the President thought he got rid of this kind of unregulated soft money when he signed the bipartisan campaign finance reforms into law. And, you know, the President has been on the receiving end of more than $62 million in negative attacks from shadowy groups.

* * *



In the days after the release of the ad a host of major newspapers published editorials condemning it including the Arizona Republic ("Campaign Non-Starter," August 6), Los Angeles Times ("It's Not All Fair Game," August 6), Plain Dealer ("Ad Says Kerry Lied; Record Says Otherwise," August 8), St. Petersburg Times ("An Ugly Attack," August 9), Las Vegas Sun ("Ad's Smear Should Be Condemned," August 9), Oregonian ("Now It Gets Nasty," August 11), and Washington Post ("Swift Boat Smears," August 12).



* * *


On Aug. 10, 2004 Democracy 21, the Campaign Legal Center and the Center for Responsive Politics filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) charging that Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is illegally raising and spending soft money on ads to influence the 2004 presidential elections.


* * *



From the transcript of Bush's Aug. 12, 2004 appearance on CNN'S Larry King Live:


KING: In view of that, do you think that it's fair, for the record, John Kerry's service record, to be an issue at all? I know that Senator McCain...
G. BUSH: You know, I think it is an issue, because he views it as honorable service, and so do I. I mean...
KING: Oh, so it is. But, I mean, Senator McCain has asked to be condemned, the attack on his service. What do you say to that?
G. BUSH: Well, I say they ought to get rid of all those 527s, independent expenditures that have flooded the airwaves.
There have been millions of dollars spent up until this point in time. I signed a law that I thought would get rid of
those, and I called on the senator to -- let's just get anybody who feels like they got to run to not do so.
KING: Do you condemn the statements made about his...
G. BUSH: Well, I haven't seen the ad, but what I do condemn is these unregulated, soft-money expenditures by very wealthy people, and they've said some bad things about me. I guess they're saying bad things about him. And what I think we ought to do is not have them on the air. I think there ought to be full disclosure. The campaign funding law I signed I thought was going to get rid of that. But evidently the Federal Election Commission had a different view...

Kerry spokesman Chad Clanton's response to Bush's Aug. 12, 2004 appearance:
"Tonight President Bush called Kerry's service in Vietnam 'noble.' But in the same breath refused to heed Senator McCain's call to condemn the dirty work being done by the 'Swift Boat Vets for Bush.' Once again, the President side-stepped responsibility and refused to do the right thing. His credibility is running out as fast as his time in the White House."



* * *



MoveOn PAC weighed in with the ad "Swift Response."



* * *



On Aug. 17, 2004 the campaign held a press conference at which Gen. Wesley Clark (ret.), Adm. Stansfield Turner (ret.), and several swift boat veterans rebutted the charges.




* * *


DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe issued a statement on Aug. 18, 2004:

"By saying nothing at all George W. Bush is a complicit contributor to the slanderous, lie-filled attack ads that have been launched on John Kerry on Bush's behalf. Instead of stepping up and taking the high road, George Bush's response has been evasion, avoidance, everything but disavowal.

"Larry King asked George Bush to 'condemn' it. He refused. Reporters asked the President's Press Secretary if he'd 'repudiate' it. He ducked. They can try to blame it on the rules or whoever else they want, but the blame belongs squarely on the Republicans. They wrote it. They produced it. They placed it. They paid for it. And now it is time for George W. Bush to stand up and say, 'enough.'

"This is not debate, Mr. President, and this unfounded attack on Senator Kerry has crossed the line of decency. I call on you today to condemn this ad, the men who put their lies behind it, and the donors who paid for it. It's time."



* * *


On Aug. 19, 2004 Kerry himself responded directly in a speech to the International Association of Firefighters' Convention in Boston. (from prepared remarks)


...And more than thirty years ago, I learned an important lesson—when you're under attack, the best thing to do is turn your boat into the attacker. That's what I intend to do today.
Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn’t interested in the truth – and they're not telling the truth. They didn't even exist until I won the nomination for president.

But here's what you really need to know about them. They're funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They're a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won't denounce what they’re up to tells you everything you need to know—he wants them to do his dirty work.

Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam.

As firefighters you risk your lives everyday. You know what it’s like to see the truth in the moment. You're proud of what you’ve done—and so am I.

Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: "Bring it on."

I'm not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America—then, now, or ever. And I'm not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me.

And let me make this commitment today: their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security – the issues that really matter to the American people...





* * *


Also on Aug. 19, 2004 the campaign announced its own ad "Rassmann."




* * *


On Aug. 22, 2004 the campaign announced another ad "Issues" which addressed the Swift Boat group's attacks.



* * *


The Kerry-Edwards campaign generated some media attention on Aug. 25, 2004 when it dispatched former Sen. Max Cleland and Jim Rassmann, whose life Kerry saved in Vietnam, to Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas to deliver to the President a letter signed by Democratic Senators who are veterans. The Senators asked Bush to "recognize this blatant attempt at character assassination, and publicly condemn it." They did not get through. The Bush-Cheney campaign responded with a letter of its own in which veterans expressed concern about Kerry's activities upon his return from Vietnam.






* * *



Kerry-Edwards campaign manager Beth Cahill sent a letter to Bush-Cheney campaign manager Ken Mehlman on Aug. 26, 2004 asking him to explain the "web of connections."





* * *





The DNC ran a full page ad in the Aug. 27, 2004 New York Times terming the Swift Boat campaign a smear.


* * *





http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/ads04/swiftadresponse.html

The notion that Kerry "did not respond" to the swifties is revisionist history.

Thanks for posting this. . .I will be copying it verbatim and pasting it into some threads at some point if that is ok with you.

the rat bastard lying SOB O'Neill

John Ellis O'Neill, is a partner at the Houston law firm of Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson & Fulkerson and has spearheaded the anti-Kerry 527 committee Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

O'Neill graduated with a law degree from the University of Texas in 1973 and was a member of Texas Law Review during 1972-1973. Between 1973 and 1974 he was a member of President's National Advisory Counsel on Supplemental Services and Centers, 1973-1974. He was admitted to the Texas bar in 1974, clerking for Supreme Court Justice William H. Rehnquist in 1974 and 1975. <1> (http://www.copwf.com/atty_profiles/partners.htm#oneillej)

In the April 22, 2004, CNN article O'Neill claimed that not only had he "served in the same Navy unit as Sen. John Kerry" but also denounced "charges the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee made as an antiwar protester that he and other U.S. troops committed atrocities in Vietnam."

Said O'Neill, "'I saw some war heroes ... John Kerry is not a war hero ... He couldn't tie the shoes of some of the people in Coastal Division 11." O'Neill "joined the Navy's Coastal Division 11 two months after the future senator left Vietnam," according to CNN. <2> (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/20/kerry.military/)

In an interview on CNN O'Neill said Kerry's 1971 "allegations that people committed war crimes in that unit, and throughout Vietnam, were lies. He knew they were lies when he said them, and they were very damaging lies". <3> (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/20/kerry.military/)

O'Neill's enmity towards Kerry dates back to the Vietnam war days. A Houston Chronicle artcile reported that in 1971 Richard Nixon and top aide Charles W. Colson turned to O'Neill to discredit Kerry, the veteran turned leader of the leader of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

In a key encounter, Kerry debated the U.S. role in Southeast Asia with O'Neill in a 90-minute televised forum on the Dick Cavett Show.<4> (http://inside.c-spanarchives.org:8080/cspan/cspan.csp?command=dprogram&record=176287540)

Earlier this year the Houston Chronicle cited a June 15, 1971 memo from Colson that stated "Let's destroy this young demagogue before he becomes another Ralph Nader." <5> (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2476454)

The PBS program Frontline covered O'Neill's ongoing effort to discredit Kerry in an October 2004 report titled The Choice 2004 (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2004/).

According to "Be Honest," (http://ideamouth.com/swift.htm) ideamouth.com , 2004: "John O'Neill, the leader of the swiftboat veterans 'for truth' is on record as having lied about the role of the swift boat operators in Cambodia. In 1971, this (http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0408/24/asb.00.html) was his videotaped conversation with Nixon :

O'NEILL: I was in Cambodia, sir. I worked along the border on the water. NIXON: In a swift boat? O'NEILL: Yes, sir.

"However, he later claimed that no one could cross the border by river and he claimed in an audio tape that his publicist played to CNN that he, himself, had never been to Cambodia either."

"One would think that O'Neill, as the leader of this group, would actually have known something about Kerry's service - especially after reading an OP-Ed he wrote, entitled: 'I was on Mr. Kerry's boat in Vietnam. He doesn't deserve to be commander in chief.' However, he did not serve with Kerry. He arrived in Vietnam after Kerry had already left. O'Neill provided $25,000 (http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-08-08-kerry-vets_x.htm) of the group's funding."

SourceWatch Resources

* Bush administration smear campaigns
* Swift Boat Veterans for Truth
* Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Republican Connection
* John Kerry's 1971 Senate Testimony


External Links

* professional profile (http://www.copwf.com/atty_profiles/partners.htm#oneillej) provided by his law office.
* Michael Kranish, "With antiwar role, high visibility (http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061703.shtml)", Boston Globe, June 17, 2003.
* Brian Williams, " Nixon targeted Kerry for anti-war views. White House tapes reveal then-president's attempt to discredit Kerry during 1971 war protests, Senate testimony (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/4534274)", NBC News/MSNBC, March 16, 2004.
* Bennett Roth, "An old Kerry foe, Houston lawyer back in spotlight (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2476454)", Houston Chronicle, March 31, 2004.
* Bennett Roth, "Longtime Kerry foe says senator is not worthy (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/2519253)", Houston Chronicle, April 20, 2004.
* "Fellow vet blasts Kerry's antiwar comments: Democrat's campaign to release military records (http://edition.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/20/kerry.military/)", CNN, April 22, 2004.
* Joe Conason, ""Smear Boat Veterans for Bush (http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/05/04/swift/index_np.html)", Salon, May 4, 2004: "The 'swift boat' veterans (http://www.swiftvets.com/Index2.htm) attacking John Kerry's war record are led by veteran right-wing operatives using the same vicious techniques they used against John McCain four years ago."
* "Who is John O'Neill? CNN's Blitzer failed to probe partisan ties of Kerry critic (http://mediamatters.org/items/200405040004)", Media Matters for America, May 4, 2004.
* John Gonzalez, "Swift Boat Folks Are Kerry's Nemeses of Old (http://www.alternet.org/story/19532/)", Dallas Observer, August 11, 2004.
* Jamison Foser, "The lies of John O'Neill: An MMFA analysis (http://mediamatters.org/items/200408250002)", Media Matters for America, August 24, 2004.
* Jennifer C. Kerr, "Swift Boat Author Addresses Contradiction (http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-4451518,00.html)", Guardian (UK), August 26, 2004.
* Eric Rasmussen, "Truth and Unfit for Command: A Review (http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/truth.html)". Rebuttal/debunking includes links to relevant U.S. Navy documents.
* Martin Smith, "The Choice 2004 (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2004/)", Frontline October 13, 2004.
* Wikipedia entry on O'Neill (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_O%27Neill_%28Vietnam_veteran%29)

Retrieved from "http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_E._O%27Neill"

in March 2004 when these liars first came out and they had the Cavett replay show on C-Span in early April, C-Span actually had 'Neill on the phone talking about this along with Cavett. When asked if he ever met wth Nixon he said yes once, after that particular Cavett show. So knowing that he had lied I jumped onto the Kerry blog and put out this info.

We have got to really bang out the truth as much as they do the lies.

This report by Brian Williams was done in March '04 after the first attacks came, which Kerry did answer to.

The link includes video:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/ID/4534274

I have bookmarked this thread so that I always have ready access to it. I appreciate the work that went into this. You rock kiddo!

Kerry defends war record
Aug. 19: John Kerry responds directly to attacks on his Vietnam military service Thursday, accusing President Bush of relying on front groups to challenge his war record.

http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=40a0d9b1-0386-41ef-bc0e-904bcc95946c&



(I posted it in the LBN thread about Kerry's 2008 run)

That is just heartbreaking.

What's really exasperating is that bush* and the republicans never responded to anything. No accountability. When they had no defense, they ignored, they deflected, then they invented a new terra alert.
Did bush* ever respond to Sen Kerry's challenge? No. He hid behind the curtain of fear and wrapped himself in the flag. Did Mehlman respond to the letter regarding the SBV connections? No. Of course he didn't. Yet even people on our own side say Sen Kerry didn't fight hard enough. How do you fight when your opponent won't face you?
bush* is such a fucking coward. Some day that bastard will be exposed for the sniveling little weasel he is.

when Ken Cordier, a retired Air Force Colonel and adviser to the Bush re-election campaign, quit after appearing in a SBVT video. That was followed by the resignation of Benjamin Ginsberg, Bush's top election lawyer resigned who was also working with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

But makes me EVEN MORE pissed off that people say "he didn't respond" - and even more that this didn't get as much play in the media at the time, as the smear ads themselves did.

how many times during the course of the Summer/Fall of '04 JK responded to the Swift Boat Liars and it went totally unreported by the media. You're right MH, the media treated the ads as if THEY were somehow news. Giving them any play (beyond what was paid for I suppose) was just wrong. What can be done by a candidate to combat this? Whoever the '08 Democratic candidate is, they are sure to face a similar situation (just insert their real or imaginary Achilles Heal into the ad).

on these posts - most of it comes from your link. (Thanks!!!!)

I just organized the dates the best I could. I bet I can find more to add from the rest of the posts on this thread!

Here's the post with my latest timeline:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=2016421&mesg_id=2016614

Guess this should go into the research forum and demopedia, too.


edited to clarify!

It's an excellent timeline. I guess I should become familiar with the two research forums.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_oet&address=358x2555

I *think* that will make it easier to copy and paste into a response. If you go to this thread in the Research Forum and click "edit" then you can copy the "DU code" into your response. (It occurs to me that this could be the real value of the Research Forum - a place to collect concise, factual material we can use later in discussion threads.)

I posted the information; I believe I extracted all the duplicates.

"Unfit for Command was a pack of lies. I said so at the time. My crew said so. The Navy said so. But a lot of money was put behind the lies. If a lot of money is put behind a lie, it will become the truth for some people - particularly if they don't get enough of the real truth. I take the blame for not making certain that there was money behind the real truth. That's what I meant when I said I should've come back and coldcocked him."

OK, so the logical approach is to recognize the problem, take accountability, and devise a strategy. That's what leaders do. And in one paragraph. Kinda dispels the myth that he isn't concise, doesn't it?

You really do have to admire a person who doesn't stop learning.