Open letter to every newspaper in the country.

OK. This stuff with Kerry has got to stop. Let's quit dicking around with this clown as if he were Clinton on 60 Minutes saying, "I think we all know what we're talking about." Right Wing News does a fine job of setting up the solid facts and unanswered questions about Kerry's first Purple Heart.

This post should be sent in its entirety to every newspaper in the nation until someone shows the liberal-bias honesty to demand that Kerry responds. If all Kerry is going to do is shuck and jive, then let's call off the election, give W four more years, and move on.

[Beginning of Right Wing News post]
John Kerry's First Purple Heart
One very strong charge that the Swift Boat Vets for Truth have made that the mainstream media has for the most part refused to follow-up on, is how John Kerry got his first Purple Heart.

This is no small matter, not only because the SBVFT are accusing Kerry of fraudulently attaining his Purple Heart, but because having three Purple Hearts enabled John Kerry to get out of Vietnam almost a year early. Here's how the Swift Boat Vets tell the tale...

From a Robert Novak column based on what retired Rear Adm. William L. Schachte had to say about John Kerry's first Purple Heart...

"Schachte described the use of the skimmer operating very close to shore as a technique that he personally designed to flush enemy forces on the banks of Mekong River so that the larger Swift boats could move in. At about 3 a.m. on Dec. 2, Schachte said, the skimmer - code-named “Batman” - fired a hand-held flare. He said that after Kerry’s M-16 rifle jammed, the new officer picked up the M-79 and “I heard a ’thunk.’ There was no fire from the enemy,” he said.

....Ted Peck, another Swift boat commander, said, “I remember Bill (Schachte) telling me it didn’t happen” - that is, Kerry getting an enemy-inflicted wound. He said it would be “impossible” for Kerry to have been in the skimmer without Schachte.

....The next time he saw Kerry after the first Purple Heart incident, Schachte said, was “about 20 years” later on the U.S. Senate subway in the basement of the Russell Senate Office Building. “I called, ’Hey, John.’ He replied, ‘Batman.’ I was absolutely amazed by his memory.” He said they “talked about having lunch” but never did."

Here's what the man who treated Kerry's wound, Louis Letson, had to say about the wound Kerry had,

"The story (Kerry) told was different from what his crewmen had to say about that night. According to Kerry, they had been engaged in a fire fight, receiving small arms fire from on shore. He said that his injury resulted from this enemy action.

Some of his crew confided that they did not receive any fire from shore, but that Kerry had fired a mortar round at close range to some rocks on shore. The crewman thought that the injury was caused by a fragment ricocheting from that mortar round when it struck the rocks.

That seemed to fit the injury which I treated.

What I saw was a small piece of metal sticking very superficially in the skin of Kerry's arm. The metal fragment measured about 1 cm. in length and was about 2 or 3 mm in diameter. It certainly did not look like a round from a rifle.
I simply removed the piece of metal by lifting it out of the skin with forceps. I doubt that it penetrated more than 3 or 4 mm. It did not require probing to find it, did not require any anesthesia to remove it, and did not require any sutures to close the wound.

The wound was covered with a bandaid.

Not [sic] other injuries were reported and I do not recall that there was any reported damage to the boat."

Now, here's an account from John Kerry's commander at the time, Grant Hibbard, who tells what happened when Kerry asked him for a Purple Heart...

"Kerry sad he was wearing night goggles, that he had his weapon, that they threw up a flare, saw enemy movement and opened fire," Meehan said. "He said he was wounded in the confrontation but it was impossible to tell which direction the enemy fire came from because it was totally dark."

Hibbard questioned descriptions of the encounter as a firefight.

"The reports I got back the next morning from crew members was that they received no enemy fire," Hibbard said.

Hibbard, who was 34 at the time, said crew members reported they had spotted the Viet Cong fleeing on the beach and that Kerry fired a M-79, a small grenade launcher that struck some nearby rocks. Hibbard said Kerry was likely struck by a piece of shrapnel from the grenade.

The next day, Hibbard said Kerry approached him and said he had been wounded in combat and showed him a piece of shrapnel the thickness of a pencil lead that was less than a half-inch long.

"I described it as a fingernail scratch," Hibbard said. "He later received a Purple Heart for that scratch, but I have no information of how or from whom."

Here's more from the SBVFT,

"All normal documentation supporting a Purple Heart is missing," the letter says. "There is absolutely no casualty report (i.e., spot report) or hostile fire report or after-action report in the Navy's files to support this 'Purple Heart' because there was no casualty, hostile fire, or action on which to report. The sole document relied upon by Kerry is a record showing the band aid and tweezers treatment by Dr. Letson recorded by deceased corpsman, Jess Carreon."

Folks, the mainstream media should be all over this. Just consider the OBVIOUS questions that John Kerry has not been asked to answer about this just ONE EVENT...

-- Was William L. Schachte with you at the time you received your first Purple Heart?

-- Did you ever go on a mission with William L. Schachte?

-- Did the 'Batman' meeting described by Schachte in the Russell Senate Office Building take place?

-- Can you provide a quote from someone other than John Kerry who can verify that he was under fire during this incident?

-- Can you explain why your own biography says the following 9 days after you received your first Purple Heart?

"They pulled away from the pier at Cat Lo with spirits high, feeling satisfied with the way things were going for them. They had no lust for battle, but they also were not afraid. Kerry wrote in his notebook, 'A cocky feeling of invincibility accompanied us up the Long Tau shipping channel because we hadn't been shot at yet, and Americans at war who haven't been shot at are allowed to be cocky."

-- Did Louis Letson examine your injury and did he in fact use a band-aid to treat your 'wound'?

-- Your commander at the time, Grant Hibbard says he turned you down for a Purple Heart. Is that true and can you elaborate on the meeting you had with him?

-- Will you allow the military to release your medical records so we independently verify the severity of your injuries?

-- Can you explain why there was no casualty report (i.e., spot report), hostile fire report, & after-action report or produce them?

-- Who actually approved your First Purple Heart and how did that come to pass after you were originally turned down?

If the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are what the Kerry campaign and his defenders in the mainstream media claim they are, nothing but a bunch of liars engaged in a 'Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy', then John Kerry should have no problem giving plausible answers to the questions mentioned above and putting this issue to rest once and for all.

Right? [End of Right Wing News post]

This is pathetic. Mary Beth Cahill, Kerry's Gal Pal, just sent this in an e: "Drug companies count their billions while seniors count the number of pills they can afford. Halliburton counts its billions while our troops count the number of soldiers in their unit without body armor. The Saudis count their billions while we count the rising cost of gasoline. The friends of George Bush and Dick Cheney count their tax refunds while the average American counts the days until the next paycheck."

The ultimate in class warfare. These people just don't get it. The American people see the rising water lifting all, not the desire to achieve socialism in our time.

Sweaty fatboy Michael Moore has an opinion piece today in USA Today. You can get it from the "Political Opinions" link to the right (it takes you to Real Clear Politics). The title is, "The GOP Doesn't Reflect My America."

I refuse to read it. I'm not a journalist so I don't have to read it to comment upon it. Oh, wait. Chris Matthews never read "Unfit for Command" and he had entire shows devoted to it. Maybe I am a journalist. Anyway ...

The DNC Convention had the protesters several blocks away in an area both caged and closed in with plywood. No one could see in or out very well. The RNC Convention is allowing the protesters to march in the open to their hearts' content.

The DNC Convention told its speakers to not criticize the president. The RNC Convention hasn't controlled the speech of its speakers.

The Kerry Campaign and DNC have threatened to sue television stations that air the Swift Boat ads. They have told the publisher of "Unfit" to pull the book. They have alleged the Swiftees have illegally coordinated activties with the president's campaign. W has sat back and accepted month after month after month of vile, baseless claims - Hitler?

The DNC Convention puts up Glenn Close to speak of the September 11 attacks; the RNC Convention puts up the wife of a passenger, the sister of a pilot, and the wife of a fireman.

Michael Moore is free to say the GOP does not represent his America. But I shudder to think what his America would be like: party-dictated books, party-dictated speeches, party-dictated demonstrations, party-selected victims.

I am quite happy to coexist with clowns like Moore. Just take a shower and use some deordorant before you get too close.

Kerry Smears?

If you can't defeat the message, try to defeat the messenger. Just got this e from the Kerry Campaign:

Tonight, Senator John McCain is set to address the Republican National Convention. Meanwhile, the man who led the charge smearing Senator McCain during the 2000 Republican presidential primary is turning his sordid political attacks against John Kerry.

This new round of attacks comes from a familiar name -- Ted Sampley -- who has a long history of irrational public attacks against both John McCain and John Kerry. In 1992 Sampley created a fake photo of John Kerry shooting an American MIA. He has been jailed for starting a fight with John McCain's staff, and has called McCain the Manchurian Candidate, accusing him of being "brainwashed by the Vietnamese" and being a "KGB spy."

Ted Sampley is now the head of "Vietnam Veterans Against Kerry" and a supporter of "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." He has been telling lies about John Kerry, and today he launched an extraordinarily false ad smearing John Kerry's military service.

To view this ad click here:
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.org/video/kerry.wmv

Ted Sampley's group is also still attacking Senator McCain. To view this page click here:
http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com/mccain_myth.htm

For the past several days, we have asked for your contributions, now we need your action. We need your help to stop Ted Sampley and the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush's lies about John Kerry's military service.

Please take a minute and call the Bush campaign at the Republican Convention tonight. Ask George Bush to specifically condemn this ugly smear.

Call now:
(212) 356-2300 or (212) 356-2004
Thank you,

Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager

Kerry's Pennsylvania Talking Points

Here are Kerry's talking points for Pennsylvania. Expect to see them hitting the papers and airwaves soon:

Pennsylvania's Bush Economy:

Since Bush took office:
337,000 people in Pennsylvania have lost their health insurance.
160,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost in Pennsylvania since Bush took office.
The number of people in Pennsylvania who have fallen into poverty has increased by 140,000.
The average wages for growing industries in Pennsylvania pay $9,120 less than in contracting industries.
Pennsylvania family health insurance premiums increased by an estimated $2,756 to $9,477.
Pennsylvania families with teenagers pay $612 more a year for gasoline.
College tuition in Pennsylvania has increased by $1,914 at four-year public universities.
Bankruptcy skyrocketed as 76,864 Pennsylvania households filed for bankruptcy in 2003, a 37% increase from 2000.
Child care costs increased by $2,050 to $12,910 for a Pennsylvania family with two children under age 5 in full-time daycare.

Dan-O Oh-Man-o!! You've made the pages of the WSJ, and as subtly as a fox under a fence. Fred Barnes does his big pre-Convention piece. Giuliani gets a mention, McCain gets a nod. But no "dump Cheney" rumor, of course, that would be too obvious.

But here's the hammer, Dan-O: Fred Barnes, one of the more articulate, tapped-in, reserved pundits in today's market, likens this convention to 1944. 1944!!! Big time, Dan-O!!!!

Remember 1944? War going on, economic news mixed ... convention comes along ... FDR gets the nomination, but his sitting VP Henry Wallace does not?!?!?? Harry Truman comes in instead. Remember, Dan-O?!??

And why Truman? C'mon, bud, you're old. Senator Truman gained national prominence as the head of a Senate Committee investigating government waste during the war. Halliburton!!!

You are so cool Dan-O. I am so into this whole story thing you do.

Dan-O: It's another clue!! Now the NYC press is preparing us for the big announcement.

Read this article. It's spooky. Did you see it? Five current politicians are mentioned: Rocky and Bullwinkle, W, and - yepper!! - McCain and Giuliani!!

Well, it seems that they don't have any more information than you do about which one is gonna get the nod - but there ain't no Cheney-ator mentioned. You the man, Dan-O!!! You had this story from the gittup. Ya-hoo!!!!! I am like so excited. Not about the veep spot - I could give a rip about that. I mean about your career!! They'll be talking about this for hours, maybe even days!! And it will be all you, you, you. It'll be Dan this, and Journalist Rather that. When was the last time you did anything that got talked about for even minutes? I mean, it's been not much more than a mutter and shake of the head for you lately, Dan-O. A-hem, sorry. No offense intended. But no more, buddy boy!!! Ya-hoo!!!!!! Top 'o the mornin' to you, Mr. Rather.

Dan-O - Stayin' Alive

Let's keep Dan-O's theory of Cheney-out-(Your Name Here)-In.

Current Vice President Cheney is in NYC now. The Guardian gives us the details.

Let's parse some words. Find the Clintonian Nuance (a term which bridges the last decade in democratic etymology).

“The Manhattan skyline at his back, Vice President Dick Cheney remembered the terrorist attacks on this city and promised that with a second term President Bush would be strong and steadfast in keeping the nation safe.”

Cheney is fondly recalling history, and speaks prospectively of his boss in the singular tense. Lost are the “we,” “us,” and “together” formulations. Ut-oh.

“My job here this week and in the two months ahead is to tell people all across America about how strong and steadfast our president is. ... He is exactly the leader we need for these times and we need him for four more years.” (Ellipse in original)

Oh my. Cheney specifically fails to mention a continuation of his job after the next two months. Oh my. Does his job change then? Does he stop working? Oh my.

“‘America is still the land of golden dreams,’ he said while facing the Great Hall, the centerpiece of Ellis Island, where about 22 million immigrants were processed between 1892 and 1924.”

Clearly a Freudian Slip (as opposed to a Nylon Slip or Sailboat Slip). Cheney retires, hits the speaking circuit, writes a book (“Dumb & Dumber – an opponent’s view of how the Kerry campaign was so ineptly run it was surpassed in its stupidity only by the candidate himself”) – and strikes GOLD!!! Get it? “Golden dreams”?

And look at the numbers presented as if Cheney himself didn’t speak them (yeah, right, he got the “data” to the reporter somehow and we know it): 22 1892 1924. 2+2+1+2+2=9; 8+1=9. That leaves two more 9’s and a 4. In all: 9 9 9 9 4. Four Nines. 9 * 4 = 36. 3+6=9. It’s a closed circuit of nines, cleverly hidden in a series beginning with a 2. It is also five nines, which is only possible with a wild card.

Golden dreams - wild card. Letter substitution: card-cord-cork-work. The words – the number of letters – 6 6 4 4. Twice as many fours, half as many upsidedown nines. “Upsidedown” is clearly a tip-off to a learned reader.

Get twice as much gold for half the work. It must be a message to Halliburton. “I’m out soon. Drinks are on me.” Oh my, Cheney’s out.

“Unlike many vice presidential candidates, Cheney plans to be on hand for most of the convention, watching the opening session Monday morning and each evening's proceedings inside Madison Square Garden.”

The long good-bye.

Oh my, Dan-O really has something here.

Dan Rather is keeping a blog on the RNC Convention. It is appalling enough to write his name, let alone set up a hyperlink – so you’ll need to find it yourself. The only item of interest is the “buzz” that W will announce a new VP at the convention – either McCain or Giuliani. What an interesting concept. Rather thinks it is all the more interesting in light of the complete denials coming from W’s and Cheney’s political offices. What a stooge. I was reminded again why I have no respect for the man – he’s half gossip columnist and half asleep.

Why would the rumor “persist”? If it is not true, it serves the liberal’s purposes. Unlike the proposed theory of Kerry’s Dead-Cat-Bounce, there does seem to be a bounce out there waiting W. And it has already begun. W’s pre-Convention bounce is equal to the best versions of Kerry’s post-Convention bounce. If W gets another half-dozen points, it will do significant damage to Kerry. What do the liberal’s do? Try to set up expectations that Cheney is on the way out. Then if it does not happen, the balloon deflates, along with W’s post-Convention bounce. Not bad logic for an old gossip columnist asleep at the wheel.

If it is true, then, well, Dan-O can put on those clothes that make him feel pretty and strut around the newsroom. The boy has set himself up in a win-win situation.

If only Kerry were smart enough to do the same.

Who said allies were a good thing? From the "factoid" section of Military.com: "The first German serviceman killed in World War II was killed by the Japanese (China, 1937), the first American serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland 1940), the highest ranking American killed was Lt. Gen. Lesley McNair, killed by the US Army Air Corps. So much for allies."

The effect of the W Tax Cuts via The Detroit News. If only we had an informed electorate.

Two articles to share, then I am out of here for the night. I have worked on getting ready for class all day, I'm sweaty, and, well, whatever. Two articles and I am out of here.

I like it when the press finally says what I have been saying for months. Mark Steyn is clear: More pub seats in the House, a couple more in the Senate, and four more for W. He recognizes that W is consistently misunderestimated. He's an old poker player than knows precisely what he is doing. Hear, hear.

And then the left, Donna Brazile via Newsweek tells us exactly how to beat W and in the process tells us - unwittingly - exactly why the dems lose and lose.

Her advice on debates: "Lots of smiles and absolutely no narrowing of the eyes, sighs or glancing at his watch." Read it again: "Lots of smiles (Clinton) and absolutely no narrowing of the eyes (Gore), sighs (Gore) or glancing at his watch (George the Elder)." Absolutely no imagination. All they can do is look over their shoulder and see what worked and what didn't work and then suggest a repeat or avoidance. That's dumb.

Next, she writes: "But to defeat George W. Bush, Team Kerry-Edwards must do four things well ..." She then goes on to name them: Message Matters, Minimize Mistakes, Debates, and ... well there wasn't a fourth. Only three. Guess they count either.

These people will be lucky to be around in a decade.

John F(lying Dog) Kerry.

Source for the picture.

John F(lying dog) Kerry brought the dog story out at least twice, once for Tour of Duty and once for the humane society. Let’s recount just one - I don’t read much fiction anymore, so we can bypass Tour of Duty. But afterwards, a bit of a buried story lurks in the details.

Here’s the Humane USA version (see full questionnaire): “I have always had pets in my life and there are a few that I remember very fondly.

“When I was serving on a swiftboat in Vietnam, my crewmates and I had a dog we called VC. We all took care of him, and he stayed with us and loved riding on the swiftboat deck. I think he provided all of us with a link to home and a few moments of peace and tranquility during a dangerous time. One day as our swiftboat was heading up a river, a mine exploded hard under our boat. After picking ourselves up, we discovered VC was MIA. Several minutes of frantic search followed after which we thought we'd lost him. We were relieved when another boat called asking if we were missing a dog. It turns out VC was catapulted from the deck of our boat and landed confused, but unhurt, on the deck of another boat in our patrol.

“I also fondly remember a parakeet in college, Dodi Faustus. Dodi was a smart bird who learned a few words of French and Italian, but not smart enough to avoid having to be rescued from a tree once. My daughters and I had a Golden Retriever named Winston. Today, Teresa and I have a German Shepherd named Cym and a yellow parakeet.”

Thoughts On-Line does a great job of discussing the physics of such a flight.

The logic of a dog on a Swift Boat was discussed on Hugh Hewlett’s radio show with a Swift Boat vet:

Hugh Hewitt: "Steve, was there a dog named VC on your boat?"
Steve Gardner : ""Buddy, to the best of my knowledge (laughing), I never saw any dog at any time on the 44 boat."
... HH: "In the time that you were on the swift boats --totally-- did any of the swift boats have a dog?"
SG: "Never saw one, ever."
HH: "Would it have been a good idea to have a dog on the swift boats?" SG: "Not likely."
HH: "Why not?"
SG: "Because there was just too much action going on. We had hot brass rolling around there any time we were in a firefight. He would have got beat up."

OK. Enough of flying dogs. Onto dead whales for votes.

If you read the full questionnaire, perhaps you noticed another story. In response to a question, The (F)lying Dog states: “Take strong stands against commercial whaling at the International Whaling Commission meeting, including a ban on Makah whaling? ___ yes _X_ no. NOTE: I have consistently opposed commercial whaling. At the same time the U.S. commitment to Native Americans must be honored. I strongly prefer that there be no lethal takes of whales occur, but I also support Native American treaty rights. I will be following the current litigation regarding the Makah case closely.”

Classic Kerry. So close to his abortion position: I am personally against it, but I think that certain people need to have the right to choose.

And beyond the chutzpah, something here bothers me. Although no date is given on the questionnaire, it is entitled “2004,” so it must be current. The Makah story is old; current events are only the last gasps of the litigation cycle: Gray whales were taken off the Endangered Species Act List in 1994. The Makah Indians then wanted to resume their ancestral whale hunts. Lawsuits ensued.

In 1998, the hunt was scheduled to resume: “The Makah won permission from the International Whaling Commission to harpoon up to five migrating gray whales per year from 1998 through 2002.”

The situation changed again shortly thereafter: “Latest 2003 developments suggest that the U.S. Court of Appeals has declared the hunt to be illegal as the federal government had violated laws protecting endangered species. In 2003, it now appears that the hunt has been stopped.” Note that this link isn’t a news site but has a link to a lengthy government paper on the matter.

The latest news, however, brings it into focus:

“The Makah Tribe cannot hunt gray whales until the U.S. government conducts a full-blown environmental analysis; and the tribe and the federal agency that sponsors its hunts also must win an exception to the Marine Mammal Protection Act before any tribal whaling can take place again.

…

“Even as the tribe has sought to appeal the three-judge panel's ruling on the issue -- twice unsuccessfully seeking to win a review by the full 9th Circuit -- federal marine officials have been conducting the environmental study called for by the court.

“That upsets activists like Markarian, who yesterday again called the government's support of the Makah whale hunts a waste of tax dollars.

“‘We hope the Bush administration finally understands the meaning of the word ‘No,’’ Markarian said.”

The Bush Administration? The Makah Indians brought the lawsuits. The 9th Circuit said the study had to occur. Seems to me the Makah Indians need to understand the meaning of “No.”

And there’s (F)lying Dog Kerry: Environmentalists, I agree with you; and Makah Indians, you, too. And here is his Native American team.

This guy would sell his mother grave marker for a vote.

My new favorite picture:

POWs Speak.

A documentary about Vietnam Era POWs is in the works. Here are three excerpts from it. These guys gave a lot of their lives for our freedom.

Kerry Under Oath.

I want to follow-up on this later, but just to share my initial thoughts. If I am reading the posts below accurately, it seems to me that Kerry testified to the US Senate about field reports that he wrote being changed up the chain and reported in Stars & Stripes. The posts indicate that he would not have seen the revised reports unless they were printed elsewhere, and that it was highly unlikely that they were printed in Stars & Stripes.

Now, this should be easily proven. It is also not Winter Soldier stuff - this is Kerry testifying about his personal observations. And "testifying" is the key - under oath.

Little help from people with better resources than me? I will check further, too. ckm

From Thoughts On-Line "Maybe I'm just knee-jerking to everything Kerry says and said, but to me the idea of Stars and Stripes (the daily newspaper put out by the Pentagon) running stories on Kerry's Vietnam missions strikes me as far-fetched. I used to read the paper in my younger days and I sort of recall reading about the big, big battles, but I find it hard to believe that they would have reported on what a bunch of Swiftboats were doing (no offense to you guys). Notice in particular Kerry's quote "I often read about my own missions in the Stars and Stripes and the very mission we had been on had been doubled in figures and tripled in figures" that he mentions multiple coverage in the paper.Anybody coming to this site who has some access to the old papers and can do a bit of research, well this is potentially another opportunity to demonstrate Kerry's tendency to inflate his exploits...Let me know...UPDATE: I just checked with the old airman who confirmed that the Stars and Stripes was very, very, very unlikely to have had any mention of Kerry's exploits. As to Kerry's broader point, that he often saw that numbers (body counts, seized weapons, et.) were inflated, the old airman points out that after Kerry submitted his after-action report, should someone up the food chain have inflated the counts, Kerry would never have seen those revised numbers. In particular, his comment was that no superior officer, having revised the numbers submitted by a subordinate was likely to go and show the report to that subordinate, nor were these reports sitting in a binder waiting for Kerry to come peruse.

To MY TRUTH GOT MANGLED [Tim Graham] CNSNews.com shows Kerry once had a different take on the credibility of military documents: Sen. Symington asked Kerry, "Mr. Kerry, from your experience in Vietnam do you think it is possible for the President or Congress to get accurate and undistorted information through official military channels.[?]" Kerry responded, "I had direct experience with that. Senator, I had direct experience with that and I can recall often sending in the spot reports which we made after each mission; and including the GDA, gunfire damage assessments, in which we would say, maybe 15 sampans sunk or whatever it was. And I often read about my own missions in the Stars and Stripes and the very mission we had been on had been doubled in figures and tripled in figures. Kerry later added, "I also think men in the military, sir, as do men in many other things, have a tendency to report what they want to report and see what they want to see." Posted at National Review.

Born-again v. Perfect

What a refreshing read when an adult views the presidential race.

John F. Kerry, STS

(STS - Storyteller Supreme). Boy, can Kerry twist a yarn! Came across this writing as I was researching something else:

Here are the comments of Phil Carter, RD2, on some of the items in the TOUR OF DUTY coverage of Kerry's time on GRIDLEY. He urges everyone to read it for themselves.

I was an E-5 radarman on the USS GRIDLEY and was onboard from 1965 until May of 1968. My principal role in 67 and 68 was to prepare intelligence information to brief the rescue helo pilots and the ship’s officers. I received a commendation from CINCPACFLT for this activity. I stood quite a few CIC watches with Ensign Kerry where we discussed many things, including the war. I was college educated, had traveled extensively in Europe before the Navy and spoke French, so there was some commonality despite my being enlisted. By that time, I was on my 3rd cruise and against the way the war was being waged. He was not, as I recall.

I am a registered independent and have no axe to grind with him. I gave him a reasonably large campaign contribution in the mid 1990’s and visited with him for about 30 minutes in an alcove outside the Senate chambers in 1996 when I was in DC on business.

Ensign Kerry was a fine young officer. He came aboard as a boot Ensign on June 8, 1967 and quickly impressed the senior officers in his chain of command. His fitness reports were outstanding. His privileged upbringing with experience in yachting and flying a private plane gave him a leg up on the other Ensigns.

When I read “Tour of Duty”, I became concerned because the material on Kerry’s time on GRIDLEY appeared in many instances to be exaggerations and in some cases figments of an overactive imagination.

Here are my observations on the sections that bothered me:

1. Kerry never talked about his time on GRIDLEY. He says on page 74 that it is because “nothing much of note” happened while he was onboard. He uses words like monotony and tedious, when, despite being a boot ensign he was given every opportunity for responsibility by Captain Slifer and Commander Kelly (XO). He came aboard designated for Electrical Officer (80100), a grunt position in the Engineering Department and spent four months in that position. He was assigned duty as First Lieutenant, as Commander Kelly recalls, because of his knowledge of seamanship and his experiences with small boats and sailing. Besides being responsible for the decks of the ship, the First Lieutenant is also responsible for the ship’s small boats. He also was assigned collateral duties as Public Affairs Officer. Despite all the responsibilities he was given, he gives the impression that serving on GRIDLEY was somehow beneath him. He certainly had less of an opportunity to collect “gongs” there.

2. Page 78 – “motivate 400 swabbies” – The First Lieutenant is responsible only for the personnel of 1st Division, not the entire crew. 1st Division had a roster of about 30 in 1968. To the extent that other divisions had responsibility for deck space, their officers would have been responsible for motivating them.

3. Page 87 has Kerry “shuttling sailors and provisions” between GRIDLEY and KITTY HAWK in a small motor whaleboat out in the Gulf of Tonkin. The regular method of travel between the two ships was via helo. That is how I went over to the KITTY HAWK. If such an event did occur, it would have been unusual and hardly a shuttle.

4. Later on page 87 Kerry talks about Olongapo in the Philippines. He talks about bloated corpses floating in the river and starving women with babies dying of malnutrition. Now Olongapo was a wild and wooly town that existed solely for the entertainment of the US Navy, but in over three years of calling there, I never saw a single instance of either thing happening. Kerry uncovered this in his first visit. If this was from his letters home then he was certainly writing for dramatic effect. Balderdash.

5. The trip to Danang – GRIDLEY went into Danang for briefings before going to Northern SAR. This section is so full of hyperbole that the urge to giggle is almost uncontrollable. “The panic and pressure onboard GRIDLEY, strapping on a .45, wondering if I would have to use it, B-52’s howling overhead”. A B-52 over Danang would have been so high that only contrails would have been visible, cloud cover permitting. David Simons confirmed my recollection that during our brief stay in Danang Harbor, the sky was overcast to the point of being ominous.

More seriously, no one can remember John Kerry going ashore. I was part of the shore party that went to Monkey Mountain. We were taken in a screened in truck (to protect against grenades being tossed in) and made to unload our .45’s. The driver said that he did not want us newbies to shoot anyone by accident.

Neither Commander Kelly nor LCDR Rueckert (Kerry’s immediate boss) can recall approving a trip ashore for Ensign Kerry. The author uses remarks of David Simons IC2 as a lead in to the Danang section. I spoke to David and he has no personal knowledge of Kerry going ashore at all. He did talk to a researcher and made some generic remarks about Danang but had never discussed Danang with Kerry. He recalls arguing with the researcher because he tried to put the words “cowboy” in his mouth, which ended up in the book.

There is no mystery about the “gruesome site of a pile of dead VC.” We saw no sign of anything like this. However, our escort to Monkey Mountain did tell us how the VC bodies were stacked up on the LZ’s after the TET Offensive, which had been several months before. Ensign Kerry would have been told this story by members of the shore party.

If, indeed, he got to the pier, because he was in charge of the motor whaleboat, it certainly would not have been within his purview to wander Danang, eating dog meat and drinking beer in a bar (under arms). It also seems amazing that he had all these observations on Vietnam in such a brief visit.

6. In command – Again with the hyperbole. Kerry makes much about being “in charge” of the ship after the Captain and XO. The OOD is in charge of the operation of the ship during his four hour watch but hardly in charge of the ship. Kerry qualified almost immediately as OOD(P), in port OOD but that is a given. For much of his time onboard he would have been Junior Officer of the Deck when underway. Although his fitness report as of 22 March says "he is qualified as OOD(I) now" (Independent steaming – with no ships or land anywhere near) , only OOD(P) is listed under duties. His Fitness Report from July 1968 lists two months as OOD(I) which would mean he qualified after leaving the war zone.

Some of these points may be perceived as picky, but they seem to show a deliberate effort in his writings of the time to build a mystique for a future political career showing him as a great leader, father confessor to the ship and astute analyst of political and military happenings.

That is not to say that Kerry was not a good officer. He was and to my recollection was well liked. Did he stalk the passageways showing his future presidential timber? Absolutely not. A reporter from the Chicago Tribune actually asked me that. When I told him that he was just another goofy Ensign, he was horrified and did not use that quote.

I corresponded with a CNN Producer who was working on Kerry's bio that was shown on July 25. I provided them with three or four photographs of Kerry on GRIDLEY but they were uninterested in anything else I had to say.

The New Soldier, by John Kerry

Kerry has a recurring theme - books he doesn't want you to read. "Unfit for Command" should be retracted and an apology issued in its place, he demands. "The New Soldier," that he wrote, cannot be reprinted.

Thankfully, we have electronic media. Here it is in full text.

Get your copy whilst it's hot!! I imagine the Kerry Campaign is going to blow a gasket soon.

Will Rogers, Jon Lovett, John Kerry.

A storyteller; a storyteller pretending to lie; a liar pretending to tell a story.

My father-in-law was a great story teller. He was an independent mortgage broker in the 1960s and had the opportunity to deal with a lot of interesting people. As he got older, he would start a story and I would immediately shift forward and smile, “I always liked this story, Al, particularly because the end keeps changing.” The ending didn’t change; the story merely began in the same place but meandered onto a different path amidships.

That, I think, ends the similarity between my father-in-law and John Kerry. Al would find an audience and tell them a story; John Kerry would find a story and tell it to an audience.

I have read this Kerry story before. It is one of my favorites.

"I have always had pets in my life, and there are a few that I remember very fondly," Mr. Kerry replied. "When I was serving on a Swift Boat in Vietnam, my crewmates and I had a dog we called VC.

"One day as our Swift Boat was heading up a river, a mine exploded hard under our boat," he continued. "After picking ourselves up, we discovered VC was MIA (missing in action). Several minutes of frantic search followed, after which we thought we'd lost him. We were relieved when another boat called asking if we were missing a dog."

Said Mr. Kerry: "It turns out VC was catapulted from the deck of our boat and landed, confused but unhurt, on the deck of another boat in our patrol."

I love that story. The article continues: “No military records on Mr. Kerry's Web site, which aides say is a complete accounting, mention a mine exploding under his boat or any dog. The only report of a mine detonating "near" Mr. Kerry's PCF 94 was March 13, 1969, when Mr. Kerry says he was injured and a man knocked overboard.”

But don’t let that take away from your enjoyment. It really is a good story.

Kerry, Kim, a pig, and a horse.

One of those foreign leaders that secretly want Kerry to win has popped his head up: Kim Jong Il of North Korea.

What tripped this guy’s button appears to be that W was in Wisconsin and had the unmitigated gall to say, well, let me give you the DPRK’s version: “He [W] asserted that it is necessary for the U.S., China, Japan, south [sic] Korea and Russia to unite and they are urging ‘the tyrant’ [Kim Jong Il] to disarm himself.”

How can a dictator shorter than Napoleon respond to such a vile statement?

The DPRK site doesn’t have permalinks. You need to go there and find the story entitled, “DPRK Foreign Ministry Spokesman Blasts Bush's Reckless Remarks.”

“Bush who styles himself president of a super power went the lengths of decrying the supreme headquarters of a sovereign state and saying this or that of it unbecoming for his position. This clearly proves that the DPRK was quite right when it commented that he is a political imbecile bereft of even elementary morality as a human being and a bad guy, much less being a politician.”

Take that; and this: “The DPRK will increase thousand times [sic] its capability for self defense, the people's life and sole [sic], to frustrate the extremely escalating moves of the U.S. to isolate and stifle it.”

OK. A thousand times their present level exceeds one hundred percent. Reading their statements is like trying to follow Kerry around Cambodia – you’re told you are there, but you are actually nowhere. Perhaps the mainstream media can interpret it for us. In a piece rich for dissection, the International Herald Tribune assists.

For starters, it seems the Kimster took a page from Moveon.org and compared W to Hitler. Something about trees and shade and Hitler there while W is here. Hitler can’t see too well, or W is blocking the sun. Maybe Kimmy is apologizing for the whole Jewish thing. The illusion is rather confusing. Let’s move on.

The Kimarod’s “diplomatic spokesman” called W “an idiot, an ignorant, a tyrant and a man-killer.” Using “ignorant” as a noun is very interesting. I have friends who speak English as their second language and I love the way they turn a phrase. Maybe “ignoramus” has some literal translation that is positive or they thought it was a mammal. I do share my shock, however, in that W is accused only of killing men; I was predisposed to absorbing baby-killer and woman-killer. “Man-killer” was rather a let-down.

Then it turns solemnly apoplectic (that’s an ESL phrase): “Bush's assumption of office turned a peaceful world into a pandemonium unprecedented in history, as it is plagued with a vicious circle of terrorism and war,” the statement continued. “The president's aides and allies are a typical gang of political gangsters.” Note the reinforcement of “gangsters” by the precedent “gang.” Very effective. He also uses two five-syllable words together: the construction makes the reader slow down and focus, subconsciously bypassing an individual’s veracity filter. Again, very effective. These people may not know English too good but they sure can turn a phrase.

Wanting to leave no doubt as to his true feelings, the Kim-miester tossed (and the IHT interestingly isolates as a two-word phrase; but note the full context above) the epitaph “bad guy” at W. Ouch. You can feel the spittle in those words.

Not wanting to leave the Kiminator flailing about alone in his pond of lunacy, shoes with five-inch lifts resting atop his neatly folded clothes on the shoreline, the IHT finds a Clinton-era diplomat, Kenneth Quinones, and quotes him saying: “The North Koreans made it very clear, politely, that they want Mr. Kerry to win the election.” This is diplomatic relationships at its best. I am reminded of something I heard as a child: “I think I shall walk over there to see what I shall see,” said the blind pig to the deaf horse.

So who is Mr. Quinones? He belongs to a group of folks that feels it would be imprudent to assume that the DPRK is using those underground nuclear facilities for anything inappropriate. Taken from the abstract: “Quinones argues that the media reports of the construction of an alleged underground nuclear facility in the DPRK are the result of deliberate ‘leaks’ by members of the US intelligence community who wish to influence the debate on US policy toward the DPRK. He points to evidence from his own extensive visits to the DPRK that the DPRK relies heavily on underground facilities for a variety of purposes. He argues that, before jumping to any conclusions, the US should demand an on-site inspection of the facility to determine its actual nature.”

Oh my. You just know Mr. Quinones has enjoyed iced tea on several occasions in Jimmy Carter’s backyard. Again – blind pig, deaf horse.

There is one highlight to the IHT article. You can always count on the Russians to cut through the rhetoric and give you the bottom line. Referring to a change in administrations come 2005: “He [Alexander Losyukov, who was Russia's negotiator at the talks until this past spring and is now Russia's ambassador to Japan] added in an interview last week: ‘There are expectations in Pyongyang of a change in American policy. Probably they are wrong.’”

WaPo pops Kerry's toaster.

The Washington Post thinks Kerry's toast is done. This opinion piece, from contributor Joshua Muravchik of the American Enterprise Institute, is fact-fact-fact with the following closer:

"If -- as seems almost surely the case -- Kerry himself has lied about what he did in Vietnam, and has done so not merely to spice his biography but to influence national policy, then he is surely not the kind of man we want as our president."

Ah, the smell of napalm in the morning.

Kerry, Post-War Activities, Court Martial??

This write-up gives a baseline of facts from which Kerry could get toasted. Wow.

World War IV, Commentary Magazine

A long read concerning the war of terror. Well worth your time. The Belmont Club provides some additional commentary.

Kerry turns into an entrenched enemy.

The Captain's Quarters does a fine job of saying what I would say if I were a better writer and had more information.

Kerry's excellent adventure.

Chris Lynch chronicals Kerry's August. As if it weren't a bad enough month, there is still a week to go.

Definitive Christmas in Cambodia.

The Powerline Blog and Minneapolis Star Tribune are locking horns. Powerline has the benefit of facts on its side, while the "Strib" is relegated to partisan pride. Follow the links and read it all. Very well researched, presented, and argued.

Kerry Quashed POW/MIA Information?

InstaPundit revives a story from February 2004 that was published in the Village Voice. It is disturbng in its details of Kerry quashing data concerning live POWs in Vietnam.

Has anyone done a FOIA request to support these allegations?

Kerry stars in, "The Mummy."

Political campaigns are great for trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. I recall Terry McAuliffe spinning W’s election – it was Election Night 2000. Terry accepted that W had won and was looking for his silver lining elsewhere: he landed on the governors’ races. It felt desperate to me: the pubs held a 30:18:2 majority. Terry claimed that the dems would be picking up seats and that the true feelings of the American people were being viewed therein. The final tally showed the majority shifted to 29:19:2. But Terry seemed happy the night before. I was glad for him.

Politics and 1950’s horror flicks have something in common: layers of gauze obfuscation the real picture. You have to peer deeply, sometimes remove layers, in order to see an accurate picture. They do differ in a fundamental way: in horror flicks, removing the gauze unveils a normal guy with a SAG card; in politics, removing the gauze shows us the real monster.

The first layer of gauze is not just how much money the Beautiful People are willing to cough but how much of their time are they willing to toss in. Money per plate. I found something called The Hampton Diaries (when reading it, I had Bible verses swimming in my head telling me to stop):

“The buzz is that sluggish ticket sales forced organizers to reduce prices to hang with the Democratic presidential nominee and wife Teresa Heinz Kerry this weekend.

“Complimentary tickets were handed out yesterday to Kerry's $1,000-a-person schmoozefest at the Alan and Susan Patricof home and the $2,500-per-plate young-professionals event at Jean-Luc East, sources said.

“The crowd at the Patricof's, between 500 and 700 people, was enthusiastic despite the pouring rain and Kerry's late arrival.

“Today's hush-hush event for Teresa at Donna Karan's East Hampton home has been marked down from $10,000 a person to $5,000, Diary is told.”

Teresa is being marked down!!! My, this feels like K-Mart. And instead of merely being marked down, her husband is being given away.

Another layer is reading how the historically pro-dem media outlets are treating Kerry.

The LA Times – that made the submission to the Dark Side complete with the hiring of Michael Kinsley – is seemingly unimpressed with Kerry’s statements on stem research research:

“There is no ban on stem-cell research in America. When it comes to adult stem-cell research, Bush is a strong advocate, with the National Institutes of Health providing more than $180 million to researchers last year. When it comes to embryonic stem-cell research, there are no legal limits of any kind: New embryonic stem-cell institutes are springing up at major universities across the country; Californians will vote in November on a $3-billion bond initiative to fund embryo research; scientists at Harvard recently created 17 new embryonic stem-cell lines, and scientists in Chicago produced 50 more. To say repeatedly, as Kerry has, that Bush has "shut down" stem-cell research is absurd. … The second Kerry claim — that stem-cell inspired treatments for many dreaded diseases are imminent — is even more irresponsible.”

Ouch. When your friends call you “absurd” and “irresponsible” you know you are in trouble. It seems that stem-cell research is becoming the new third rail.

Deeper still, Time Magazine hands Kerry his hat in an article released today entitled “Kerry in a Straitjacket” :

“John Kerry suffered a small embarrassment last week that illuminated a big problem in his campaign. The embarrassment involved the not exactly riveting issue of troop redeployments. George W. Bush announced last Monday in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) that he wanted to bring around 70,000 troops home from Germany and North Korea over the next 10 years. In principle, that is not very controversial. The military and foreign policy priesthoods have favored that sort of restructuring since the end of the cold war. And yet, when Kerry spoke to the VFW two days later, he attacked Bush's position, using an argument with some merit but of microscopic import in the midst of a presidential campaign: he said it was a "hasty" and "political" plan and certainly not a good negotiating tactic to withdraw troops from Korea while we are trying to get the North Koreans to drop their nuclear program.

“But oops. Some two weeks earlier, in an interview with George Stephanopoulos, Kerry had taken a different position: "I think we can significantly change the deployment of troops, not just [in Iraq] but ... in the Korean peninsula, perhaps, in Europe, perhaps." As you might imagine, the Bush campaign quickly pointed out the inconsistency.”

Oops. You have to love “oops.” “Oops” is used when you trip over the dog. It makes you feel clumsy and sad. People giggle just a little.

Then you misjudge the doorway and walk into the wall. People frown and look at each other. The article continues: “ … I suspect the public needs to hear, in plain and forceful language, Kerry's opinion of what Bush has done and whether it has been good for America. Instead, Kerry has offered only vague criticisms and an increasingly implausible promise to lure our allies into the chaos. In a year of real crises—the "most important election of our lifetime," he says—Kerry's nostrums sound distressingly like market-tested pap.”

I suspect Mr. Klein red-lined “depressingly” and substituted “distressingly” very late in the revision process.

Does the bashing by the liberal media stop there? Heavens, no!!! While Le Papier de Rapport cannot bring itself to publish a piece written within its harem, it did publish something nonetheless with an exceptional capstone: “President Bush is exactly right when he says the economy is strong and that his policies are making it stronger.”

Liberaldom is getting their pants all bunched up. The layers of gauze are falling to the floor. Kerry is showing himself to be just another girl on the runway, a rather hideous one at that. W is guiding us successfully through turbulent waters, warts and all. What to do, what to do … $10,000 for dinner in the Hamptons? With that gossipy loud-mouth? I don’t think so. I’ll give you five.

Kerry makes another video.

This is pathetic. Kerry stands idly by while MoveOn.org compares W to Hitler. Claps and laughs as Whoopi compares W to an outrageously fat part of her body. George "Pantload" Soros spends millions of dollars to oust W. Kerry's spatially challenged spouse refers to W as presiding over four years of Hell.

Now one commercial comes out and Kerry loses it. His protests don't get traction with the public, so he begins preaching to the choir. He just sent a video to "supporters." I don't get it - does he think he is losing his supporters and so a video was needed to shore up support? He is that desperate?

His reaction is not much different than his reaction to "wounds" in combat situations. The same logic that compels a video to be made also compelled him to believe that a pinprick warranted a Purple Heart.

BUT WAIT. HOLD THE PRESSES. JUST GOT AN E FROM THE KERRY CAMPAIGN. The video seems to be a new commercial. I wonder how John McCain feels about being used by Kerry? These people are overreacting. Time for some meds and a nap.

"Watch the new ad showing John McCain asking George Bush to apologize for attacking McCain's own heroic record.

Tell George Bush: stop the smear, get back to the issues.

Dear [Me],

George Bush and his Republican friends have become so desperate that they are returning to their old tricks -- whenever a campaign is going badly, they smear the record of a Vietnam veteran. They did it to John McCain in 2000, to Max Cleland in 2002, and now they are doing it to John Kerry. The question must be asked of President Bush: what do you have against Vietnam veterans?

Our campaign has just released a new Internet ad called "Old Tricks" which shows John McCain asking George Bush to apologize for attacking McCain's own heroic record.

View the ad by visiting:
http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks

Today we're calling for all of you to join together and stand with John Kerry. Tell George Bush: stop the smear, get back to the issues.

Sign our petition by visiting:
http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks

A front group for the Bush campaign called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" is continuing to spread their lies about John Kerry's military record. Their statements have been contradicted by official Navy records, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune and every man who served under John Kerry -- yet George Bush refuses to condemn their tactics. Through his silence, George Bush is approving their action. And Bush campaign officials in Florida are even promoting events for this front group.

Enough is enough. No matter what these Bush campaign shills now say, John Kerry's commanders remarked in 1969 that, "In a combat environment often requiring independent, decisive action, LTJG Kerry was unsurpassed." In fact, all of John Kerry's performance reports (available on our website) display an absolutely heroic record of service.

These people play for keeps. They unleash relentless attacks, one wave after another, and it isn't going to stop. Everybody needs to see our ad and reflect on how our country can do better.
We need you to get the truth out by forwarding this email to your friends, family and co-workers.

Tell George Bush to denounce these attacks by clicking here:
http://www.johnkerry.com/oldtricks

Thank you,
Mary Beth Cahill Campaign Manager
Paid for by Kerry-Edwards 2004, Inc."

UPDATE: The video is internet-only. How sleazy. While I suspect McCain will tell the campaign to remove his tacit endorsement, the campaign will comply in name only - unlike a tv ad, once on the net, the video will take a life of its own. These people feel dirty.

Vintage is good in wine, not wars.

Fred Barnes has a wonderful way of weaving history into current analysis. The Weekly Standard will have his new piece, The Bloody Shirt is Back, in its August 30 issue. An excerpt that captures a thought rattling around my brain within the web of his writing talent:

"The Kerry campaign now treats President Bush the way Republicans dealt with Democratic presidential nominee Grover Cleveland in 1884. Republicans pointed out Cleveland hadn't served in the Civil War. At a Kerry campaign press conference last week, Clark characterized the two candidates this way: "One man volunteered to serve his country. He volunteered to go to Vietnam. He volunteered a third time to command a Swift boat in one of the most dangerous activities in the war. The other man scrambled and used his family's influence to get out of hearing a shot fired in anger."

"There's a problem in comparing the Kerry and Bush war records. Kerry needs to play up his in an effort to show he would be a tough commander in chief. Meanwhile, Bush's record as a National Guard fighter pilot is not particularly relevant. He has been commander in chief for more than three years, allowing voters to judge him on his actual performance rather than on military records more than three decades old."

A Peek into Kerry's Soul, by Matthew May.

Matthew May at The American Thinker just published A Peek into Kerry's Soul. A methodical read leading to a not-ready-for-prime-time conclusion:

"Kerry’s inability to proactively move in defense of his actions, his continuous changing of stories, outlandish accusations, and his advocating every side of every issue show an instability of mind the nation can ill afford at any point in history, much less these perilous times. Kerry has had over 30 years to prepare for these questions about his record concerning the Vietnam War. It is nearly inconceivable that he could not have anticipated them. Kerry is in such a panic he might actually pick up the check the next time he and Teresa dine out. It is disturbing to imagine what sort of panic will grip a Kerry White House in the immediate aftermath of stock market crash or a terrorist attack."

Split Personalities

It is interesting to compare Kerry's statments.

Within the CSM article cited below, it was important for Kerry to convey that his anti-war activities were not motivated by his desire for a political career. "Educated at Yale University and the Boston College Law School, Kerry says he has been 'intrigued' with the political process and the way government works since high school days. But it was not until 1970 that he gave the possibility of a political career much thought.

"Kerry makes clear there was no political motive behind his antiwar activism, including testimony before a congressional committee. His goal then was 'to try to influence the process much as Ralph Nader and others were doing' in behalf of various causes."

But no longer a senator-elect, now as a would-be presidential candidate, Kerry looks for longevity. The Boston Globe shares his views and then comments on them. Both are worth reading.

"A campaign flier, titled 'A Message from John Kerry,' began: 'Ever since I worked as a young volunteer in John Kennedy's presidential campaign, I have been deeply committed to participation in politics and political issues . . . Back then, I joined the struggle for voting rights in the South.'

"But Kerry's involvement with the JFK campaign of 1960 was minimal. Today, he acknowledges he may only have participated in a single literature drop in Concord, N.H., while boarding at St. Paul's School.

"Moreover, his role in the struggle to register black voters in Mississippi was confined to the Yale campus in New Haven, Conn. Kerry's accounts over the years of his involvement have sometimes left the impression -- and resulted in press reports -- that the young Yalie was actually down South, with the freedom riders. He wasn't.

"I remember we saw the buses off ..."

Kerry never gave politics much thought; politics was his defining characteristic. I think DSM IV has a name for what Kerry does. If it doesn't, it should.

Senate Origins of The Troubles

The Christian Science Monitor interviewed Senator-Elect Kerry and published it on December 20, 1984. Unfortunately, a subscription needs to be purchased to view the article on the CSM site.

It is available in full text on Nexis, entitled "Senator Kerry will 'look homeward'," by George B. Merry.

Some interesting quotes were offered.

"In other words, he eschews the current, unclearly defined label of 'neoliberal' which has been applied to Tsongas and other new-generation Democrats in the Congress. Just plain, old liberal is good enough for him, Kerry indicates."

"On a broader horizon Kerry says, 'My hope is to be able to impact on policies relating to international concerns and expenditures. The way we are going to have more bacon to bring home is by having a world that is not expending as much on the military sector.'

"The former naval officer, who first came to prominence in 1969 as national leader of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, is today no less committed to peace through arms control. That includes support for a negotiated nuclear-weapons freeze. Kerry also specifically voices concern for 'ending war in Central America and improving US relations with all of Latin America.'"

A liberal who is against defense spending. And who says he isn't consistent?

Here's what bothers me so much.

I can put aside the roving gangs in Venezuela. I can put aside the deep friendship with Castro, the vocal support from Iran. I can forget the people killed trying to make their voices heard. I can forget the stench of a ruthless ruling class.

What I cannot get around is this churning in my stomach when I read articles that protest so strongly that the opposition needs to be quiet now, be quiet this very second, stop talking and move on, forget this vote and think about tomorrow. Frankly, I don't recall such strong words used in a similar post-election situation across the liberal frontier.

Why are they so fervent? Me thinks thou doest protest too much, eh?

Chavez Audit Done ... Bad Guys Win

The "audit" is complete. No comment.

Another one bites the dust.

A Marine analyzes the record of Kerry pulling Rassman from the water and presents a cogent timeline of events.

Mainsteam media: This is a puzzle. Call it a minimum information puzzle. You have four or five Swift Boats in a war zone. Each boat is approximately 50 feet in length and has no less than 6 men on board. The boats are traveling upstream in a river that is 75 yards wide. A subsequent written report claims that the enemy launched an ambush by firing weapons from both sides of the river. You pick the number of enemy troops and type of weapons used. At the end of the engagement, which can last as long you want it to, none of the Swift Boat crew members nor any of the boats have received injuries or damage from the enemy fire. Specifically, the enemy bullets made no holes in man or boat. Question: How many enemy troops were involved in the ambush and what type of weapons did they use?

And in this corner, hailing out of Masschusetts ...

Michelle Malkin was the guest that Chris Matthews beat up yesterday. She does a great job of blogging the experience.

Matthews should be drawn and quartered. Well, perhaps the pathetic ratings of his Hardball show are torment enough.

The Westernization of Russia.

The latest issue of the Russian Reform Monitor from the American Foreign Policy Council includes the following: "THE SAVAGE ARM OF THE RUSSIAN LAW. Writing in Novaya Gazeta about recent incidents of police brutality, Yulia Latynina notes that one method police use to extract confessions, called “zvonok Putinu,” or “a phone call to Putin,” consists of electric shocks adminstered via wires attached to the earlobes. “There is not a single Western country in which people flinch when they see a policeman,” she writes. “We flinch. We relate to cops not as citizens to guardians of law and order, but as prisoners to prison guards.” A Moscow metro policeman recently shot a 20-year-old Tajik national through the jaw after apprehending him for jumping a turnstile. The victim survived and the policeman has been charged with attempted murder."

What's this world coming to? Things have got to be bad when Moscow is almost as bad as Chicago.

The Troubles.

Surely, John Kerry is to the dems what England is to Ireland - an interloper, a squatter, something claiming rank without privilege. I think it is most appropriate, then, to refer to John Kerry euphemistically as The Troubles.

The Troubles are making the dems act outside their God-given intellect. The first paragraph of an MSNBC article promises much: “A newspaper investigation into the veterans' group behind the controversial TV ads about Sen. John Kerry's Vietnam war record has found a "web of connections" to the president and his family and many inconsistencies in the veterans' public statements on the matter.”

Unfortunately for them, the article goes nowhere. It never explains the “web” or points out the “inconsistencies.” Interestingly, it never touches the inconsistencies in Kerry’s statements.

This irresponsible journalism echoes what I listened to today on Rush. He played tapes of Chris Matthews becoming unglued on his show last night. He equated a “self-inflicted wound” with one that could only be done on purpose with the intent to avoid service. He badgered the poor woman being “interviewed” and got nowhere.

The issue, of course, is the circumstances surrounding Kerry’s first Purple Heart. The Swift Guys say Kerry tossed injudiciously a grenade and ate some shrapnel as a result. Hence, “self-inflicted.” Kerry said it was enemy fire. But a couple of weeks later he wrote in his diary that he and his men were “cocky” because they had yet to receive enemy fire. Forgive me for guessing, but I would venture that having grenades tossed at me by the enemy would register – for it was shrapnel from a grenade that was removed from Kerry and a band-aid (literally) applied.

What Matthews missed is that to be self-inflicted, the predicate could have been purposeful, knowing, reckless, or negligent – a standard view of mental states in law. Matthews rides the “purposeful” train and comes off looking like a fool. My understanding is that Kerry was reckless – he was trained and must have perceived the risk, he merely tossed it irrespective of the risk.

The other layer to this story is that the liberal media is jumping ugly by saying that another Swift Boat soldier wrote at the time that enemy fire was taken. That proves, so the Uglies claim, that the Swift Guys are lying.

The Troubles cannot be ignored so easily. First, Kerry said he received enemy fire to support his Purple Heart, and then Kerry said no enemy fire was received in his diary. Which time was he lying? Second, Kerry's supporters say the Swift Guys who didn't serve on his boat with him do not deserve to be heard, and then Kerry's supporters say another person "who served with" Kerry (but no claim of being on his boat) recalls enemy fire and must be listened to. Either those off the boat can be heard or not, eh?

The treatment by Matthews is similar to what Laney Davis and that junkyard dog that worked for Clinton (I forget his name. Bald. A weight problem waiting to blossom. Tries always to win through force of personality rather than intellect – just playing into his strong hand, I guess.). They had a Swift Guy on and would ask a question, and then not let him answer. Then accuse him of being afraid to answer. It was pure theatre. Rather humorous actually. And in that way it was different than Matthews: I think Chris seriously needs to take a break. An MRI may be advised, too.

Humorously, the Uglies are trying to tie the Swift Guys to W through serpentine avenues such as one financial backer is a Trustee on the George the Elder's presidential library. Another was an associate of Karl Rove. Yet they leave alone the Moore film with all of its lies, and the ratification of them by allowing Moore to sit with former president Carter at the convention.

So, all of the above begets a question or two or three: Why are the dems so painfully afraid? Why are they acting so seemingly out of control? What do they know, and when did they know it?

I suggest that they are afraid because they are watching Kerry closely and know that he is not ready for prime time. He continues to make the mistakes of an amateur. And Edwards is an animated squeezebox. And Kerry’s wife is a loose cannon. At least Hillary thought of political calculations – her math wasn’t always the best, but she tried.

The dems are acting out of control because that is exactly what they are going to be post-November – and for a long, long time. If Kerry tanks – and remember that it is pre-Labor Day, pre-Pub Convention, and he is in serious trouble – then W spends October supporting Thune and in other states pumping the legislative votes. The dem exposure in this Senate class spirals out of control. Close to or exceeding 60 pubs comes into focus. The House margin expands. It will take the dems a decade to get their footing back.

They knew this was coming, I suspect, two seconds into Kerry’s convention speech. When he decided to carry his Vietnam record forward, to make it post-Convention fodder, then they knew it was over. Kerry had the chance to ride the issue through mid-summer, and then abandon it. To let him address today’s issues of Swift Guys as “old news.”

I think they were reminded of the depth of their problem yesterday when Kerry “took on” the Swift Guys by using the dem Talking Points word-for-word. How pathetic. Those words are meant for the troops, not the leader. The leader is supposed to gloss over the Points, is supposed to interpret them and apply his own nuance. No, Kerry repeated them word-for-word.

I have watched a lot of elections and studied even more. I place Kerry in the class of the weakest candidates this century. The dems are in serious, serious trouble.

These days may be revisited for generations. It was when The Troubles began.

Freedom Reigns

I am rather busy with lectures and computer problems. All controllable, all to be resolved in a timely fashion. Wanted to share this wonderful WSJ piece on how many Olympians are free because we have followed the paths of peace through strength and wars to liberate. We have walked those paths alone sometimes, in the company only of military eunuchs buzzing like unwanted bugs on a sweltering night. I feel no need to apologize for hunting down and killing murderous rulers. Breakfast in Tehran, anyone?

More Friends of Huggie. And a Few Questionable Activities.

Add al Jazeera to the list of friends of Chavez. They cite without a critical eye what would lead American Democrats (if true, or plausibly so) to claim W is undermining the Venezuelan government similar to Reagan’s early actions in Nicaragua: “Chavez showed what he said was a document proving that the US-based National Endowment for Democracy gave $300,000 to several opposition groups. … The government of Mr George W Bush continues putting its hands where it should not put them, … Chavez said the money given by the endowment was used by the opposition to draft a government plan titled Country Consensus as a blueprint for a post-Chavez Venezuela.”

Maybe because the National Endowment for Democracy is a private, nonprofit with Gephardt on the board has dissuaded the dems from such a line.

The Boston Globe may eat their young when it comes to Kerry, but they seem to be rather fond of Chavez, in a manner similar to how Kerry seems to feel about Edwards and McGreevy about his ex-Homeland Security guy: “Chavez, a charismatic ex-paratroop commander who has styled himself as a champion for the masses against a corrupt, elite oligarchy … a humbly born, man-of-the-people leader who some analysts compare to Juan Peron, the longtime populist leader of Argentina.” I am sure Hugo feels pretty when he reads things stories like these.

To learn more about Huggie Chavez, Wikipedia has a great discussion. He has rewritten the constitution, backed the dissolving of labor unions, suspended the legislature until he got it where he wanted it to be (120 of 131 seats from his party – and when his majority slipped to 60% he ruled by decree for a year), and constitutionally restricted freedom of the press. He’s called W a “devil” and a “pendejo” (roughly translated to “prick”).

More on the violent side of Huggie in a bit.

Venezuela Code.

This AP piece gives some insight to the specific claims of the Venezuela opposition:

"Rampersad [an anti-Chavez lawmaker] claimed touch-screen voting machines in at least 500 polling sites produced the exact same number of 'yes' votes in favor of ousting Chavez, a result he said was statistically impossible. He said the supposed finding indicated the machines were rigged to impose a ceiling on 'yes' votes."

Note that a "yes" vote was a vote in support of the recall - to remove Chavez from office.

Carter and the OAS are going to audit by comparing the paper receipts generated by the voting machines with the voting machine internal results. The opposition says this is a waste of time because, as noted in a previous post, the country's national guard took possession of everything. The chain of custody has fallen into questionable hands. The opposition wants the code itself inspected and accordingly thinks Jimmy's approach to be flawed.

Twas the night before Christmas (Cambodian Version).

Posted on Insight on the News. By Russ Vaughn

Twas the night before Christmas and we were afloat
Somewhere in Cambodia in our little boat.
While the river was lightened by rockets red glare
No one but the President knew we were there.

The crew was all nestled deep down in their bunks,
While the Spook and I watched the sampans and junks.
Our mission was secret, so secret in fact,
No one else would remember it when we got back.

When out on the water there arose such a clatter
I leaped down from the bridge to see what was the matter.
The incoming friendly was starting to flash
And I knew that the ARVN's were having a bash.

The snap of friendly fire on the warm tropic air
Convinced me for sure no one knew we were there,
On a clandestine mission so secret it's true
That I'm still convinced only Tricky Dick knew.

While I huddled for safety in the tub on the bow,
I thought of a title, "Apocalypse Now."
To give to the films I was I making each day
To show all the voters when I made my big play.

As I sat there sweating in my lucky flight jacket,
Spook said, "Merry Christmas!" and tossed me a packet.
And what to my wondering eyes did appear,
But a new lucky cap, which I still have right here.

I keep it tucked here, in this leather brief case,
Just sharing with the press its secretive place
As I regale them again with my senate refrain,
That Christmas in Cambodia is seared into my brain.

Don't bother to quibble with history my friend,
By pointing out Johnson was President then.
Don't listen to Swiftees who try to explain,
For I tell you that night is seared into my brain.

Down Hibbard, down Lonsdale, and you too O'Neill,
So you don't remember? Well it's something I feel.
I don't need all you Swiftvets to support my campaign,
Cause Christmas in Cambodia is seared into my brain,

Into my brain, into my brain, into my brain...

Submitted by Russ Vaughn, 2d Bn, 327th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division -- Vietnam 65-66

"We own this country now."

The Opinion Journal has a deeply disturbing piece on the Venezuela situation.

The country is being run by thugs who intimidate and murder with impunity. Over one hundred thugs marched towards the center of a town to break up a peaceful demonstration against the vote. From the piece:

"Hilda Mendoza Denham, a British subject visiting Caracas for her mother's 80th birthday, was shot at close range with hollow-point bullets from a high-caliber pistol. She now lies sedated in a hospital bed after a long and complicated operation. She is my mother.

"I spoke with her minutes before the doctors cut open her wounds. She looked at me, frightened and traumatized, and sobbed: 'I was sure they were going to kill me, they just kept shooting at me.'

"In a jarringly similar attack that took place three years ago, the killers were caught on tape and identified as government officials and employees. They were briefly detained--only to be released and later praised by Col. Chávez in his weekly radio show. Their identities are no secret and they walk the streets as free men, despite having shot unarmed civilian demonstrators in cold blood."

A country supported by Iran, Cuba, and Jimmy Carter. Voting machines producing results virtually beyond statisitical probability. Thugs and murderers. One-sixth of the U.S. oil buy flow and all the cash that comes with it. This is not good.

Kerry and Lines.

We've read and linked stories by Kerry about him running munitions and CIA operatives into Cambodia, and stories by his campaign that he crossed the watery border in ways not geographically possible.

Now the expert has spoken. Andrew Antippas is a combat infantry veteran of the Korean War and served eight of his 32 years in the U.S. Foreign Service working on Cambodia.

Mr. Antippas writes persuasively from a position of knowledge: "I understand that the campaign of candidate John Kerry is now asserting that not only did Navy Lt. Kerry visit Cambodia in his swift boat in 1968-69, but he performed four missions to drop off agents inside Cambodia. Perhaps, but I don't think so."

He goes on to explain his job - manage all line crossings. Kerry never crossed. Bummer.

With friends like these ...

Something isn’t right when Iran hails the outcome as a “vote a victory for democracy” and Cuba echoes their joy. Dig a little deeper in the Iran quotes and you find an interesting reference: "The outcome of this referendum once again proved the reality that people do not accept foreign powers interfering in their internal affairs."

Foreign powers? What did that come from? On Nexis (I can’t seem to find it on a linkable page): Chavez “has accused the United States of funding the campaign to unseat him, and insists that Washington was behind a short-lived coup in April 2002 during which he was ousted for two days.” (Nexis: Copyright 2004 AFX News Limited, AFX.COM, August 18, 2004 Wednesday, SECTION: GOVERNMENT; GENERAL, LENGTH: 453 words, HEADLINE: US accepts Chavez victory in Venezuela vote, urges national reconciliation, DATELINE: WASHINGTON)

Besides the statistical problems with the voting machine vote totals, being glossed over is the violence. The Kansas City Star reports: “[A] group of gunmen who displayed pro-Chavez posters opened fire on an opposition protest Monday, killing a woman and wounding 10 other people.” So far, it is the only episode of violence reported. It seems rather, um, extreme to be the only episode. One would think that violence escalates beginning with wandering groups of thugs who intimidate by their mere presence, increasing to verbal abuse and afterward physical abuse, and finally graduating to life-threatening activities. To begin there indicates perhaps incomplete reporting.

Iran and Cuba support the vote outcome. As noted in a post below, Le Papier de Rapport and Carter support it. This is either a confluence of socialists, communists, and dictators all coming together to gloat over a friend’s victory, or something is putrid east of Puerto Cabello.

W had the sense to extend only cautious recognition to the outcome, contingent upon a transparent audit of the results. Let’s see what happens. Let’s see how many voting machines fail to provide source data. Let’s see how much of the final vote tally escapes audit. Let’s see if Iran, Cuba, the NYT, and Jimmy are right.

Caracas Carter.

We started a discussion below (Venezuela Jimmy) about Jimmy Carter endorsing the Venezuela election returns. The premise of his conclusion was reported as follows: "Our findings coincided with the partial returns announced today by the National Elections Council," Carter told a news conference.

But seemingly in contradiction to his statement, the International Herald Tribune is reporting: “The perception that a massive electronic fraud ... in the recall referendum on Sunday is rapidly gaining ground in Venezuela. All exit polls carried out on the day had given the opposition an advantage of between 12 percent and 19 percent. But preliminary results announced by the government-controlled National Electoral Council at 3:30 a.m. gave Chávez 58.2 percent of the vote, against 41.7 percent for the opposition.”

All exit polls? When will Carter withdraw his endorsement – or at least make it qualified?

UPDATE: Oh my. Must be wrong. The NYT Editorial has just told the people of Venezuela to stop whimpering and accept the results.

Falsis in unum, falsis in omnibus.

One of the lessons of childhood is that when you lie and get caught, it is better to fess up. Parents, after all, have much more practice at lying. Eventually, with grace and guidance, children learn to not lie at all. But that is not universally learned. Some adults continue to lie.

In this vein, when I spent time over the past couple of years changing careers from practicing law (a trained, professional liar) to teaching it, I read a lot of guidance on preparing resumes. I was appalled at the amount of information devoted to exaggerating and lying on resumes. Reading between the lines, I was being taught how to expand my experience in ways that could not be disproved – don’t expand degrees (records can be released with your authorization), know what your previous employers say when employment is being verified (a lot give dates and titles only because of litigation fear). I was curious as to why I just couldn’t tell the truth.

When children lie about, for example, having gone to the movies instead of the arcade next door, it takes about three minutes of focused questioning about the plot to make the story unravel. The same applies to job applicants - experiences without detailed war stories co-exist rarely.

That brings us to the accomplished liar. He always has a second line of defense when the front line is breached. It is the second line, he hopes, that absorbs the shock in both parties of initial failure. The second line reinvigorates the troops and provides optimism: "I don’t know what happened next. The soda and popcorn made me go to the bathroom. I was gone so long that I was lost the rest of the movie. I know the guy dies at the end." "Well, the guy I actually worked for was let go. Something about his expense reports and the IRS. They don’t even like to talk about him. I did his job while he goofed off."

A good questioner knows a lie is afoot before the liar knows he’s caught. It is at that moment that the Q&A transforms into a sport. A good questioner silently says, "Fish on!" Always remember, "falsis in unum, falsis in omnibus — false in one thing, false in all things." Whenever you begin to believe him, whenever you feel sympathetic: falsis in unum, falsis in omnibus. Repeat it like a mantra. We don’t need no stinkin’ liars in our midst.

That brings us to Kerry and his Christmas in Cambodia. His challenge is that the questioner has been alternatively silent and incompetent for years. This has fostered an arrogance in him, regardless how redundant that trait may be within him. But now, oh my, the questioner is very well-trained indeed. The Blogosphere has a hot lamp in one hand and papers full of quotes in the other. Among those working it: Hugh Hewlit (linked below), Nikita, Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit, and Kerry Haters for starters.

Among the quotes, and btw the seeds of Kerry's destruction:

From a round-up on Boston.com: "I remember spending Christmas Eve five miles across the Cambodian border being shot at by our South Vietnamese allies who were drunk and celebrating Christmas." "The absurdity of almost being killed by our own allies in a country in which President Nixon claimed there were no American troops was very real." Kerry said in a 2003 interview that after the Christmas Eve 1968 engagement, he asked his crew to write a caustic telegram to the chief of naval forces in Vietnam, Elmo Zumwalt Jr., to wish him "Merry Christmas from the troops that weren't in Cambodia, which was us. We were."

From Hugh Hewlitt comes a USN&WR article from 2000: "Sen. John Kerry made his first forays into Cambodia during the Vietnam War as a Navy lieutenant on clandestine missions to deliver weapons to anticommunist forces."

The Seattle Times shares: A June 2003 article in The Washington Post quotes Kerry talking about a mildewy and faded-green camouflage hat he carries in his black attaché. "My good-luck hat," Kerry told the Post. "Given to me by a CIA guy as we went in for a special mission in Cambodia."

The NY Daily News brings us the Senate floor classic: "I remember Christmas of 1968, sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by the Vietnamese and the Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and the President of the United States telling the American people that I was not there, the troops were not in Cambodia.” "I have that memory, which is seared - seared - in me."

The second line of defense:

The Seattle Times: The Kerry campaign has since said that the presidential candidate's recollection was imprecise — that his runs into Cambodia came in the early months of 1969.

Falsis in unum, falsis in omnibus.

The Washington Times quotes his campaign spokesman on Fox & Friends: "John Kerry has said on the record that he had a mistaken recollection earlier. He talked about a combat situation on Christmas Eve 1968 which at one point he said occurred in Cambodia. He has since corrected the record to say it was some place on a river near Cambodia and he is certain that at some point subsequent to that he was in Cambodia. My understanding is that he is not certain about that date."

Falsis in unum, falsis in omnibus.

Boston.com: "During John Kerry's service in Vietnam, many times he was on or near the Cambodian border and on one occasion crossed into Cambodia at the request of members of a special operations group operating out of Ha Tien," Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan said in a statement. "On December 24, 1968, Lieutenant John Kerry and his crew were on patrol in the watery borders between Vietnam and Cambodia deep in enemy territory. In the early afternoon, Kerry's boat, PCF-44, was at Sa Dec and then headed north to the Cambodian border. There, Kerry and his crew along with two other boats were ambushed, taking fire from both sides of the river, and after the firefight were fired upon again. Later that evening during their night patrol they came under friendly fire."

Falsis in unum, falsis in omnibus.

The second line restated with a rebuttal:

The Washington Times again: Kerry campaign told NBC News, "The Mekong Delta consists of the border between Cambodia and Vietnam, so on Christmas Eve in 1968, [Mr. Kerry] was in fact on patrol ... in the Mekong Delta between Cambodia and Vietnam." Unfortunately for Mr. Kerry, this explanation raises more questions than it answers. First, at the point where the Mekong River intersects the Cambodian/Vietnam border, there is no "between." As the map on the opposite page reveals, the river in fact runs from Cambodia to Vietnam, unlike, say, the Potomac River, which creates the border between Maryland and Virginia, and Virginia and Washington. If there is a point where the river meanders in a way that Cambodia is on one side and Vietnam the other, it constitutes such a small area that for Mr. Kerry to be in that exact spot on the river would be highly dubious, although not, we add, impossible.

Falsis in unum, falsis in omnibus.

The international press refers to this mess as "verbal knots."

It seems to me that "fish on!" is more apt.