The media signaled yesterday that they're bored with the Swift boat controversy. This is particularly so, due to the fact that further coverage would require that they admit to having been duped by the Bush campaign, on whose behalf they propagated a series of vicious lies meant to soften John Kerry's support among vets. "Mission Accomplished," as the saying goes.
Bush likewise signaled that he recognizes further coverage can only hurt his cause. The damage to Kerry has been done, the Bush campaign realizes, so let's move on to other topics. Like the stirring display of compassion by Dick Cheney who yesterday boldly proclaimed that he disagrees w/ the Administration's position that gay marriage needs to be stamped out with a constitutional ammendment. Uncanny timing on that pronouncement, which they knew would cut into Kerry's counter-attack that rightly characterized Bush's tactics as "fear and smear."
But the Swift story won't die that easily. Today the Kerry campaign will dispatch Max Cleland and Jim Rassman (the guy whose life Kerry saved) to the president's ranch in Crawford, TX, to deliver a letter calling on Bush to denounce the Swift ads, which he only pretended to do earlier this week.
Before the media's Short Attention Span Theatre officially moves on, note that Bush's own campaign lawyer now admits to also advising the Swift boat liars. So much for the Six Degrees of Separation theory.
Posted by Vernam at August 25, 2004 06:45 AM | TrackBackQ: How many "yawning credibility gaps" in a landslide?
Posted by: Olamdom at August 27, 2004 07:21 AM"The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy," according to the organization chartered by Congress. According to regulations set by the Department of Defense, an enemy must be involved to warrant a Purple Heart.
In May 1996, Rear Admiral Mike Boorda, Chief of Naval Operations, “was found at home with a gunshot wound to the chest and a gun found nearby. His death was quickly determined to be suicide. Boorda's motive for suicide may have been over allegations that he wore combat awards that he was not eligible to wear.”
This is a serious issue for combat award winning veterans. I believe it is a court martial offense. There appears to be enough information to determine if it is true or not. If it is an unfounded lie, then all those anti-Kerry Swift Boat guys and their commercials should be condemned. If the allegations are true, then it may be relevant to some voters. Let the facts come out.