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The Kerry campaign is beginning some tentative direct return fire in response to attacks from his fellow Swift vets. And a major daily has the story. The Washington Times reports:
Sen. John Kerry's campaign said yesterday that the Democratic presidential nominee is not hiding any of his war records and has, in fact, released them all to the public."Senator Kerry's entire military service record is posted on JohnKerry.com. His entire record," said Michael Meehan, adviser for communications to the campaign, at a press conference called to defend Mr. Kerry against recent charges that the former Navy lieutenant didn't deserve some of his war decorations ? three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star.
Of course, those familiar with the story are well aware that the medical records - those that Kerry's fellow vets claim would reveal the real truth about his early ticket home from Vietnam - are not available and have not been released.
But later in the Times story comes an interesting quote from Jim Rassmann:
"There's no evidence that the president did not serve honestly and well. And until that shows up, if in fact it's true, let's leave it alone," Mr. Rassmann said. "But by the same token, no one has shown any kind of evidence that John did not perform honorably and well, and by the same token, let's leave that alone as well."
But President Bush, of course, didn't reach down into a river and pull Mr Rassman onto an Iowa stage, thus making his military record the centerpiece of his campaign. Bush's record, like Kerry's, was brought into play by Democrats. (And poured over by the press.)
Still later, a quote from Del Sandusky might give insight into why the Kerry campaign has allegedly discouraged the troops he abandoned in Vietnam from speaking directly to the press:
Also, Mr. Kerry has been asked recently whether he was being "honest" when he said he spent Christmas 1968 under fire in Cambodia ? a memory he said was "seared in me."The Swift Boat veterans say he wasn't in Cambodia then, and none of the 20 veterans who appeared to defend Mr. Kerry yesterday could say where he was that Christmas.
Mr. Sandusky said it doesn't surprise him that Mr. Kerry may have forgotten where he was then because, like many serving in Vietnam, they didn't want to think about Christmas.
"We didn't know where we were at for Christmas," he said. "If [Mr. Kerry] said it, I believe it. I've known John Kerry for 35 years, and he's never lied to me."
Perhaps that's so, but the idea that any US veteran didn't know it was Christmas when he was serving away from home is rather far fetched - to be kind - and John Kerry saying otherwise doesn't make it so. (Though we can't fault Mr Sandusky's loyalty to his superior.)
Kerry however, certainly has no fear of sailing into hostile waters today; his appearance before the Veterans of Foreign Wars aptly demonstrates that. His speech, interrupted occasionally and briefly by polite applause at the designated locations, probably evoked the same images in the minds of those who were there in person as in mine as I watched on TV from Europe.
As he spoke of not breaking faith with those who are serving or had served in the past, as he casually dismissed his post-Vietnam actions, surely many civilians gained that warm fuzzy "I support the troops" feeling. But 90 percent of GIs past present and future heard that speech, and likely saw it too, with these unforgettable images in mind (seared into their memory, if you will):
"They told stories that at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Ghengis Khan, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country."
-- John Kerry, speech to the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations, Washington DC, April 23, 1971
"As President, I will stand with you to complete that mission. The sacrifices that you have made on the battlefield are well known. But what is not as well known is how hard we have fought after we returned from service to keep faith with our fellow soldiers."
-- John Kerry, Speech to Veterans of Foreign Wars 105th Annual Convention, Cincinnati, OH, 18 Aug 2004
