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Politics : Politics for Pros- moderated -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (59479)	8/11/2004 9:41:04 AM
From: Andrew N. Cothran	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793843

Simply because it does matter if one tells the truth or fabricates HIS version of the truth for ulterior ends. Why can't you understand that, Kholt? It is perfectly obvious to the inquiring mind that really seeks to know the truth and to guard one's self from those who would use and abuse to further their own ends.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59479)	8/11/2004 9:47:58 AM
From: DMaA	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 793843

His heroic service in VietNam is the centerpiece of his campaign. He has put that forth as a major reason for us to elect him President. If the book is truthful, the foundation of his campaign is fraudulent.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59479)	8/11/2004 9:54:47 AM
From: John Carragher	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 793843

you cannot be serious. a person running for president who will say anything to you to get your vote and you would trust that person to run your country. A person who cannot stand on a position firmly. someone who will tell the arab community in dearborn mi he is against the wall in Israel yet a few weeks later sends his brother to Israel to get jewish vote by saying Kerry supports the wall. If Kerry is not telling the truth about his medals it is disrespect for all those soldiers who earned their medals. I want to know if he faked the paper work to get them. His character is on the line.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59479)	8/11/2004 10:36:20 AM
From: Mary Cluney	Respond to of 793843

<<< Assuming for the sake of argument that it's true that he as a young man gamed his Viet Nam experience to both survive and to get hardware to support his planned career in politics, what difference should that make to voters in this election? Why and to what extent should it matter?>>> It would be very important if you can prove that John Kerry is a psychopathic liar and that his war record shows that. On the other hand, if you are going down that path, you better be able to prove it. Just wishing that someone is a psychopathic liar is not enough. If you can prove that he was not wounded and received three purple hearts through deception - you might have a case. If you can prove that the man didn't go overboard and he lied about it, as well as all the fellow servicemen on the boat, and that his life was not saved by John Kerry and that Kerry received his award falsely - you might have a case. If you can prove that John Kerry was nowhere near Cambodia when he said he was than you may have a case. If you were there when Kerry did not have dinner with the Boat Captain and the conversation did not take place then you might have a case. But to say that the wound was not deep enough (even though wou were not the person that treated the wound), or there were people who didn't like Kerry and the way he conducted himself in a combat situation, or that you were an eyewitness to John Kerry pulling the man out of the water but enemy fire was not close enough to warrant an award (and you decide to mention it 35 years after the fact) is not sufficient evidence to question a man's service to his country. John McCain knows what it is like for people to question his military service and he has come out very strongly against this campaign against John Kerry. If there are reasons why John Kerry should not be President, his service to his country during the Vietnam War was not one of them.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59479)	8/11/2004 12:47:13 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 793843

Kerry made Vietnam the foundation of his campaign, as opposed to his Senate career. Now it seems that he, um, stretched a bit to get his medals. If he were not using his combat experience as a shield against all attacks that his record is unpromising for a Commander in Chief during a war, that wouldn't matter as much. We value honesty, but in the real world we cut a lot of slack to ambitious young men who cut a few corners to sex up their resumes. But if knowing that he cut some corners, Kerry still decided to put 4 months in Vietnam front and center in his campaign, while refusing to file a Form 180 (an option NOT given to President Bush), that says something disquieting about his political judgement and/or his other options for the campaign. And if Kerry doesn't understand that he cut some corners by collecting Purple Hearts for scratches (this much is undisputed), then that says something too about his judgement, or lack of it. Worse than any liar is the man who has drunk his own Kool-Aid and can no longer tell the truth from the lie.

To: Lane3 who wrote (59479)	8/11/2004 1:05:28 PM
From: Nadine Carroll	Respond to of 793843

Lileks has a good answer for you, Karen, as to why the Swiftvets story might matter: Hugh Hewitt interviewed a shipmate of John Kerry’s on his show today; the transcript is here. Why this happens on a radio show and not in the Washington Post is a question I’ll let you decide. It’s not like these guys live in the Fortress of Solitude, accessible only by messages relayed by carrier pigeon. It has to do with Christmas in Cambodia – the only aspect of the SwiftVets story I care to comment on, for reasons I think I stated before. If Kerry’s story is a lie, it’s significant, but not because we have a gotcha moment – gee, a politician reworked the truth to his advantage, big surprise. This is much larger than that. This is like Bush insisting that he flew an intercept mission with the Texas Air National Guard to repel Soviet bombers based in Cuba, and later stating that this event was “seared in his memory – seared” because it taught him the necessity of standing up against evil governments, such as the ones we face today. In other words, it would not only be a lie, but one that eroded the political persona he was relying upon in the election. Kerry has made Vietnam central to his campaign. If he’s making crap up, it matters. But the story of the CIA agent he ferried into the Heart of Darkness gives the gotcha a curious twist; as lawyers say on TV courtroom dramas, it goes to state of mind. What sort of man bedecked with genuine decorations feels compelled to manufacture a story like this one? lileks.com