Swift Vets: Real Men Confront the Left
August 26, 2004
by Christopher G. Adamo
Of far greater significance than the firestorm surrounding John Kerry’s ostensible “war record,” every detail of which is being credibly contested by the organization “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth,” is the manner in which the Kerry camp and its allies in the liberal media are attempting to respond.
Their predictable and reprehensible actions serve as examples of how political war has been waged against traditional America, by the left, over the past four decades. Conversely, the Swift Boat veterans, despite being vastly outnumbered and out funded, are nonetheless winning the day, and thus stand as an example to conservatives of how to confront and overcome the liberal leviathan.
To begin with, the Swift Vets have done nothing but simply bring forth the facts, albeit in the face of enormous attempts to undermine and ultimately, silence them. But rather than engage them in direct debate (always a dangerous prospect for the intellectually vacant forces on the left), their opponents have, in the typical and cowardly fashion of bullies, threatened to sue them, along with any TV station that chooses to run their ads.
Furthermore, the Kerry campaign has officially filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission, contending that the federal government should forbid the ads from being run. This from the people who champion every form of “free speech and expression,” as long as it is limited to kiddie porn and taxpayer funded blasphemy. Surely, the truth has become an enemy to these people.
Nevertheless, the Swift Vets press on, and the liberal attack machine, despite its malignant efforts, has proven to be completely ineffectual at stopping them. Perhaps the most desperate, most vicious, and therefore the most telling incidents was one that occurred last week on the TV show “Crossfire,” hosted by Robert Novak. There, former Clinton cronies James Carville and Lanny Davis directly faced John O'Neill, co-author of “Unfit for Command,” the Swift Vets’ book detailing the flagrant deficiencies of Kerry’s wartime (and post-war) activities.
Faced with the consistent points made by O’Neill, Carville and Davis continually interrupted with rude hysterics, in a brazen effort to prevent O’Neill from successfully verbalizing his case. This they immediately followed with accusations that O’Neill wasn’t answering their “questions.” But rather than making them appear victorious, the antics of Carville and Davis embodied all of the courage and bravado of a couple of noisy toy poodles. In Novak’s words, it was Carville’s “most disgraceful performance on this show.”
Ditto, for “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, a few days later. Clearly, Matthews exists among the realm of deluded media types who believe that dominance of the microphone somehow equates to holding the moral and intellectual high ground. Matthews was equally cowardly and disgraceful in his treatment of conservative author and columnist Michelle Malkin.
During his “interview” of Malkin, Matthews repeatedly and deliberately mischaracterized her assertions regarding the Kerry controversy, while refusing to allow her to clarify her position. Most pathetic of all was Matthews’ feeble attempt at justifying his behavior as the “pursuit of truth” in a statement he later posted on his website.
But for sheer absurdity, nothing surpasses Kerry’s contention that, on account of his four months of “service” in Vietnam, his actions should somehow be considered above question or criticism (a notion that is in no way supported by Kerry or his minions in their own treatment of the Swift Vets). According to such thinking, Timothy McVeigh ought to be walking the streets today as a free and honored citizen, having “faithfully served” in the first Gulf War (and for considerably longer than four months).
In stark contrast to all of the liberal caterwauling, consider the qualities of old-fashioned American masculinity personified by the Swift Boat Veterans... qualities that used to be respected as “mainstream”, and need to be once again. These courageous veterans display an unwavering resolve to confront their opposition, regardless of the cost, in a manner that could never be emulated by the likes of Matthews, Carville, Davis, or Kerry.
Liberalism has never flourished except by the total suppression of its opposition. No amount of falsehood and propaganda, irrespective of the venom with which it is presented, will ever be sufficient to negate the existence of facts, once they are known. Likewise, all of the petty tantrums of the left simply cannot prevail when determined and heroic men like the 254 members of “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” decide to make a stand.
Christopher G. Adamo |
