Not-So-Swift Boat Vets Attack Kerry!

Uh, yeah, thought so...

UPDATED!!!

What a bunch of complete idiots! I never intended to have to go into shit like this again, where I either find myself defending John Kerry's Service Record or attacking George Bush's.

But a recent post on a Right Wing Blog led me to this:

Human Events Exclusive:Vietnam Vets Organization Blasts Kerry in New TV Ad

I absolutely cannot believe the depths some on the Right will sink to in order to discredit and de-rail the Kerry Campaign. But then, why should I be surprised. The same element involved here also torpoedoed one of their own, Sen. John McCain, in the Republican Presidential Primary of 2000.

I had intended to completely gut this bullshit by end of day today, however, a couple of things may prevent this.

First: I am having some difficulty with Blogger. I'm sure it is a small glitch and will be corrected shortly.

Second: Recent developments have added serious support to my arguments, as one of the Vets involved in the ad has just recanted his statements and has expressed regret over saying them! You know I have to have that statement included, so the search is on!

Please stay tuned. When I am satisfied with my post, and have, to the best of my ability, verified it's accuracy, I will post it here. If you're looking for the truth it will be worth the wait!

deuddersun

UPDATE!!!

Enough has been said on this subject in the preceeding weeks for anyone with half a brain to figure out what's really at work here, but....just in case you've been living in a monastery in Tibet, this sohould clear things up for you!

(Thanks to Puggs at Random Nuclear Strikes for the excellent cartoon!)


From a letter from Mary Beth Cahill, Campaign Manager,Kerry-Edwards For President

Unfortunately, the disgraceful attacks by the Bush front group "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" continue. The Bush campaign denies that the two organizations are connected, but an obvious web of connections exists. I wanted to share with you a letter I sent today to Ken Mehlman, Bush-Cheney campaign manager, detailing the connections between the Bush-Cheney campaign and the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush.

Dear Mr. Mehlman:

For three weeks now, your campaign has been saying there
are no ties between the Bush campaign and "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." But
the web of connections grows wider and wider every day. Yesterday we saw
confirmation of another connection when your general counsel, Benjamin Ginsberg,
was forced to resign for providing legal advice for this group.

Enclosed you
will find a chart that makes clear the web of connections between President Bush
and the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Now that you have this chart ( a link to the chart is provided at the end of this post. -d.) and the
accompanying fact sheet to back it up, I wanted to ask you several specific
questions that deserve your prompt response.

Ken Cordier served on the Bush
Veterans Steering Committee and also stars in the latest "Swift Boat Veterans
for Truth" smear ad. As a member of the steering committee presumably he was
involved in policy development. What information about the Bush campaign's
veterans policy did he share with the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?" Did he
ever discuss his activities with this smear group with anyone in the Bush
campaign? How many times did "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" activities come up
at Bush Veterans Steering Committee meetings?

Yesterday on Fox News, Karl
Rove confirmed that he and Bob Perry are longtime friends. Bob Perry is the
largest contributor to the Texas Republican Party and a longtime supporter of
President Bush. When was the last time Karl Rove and Bob Perry spoke, and did
they discuss the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?"

Based on newspaper
accounts, we know Merrie Spaeth was involved in the underhanded shadow campaign
against John McCain in 2000. She also helped organize the "Swift Boat Veterans
for Truth" and did the debate prep for President G. W. Bush. She has also
admitted that she advised Bush administration officials in the White House as
recently as last year. Was Merrie Spaeth ever contacted by anyone from the Bush
campaign, including you, about "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?"

John
O'Neill's law firm, Clements, O'Neill, Pierce, Wilson & Fulkerson, has many
connections to President Bush. In fact, Margaret Wilson, Mr. O'Neill's law
partner, served as General Counsel to Governor Bush and followed him to
Washington, where she worked as Deputy Counsel for the Department of Commerce.
Did she ever discuss "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" with President Bush,
members of his administration or any Bush-Cheney campaign officials?

If you
say there's no connection, why did the Bush-Cheney campaign office in Florida
pass out "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" flyers to promote a joint anti-John
Kerry rally in Gainsville, Florida last weekend?

According to news reports,
you have worked with "Progress for America," a newly formed 527 group that has
announced it's going to spend $35 million to attack John Kerry and whose
executive director is a top advisor to the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Have
you had any additional contact with this group? Have Karl Rove or other Bush
officials -- either in the White House or on the Bush-Cheney campaign -- had
contacts with this group?

How many times did Karl Rove and Benjamin Ginsberg
meet? Did they ever discuss the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?"

These
questions go to the heart of why so many people now believe that "Swift Boat
Veterans for Truth" is nothing more than a front group for the Bush-Cheney
campaign. The longer President Bush waits to specifically condemn this smear,
the more it looks like he's behind it.

It's time for the president to stand
up and specifically condemn "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." Not only is this a
smear on John Kerry's distinguished military service; it's an insult to all
veterans who've served their country.

The American people want to hear an
honest discussion of the issues. They're concerned about the economy and the
troubling situation in Iraq. Today, as we enter week four of this smear
campaign, I'm asking you to talk to the president and ask him to heed Senator
McCain's call and condemn this smear. The American people deserve better.

Sincerely,
Mary Beth Cahill

These tactics are nothing new for George Bush. It seems that every time he has found himself in trouble, he's smeared the honorable record of a Vietnam Veteran. Sign our petition and make this election about the issues that really matter.

Mary Beth Cahill
Campaign Manager


P.S.

Here are the facts of the Bush-Cheney campaign's web of connections:

Karl Rove - Bush's White House political director; longtime associate to Bob Perry; consultant to Hutchison; most senior advisor to Bush campaign.

Ken Cordier - Former Bush-Cheney campaign advisor - forced to resign after appearing in Swift Boat Veterans for Bush commercial.

Benjamin Ginsberg - Former general counsel to Bush-Cheney - resigned after it was discovered he was advising both Bush and the Swift Boat Veterans.

Harlan Crow - Bush Foundation trustee; longtime friend of Bush family; longtime fundraiser for Bush family; donated at least $25,000 in seed money to the Swift Boat Vets for Bush.

Bob Perry - Largest Republican donor in Texas; donated hundreds of thousands to Bush family campaigns; donated at least $200,000 in seed money to the Swift Boat Vets for Bush; close colleague of Rove in Texas governor's race; longtime friend of John O'Neill.

Kay Bailey Hutchison - Longtime friend of Spaeth; former client of Rove; current co-chair of Bush campaign

John O'Neill - Longtime friend of Bob Perry; very close law firm connections to Bush as governor; close friend to Spaeth, former colleague to Spaeth's husband/Bush's 1994 running mate; front man for Swift Vets for Bush.

Merrie Spaeth - Provided media consulting to Swift Boat Vets; longtime friend of Hutchison; longtime supporter of/donor to Bush campaign; provide debate prep for GHW Bush; met with and gave media training to current, top White House officials; close associate to John O'Neill; advised smear campaign on McCain in 2000.

Tex Lezar - Late husband to Spaeth; former running mate with Bush in 1994; law partner to John O'Neill.

Harriet O'Neill - Close associate to John O'Neill, Lezar & Wilson; Bush judicial nominee.

Margaret Wilson - Law partner with John O'Neill, Lezar; Bush administration official; former counsel to Governor Bush.

Bush-Cheney Campaign HQ Florida - Regional Bush HQ in battleground state; coordinated activities with Swift Boat Vets for Bush rally; rally forced to be cancelled.

Minnesota RNC - Official Republican website in battleground state; coordinated linkage with Swift Boat website, providing direct link to Swift Boat commercial.

DCI Group - Political strategy firm with close connections to Bush campaign & Swift vets.

Charles Francis - Longtime friend/supporter of Bush; works for political firm with close ties to both Bush campaign and Swift Vets for Bush; colleague of Lacivita.

Tom Synhorst - Advisor to Bush campaign 2000; "major contracts" with Bush campaign 2004; works for firm with close ties to Swift Vets for Bush; colleague of Lacivita; worked on anti-McCain phone banking in South Carolina in 2000.

Chris Lacivita - Senior advisor to Swift Boat Vets for Bush; close ties to Bush campaign; associates with Synhorst & Friancis.

For a complete look at this insidious "Web Of Connections" in PDF Format, click this link:

Web Of Connections

'Nuff said.

deuddersun