Who Wrote The Rules
Posted By John Moore on August 7, 2004
The Swift Boat Vets for the Truth have been attacked by many in the media, including those not usually favorable to John Kerry, for running a powerful advertisement about John Kerry.
John Kasich on Fox News said the ad should be pulled. John McCain, our woolly headed Senator, had harsh words for it, even though it was a direct result of McCain’s campaign finance bill (which takes away our 1st amendment rights). O’Reilly thought it was despicable. Others have made similar comments.
What the hell is wrong with these people? What rule did the Swifties violate? All they did was provide their personal experience and opinion. Where is the equivalent condemnation of those on the left who accused Bush of all sorts of things - false charges?
The men making the ad fought in Vietnam and knew John Kerry. They have opinions and information about Kerry that contradict’s Kerry’s carefully prepared image, which was heavily based on his short tour in Vietnam. The critics aren’t a group rounded up by political operatives. This is a true grass roots organization.
Horrors! The politicians thought they had gotten rid of annoying citizens by tinkering with campaign finance rules.
The Swifties annoyed the press because they bypassed them. They ran an ad that the press could not ignore, and they aren’t part of a campaign. Even worse, the ad is extremely powerful, and it addresses the character of a candidate. They didn’t play by the rules, and as a result those to whom politics is a big game, with citizens not allowed, condemned their efforts.
Apparently only “issues” are valid subjects. The idea that a person of bad character is unlikely to carry out his promises is ignored. The idea that a person of bad character shouldn’t be president never occurs to our media betters. Thus the subject of character is apparently banned from our political discourse.
Who wrote the rules?
If you see some idiot commentator trashing the Swifties for running their ad, write them a letter or email and tell them what you think. I say that those men earned the right to comment on Kerry the hard way, and they are exercising their rights as citizens. Never have I seen a private, grass-roots group as vilified as the Swifties. It is wrong and if the commentators have more knowledge of Kerry, perhaps they should tell us about their time on Swift Boats. Let them know the rules have changed. When citizens, combat veterans at that, put out information in a campaign, it’s not only okay, but it’s important to honor what they have to say. Citizens count, even though this has apparently been forgotten.
More is coming. Vietnam Veterans are going after Kerry’s lies that he told about us. We are having a rally in DC on September 12th. We are going to talk about Kerry too. And it isn’t going to be pretty, because he slimed us and more. If you know a Vietnam Vet, let him know about the link just above. We want as many as possible. If you aren’t a Vietnam Vet, you can help by contributing using the link on that site.
Veterans have earned the right to speak out. Those who haven’t served owe us a fair hearing,we have defended their rights, so do not stop us from using the same free speech.
VFW 9949
John Moore, check your email, there is a web site that is sending threats to people posting on Swiftboats.com. I have already sent a notice to FreeRepublic about it.
Good to hear from Wootten again.
I went to the website for the purpose of posting and smoking some pantywaist Lefty out to threaten me. That would be a mistake; if they want it on that level, bring it on, to quote their little hero.
Anyway, the website I found was for pleasurecraft.
Keep in mind too that a personal threat from the internet is a felony. The person who does it can be found.
John, you are an inspiration.
I didnt hear about Kasich saying the ad should be pulled, he is full of it too. What is with these republicans anyway. I didnt know Kasich to be a moderate but he sure sounds like one now.
I seldom watch Fox news or any of the other networks is a waste of time. Why are the democrats allowed cart blanche when it comes to trashing us but we say one frigging word against there Piece of crap candidate and we should be muzzeled. But this is ok, because we are use to it we were alone and hung out to dry when we came back and we are being hung out to dry again, but this time its different .
We as Vets will make a difference this time.
Mark
John Kasich and Bill O’Reilly both have blown their networks banner of being “Fair and Balanced” by immediately dismissing the Swift Vets and their ad without looking at what the message was and blasting the ads method, manner, and motive. (I think it is and will become one of the greatest political truth advertisements in modern history–because real men put their lives and reputations on the line in sacrifice for the greater good of this country. In years to come: it (and what the swiftvets are doing )will become iconoclastic as we see a candidate fall down in defeat because of the rising up of common men. )Is it truthful? O’Reilly has spent a great deal of airtime regarding Micheal Moore and his movie. Why won’t he investigate the Swift Vets claim? The answer is that both Kasich and O’Reilly will position themselves in situations that benefit them and they don’t want to appear to be associated with anything that is not “mainstream conservativism”. Kasich appears foolish with his remarks-I think he will regret it soon enough. O’Reilly on the otherhand is on his way down. My wife and I are tired of him and his immature assessment of himself as the beacon of truthseekers. His rants of others lead to his raves about himself and I can’t wait until people start turning him off. I will be voting for George Bush and will send a check to the Swift Vets. I have never sent any money to any political organization before in my life-I am 36 yrs old.
Question?
What kind of freak re-enacts a battle in the middle of a war — the war he is fighting in?
We live in a world that is so upsidedown. Where good is bad and bad is good. Where someone like a John Kerry can run for public office and blatantly thumb his nose again at the veterans as did over 30 years ago.
Imagine running on your war record but against the war. It would be like George Bush leaving office and saying the “the war on terror was a wicked and unjust war, but didn’t I perform marvelously”.
Have you ever noticed in John Kerry’s early 1970’s interviews that he tries to sound as much like “Kennedyish” sounding snob as possible. I don’t know it is is grating. When he accused Bush of being “arrogant” , honestly, I personally have never heard someone say the word “arrogance” so arrogantly. Forgive me if I am wrong but isn’t arrogance - attitude — it definately is and Kerry is the proverbial “pot calling the kettle black.”
For all those fairminded anchors (O’Reilly and Kasich) I have a question. Just how close can you get to the truth before you get nervous? I don’t doubt for a minute that both Kasich and O’Reilly believe that the Swift Vets are not lying. They know that they are telling the truth, but it gives them the jitters to think that non-pols might rock the boat. They have a safe course that is set by them and worry that a full assault with the truth is not mainstream with the current bi-partison pander.
God Bless the SwiftVets more to follow…….as time allows
Great Post, Bob;
I feel priviledged to be associated with such great writers, Rhod and Earle, John and now you Bob and am glad we are all on the same side. With this kind of support we must win.
As Bob said,, God Bless the Swifties, and I still owe them a case of their favorite.
Mark
Thanks, Mark. Some new names have appeared here lately; pretty soon we’ll be a unit.
Kasich is a Pol, so the pressures to conform are always there, and maybe he has an excuse. Once you’ve become a successful politician, you’ve compromised yourself too often anyway.
O’Reilly’s reasons are more obscure. He’s a tabloid guy, so maybe that explains it. As Bill Gremm said, both of them know the story has legs, so they’ve risked nothing by condemning the Swifties. They can recant later and get points from both sides.
The really interesting part of the Swiftboat vets’ book is Kerry’s account of his Christmas in Cambodia. Kerry has an elaborate story about an engagement there (we discussed this way back in May) which very likely never happened. Is there an after-action report on this engagement? Probably not, and Kerry combined his bitterness about this phony battle with an indictment of Richard Nixon, who wasn’t even President when the event took place.
It’s typical Kerry, and aligns with Bill’s other observation about Kerry’s re-enactment urges. This has a mirror-on-the-ceiling quality to it, which is more than a little freaky.
We just need to keep picking ‘em up and putting ‘em down at this thing develops.
Did I mess up I meant to say Bill not Bob,,,It must be this new disease CRS.
Mark
I have a general question of the folks here regarding your political activism: Is this the first time any of you has become so intensely active in an effort to deny a candidate the Presidency? For me, the answer is, YES; in the past, my vote did the talking. The reason for my question to you might not be obvious but I would bet that the majority of us and at all the other anti-Kerry veteran websites also did their talking in the ballot booth. I would be surprised if I’m wrong.
From a passive public, the question to us is why are we so anti-Kerry? Our response would be the same as what is in the Swift Vets ad: Because he is unfit to be President.
In the beginning, when all of us got together to set some kind of course in the effort against Kerry, many if not most of us were willing to give him his due for military service rendered and even acknowledge his “heroism.” Now after we’ve reviewed Kerry’s military record, listened to people who knew him personally speak out against his character, became aware of the depth of his anti-war activities and his betraying testimony before Congress, became suspicious about the awards and witnessed him promoting his hero status, we are no longer in doubt about why we oppose Kerry. He is not only unfit to be President, he is unfit to be called what we here are honored to be called: a veteran.
The facts that have come out in the months since John Moore started the websites are a result of long hours of research from the good men and women here and at all the other websites. We have shared info, shared experiences, passed on the truth to friends and relatives we wanted to inform and enlighten. Our efforts are working and will make a difference, regardless of what the media and DNC are doing to deny the truth.
The one thing among many that bothers me about the fair and balanced media is that when the questions about Kerry began popping up, where were the investigative teams? It seems the search for the truth is being done selectively, as if satisfying just a tabloid hunger. Watching Rita Cosby hyperventilate over the Peterson and Hacking stories and wet her pants over the LeTourneau/Vili rape-love affair convinces me I’m not wrong. But nothing substantial about Kerry.
So now, after all the hard work is bearing fruit and the good Swifties decide to get a jump on a weak-kneed, gutless media with their anti-Kerry ad, the yipping and nipping begins. Looks to me like the good old boy network of journalists, analysts and anchors is nothing but one big happy family whose only reason for existing is to be good boys and girls and keep bringing in them ratings, baby!!
The popularity of the newspapers is fading as a result of increased use of the Internet and can’t be relied on too much for getting the truth out. The electronic media doesn’t want to get involved in a story that they might be accused of being one-sided about, regardless of its validity.
As to why I’m involved this election year in the anti-Kerry movement, the answer is simple: I cannot sit by and do nothing while Kerry seeks to desecrate the Oval Office again like the last Democrat who was there did and I don’t want him commanding our military. We will keep plugging away without media help and, if at some point before November someone with ‘nads emerges from a news network looking for the truth, we know the places for them to look.
Frank B
I’m with you all the way. I have never been an activist before, but I now am webmaster for two sites ( Veterans Against Kerry and Vietnam Veterans for the Truth - don’t miss our rally! ).
I’m active because of Kerry’s dishonorable record in the anti-war movement. As I found out more, I found even more reasons to agitate against this SOB.
Normally, I don’t think of myself as a Vietnam Veteran - I’m just me. But this year, Kerry brought it all back and he’s going to regret it.
Frank and John:
Dittos, and this shameless campaign and the trashing of President Bush, and how great their ‘hero’ is supposed to be. Then the ‘Swifties’ came out along with the rest of us and became activist. No I have never done this before, at one time I was ashamed to say I was even there, they put us on the shelf and tried to forget us, well by God, they are not going to forget us ever again.
But when I see what they are doing to our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan they are trying to do the same thing to them this is when I decided to get involved , Never Again, ..
After the Swift Vets came out with their statements and all the backlash ,It is now clear, it is just us but I believe there are enough of us this time to really make a difference. We have to do for the new troops now involved and FOR the ones on the wall because they dont deserve this kind of treatment.
They say, they support the troops but not what they are doing,, thats Bull S*%t, its all or nothing.
I haven’t been this angry in 30 some years. And I also believe the American People don’t want these New troops, I want to say kids but they are not kids, just younger than us, to go through the same crap we did, I know we as our group dont want it, and this is part of my reason too.
Mark
In re the general question about why Kerry has stirred up so much furious opposition. What I have to say about veterans does not apply to Kerry. He’s an anomaly and most veterans know it.
His candidacy intersected with a latent contempt for fraud and fakery among veterans in particular, and ideological opposition to liberalism among conservatives in general.
Military service, especially in wartime, reduces life to essentials and permanently changes the expectations of the young. There is no going back to the evanescent goals of pre-war life, or the land of make believe that one lived in before. You’re changed forever.
It isn’t cynicism. It’s a painful type of serenity, it’s self knowledge pressed upon you by the indifference of violence AND bureaucracy, which are the two main features of a wartime military. Soldiers hang together because they have no friends among the enemy OR in the vast and indifferent system that brought them together.
It’s apparent that Kerry hit a nerve. He was easily recognizable as a fake by veterans who learned, the hard way, what both weak and strong men are made of. He symbolized everything that was repugnant about The Bragging Soldier, he exploited his war record when most soldiers are humbled by war. He broke every written and unwritten rule that most veterans have come to expect from other veterans.
He elevated himself ABOVE the men and women he served with by deciding that their participation and sacrifice was beyond their conviction and control, and that HE knew it and they didn’t. He reduced all of us to pawns, to ciphers and claimed to know what was best for us while his time and service was both questionable and limited to a tour that HE decided was over. This is a limitless arrogance and bottomless pride that SHOULD be obvious to any person over the age of twelve.
Everyone learns sooner or later in life, veteran or not, that life is sometimes a transaction, that some things are earned and others are taken. Kerry has taken his self-elaborated status, and rubs our noses in it every time he mentions Vietnam, and by extension, every other war of pain and loss.
Kerry was a taker in his private and political life, a particularly selfish and devious man. Our objection to Kerry as President is continuous with our objection to Kerry as ANYTHING…teacher, lawyer, businessman, neighbor or in-law. We know him better than he does. He subtracted from our joint experiences and left us diminished as he elevated himself. You don’t do this to war veterans. It’s the worst offense of all. He betrayed us.
All I can add is that what has been said here will be incomprehensible to The Left. This is the language of loyalty, courage, righteous anger and honor.
‘ Can’t tell you how many times I have been emotionally affected after reading some of the veteran experiences on the sites we all frequent. For the most part the humility of the individual storyteller seeps thru and you have to wonder why Kerry never got touched by the humbling experience of combat. I can only conclude that his experiences weren’t anywhere near some of the gut-wrenching actions so many of our brothers were involved in.
MARK…you’re right. We owe alot to the many who can no longer battle and to the ones beneath all those white crosses, stars of David and other headstones, here and abroad. The men in uniform today also rely on us to carry on while they keep protecting us, and we’ll do it without faltering.
Thank you all for letting a “grey haired zoom pigeon” walk among you…..I have enjoyed reading every line each one of you lays down.
Semper Fi, Uno Ab Alto, Non Sibi Sed Patriae, This We’ll Defend, Semper Paratus….to you all.
Even if our president wasn’t a great one, I know of the horrible things that Kerry said of his band of brothers- he told some of the worst lies imaginable! He now says he regrets using the word ‘atrocities’, but if you go back to what he actually said, atrocities is exactly what he meant. Kerry and his movement are the reason that the Vietnam heroes were robbed of their heroes welcome. Now he wants to forgot what he said back then and claim to be a hero - well, in communist Saigon, to them, he was a hero. He’s even in their museum as a hero. To us, he was a traitor.
What he said is unforgettable and unforgivable.
A man like this can not lead this country.
In this country, I believe most of us are proud of the Vietnam War heroes. We should be. They were very brave; some made the supreme sacrifice to protect freedom in the world.
In this country, I believe most of us are proud of the Vietnam War heroes. We should be.
I served in the Southeast Asian War Games, took my lumps and came home, went to work and raised a family. While I’m certainly no hero, I did serve with some. Each of my children is named for a young man who made the flight home in an aluminum casket, even my daughter, Stephanie. As each of my children went through school I had to deal with the myth of constant war crimes, baby killing and rape.
John Kerry is, in large part responsible for that myth I’ve had to fight my whole adult life. Now Mr. Kerry wants to wrap himself with the mantle of his service, I’m not buying. He’s been scum for as long as I can remember hearing his name.
Frank,
I am never an activist and never involved in any political agenda. I voted Democrat all the way with the exception of Reagan last term, and my last vote for Democrat is Gore. Now I am no longer associated with the Demo.
It might be a surprise to you that I did not know anything about John Kerry’s antiwar activities until last November. When I read the Winter Soldier Testimony, it just startled me so much that a person could be such low doing anything to get his gain. This man has no moral, no principle and he’s a son of a bitch in all the Vietnamese meaningful way. He just happened to born in America, otherwise his soul and character are no different to those leading the communist government in Vietnam. I oppose him for many reasons but this is the 2 main one:
1) As a soldier that he had sold his band of brothers to get his gain. And I am a soldier and this man is not worth to be on the same side with me, let’s alone to be my commander in chief.
2) As a man, this man has no soul and no principle. He’s an opportunist and everything to further his gain is justifiable. The Winter Soldier Testimony is a proof for a simple reason that either he believed all of the stories w/o double check its validity (meaning he’s an idiot) or he has a hidden agenda and using that testimony to further his gain (meaning he’s a son of a bitch in the Vietnamse way). For this, either his character is defect or he is a dangerous man with no soul and no principle. I oppose him as I see him an evil person, and with the Demo in bed with him, this is a party plunging down deeper in human waste.
I am 63 years old, and remember listening to
Brace Beemer play the “Lone Ranger” on the radio.
I’m glad Brace isn’t here to witness this Kerry
stuff, it’s very sad. Thank you to all the
Veterans who are still fighting for this country
after all these years. You know…maybe Brace
is still here….and smiling too.
Greg:
I’m 59, dammit. I didn’t see a television set until 1953, a red leatherette-covered Zenith with a round screen, but our upright radio was still more entertaining. I remember The Lone Ranger, but couldn’t have told you it was Brace Beemer.
As for fighting for this country, we wouldn’t have it any other way. We’re probably all just a little nuts, which makes it easier.
P.S. to Greg:
Frank B and Mark are MUCH, MUCH older than I am.
DAMMIT, Rhod….!!
Just when I was getting my courage up to dye my hair purple, you let the cat out of the bag!! (Can you imagine how that would have gone over in a town of 400??)
Does anyone remember “The Shadow,” “Mr. Chameleon,” “Inner Sanctum,” “Sky King,” and “Luigi” played by J. Carroll Naish (the great Irish B actor who played mostly Italians and Mexicans…also played Pancho on the Cisco Kid)?
Don’t tell me those weren’t the Good Ole Days!!!
Gosh Frank, you can’t dye your hair purple now? Apparently your hair is still on your head instead of in the shower drain, like mine. Consider yourself lucky.
I remember Inner Sanctum’s creaking door, which came on about the time I had to go to bed (of course). And The Shadow, and also a takeoff of The Thin Man called The Fat Man. Was Henry Aldrich also on radio? I think so. Also Luigi.
J. Carrol Naish played Pancho? On radio? In the early TV version it was someone whose name I could remember up until the very minute I had to say it (Duncan Renaldo played Cisco). That happens more and more these days. Thank God for Google.
I would go back there in a second, even knowing I would have to wear a wool hounds-tooth suit and fedora to church at the age of six.
The little gray cells kicked in. Leo Carillo was Pancho on the TV version.
Hey, Ceeeesco…Hey, Paaancho!!
Duncan Renaldo and Leo Carillo were the last and most enduring of a mixed group of actors playing the duo (I went hunting as a young teenager with my brother in law on Carillo’s ranch in So Cal) J. Carroll Naish was one my favorite actors but he never did play Pancho on TV….you’re right, just radio…got confused with a role he had in a western that had a Pancho-like character.
William Conrad, who played the fat PI Cannon on TV, was the voice of the Thin Man. How about Sam Spade? Always liked Howard Duff’s voice on radio. Who was the “Tracer of Lost Persons?” Seems it was an Irish detective whose name I forget.
http://www.surfnetinc.com/chuck/cisco2.htm
John Kerry is a disgrace to this nation and will be even more so if elected President. His self-serving mouth and actions have trampled the graves of all that have died for our flag…and he besmirches our military today. His fabrications aid and abet our enemies. We must defeat his attempt to become president. The stakes are extremely high—the future of this country! Show him for what he really is.
From Instapundit
“KERRY’S CAMBODIA STORY IS CHANGING AGAIN: Here’s the old story:
I remember spending Christmas Day of 1968 five miles across the Cambodian border being shot at by our South Vietnamese Allies who were drunk and celebrating Christmas. The absurdity of almost being killed by our own allies in a country in which President Nixon claimed there were no American troops was very real.
…
But now that witnesses have come forth saying that these are false, here’s the new one:
“On Christmas Eve he was near Cambodia; he was around 50 miles from the Cambodian border. There’s no indictment of Kerry to be made, but he was mistaken about Christmas in Cambodia,” said Douglas Brinkley, who has unique access to the candidate’s wartime journals. . . .
He said: “Kerry went into Cambodian waters three or four times in January and February 1969 on clandestine missions. He had a run dropping off US Navy Seals, Green Berets and CIA guys.” The missions were not armed attacks on Cambodia, said Mr Brinkley, who did not include the clandestine missions in his wartime biography of Mr Kerry, Tour of Duty.”
and here is the killer …
“And what’s even more amazing — and considerably more appalling — is that I just checked the New York Times and Washington Post sites and there’s still absolutely nothing on this story there. A Kerry claim proven false, a retraction, and a retrenchment — and absolutely no coverage at all. If we were seeing the same sort of questions raised about George W. Bush I think we’d be getting wall-to-wall coverage. It’s as is they’re letting their coverage be shaped by the fact that they want Kerry to win or something. Kind of makes you wonder what else they’re leaving out.”
http://instapundit.com/archives/017157.php
Mind you that Vietnamese is barely Catholic and we don’t have the habit of celebrating Christmas heavily as American, especially soldiers, the fact that a bunch of Vietnamse Catholic soldiers somehow get together in one place and getting drunk celebrating Christmas then shot the craps out John Kerry while he’s crossing in Cambodia border in his mission impossible is pretty weird.
Lan:
You final paragraph touches a subject that puzzled me all along. Kerry insulted South Vietnamese soldiers by describing them as drunken and irresponsible, but also, WHY were they “celebrating” Christmas.
Even Catholic Vietnamese would not “celebrate” Christmas with rifle fire and liquor. Their Christmas observance would be even less similar to the European/Western version, probably more religious and quiet.
But Kerry, again, in his stupid and exploitative way has again sacrificed the dignity of a group of people in a fantastic lie for his own gain.
You are correct Rhod. We don’t celebrate Christmas like you guys do. It’s more somber and more French-fries since they are those who introduced the religion.
Tet? Yes, we do and do heavily with gun and fire cracker. No liquor on New Year eve because you can’t be drunk at the temple steps for it’s a tradition for everyone to go to the temple at New Years Eve to beg Buddha & their ancestors like crazy for all fortunes may never come. But the days after are freebie and no one care whether you drunk or not.