SwiftVets.com

[Brody]

Looks like a coordinated attack today...


BOSTON (AP) - Fighting back, John Kerry called on the White House Thursday to condemn criticism of his Vietnam War record and released a television commercial featuring a veteran who says the Democratic presidential candidate "risked his life to save mine."

"All those Viet Cong were shooting at me. I expected to be shot. When he pulled me out of the river, he risked his life to save mine,' Jim Rassmann says in the 30-second commercial.

Kerry was wounded in Vietnam, and received five medals. But his service has recently come under question in commercials paid for by supporters of President Bush.

The White House has refused to call on backers of the ads to stop running them.

In remarks to cheering firefighters, Kerry said, "More than 30 years ago I learned an important lesson. When you're under attack the best thing to do is turn your boat into the attack. That's what I intend to do today."

Kerry's campaign also arranged to have several members of his Navy swift boat crew attend the speech to firefighters.

Senior Democrats, including some inside the campaign, had urged Kerry to respond forcefully to the criticism, largely Republican sponsored, that has been heaped on Kerry and his Vietnam service since the Democratic nominee showcased his military service during his national convention last month. The event Thursday was scripted to resemble Kerry's nationally televised acceptance speech, where veterans stood behind him.

The new Kerry ad began airing in three states where an anti-Kerry veterans group has run a commercial claiming Kerry lied about the incident and other aspects of his military service.

Kerry's response came as The Washington Post reported that a Vietnam veteran who claims Kerry lied about being under fire during a Mekong Delta engagement that won Kerry a Bronze Star was under constant fire himself during the same skirmish, according to the man's own medal citation.

The newly obtained records of Larry Thurlow show that he, like Kerry, won a Bronze Star in the engagement and that Thurlow's citation said he also was under attack, the Post reported.

Thurlow, also like Kerry, commanded a Navy swift boat during the Vietnam War. He swore in an affidavit last month that Kerry was "not under fire" when he rescued Rassmann from the Bay Hap River.

Thurlow's records, obtained by the Post under the Freedom of Information Act, include references to "enemy small arms and automatic weapons fire" directed at all five boats in the flotilla that day. In his Bronze Star citation, Thurlow is praised for helping a damaged swift boat "despite enemy bullets flying about him."

Thurlow is a leading member of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a public advocacy group of Vietnam veterans who have aired a television advertisement attacking Kerry's war record.

Thurlow, a registered Republican, said he was angry with Kerry for anti-war activities after his return to the United States, especially his claim that U.S. troops committed war crimes with the knowledge of their officers up the chain of command.

Thurlow told the Post that he got the award for helping to rescue the boat that was mined. He said he believed his own award would be fraudulent if it was based on coming under enemy fire.

He speculated that Kerry could have been the source of at least some of the language used in the citation.

Members of Kerry's crew have said Kerry is telling the truth. Rassmann said he has vivid memories of enemies firing at him from both banks.

[Polaris]

Brody,

I was raised in politics. This is absolutely a coordinated attack. The Washington Post (like any good lawyer) filed the FOIA for Thurlow's records because they already knew what they were going to find.

How is that possible? Because I strongly suspect that Kerry wrote that after action report and I know (from the published recommendation form) that he witnessed the medal recommendation.

In short the SBV4T got sucker-punched. This is clearly designed to label the entire SBV4T as liars in whole cloth...indeed the Dem internet shills are already starting. This needs to be counted now, today, and forcibily with a counter-attack to force Kerry to sign a DD180 to "reveal who is really telling the truth"

If we don't do it TODAY, then no one will listen to us again, ever.
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-Polaris

Truth is Beauty

[tvaughan]

That's definitely a hit piece, "Republican backers".

Remember, the press is not looking for direct hits. They just want covering fire. They just want noise.

Logically, nothing in the WaPo article contradicts what the SBVFT are saying (Their point is that the official account of those days are false), but accuracy is not relevant here.

The main stream press is absolutely committed to seeing kerry win this election. They are COMMITTED. We have to realize that and expect appropriate counter moves from them. Depressing, but true.

SWBT vets have to answer and deliver their own talking point response to this. If done right, they can even highlight the hypocrisy of the Post and the rest of the mainstream media.
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Talking point #1: Sign 180
Talking point #2: Sign 180
Talking point #3: Sign 180

[Steve02C5]

Members of Kerry's crew have said Kerry is telling the truth. Rassmann said he has vivid memories of enemies firing at him from both banks.

Strange, Kerry's in a crossfire and doesn't get wounded this time with bullets flying everywhere. Apparently NO ONE was hit with all those bullets; was this typical?
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Never argue with idiots; they'll drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. - Gambit

[Brody]

I agree, a statement must be released today, and I would make sure that Matt Drudge gets a copy. He will run the SBVFT statements right along side the hit pieces, something other news outlets most likely won't do.

[Tilly]

Sure ... and they were ONLY shooting at Kerry's boat, and at NONE OF THE OTHER ONES!

I honestly have a piece of the brooklyn Bridge!

[stealthy]

[leeinwv]

Time for the swifties to get out another add with more truths

[stealthy]

He's right that this is a concerted attack. I think Kerry's reception at the VFW caused it too. They want to blame the swift vets for it but those men would have done what they did without them. So last night the order went out and all the house organs in media played.

They run this guy as a "hero" and think Vets and Americans won't care?


They're brain dead.
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American Conservative