No Real Response to the Swiftvet Charges

The Dems are apparently unable to factually refute at least some of the charges raised by the Swiftvet John O'Neil book, so they are turning to ad hominium attack in a big way.

In my mind the issue is pretty clear. John Kerry has claimed, on the floor of the Senate and also in statements to newspapers that he was in Cambodia during Christmas, 1968. He blamed President Nixon for sending him there and lying to the American people that we didn't have any troops in Cambodia. As Fox News reports:

In an Oct. 14, 1979, letter to the editor of the Boston Herald, Kerry wrote: "I remember spending Christmas Eve 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 according to the chapter of the O'Neil book available on the net, Kerry could not possibly have been in Cambodia during Christmas of 1968. But we don't have to rely on their credibility, according to Kerry's own published war diary, he spent Christmas, 1968 in Sa Dac, which is fifty five miles from the Cambodian border. And, of course, Nixon wasn't president during Christmas of 1968 (he was the president elect at the time, who they tell me has only limited authority with respect to illegal incursions into neutral countries).

The Kerry camp has been asked for an answer on this issue, and they have given a "we'll get back to you" answer:

The Kerry campaign first asserted that the Massachusetts senator never said that he was in Cambodia, only that he was near the country. But when presented with a copy of the Congressional Record and asked about Kerry's letter in the Boston Herald, the campaign said it would come up with an explanation. After repeated phone calls, there was still no clarification.

Not having a real answer for what appears to be a complete fabrication by Kerry, the Dems have, true to form, tried to kill the messenger. The book author, John O'Neill, is accused of "links" in the GOP "back" to the Nixon Administration. However he seems to have surfaced in politics only once before, in 1971 when he debated John Kerry over Kerry's charges that American soldiers in Vietnam were engaged in large scale war crimes. Other than that, it seem that he pretty much just practiced law for the past 30 years (as Beldar says, who got to cross-examine him once). The best the Dems seem to be able to do is (1) that back in 1971 he worked with Chuck Colson (which I guess automatically makes him a bad guy); (2) that he clerked for Justice Rehnquist (and you know that only dishonest, radical right wingers get to do that); and (3) one of his law partners (in a thirty lawyer firm) was General Counsel to Governor George W. Bush from 1998-2000. This is apparently enough to make him "a GOP hack". And according to Joe Conason, these facts are enough to make O'Neill "a protege of Nixon dirty trickster Charles Colson [] whose law firm is closely tied to the Bush White House." (That's not entirely fair of me, you have to pay Joe Conason to read the rest of his article, and I won't do that. But if there are any other "links" between O'Neill and the "evil republicans" I can't find them).

The book's co-author Jerry Corsi, is an easier target. He apparently is a bit of a wack-job, and he apparently has made some unfortunate (read nutty) statements on an extreme right wing web site (apparently he thinks the Pope is senile, and that Muslims like little boys), for which he has made public apology. Nevertheless, the central focus of the Democratic response to the Swiftvet allegations has been to beat him up:

"President Bush should immediately condemn this sleazy book written by a virulent anti-Catholic bigot. It says something about the smear campaign against John Kerry that it has stooped to enlist a hatemonger," said campaign spokesman Chad Clanton.

But this Corsi guy is not running for President this November, Kerry is. The Swiftvetsbook have made serious and credible allegations against Kerry, his (apparently) false claim to have been in Cambodia being only one. But I think we will have to wait a long time for a (substantive) response on any of those issues.

Comments

[Tom]

You make me sick! Today, my next door neighbor asked me if my Purple Heart was leget. By questioning Kerry's medals you put every Purple Heart, every Bronze Star and every Silver Star in question. If Kerry could do it... we could all have done it. I think you guys are guilty of treason. How dare you question my medals! And that's what you have done.
Tell me this; are your awards real? Can you prove it? Should you have to?

[Tyler]

Are they legit?

[Mike]

I just finished "Unfit for Command". A very well documented book. Kerry now has his crack pot researchers investigating the swiftvets and is going to make a try at dishonoring them for a third time in any manner he can. Kerry won't answer the charges with facts about the charges, he'll just try to destroy the credibility of the men that served our country with honor.

I wonder how many POW's got to hear Kerry's 1971 senate speach and never got to return home. I pray that the men that are fighting now for our freedom and security right now don't end up with a Commander in Chief that provided such good propoganda for our enemies 35 years ago.