KERRY: “Why are All These Swift Boat Guys Opposed to Me?”

Like you don’t know, Johnboy?

Kerry’s apparently trying to douse this fire. Indications are, it won’t work.
Drudge has some details.

McQ at O&O, meanwhile, has something of import he desires to say to Mr. Kerry.

From the Edmonton SUN and Blabbermouth.net

ALICE COOPER has told the Canadian Press that all the rock stars campaigning for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry are guilty of one thing: treason. The shock-rock legend, a staunch Republican who attends NBA games in Phoenix with Arizona Senator John McCain, was disgusted when he learned of plans by Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, R.E.M. and other bands to hold a series of concerts aimed at unseating U.S. President George W. Bush.

“To me, that’s treason. I call it treason against rock ‘n’ roll because rock is the antithesis of politics. Rock should never be in bed with politics,” says the 56-year-old Cooper, who begins a 15-city Canadian tour on Aug. 20 in Thunder Bay, Ont.

“When I was a kid and my parents started talking about politics, I’d run to my room and put on the ROLLING STONES as loud as I could. So when I see all these rock stars up there talking politics, it makes me sick.

“If you’re listening to a rock star in order to get your information on who to vote for, you’re a bigger moron than they are. Why are we rock stars? Because we’re morons. We sleep all day, we play music at night and very rarely do we sit around reading the Washington Journal.”

Despite his strong insistence that rock has no place in politics, Cooper is one of just a handful of high-profile musicians who’ve proclaimed support for Bush.

Cooper began a 15-city Canadian tour on Aug. 20-21 in Thunder Bay, Ont. The other stops:Winnipeg, Manitoba and Edmunton Alberta. Many other Canadian dates are on the schedule for next month, as well as a stop in Niagara Falls NY, which is just west of me here. The complete schedule is available here

I wonder who at the Washington Post, has been plowing through both SlantPoint, and this blog, at 16:37 and 16:38 respectively?

The second worst thing you can do to a liberal is demand honesty and integrity.
The flat-out worst thing you ca do is give them exactly what they want.
Mr. Bush has done this today:

“CRAWFORD, Texas (AP) – President Bush denounced TV ads by outside groups attacking both John Kerry and himself on Monday and called for a halt to all such political efforts. “I think they’re bad for the system,” he said.”

Here’s the exact exchange… the one the AP won’t pass on to you verbatim.

Q: Some of your supporters are refighting the Vietnam War with their comments about Kerry’s war record. Do you think that these attacks of this nature are unpatriotic, un-American, seeing as we’re sending young people to war at this time?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, I think we ought to be debating who best to be leading this country in the war against terror. And that’s what I’ll continue to try to convince the American people of, is that I’m the right person to continue to lead the country in the war on terror. I think we ought to be looking forward, not backward. And that’s the kind of campaign I’ll continue to run.

Q: But why won’t you denounce the charges that your supporters are making against Kerry?

THE PRESIDENT: I’m denouncing all the stuff being on TV of the 527s. That’s what I’ve said. I said this kind of unregulated soft money is wrong for the process. And I asked Senator Kerry to join me in getting rid of all that kind of soft money, not only on TV, but used for other purposes, as well. I, frankly, thought we’d gotten rid of that when I signed the McCain-Feingold bill. I thought we were going to, once and for all, get rid of a system where people could just pour tons of money in and not be held to account for the advertising. And so I’m disappointed with all those kinds of ads.

Yes, Adam.

Q: Thank you, Mr. President. This doesn’t have anything to do with other 527 ads. You’ve been accused of mounting a smear campaign. Do you think Senator Kerry lied about his war record?

THE PRESIDENT: I think Senator Kerry served admirably, and he ought to be — he ought to be proud of his record. But the question is, who best to lead the country in the war on terror; who can handle the responsibilities of the Commander-in-Chief; who’s got a clear vision of the risks that the country faces.

Yes.

Q: Mr. President, some Republicans, such as Bob Dole and some Republican donors such as —

THE PRESIDENT: What paper are you with?

Q: I’m with Bloomberg.

THE PRESIDENT: Okay, good. First time I’ve seen you ought here. Welcome.

Q: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: No problem. Did you write the story about the Vice President? (Laughter.) Yes, go ahead.

Q: That’s okay. Some Republicans such as Bob Dole and some Republican donors such as Bob Perry have contributed and endorsed the message of these 527 Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads —

THE PRESIDENT: Right.

Q: Do you — when you say that you want to stop all —

THE PRESIDENT: All of them.

Q Does that mean —

THE PRESIDENT: That means that ad, every other ad.

Q: Would you encourage Republicans not to give to —

THE PRESIDENT: Absolutely. I don’t think we ought to have 527s. I can’t be more plain about it. And I wish — I hope my opponent joins me in saying, condemning these activities of the 527s. It’s the — I think they’re bad for the system. That’s why I signed the bill, McCain-Feingold. I’ve been disappointed that for the first six months of this year, 527s were just pouring tons of money, billionaires writing checks. And I spoke out against them early. I tried to get others to speak out against them, as well. And I just don’t — I think they’re bad for the system.

Problem here for Kerry; Kerry’s been bitching up a blue streak about the SwiftVet ads, but saying nothing about all the 527’s HE’S got going. Mr. Bush has upped the ante, and Kerry’s going to have to address this one.

And notice, please, how hot the press was to attack him or NOT doing this. I’ve seen the actual interview. The expresions on the press’ faces was comical. I can only imagine that the looks on the faces at Kamp Kerry were similar.

For the record: I disagree with The President’s call on this one. You know full well Kerry would NEVER have been on about this if the Swiftees weren’t causing serious irrepairable damage, by simply telling the truth. Kerry’s simply trying to cover his but after the fact.

However, if Kerry’s going to call for silencing the 527’s he damned well should include his own. He didn’t, and the President called him out on it. It’ll be interesting to see if Kerry actually has the guts to do so….Including a call to Democrats not to fund them.

I doubt it.

Update: Boortz addresses the issue this way, this morning:

“The Democrats have spent $70 million on “527” ads on television condemning George Bush and praising John Kerry.  The Republicans have spent $3 million. That’s a 23:1 ratio.  Those Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads, though, have by far been the most affective.  Kerry is taking a hit from the Swiftees, so he demands that George Bush condemn the ads.  What does the press do?  Do they ask John Kerry if he condemns the Moveon.org and Media Fund ads funded by the mysterious Hungarian international financier George Soros?  Nope .. they just run straight to Bush and ask him if he’s going to condemn the Swiftee’s ads.”

True, Neal, True.

Glenn Agrees…em>

National Review, with the pen of Jim Geraghty reminds us:

Let’s not hear any more talk about how high-minded the left was about Bob Dole and his medals eight years ago.
The Nation argued that Bob Dole got his first Purple Heart for a self-inflicted wound. Robert Ellis, who, like Dole 10th Mountain Division in World War II, sought to debunk the “myth” of Dole’s heroism:

“The truth about Dole’s war record is considerably less than awe-inspiring. Yet the myth endures, and with the candidate running on the contrast between his and Clinton’s military record, his campaign isn’t eager to give a more accurate account. Dole, at the behest of his handlers, is less reticent about his service than in the past, but he mainly speaks about his wound and rehabilitation. He has passed up several opportunities to correct the exaggerated versions in biographies, and in the case of his self-wounding has even approved a sanitized account in which his maladroitly hurled grenade goes unnoted. Journalists continue to portray him as a hero, winner of two Bronze Stars. Joe Klein, for example, writes in Newsweek that Dole knows “what guns do. He also knows what politicians do, which is rarely anything quite so dramatic as leading an army into battle.” Such attempts to make political capital out of Dole’s war service go beyond the respect due him for the role he played as a soldier with the 10th Mountain Division.”

No response from KinderKamp Kerry as yet.

Update: NR also did a bit on the same tactic used in 1992

So, now, suddenly when it’s working against John Kerry, this tactic is out of bounds?

From the Democrats’ own website from Nov 13, 2003:

“The DNC is also conducting a major petition drive in partnership with MoveOn.org”

Ummm. Forgive the question, but are these two groups really suppsed to be working in ‘partnership’?

Subject: Request for Investigation, Determination and Final Disposition of Awards Granted to Lieutenant (junior grade) John Forbes Kerry, USNR.

Here’s your link

No, I’ve not had a chance to read it, yet.

AP this morning:

“One day he’s saying that we were shooting civilians, cutting off their ears, cutting off their heads, throwing away his medals or his ribbons,” Dole said. “The next day he’s standing there, `I want to be president because I’m a Vietnam veteran.’ Maybe he should apologize to all the other 2.5 million veterans who served. He wasn’t the only one in Vietnam.”

Dole added: “And here’s, you know, a good guy, a good friend. I respect his record. But three Purple Hearts and never bled that I know of. I mean, they’re all superficial wounds. Three Purple Hearts and you’re out.”

Kerry spokesman Chad Clanton replied: “It’s unfortunate that Senator Dole is making statements that official U.S. Navy (news – web sites) records prove false. This is partisan politics, not the truth.”

Now, this is heavy. Dole, of anyone now in the public eye, knows Purple very well indeed, and is reminded of it every day of his life…. and the response of Kamp Kerry is lame in the extreme… lame being something of a staple for them, lately.

Is it just me, or does it strike you guys as intersting that after expending so much energy calling the Military liars, and publicly and loudly accusing them of committing, and then officially covering up attrocities, Kamp Kerry now calling what is in the official record, ‘the truth’? Seems rather a selective process, to me.

Update: An article moving on AFP yesterday, suggests the press applying pressure to Mr. Dole about his comments.

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Bob Dole, a prominent Republican and former presidential candidate, defended his criticism of White House hopeful John Kerry (news – web sites)’s war record as “political hardball,” saying he had merely “tweaked” the Democratic candidate.

Interesting how Mr Dole should have to defend his comments, after month upon month of Kery’s people claiming Bush was ‘AWOL’, and after months of ‘bring it on’. Hey, Johnboy; It’s been brought.

Lots of chatter this morning, about an apparent plot to attack Military recruiting stations here in the US. Most of this traffic appears generated from an AP article. Michelle Malkin is among those reporting this.

I wonder how much of this is responding to small splinter cells, out there as distraction, pesonally. Look; Our southern border is if nothing else, famous for being easy to get through with a litte preperation. It strikes me as worth checking to see if we’re following up on planted information, here

John Kerry’s book THE NEW SOLDIER is now available online.

This is the book written by John Kerry, that John Kerry doesn’t want you to see.  It’s at Slings and Arrows.

Rood is not the contradition tot he Swftees the Democrats wanted, after all.
The Giant Pink Buzzard explains.

Drudge is reporting:

“Janet Jackson now claims that her “Nipplegate” Super Bowl incident was used by the Bush administration to distract people from the war in Iraq!”

Ya know, I honestly don’t know how to react to this.
Seriously; I’m not sure which frightens me more… Her, for coming up with this self-promoting nonsense, or the Desperate Democrats who will believe it.

John Kerry is being revealed as a serial exaggerator. But is he alone in this?

… or is it all Democrats?

We examine this question in this weekend’s BIT’S BIT.

The media and Kerry campaign.. (A redundancy) …seem to be in an uproar
over BC04’s loose connections to the Swift Boat Veteran’s organization.

However, This is a smoke screen. THey seem intent on blinding us to their own 527s
directly involved with the Kerry campaign.

Check this graphic to see the real story.

Mark Steyn is usually a good read, but never better than where his readers write back to him. He’s let fly with a number of reader responses. Great stuff.

One example:

“I met John Kerry when I became a member of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War in 1971.  If I were running for office, I might be tempted to say that I joined the WAW because I was opposed to the war.  The truth was less noble.  I was broke, their offices were a convenient crash pad and you could meet a hell of lot of loose women by going to demonstrations as a “Vet”.

I didn’t last long.  Half the guys were outright liars, and the few who were sincere were either physically damaged (Ron Kovic, Jan Scruggs) or hopelessly addicted to Marxism.  The most committed “radicals” were the FBI agents.  They were right out of Conrad – trying desperately to incite to real violence a bunch of mostly lost kids who enjoyed having cameras pointed at them and getting stoned.

John was clearly on the make, but he was also a classic preppy mook.  He wanted so much to be one of the people like Scott Camille who had been “stone killers” but after a few minutes of talking to him it was clear that he was one of the guys who never knew where the fire was coming from even when the enemy were using tracers.”
…
“What I do not doubt is that John successfully gamed the system to get his 3 purples and his quick ticket home.  I suppose I should be bitter about it, but life is too short; and you have to look at it from the point of view of his fellow sailors.  The ones who knew what they were doing also knew that a guy that arrogantly dumb was a menace.  He could get you killed.  Better to ship him home.

John’s current stature as a “war hero” is a measure of how few Americans – even those of the “Greatest Generation” – have ever seen the sharp end of war. “

Read the whole thing.