WP: Group Says Kerry Released Edited Version of Military Records

[kskiska]

A group of Vietnam veterans will release a letter today criticizing Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry's efforts to run as a "war hero" while releasing "only carefully screened portions" of his military records.

"You now seek to clad yourself in the very medals that you disdainfully threw away in the early years of your political career," the group wrote. "In the process, we believe you continue a deception as to your own conduct through such tactics as the disclosure of only carefully screened portions of your military records."

The group consists of veterans who, like Kerry, served on "swift boats" during the conflict. The letter will be released at an event sponsored by the Dallas-based Spaeth Communications Inc. -- whose founder, Merrie Spaeth, is mentioned on the Bush White House Web site as a "prominent" alumni of its fellows program.

The veterans organization demanded that Kerry authorize the Navy to release his complete military records. Kerry's campaign recently released a large number of the Democrat's military and health records that offered glowing assessments of his tour of duty. The Massachusetts senator spent 4 1/2 months in Vietnam, during which he received Bronze and Silver stars, along with three Purple Hearts.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63971-2004May3.html

[boxster]

1. To borrow a Howard Dean moment,

Kerry will release all of his military records when Bush releases all of his.

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Fucking A!

[LittleApple81]

2. These are the most hateful, sick and envious people I have ever

seen in my life. It is hard to struggle with snakes. Poison just seeps from all their pores.
We NEED ALL OF BUSH'S RECORDS AND ALL OF HIS MEDALS IN DISPLAY.

[aquart]

18. You are maligning snakes with scientific inaccuracy.

Snakes are innocent and deaf. Stop sneering at the hearing challenged.

Poison seeping from their pores, indeed!

[Citizen Daryl]

33. Or at the very least ...

... photos of his dental fillings of valor.

[cat starbuck]

4. not too surprising

How did I guess?


"The letter will be released at an event sponsored by the Dallas-based Spaeth Communications Inc. -- whose founder, Merrie Spaeth, is mentioned on the Bush White House Web site as a "prominent" alumni of its fellows program.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63971-2004May3.html

[Mikimouse]

9. It is just too bad that whoever wrote the article didn't know that

alumni is plural. The word should have been alumnus. Goes to show the calibre of the writer, eh?

[Tansy_Gold]

20. It is just too bad that whoever wrote the article didn't know that

Spaeth is female.

The word should have been "alumna."

[Mikimouse]

27. I stand corrected, and you are correct...

n/t

[Bhaisahab]

31. just call him alumanus, eh? n/t

[Jackpine Radical]

39. Does that make graduates of the program

Aluminati?

[Tansy_Gold]

44. All joking aside (not), Jackpine, you're probably correct.

My Latin is really rusty, and I never knew that much of it anyway, but, if I remember enough of it. . . . .

"Illuminatus" -- singular of "Illuminati" -- means (roughly) "one who has the light within him." ("She" would be "illuminata," and more than one of those, "illuminatae.")

"Aluminati," then, would be those who have no light, who live in darkness.

I'd say that pretty much describes anyone who graduates from the * white house progam. ;-)


Tansy Gold, who plays with words for fun and is doing just about anything this morning -- including writing silly posts for DU -- to avoid tackling the mountain of chores that are staring her in the face. :spank:

[Jackpine Radical]

47. Just when I was telling myself that my post was

'way the hell too obscure, that nobody even on DU would get it, you come along and so delightfully prove me wrong!

[crossroads]

22. They are burning the midnight oils trying to discredit Kerry

and take some of the heat off Bush at this time! The ship is sinking for the WH staff and they *need* some dirt to sling.

[July]

32. Merrie Spaeth, Reagan's director of media relations

and Bush donor.

[AlCzervik]

5. This is so pathetic it's borfering on funny

More diversion from whats going on in Texraqistan. I really thought they were about done with this records flap, smacks of total desperation.

[riverwalker]

6. that's it?

thats all the hundreds of scumbags digging for dirt can come up with?
That, and the fact that his wife owns an SUV. Thats it?
Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha :7

[Citizen Daryl]

34. She owns an SUV?

<rush>
Why she can't do that! Wasting fuel is a privilege reserved for those of us on the right! My friends, this is an outrage! *harumph*
</rush>

[trogdor]

37. Uh, yeah.

The SUV sits in friggin' IDAHO in the goddam ROCKY MOUNTAINS. Like you're going to drive a Prius up there in the wintertime. Right.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

41. An SUV in IDAHO

wow. What a surprise.

[Nile]

43. A Prius might work on Nantucket.

Where he supposedly has another SUV.

[trogdor]

45. What other SUV?

The Wurlitzer (TM) only mentioned one SUV. That one is well-justified by both climate and terrain. You got a picture (or something) of the one in Nantucket? A link to a news story that mentions it? A post on a Free Republic thread where some bozo claims to have seen an article in some RW media outlet that mentions it offhand?

[TexasProgresive]

7. When AWOL releases all of his n/t

[Zen Democrat]

8. Kerry received the Silver Star for bravery. Nuff said.

[Sufi Marmot]

10. Joe Conason is all over this...

Conason @ Salon

Behind the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth are veteran corporate media consultant and Texas Republican activist Merrie Spaeth, who is listed as the group's media contact; eternal Kerry antagonist and Dallas attorney John E. O'Neill, law partner of Spaeth's late husband, Tex Lezar; and retired Rear Adm. Roy Hoffman, a cigar-chomping former Vietnam commander once described as "the classic body-count guy" who "wanted hooches destroyed and people killed."...

In 2000, Spaeth participated in the most subterranean episode of the Republican primary contest when a shadowy group billed as "Republicans for Clean Air" produced television ads falsely attacking the environmental record of Sen. John McCain in California, New York and Ohio. While the identity of those funding the supposedly "independent" ads was carefully hidden, reporters soon learned that Republicans for Clean Air was simply Sam Wyly -- a big Bush contributor and beneficiary of Bush administration decisions in Texas -- and his brother, Charles, another Bush "Pioneer" contributor.

-SM

[mbperrin]

11. Why can't Texas just deport people like this?

Dammit! I've lived here all my life and these bastards are NOT Texans!

[TexasProgresive]

49. A real Texas- John Henry Faulk n/t

[wabeewoman]

12. Just trying to distract

the people from the fact that bush is AWOL on Iraq, the economy, the Israeli situation, the environment, medicare, ethics, and good sense.

[opihimoimoi]

13. Yup, Distraction and Deciet. The Pubs got nothing Poz so they go

Neg. Thats the only ammo they got, Neg Ammo/

[grasswire]

14. PROTEST THIS CRAP!

This group is a sham. A phony sham. Made up of a former WH fellow and the ne'er-do-well John O'Neil who recently got face time for criticizing Kerry even though he never served with Kerry.

PROTEST!

DON'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!

The reporter is Brian Faler. [e-mail]

Susan Schmidt gave the assist. Her e-mail addy is blocked after she served as the stenographer to Ken Starr and received some criticism.

Write to the Post. This is shameful to publicize this group without reporting who they are.

[trogdor]

46. Mr. Faler's email addy isn't listed at capwiz

I wanted to score some GOPoints while sending him my email. I must know what non-union 20 cent an hour Third-World shithole they make those Team Leader windbreakers.

Oh well, I'll just shotgun blast it.

[Norquist Nemesis]

15. "only carefully screened portions"

Oh the irony...

Okay Georgie Boy, pony up!

[makhno]

21. Do these idiots

have an inkling how stupid they look asking these things of Kerry while giving a free ride to the chosen one? Total retardation.

[Democat]

16. The shameless right wing media will print any right wing press release

How many times every day does someone on the left say something negative about Bush? Somehow only press releases from the right get printed as "news" over and over again by Bush-whores like the Washington Post.

[crossroads]

24. It is called "framing"...

It's how the media frames words to imply something else/false. I just got my copy of Newsweek a few days ago and on the cover is AWOL all decked out in military garbs looking (right ahead, in your eyes) like the war hero personified, and on the other side of the page is Kerry (the *real* hero) dressed in 60's civilian clothes (looking downward, of course)! That guys and dolls - is a prime example of (not too)subtle "framing" by the media! It leaves a visual image that sinks in the subconscious of the sheeple. Be on the lookout for it and you will see it everywhere.

[0rganism]

17. I don't get it, what are they claiming was edited or redacted?

Do they have something specific from a previous FOIA request, or what? Maybe they will elaborate in the letter.

Or maybe it's a huge crock of bullshit that will backfire, given anything resembling balanced coverage.

[truthisfreedom]

19. so bring it on! 8^) let's see ALL of the records! you think Kerry is

afraid? bwahahahahahahaha!

[crossroads]

23. Simple. You show me yours and I'll show you mine!

<eom>

[VolcanoJen]

25. It's reminiscent of the Wes Clark smear

When faced with a war hero, they attack with fierce vigor. They'll dig up anyone they can find to smear their braver countrymen with, and it's appalling. It also comes from the highest levels, and is clearly not in the service of the American people. It is about the most disgusting kind of smear I can personally imagine.

What is the best possible way to counteract this kind of betrayal? I'm wracking my brain, but I happen to think that throwing Clark on that ticket could go a long way. Do the American people reach a breaking point, a limit, as to how much negative, spiteful politics they can endure? I'm not so sure anymore.

[hippywife]

48. A long way to what?

What is the best possible way to counteract this kind of betrayal? I'm wracking my brain, but I happen to think that throwing Clark on that ticket could go a long way.


This would go a long way to imply that Kerry's military record can't stand on it's own merit and lend credence to the theory he is hiding something, to boot.

I personally don't give a rats @$# if an elected official has a military record or not until he tries to spill blood over lies the way * has. I'm looking at stance on the issues, only.

[LeinesRed]

26. Calling Senator McCain...

your country needs you. Tell this group to shut the hell up.

[LeinesRed]

28. not that Kerry or the Dems can't handle this one....

I just love when McCain slaps them all around a little

[Nile]

29. LOL, politics at its best.

Got to love it. It has gotten so down and dirty that if you have anything in your past that you do not want the world to know about then do not get into it. If you are going to release records then release them all or be accused of hiding something.

[Bridget Burke]

30. What about your President's military records?

There are quite a few gaps in his flying career.

Of course, he never threw away any ribbons or medals. He never won any.

[Citizen Daryl]

35. "There are quite a few gaps in his flying career."

Former addicts refer to those as "black-outs".

[Nile]

36. I agree, he should release his also.

As should any politician do when asked for records. All or nothing, with a reasonable explanation if it is nothing.

[yardwork]

50. What do you think Kerry is hiding? Care to elaborate?

[dusty64]

38. Time to turn over

a few rocks and get the real dirt on these guys. It seems they are nothing more than "paid?" shills for our regime. Lets get the truth out there as well as shine the spotlight on the military "service" of all the repuke members of our regime and the "leaders" of Congress. To the best of my memory, there is only ONE that I can think of that served when given the chance.

[kikiek]

40. Diversion tactic

I am responding against my better judgement. I prefer ignoring these morons and keeping the campaign focused on the issues. Bush doesn't have any plans to improve his policies, and is vowing to stay the course on all issues. This is another attempt to keep public attention off our country's problems. But if he must release all records of course insist that Bush do the same. I want to see proof that he fulfilled his duty. I also want to see all arrest records including expunged ones. To be fair of course Kerry will release the same.

[yelladawg]

42. And bush released everything, right?

He didn't release his flight records or his medical flight exams.

[Catt03]

51. We can laugh and blow it off

but I have been scanning some pro Kerry forums and I have read letters where Viet Nam vets are responding to the Hoffman and O'Neill
rhetoric.

I think Kerry has to do something about this. Appears to be getting a lot of publicity.

Noticed that the Zumwalt grandchildren are involved also. Big names other than Hoffman and O'Neill.