Conason outs more "swift boat veterans' and their political bedfellows.

[blm]

Gee, Republican operatives in bed with "commies" who would have guessed it? Wonder what the freepers will say about this. heheh....I'm sure they'll be as hypocritical as ever.


"When the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" launched its campaign against John Kerry 10 days ago, leadership and guidance were provided by Republican activists and presidential friends from Texas -- notably Houston attorney John E. O'Neill and corporate media consultant Merrie Spaeth. Indeed, although the group made its debut at a press conference in Washington, it looked and sounded like a Texas GOP operation.

On closer inspection, the ostensibly nonpartisan "Swift Boat Vets" seem to have another pair of significant sponsors with deep and long-standing Republican connections in Missouri. Both are officers of Gannon International, a St. Louis conglomerate that does lots of overseas business in, of all places, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

<snip>
What is most intriguing about Franke, Hayes, and Gannon -- especially in light of their apparent role in the campaign against John Kerry -- are their strong commercial interests in Southeast Asia. While Gannon is a highly diversified holding company whose divisions range from real estate in Florida and Missouri to Internet technology and software, it maintains an unusual presence in Vietnam, with offices in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Indeed, Gannon has operated in that country's tourism, real estate and import-export sectors for a decade. (The target market for its tours was fellow Vietnam veterans.)

None of Gannon's profitable activities in the communist republic would be possible, of course, without the approval of the Hanoi government, which Franke has described as "strong" and "stable." Nor would Gannon be conducting business in Vietnam without the Clinton administration diplomacy, assisted by Sen. Kerry, that established diplomatic and trade ties with the United States in 1994. Franke first began traveling to Vietnam on behalf of Operation Smile, an American charity that provides plastic surgery to children abroad. The relationships he established during those humanitarian missions provided a considerable advantage in doing business under government auspices.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2004/05/14/gannon/

[Spinzonner]

1. So, Rove has ties to Comm Symps

[blm]

5. Heck, Rove and his buddy Norquist have ties to the Taliban

and that never bothered the Republican 'faithful"...of course, they accept the close ties of Bush and Rev Moon, too. So, it's hardly surprising. These people are blind to these alliances because they WANT to be blind.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Maybe I'm Missing Something...

OK, So Gannon & Franke have done a lot of biz with Vietnam, why do they have a major bug up their ass with Kerry?

Weren't Kerry & McCain the point men for Clinton in opening up relations with Hanoi? You'd figure the bosses would be glad to see a friend in high places. Kerry sure wouldn't hurt these guys contacts unless, and Joe doesn't seem to mention it, both are heavily involved in outsourcing.

I welcome these attacks on Kerry's Vietnam record, the louder they sqawk, the more it reminds all of us about their manchild's AWOL military record and the current mess in Iraq that is one of the major reasons to rid ourselves of this evil junta.

[blm]

4. I'm with you on that.

Let them holler all they want....maybe it will force it as a topic of debate. Does ANYONE in the GOP want to have a debate with Kerry over what happened during Vietnam or Kerry's role in helping to end that war?

Are there some GOP parents who are angry their sons weren'tt drafted thanks to Kerry?

[Paradise]

3. interesting. i figured there was more than met the eye. thanks. :) n/t