C-SPAN: From June 1971 Dick Cavett Show Kerry v O'Neill

[radiclib]

I thought O'Neill was much more effective when he was a young man. He actually seemed sincere in his defense of "Vietnamization", and his main problem with Kerry was the charge of war crimes and the refusal of VVAW members to sign official depositions. Interestingly, he never brought up the medals.I almost felt sorry for him, the audience was so pro-Kerry (or, more likely by then, anti-war). They jeered him loudly, and Cavett didn't seem to have much use for him either. Kerry had the McCartney circa 1965 look going, and hadn't yet dropped the Brahmin speech mannerisms. Kerry haters will see the obvious political ambition as proof that he is in fact Damien the Anti-Christ.
It was an interesting glimpse of that era, but there was no clear winner, and I'm not sure if it will help Kerry much. What do you guys think?

[checks-n-balances]

1. Kerry may not have "won", but he was clearly the more intelligent one

and it's clear that O'Neil was already a tool of the GOP.

Yeah, I almost felt sorry for him too, but knowing how he's still nursing and exploiting bitterness of some of the veterans, working to keep ShrubCo in the White House...Naah...

[radiclib]

2. Yes, he has become a bitter, desperate GOP stooge

But he did seem sincere in his desire to exonerate his brothers. Sort of a "green wall" kind of deal. And where was the medal contoversy? I seem to remember Kerry had received them by then. If there was anything to it, O'Neill certainly had reason to try and discredit Kerry with it.