Monday, September 6, 2004

Kerry's Woes

In addition to the double-digit lead Bush now enjoys over Kerry in both the Newsweek and Time Magazine polls and the seven point lead in the Gallup poll, NewsMax.com announces news which suggests that Senator Kerry's troubles with veterans are not yet at the high water mark. In an e-mail alert NewsMax claims that:

A new documentary will soon be released that may do more damage to John Kerry than even the devastating Swift Boat Veterans' ad.

It's called "Stolen Honor" - and remember, you heard it here first.

The documentary, just weeks from release, details what his Vietnam critics say was John Kerry's betrayal of America.

In a description of the new film, the producers explain that "when John Kerry appeared before the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the spring of 1971, his testimony sent shock waves throughout America and the world. ... Lt. Kerry's widely televised statements were dramatic and persuasive, made all the more credible by the fact he had been there, said he had witnessed many of these same atrocities."

This comes on the heels of news that the Navy has launched an investigation into his citations. They want to know how the recommendations were written up and by whom.

A couple of years ago an Admiral named Borda committed suicide when he was discovered to be wearing a "V" that he hadn't merited. The same charge has been levelled at Kerry, who, sources have alleged, has a "V" (for valor) with his silver star. The problem is, evidently, that the Navy never gave a "V" with a silver star and so questions, and eyebrows, have been raised in the Pentagon.

For an excellent update on the Kerry campaign's reaction to the Swiftvets go to Captain's Quarters. One of the many interesting points that the Captain makes is that it has become commonplace to hear Kerry supporters refer to the Swiftvets' charges as nothing but lies, and yet not a single one of their charges has been shown to be substantively false. On the other hand Kerry has had to back down on a number of the points in contention. The Kerry strategy seems to be to just call these men liars and maybe the voters will start to ignore them. It's a pretty despicable strategy but these are desparate people. The Captain adds:

The only factual refutations that have occurred so far apply to John Kerry's narrative, not that of the 250-plus Swiftvets with whom he served. So who's lied to the electorate so far? It doesn't appear to be the Swiftvets, which makes the only "egregious" liar in this campaign John Kerry.