If there’s such a thing as outrage overload, I’m there. The Swiftboat story has reached ubiquity and after watching yesterday’s morning shows, the con started causing me actual, physical pain. A group of partisan hacks, who have spread nothing but lies for months, is smearing a war hero and has single-handedly driven this campaign’s news cycle for days. “Outrageous” just doesn’t cut it.
After careful examination of the public record, I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of every Swiftboat Vet charge that has been proven true and/or been corroborated by independent sources. Here’s the list, in its entirety:
(picture tumbleweeds rolling by)
A “group” that got thrown together for the presidential campaign has been given an extraordinary, practically unprecedented, platform to voice criticisms of a decorated hero, yet not a single charge has been proven true. Not one.
Let’s not lose sight of the burden of proof here. John Kerry has a sterling service record that has stood the tests of three decades. This group of hacks wants the nation to believe that Kerry’s decorated tours of duty are a fraud, yet their slander doesn’t withstand the slightest scrutiny. Making matters worse, their supporters would have us believe that Kerry is guilty until proven innocent. None of this makes any sense, but their charges are nevertheless everywhere.
It was a weekend full of Swiftboat-related program activities, most of which you’ll probably want to check out a) if this story matters to you, b) you want to induce nausea, or c) if you’ve forgotten that bile-tasting disgust you felt towards Republicans during the Ken Starr era. Here’s the roundup:
* William Rood, another swift boat commander on the scene with Kerry in 1969 and now a Chicago Tribune editor, confirmed that Kerry is telling the truth and the Swiftboat group isn’t. It’s the first time Rood has spoken publicly about his service in 35 years, but felt compelled to set the record straight.
* The Washington Post’s Michael Dobbs went through the documentary evidence for the group’s claims and couldn’t find anything to bolster their malicious charges.
* The Bush campaign’s claims about not having any connection to the Swiftboat group are looking increasingly dubious, especially after a BC04 advisor was discovered to be a member of said group.
* The Boston Globe had a great editorial discussing what would have happened if Clinton’s allies had gone after Bob Dole in 1996 the way Bush’s allies are going after Kerry now.
* In case there were any remaining doubts, The Nation’s David Corn examined Larry Thurlow’s claims and thoroughly discredits him.
* Josh Marshall and Maureen Dowd separately make a strong case that Bush is a coward for (once again) letting others do his fighting for him.
* And finally, the Kerry campaign created a terrific new web-only ad that shows how Bush is “up to his old tricks.”