I've been holding back my judgement on this matter until I could hear and read more about it.
Here are my thoughts.
1. These Swift Boats veterans have every right to be heard. They earned it, and it smarmy for the Kerry campaign to try and shut them up. Let them speak, Kerry can respond and the american people can decide. That's the way it should be.
2. The argument that none of the men in the book were on Kerry's boat, and therefore unqualified to challenge his claims is ridiculous. They were on boats all around him, they slept where he slept, ate where he ate.
3. The doctor in the book and in the advertisement who says he treated Kerry is not a reliable source in my opinion. His name isn't on the sheets that show Kerry was treated. I don't think that makes him necessarily a liar, but when looking at this objectively I can't take his position at face value.
4. The issue of whether Kerry deserved the medals to me isn't relevant. Both sides have a version, both sides believe what they believe. Did Kerry lie? Maybe, maybe not. But all you have in this instance is a he said, he said argument, and one can't make an informed opinion based on that. You can say who you believe more, but we'll probably never know who is really telling the truth.
What this comes down to, in my opinion, is Christmas in Cambodia. Was Kerry there and there under orders? This speaks to the heart of Kerry's credibility. He has chosen to make his service in Vietnam an issue in this campaign. He has positioned himself in a way that says, "Hey, I served in Vietnam therefore I'm qualified to be President." Therefore it is perfectly right for that qualification to be scrutinized.
Kerry says in was in Cambodia, his commanding officers and even some of his crewmates deny he was there. His book, Tour of Duty, says he wasn't there. Seems to me this can be verified in one way or another. If Kerry is shown to be lying then his credibility on all other matters relating to his service must therefore be questioned.
Kerry should go on Meet the Press and let Russert ask him flatly, "Were you in Cambodia on Christmas of 1968?" If he can provide proof that refutes the claimes of his commanding officers, his crew and his book, then he should do so. But the question immediatly comes up, "Why did you lie in your book then?"
Kerry must deal with this question, and if he refuses it's obvious it's because it would hurt him in this race.
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