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Home Front: Politix

Not Too Swift

2006-06-01

By R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
Published 6/1/2006 12:08:11 AM

WASHINGTON -- As we watch the left of the Democratic Party pressing its case to return to the top of the heap in American politics, or at least evade the fate of the Dodo, we have ever more evidence validating an insight on which I stake my reputation as a political seer. To wit: partisan politics falls more often under the professional expertise of the psychiatrist than that of the political scientist. A learned shrink can often tell us more about a political issue than any other professional, not excluding a swami or a voodoo priest.

Posted by:mcsegeek1

#30 Active duty.

Posted by: Pappy 2006-06-01 21:20

#29 Translation, please. What is this "a.d. Marine" Broadhead6 described himself as?

Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-01 20:58

#28 So you won't see me sticking up for Kerry again unless he actually has a meaningful opinion about something.

Aw c'on Gene - I just found a clean sock to stick my roll of quarters in... }:D

Kerry gets my respect for going to Viet Nam(for whatever reason). But not for what he did afterwards, from his 1971 antics to his continuing failure to release his records.

If you're gonna run as a 'war hero', you g-damn better well back it up.

Posted by: Pappy 2006-06-01 19:19

#27 You're weird Gene, odd even. Glad you're here.

Posted by: 6 2006-06-01 19:03

#26 ---IIRC he did a year prior to that on a frigate or destroyer w/blue water navy off the coast---

And some of them weren't too fond of him, either, IIRC. I even think there was a net
discussion at his ship's site by those who served w/him.

Posted by: anonymous2u 2006-06-01 18:55

#25 See Gene, it was better left to others my friend.

Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-06-01 18:21

#24 Gene - I hafta say I'm impressed that you came around. Most others who get Swiftboated here just slink away!

Posted by: Bobby 2006-06-01 17:30

#23 Color me suitably chastened..

Posted by: Gene the Moron 2006-06-01 16:32

#22 My problem with Kerry isn't what he did in Vietnam, but what he did to his "band of brothers" once he got back--the allegations of phony war crimes. The 1971 "winter soldier" crap was what really got the Swifties up in arms--and the Swifties' ad with Kerry's 1971 "testimony" was the one that really sunk him.

Note carefully, please, that Kerry has made no substantive effort to defend his 1971 "testimony."

Posted by: Mike 2006-06-01 15:45

#21 If Kerry had campaigned for the presidency on the ground that he was the world's greatest CEO and had guided the XYZ Company to spectacular success, it would be perfectly legitimate to ask the employees of XYZ what they thought of his managerial skills. That's not a cheap shot or a personal attack -- it's just a sensible attempt to verify an asserted credential.

Posted by: Matt 2006-06-01 14:26

#20 As far as I'm concerned:

Swiftboated, N.

1) To have the truth told about you in public when you would rather a lie be beleved. 2) To have people call you on your lies and embellishments in the public arena and shoot down your ambitions.

Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-06-01 14:00

#19 Easy Frank. Gene wants current issues to be addressed. I agree with that. I just wish Kerry realizes he's been spanked and devote his time to the Martha's Vineyard cocktail circuit. Then Americans can focus their attention on more important matters.

Posted by: ed 2006-06-01 13:50

#18 never argue with a moron. He acknowledges his level of intellect. Believe him. It's true. Idjit

Posted by: Frank G 2006-06-01 13:43

#17 Well said as always trailing wife. I believe the swiftees did one of the greatest services to America that has ever been done.

Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-06-01 13:32

#16 Gene, I'm an a.d. Marine officer. I'm not attacking you personally but here is my $.02 & I prolly differ from the crowd here a bit on this. First, I respect Kerry for going to 'Nam. A lot of other guys in his position found a free pass out or went north to canuckistan. That being said and from the *facts* I've studied would seem to me that of his 3 wounds, two were greatly embellished. He received purple hearts for wounds that other servicemen of the day would've scoffed at. Also, the rendition of him gunning down a v.c. who was running away w/a B-40 rocket launcher is fishy, any Navy guy here could tell you that. Shit, a dumb gyrine like me will tell ya a LT beaching his boat to run down a native in the jungle is way out weird. He did 6 months or so in brown water 'Nam, got the 3 purple's and requested his way out (along w/putting in requests for his immediate crew). IIRC he did a year prior to that on a frigate or destroyer w/blue water navy off the coast. I respect that he showed up, but when he touted being a "war hero" for the cameras it deserved some looking into. I usually get put off about delving into servicemen's records but when you're known to be given to puffery and some 50+ guys are calling "shennanigans" then it is prolly shennanigans.

Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-06-01 13:28

#15 as my pop used ta say.....if you can get 6 people to agree sh*t stinks.......

Posted by: Broadhead6 2006-06-01 13:16

#14 For thirty years Senator Kerry's actions and claims didn't really matter, Gene. He was merely the decorative junior senator from the state of Massachusetts, known more for gracing the arm of a rich widow at swanky parties in Georgetown and Martha's Vineyard than for any actual accomplishments. However, when it appeared that he might actually have a shot at running the executive branch of the government, those who knew personally of his fatal character flaws decided to speak up. This is actually one of the times, in my opinion, when the system worked as intended.

Posted by: trailing wife 2006-06-01 13:15

#13 Admiral Zumwalt's family signed. He originated the idea of shifting Swiftboats to riverine operations. Before that, Kerry was cruising the surf of the Indochina Sea. The deceased Elmo Zumwalt Jr. was also a Swiftboat officer, though probably not at the same time as Kerry.

Gene, sailors, almost to a man, in your squadron do not turn against you unless you did something especially bad and dishonorable. Think about it. Both officers and enlisted that fought, lived, and got to know the man in the 3 months he served with them. Not all of them are Republican operatives.

Posted by: ed 2006-06-01 13:11

#12 I felt the blood rush to my head momentarily there.
Anyway I am not defending this putz anymore.
While the blood was in my head I decided that he F88ked over the 51 million who voted for him too. He's got nothing to offer beyond "Bush Lied" and I'm sick of that line already.
So you won't see me sticking up for Kerry again unless he actually has a meaningful opinion about something.

Posted by: Gene the Moron 2006-06-01 13:02

#11 Gene, Kerry ~~gave himself~~ was awarded a silver star for turning back to pick up a sailor who fell off his boat. That in itself should tell you what kind of fool we are talking about here.
I don't know about your navy Gene, or the US Navy, but in Admiral Wxjames' navy, any asshole who returns without his full crew is going to get a high speed lead decoration in his phalking ear.
And that's just one of his heroic day dreams. JFKerry is a complete phalking loser, and if you can't see that, I question your judgement.

Posted by: wxjames 2006-06-01 13:00

#10 "Maybe they should strive for "Fake but Accurate" next time?"

No... All should stop the BS personal attacks and slurs and events from the past and all politicians should be forced instead to actually address the issues and offer substantive resolutions to current problems, plans and visions for the future, and if it's not too much to ask they should speak in complete sentences too.

Posted by: Gene the Moron 2006-06-01 12:51

#9 I give you self aggrandizing ponce.
That's a lot of people to fit on a swiftboat.
Wow they even got Admiral Zumwalt to sign Posthumously. Most impressive and I agree he should fill out the record release form.
But it doesn't say much beyond and amounts to someone's word against the official record which they presumably (cause I don't know) could have challenged at the time.

Posted by: Gene the Moron 2006-06-01 12:46

#8 But this tactic (andf it was a tactic) really dirty's the system.

Maybe they should strive for "Fake but Accurate" next time?

Posted by: DoDo 2006-06-01 12:38

#7 Gene,
One indication is that almost all the Swifboat crew who served at the same time as Kerry came out against him, including his entire chain of command. I don't think that has ever happened in the history of the US. What could have happened to to cause this other than Kerry was well known as a lying, self aggrandizing ponce who F'ed over his comrades.
Swift Veterans Letter to John Kerry

Posted by: ed 2006-06-01 12:16

#6 "how come O'Neil never mentioned this stuff for 30 years ?"

Kerry wasn't officially running for President.

Granted there is something not right about Kerry

Gee, thanks for noticing.

But this tactic (andf it was a tactic) really dirty's the system.

Guess we can forget about Tammany Hall, LBJ, and Chicago, then. This tops 'em all.

Posted by: Pappy 2006-06-01 12:06

#5 Thankls Mcs.

http://www.factcheck.org/article231.html

out.

Posted by: Gene the Moron 2006-06-01 12:02

#4 Damn, Gene. Here I was denouncing name-callers who attacked you yesterday, and now I want to do it myself. But once again, I'll leave it to others.

Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-06-01 11:53

#3 Yes, you are.

Posted by: Elmesing Spavising7222 2006-06-01 11:48

#2 I'm doing it again.
I never beleived the Swiftboat vets over Kerry's own crew.
John O'Neil (hand picked in 1971 to counter John Kerry ) made a ton of money with a best seller.
The cruxt of their story would appear to sully their own reputations as well as Kerry's.
And then there's "how come O'Neil never mentioned this stuff for 30 years ?
Why shouldn't I beleive the dude he plucked from the river over some paid hack author.
Granted there is something not right about Kerry.
But this tactic (andf it was a tactic) really dirty's the system.

Posted by: Gene the Moron 2006-06-01 11:41

#1 Bit of advice John: Let it go. You lost. You'll never win. The swiftees were just ordinary guys who were revolted by your lies. If you think you can shake off their stigma, just ask your old buddy Teddy if he could shake off Chappaquiddick in a national election.

Posted by: mcsegeek1 2006-06-01 11:27

00:00