Redstate

"I deplore this kind of politics. I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam."

-John McCain

Either Krempasky or McCain is very, very wrong.  Which one is it?

Because your disagreement is with him, not me.

Oh right, by the way - Day was McCain's cellmate and saved his life.

on so many aspects of his statement, you really can't take it seriously. First two of the SwiftVets served on Kerry's boat at some time or another, not "none." Second, if you will look at even the counter ad that supported Kerry, you will see about four boats all patrolling together. To say that you can't have an opinion about events that you were part of just because you were in a boat a number of meters away is ludicrous. Third, McCain clearly wasn't in any Swift boat and cannot conclude whether or not anyone is telling the truth. Fourth many of the comments listed here in the ad relate to post war activities, McCain's comments related to only war activities, so it clearly doesn't apply to all listed charges.

Shall I continue?

McCain is certainly wrong inasmuch as Steve Gardner DID serve on Kerry's boat. Served on it longer than anyone else in fact. And the "many" who testify to Kerry's honor and valor turn out to be a very tiny handful, most of whom will not talk to the press.

 Dated: Friday, August 06 2004 @ 07:00 AM PDT

 Viewed: 18950 times      

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has more than 250 members, many of whom were wounded or highly decorated in Vietnam.

We purchased with our blood and service the right to be heard, to set the record straight about our unit, and to tell the truth about John Kerry's military service record.

We respect Senator McCain's right to express his opinion and we hope he extends to us the same respect and courtesy, particularly since we served with John Kerry, we knew him well and Senator McCain did not.

-- Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann (ret.), Founder and Chairman of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

(From http://swift4.he.net/~swift4/index.php?topic=Releases&page=2)

that boat for a month?  

George P. Bush gets a group of decorated iraqi vets to go against these guys.  Maybe we should have the thousands Kerry saved come forward and thank him for leading the fight in ending the war.  Oh wait, we don't know who they are, because they're still alive.

build a memorial and put pictures of those guys up on display too? I can see photos of the meetings between Zarqawi and some future Kerry wannabe already. The caption could say, "Hey don't mind the blood on my hand, I just butchered another civilian."

What a stupefyingly ignorant and tedious site you've found, there.  Isolationism, leftism, and Kerry advocacy all wrapped in a package of sanctimony born of combat.

Speaking of tedious, you've managed to hit that level with me as well.  Ask slapshot57 what just happened.

Gardner served on Kerry's boat longer than anyone else. In fact, he served longer on Kerry's boat than Kerry did.

The question was whether you or McCain was wrong, I chose McCain. I like McCain but I do not see him as some sort of saint.

I have a very hard time understanding his forgivness for John Kerry's actions but maybe he really feels that way. Frankly watching his maneuver on the politcal scene brings 'opportunist' to mind, but I don't know the man only what I see on the box and read in the papers.

From the standpoint of honor and valor, John Kerry should not be allowed in the same room with Day or McCain.

Johnny Boy mouthed off about the Swift Vets when he first heard of them because they're outside the scope of his precious "campaign finance reforms".  

McCain simply has the thin skin to criticism, especially criticism from outside the "Politico / Media Complex", which comes from being in Washington too long.  Don't forget McCain's tour of duty with the Keating 5; Johnny Boy provided his critics with a boatload of ammunition to use against him in that little escapade, and it's pretty well known that he thinks he was unfairly tarred by it.

Ever since then, it's been McCain's position that the only voice the people should have in politics is when they vote - that otehrwise the people should shut up and only the politicos should have a right to speak; that the only negative words which are spoken about an opponent should be those approved by the candidate himself.  

Essentially, Johnny Boy's a control freak and the voters are messing up his gig by getting involved.

Now, what support do I have for the assertion that McCain condemned the Swifties more because they said anything than for what they said?  

Because (a) Johnny Boy had zero personal knowledge from which he could conclude that the Swifties charges were unfair, yet he condemned them anyway; (b) Johnny Boy's made no attempt whatsoever - none, zero, zilch, nada - to find out whether the Swifties charges were justified before he blasted them (there simply wasn't enough time between the first run of the first ad & McCain's condemnation of the Swifties for him to have investigated it at all); and (c) Johnny Boy's made no attempt since to determine whether the Swifties charges are justified.  

Bottom line is this - Johnny Boy doesn't think the Swifties should have the right to say it, EVEN IF IT IS 100% TRUE, because in his mind, candidates "shouldn't" have to deal with groups like the Swifties attacking them.

Very interesting concept of politics McCain has - to paraphrase Laura Ingraham, us voters should "Shut Up and Vote!"

The comments from McCain were specifically about his feelings regarding whether Kerry deserved the Purple hearts, other awards, etc.  McCain has repeatedly said that he felt that criticisms about Kerry's post-war history were certainly acceptable and should be discussed.  

Jake - You aren't calling Krempasky a liar...if you side with McCain, then you're calling all 90 swifties liars! Krempasky has nothing to do with it, he's just the messenger.

These guys have NOTHING to gain from this, little or no moneys or fame will come from this. They are doing this because they believe in truth and honesty, something few politicians, including McCain and Kerry, know much about.

This is to air during Monday Night Football?  When?  Election week?  This is a national spot then and not targeted at any particular market(s)?  Here is the upcoming schedule

Mon OCT 18  Tampa Bay at St. Louis

Mon OCT 25  Denver at Cincinnati

Mon NOV  1  Miami at NY Jets

Any one of those games would be good for these ads given the markets that are going to be watching in the most numbers.  

On a network for a political ad - you can only buy them regionally. So - assume that the Swifties will be buying heavily in battleground states.

I just watched the ads and they are certainly very well done and very powerful. But I am beginning to think that the American people are just not interested in the truth --- we may have reached the point where they want to elect someone who tell them what they want to hear, and that someone is John Kerry.

Regardless of whether George Bush wins, and I certainly hope that is the case, the fact that we are looking at a virtual tie three weeks from the election in wartime is distressing. How it is possible that half of the citizens of this proud nation can consider voting for a team that:

• has as its lead a man who time and time again betrayed his comrades in arms and then has the nerve to call them his band of brothers;
  

• has as its lead a man who has an almost pathological need to include himself in historic events;
  
• has as its lead a man who sees success as reducing terrorism to the level of a 'nuisance' such as prostitution;
  
• has as its lead a man who thinks that we must pass a 'global test' to justify our actions;
  
• has as its second a man who would blithely pander to the hopes and dreams of people with diabetes, Parkinson's, etc., and the handicapped;
  
• has as its second a man who made a fortune by pursuing junk science based lawsuits.

At least for most of the country (mostly the fly-over part), what these men stand for means something... and I think it will be reflected such on November 2nd.

Unless McCain has said something recently, his remark was linked to the first Swifty ad that attacked the credibility of Kerry's in-country service, short as it was.  McCain also said at the same time that Kerry's anti-war activities was fair game (not direct quote but same meaning).

However, I think Kerry does deserve a medal for most creative service.  He must be the only vet in history to receive three purple hearts without spending as much as one day in the hospital.