The Washington Post has finally decided to do some actual journalism on the Swift Boat charges, but instead of investigating Kerry’s records they’re trying to discredit one of Kerry’s accusers. Considering that SBVFT has over 200 members, they have their work cut out for them.
The veteran in question, Larry Thurlow has tried to set the record straight:
I am convinced that the language used in my citation for a Bronze Star was language taken directly from John Kerry’s report which falsely described the action on the Bay Hap River as action that saw small arms fire and automatic weapons fire from both banks of the river.
To this day, I can say without a doubt in my mind, along with other accounts from my shipmates—there was no hostile enemy fire directed at my boat or at any of the five boats operating on the river that day.
I submitted no paperwork for a medal nor did I file an after action report describing the incident. To my knowledge, John Kerry was the only officer who filed a report describing his version of the incidents that occurred on the river that day.
It was not until I had left the Navy—approximately three months after I left the service—that I was notified that I was to receive a citation for my actions on that day.
I believed then as I believe now that I received my Bronze Star for my efforts to rescue the injured crewmen from swift boat number three and to conduct damage control to prevent that boat from sinking.
My boat and several other swift boats went to the aid of our fellow swift boat sailors whose craft was adrift and taking on water. We provided immediate rescue and damage control to prevent boat three from sinking and to offer immediate protection and comfort to the injured crew.
After the mine exploded, leaving swift boat three dead in the water, John Kerry’s boat, which was on the opposite side of the river, fled the scene. US Army Special Forces officer Jim Rassmann, who was on Kerry’s boat at the time, fell off the boat and into the water. Kerry’s boat returned several minutes later—under no hail of enemy gunfire—to retrieve Rassmann from the river only seconds before another boat was going to pick him up.
Kerry campaign spokespersons have conflicting accounts of this incident—the latest one being that Kerry’s boat did leave but only briefly and returned under withering enemy fire to rescue Mr. Rassmann. However, none of the other boats on the river that day reported enemy fire nor was anyone wounded by small arms action. The only damage on that day was done to boat three—a result of the underwater mine. None of the other swift boats received damage from enemy gunfire.
And in a new development, Kerry campaign officials are now finally acknowledging that while Kerry’s boat left the scene, none of the other boats on the river ever left the damaged swift boat. This is a direct contradiction to previous accounts made by Jim Rassmann in the Oregonian newspaper and a direct contradiction to the “No Man Left Behind†theme during the Democratic National Convention.
These ever changing accounts of the Bay Hap River incident by Kerry campaign officials leave me asking one question…if no one ever left the scene of the Bay Hap River incident, how could anyone be left behind?
Now if the media wanted to do something along the lines of real journalism, they could have easily investigated the story themselves. Why isn’t there a clamor for the release of records pertaining to John Kerry? Where are his service records. Who submitted the paperwork for Kerry’s and Thurlow’s medals? Where are the after-action reports that would back up Kerry’s claim of being under hostile fire?
Now, maybe if all those details were known, Kerry’s story may be true. However, without knowing those details, the Post‘s curt attempts to dismiss the entire story by pointin out one issue with one story by one veteran in a case that consists of numerous pieces of evidence, over 200 veterans, and a pile of research is hardly an example of quality journalism.
If the press won’t cover these things, the blogosphere will, which is why blog readership is skyrocketing while press readership is going down the toilet.
If only the press would cover these things……sigh. Swing voters who get their news entirely from mainstream TV sources (excluding Fox), they could get a taste of the desperate GOP slime machine in play. The more time Republicans waste playing “Gotcha!” with Kerry over which side of the Mekong River he spent Christmas 1968, the less time they’ll have to make a case for re-election of Bush that people will actually care about. This ploy is a guaranteed loser for Bush. Keep up the good work, you blogosphere loonies! 😀
Yeah, it’s not as though Kerry based his ENTIRE CAMPAIGN on his Vietnam biography. He spent so much time during his convention speech talking about his political record, you know.
Kerry made Vietnam an issue. If he didn’t want criticism on it, he shouldn’t have brought it up.
On the contrary, Kerry should invite more GOP criticism about his record. It only serves to reinforce the perception that the Republicans are desperate to run out the clock arguing issues that distract the media and some voters from how abysmal Bush’s record has been. Republicans are gonna have a very hard time making swing voters care about whether or not Kerry is lying about spending Christmas 1968 in Cambodia or a few miles down the jungle road. The more they keep pushing it, the more voters will be turned off. Republicans should be thankful that the major media outlets aren’t pushing this issue because it merely makes you look petty and desperate.
If nothing else this issue condemns the media. This showcases a huge dichotomy between the way the media handled the Bush National Guard story and the way they are dealing with the Swift Vets charges.
A functional democracy depends upon a relatively unbiased media that strives for accuracy and objectivity. Today’s mainstream media is anything but that.
As consumers we can always do what disastified consumers always do.
We can complain to the offending companies.
We can withold business to the offending companies.
We can spread negative word of mouth about the offending companies and encourage other to withold their business. All well managed companies fear negative word of mouth more than just about anything.
Today’s media is becoming like the openly socialist European media, where bias is accepted as the norm. We cannot and will not allow that to happen here in America.
We can always do what disatisfied consumers always do:
complain to the offending companies
withold business from the offending companies
spread negative word of mouth about the offending companies and encourage others to withold business
Good companies fear negative word of mouth more than just about anything; it is extremely effective.
As consumers we can always do what disastified consumers always do.
How come I never hear any of you ever say “I’m gonna get a degree in journalism and turn the industry around from the inside?”
Do you think that maybe, it’s just possible, journalists know something that you, sitting on your ass in front of a computer, might not?
Considering that its bloggers, not journalists, doing the vast majority of substantive research on this issue, no.
Considering that its bloggers, not journalists, doing the vast majority of substantive research on this issue, no.
Uh-huh.
How many Freedom of Information Act requests have you filed on this issue, Jay?
I assume that, by “research”, you meant “parroting SB lies?”
As much as I take issue with certain biases in the media pertaining to the Kerry/Bush military records, I don’t think our democracy is in peril as Another Thought alludes too. I am frankly tired of elements of GOP supporters beating that issue far beyond its worth. We have one of the best newsmedias in the world. We don’t have journalists being holed into jail for dissent, self-censorship, or media being owned by political parties and acting as puppets for ruling regimes. We don’t have even have state ties, such as you have in Britain or France. I think the media in many western european countries is far worse than here. I am not urging complacency or to ignore bias when it happens. I am urging GOP people to stop moaning and bitching and take a look at the global context. If you want to see what a truly biased and corrupt to its core media is like, you can find plenty of examples in sub-saharhan africa, the middle east, and southeast asia. Without appreciating or acknowleding this context, such claims come off as petty, partisan, and bitter.