Josh Marshall gets it right
More here. I'm with August - I want to have 10,000 of Josh Marshall's babies, too. But on to the point at hand.
I am so sick of people saying that the Swift Boat Liars* attacks are justified because Kerry made his service in Vietnam an issue in the campaign. Bullshit. Anything Kerry says can be rebutted, but there's appropriate and inappropriate responses. An appropriate response would be of the sort as to say, "So what if he won those medals, that was 30 years ago and in a war he renounced." An inappropriate response is to lie outrightly in order to smear Kerry and by association all the men he served with.
But the optimist in me says this will backfire. All it'll do in the long run is to further highlight Kerry's service in Vietnam, and all the facts point to the conclusion that Kerry deserved all three of his purple hearts, his bronze star and his silver star. If Kerry's camp can keep up the counter-attack, this issue should be a plus for him come November.
*-Credit goes to Atrios for coming up with this descriptive name.
In the last few days I've gotten various emails from critics (gleefully) and supporters (frettingly) of Kerry either wondering or simply asserting that Kerry brought this on himself by highlighting his service in combat in Vietnam. The point is echoed by reporters who sheepishly hang the attention they've given to the Swift Boat group on Kerry's having 'made his service an issue.'
For Kerry supporters or Democrats who think this may be true, I can only ask you, please, please do not be such chumps. And for his critics, please allow your punches to the groin the purity of their cynicism, without sullying them with any claims that Kerry forced your hand.
More here. I'm with August - I want to have 10,000 of Josh Marshall's babies, too. But on to the point at hand.
I am so sick of people saying that the Swift Boat Liars* attacks are justified because Kerry made his service in Vietnam an issue in the campaign. Bullshit. Anything Kerry says can be rebutted, but there's appropriate and inappropriate responses. An appropriate response would be of the sort as to say, "So what if he won those medals, that was 30 years ago and in a war he renounced." An inappropriate response is to lie outrightly in order to smear Kerry and by association all the men he served with.
But the optimist in me says this will backfire. All it'll do in the long run is to further highlight Kerry's service in Vietnam, and all the facts point to the conclusion that Kerry deserved all three of his purple hearts, his bronze star and his silver star. If Kerry's camp can keep up the counter-attack, this issue should be a plus for him come November.
*-Credit goes to Atrios for coming up with this descriptive name.
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