Question Details	Asked By	Asked On
Kerry campaign news...	Itsdb	08/11/04
Here's the latest daily dispatch from the Kerry campaign: "I'm interrupting John Kerry's dispatches from the road to tell you about something that will make you angry, but which is important for you to hear. We knew it was coming: the Bush campaign and several allied right-wing groups are using August to launch a vicious smear attack against John Kerry. They think we're vulnerable this month because while George Bush is still able to raise money for attack ads, Kerry had to stop fundraising at the Democratic convention last week. They're taking this opportunity to go for the jugular. We need you to join us in this fight today by supporting the Democratic Party. https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html The worst of the current wave of attacks is coming from a Republican-funded group called "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth." (I'll call them by a more accurate name: Swift Boat Veterans for Bush.) The group is led by a longtime Republican operative and financed by GOP contributors with strong ties to George Bush. Its function in the overall Republican strategy is this: tear down John Kerry since Bush has no record or vision to run on. The swift boat ad is full of lies. Thirteen men who never served with John Kerry lie about knowing him and viciously attack his record. It is a new low for the Republicans. Every time they have attacked us like this, it has only made us stronger. When they ran dishonest attack ads (like the unbelievable new one on the air right now), thousands of new supporters flocked to our campaign to give us the resources we need to fight back on the airwaves. Now that the general election has begun, they're hoping things are different. They're going to be sorely disappointed because we are not alone. The Democratic National Committee is well prepared to take on this fight. And therefore I'm asking you: everything you did for our campaign, please do now for our Democratic Party. Give the party the resources it needs to fight against these right-wing attacks: https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html The Democratic Party is responsible for putting organizers and volunteers into the field and turning out the millions of votes we need to win. We literally cannot win this election without the party. https://www.democrats.org/support/kerry.html You and I know that if we so much as yield an inch to George Bush and the Republicans this month, we'll live to regret it. In fact, we may live to regret it for four long years. Join with me in supporting the Democratic Party today. Thank you, Mary Beth Cahill Campaign Manager" How truthful is this email? What's true and what's not? Is this a part of the "positive campaign" that Kerry is allegedly running? Steve
Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 08/12/04 11:36 am: Now for my take on the letter. No doubt both sides, as usual, are extremely critical of the other, but this has gotten out of hand so I actually agree with you to an extent Sancho. However, I can't abide outright lies from either side, but it seems the left has turned lying into policy. This letter, which the general public doesn't hear about by the way, is a prime example. Lie: "The group is led by a longtime Republican operative," referring to Swiftboat vets. Lie: "Bush has no record or vision to run on" Lie: "The swift boat ad is full of lies." Lie: "Thirteen men who never served with John Kerry lie about knowing him and viciously attack his record." Lie: "When they ran dishonest attack ads (like the unbelievable new one on the air right now)" (they, as in "the Republicans") All of these quotes are lies. Only one board member of Swift Boat Vets can be definitively identified as a Republican operative, William E. Franke. Their 'leader' on the Steering Committee is not. Their media contact is, but she is not their 'leader.' Bush has no record or vision? Come on, what's the unemployment rate? How's the economy? How has minority owned small business fared? How's Afghanistan? How many Al Qaeda and other terrorists are dead or in jail? Where's Saddam Hussein, his sons and most of his cohorts? Have we had any terrorist attacks on our soil lately? What's become of Libya, etc. etc. If the Swift Boat Vets ad is full of lies why didn't she name one? All of these men served with Kerry, Steve Gardner was I believe his gunner, they were in the same unit, slept in the same quarters, ate together, operated in close proximity and some were Kerry's commanding officers. And if these guys are liars, why doesn't Kerry just release his records and clear it all up? Why is it that these men who served their country honorably, both before and after the war are not to be believed? What have they done to deserve the smear, and why are they implying Bush as being behind it all, and where is there any record of Bush attacking Kerry's military service anyway? Moveon is fine but Swiftvets is not? Gimme a break. Steve Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 08/12/04 1:57 pm: Christmas in Cambodia Clarification/Follow-up by Itsdb on 08/12/04 1:58 pm: Ok, I'm a dweeb.
Answered By		Answered On
ETWolverine		08/11/04
Read Unfit for Command : Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry by John E. O'Neill, Jerome R. Corsi. Or just check out www.swiftvets.com. Then you tell me if you think the e-mail is true or not.

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