Speak Out about Swift Boat Veterans' Lies

[Guest guest]

http://www.buzzflash.com/alerts/04/08/ale04031.html

 

August 10, 2004

 

Speak Out about Swift Boat Veterans' Lies

 

A BUZZFLASH NEWS ALERT

 

From the Kerry-Edwards Campaign:

Sign up for Media Corps

 

Dear Veteran,

 

John Kerry's service in Vietnam is under attack by a

group of right-wing, Republican-financed veterans who

call themselves Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. It's no

secret that Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is, in fact,

Swift Boat Veterans for Bush. It is bankrolled by

longtime GOP contributors with strong ties to George

Bush and Karl Rove.

 

Last week, Swift Boat Veterans for Bush purchased air

time for a television ad in three battleground states.

The ad accuses John Kerry of lying about his service

in Vietnam and the medals he was awarded. Next week,

Swift Boat Veterans for Bush will release an

anti-Kerry book, Unfit for Command, by John O'Neill

and Jerome Corsi, which spreads more lies and

distortions about John's service in Vietnam. To top

that off, right-wing talk show radio hosts and TV

anchors, such as Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, are

knowingly promoting these baseless allegations.

 

We need you to speak out against the lies and

distortions being spread by the Swift Boat Veterans

for Bush attack machine.

 

Senator John McCain called the attacks by Swift Boat

Veterans for Bush " dishonest and dishonorable. "

Senator McCain even called on George Bush to condemn

this ad. Regrettably, George Bush has refused to do

so.

 

Virtually every legitimate commentator has denounced

these false charges. The St. Petersburg Times in an

August 9, 2004, editorial said, " But the latest attack

from a Republican-backed political committee seeking

to discredit Kerry's Vietnam service is dishonest and

indecent. " They referred to the attacks against John

Kerry as " gutter tactics " and " political filth. " Al

Hunt wrote an op-ed piece in The Wall Street Journal,

August 5, 2004, entitled " Sham Charges Against a War

Hero. "

 

We need you to join with John McCain and others and

speak out against the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush.

This is an issue that we, as veterans, need to be

heard on. We need to stand up and defend our fellow

veteran, our friend, John Kerry.

 

Here's how you can help John Kerry -- no matter what

you decide to do, please make sure to identify

yourself as a veteran.

 

* Write a letter to the editor of your local

newspaper. Click here to send your letter right now.

* Contact your television state and local

reporters. Volunteer your story and your defense.

Click here to look up contact information for your

area.

* Call in to radio talk shows in your area. Click

here to look up the information.

 

After you've written a letter or spoken out, please

share your work and experience with us. We will be

tracking your grassroots defense nationwide and

monitoring its impact -- click here to share your

defense with us.

 

Thank you,

 

John Hurley

National Director, Veterans for Kerry-Edwards

P.S.

When you write or speak out in John's defense, please

keep these points in mind:

 

* John Kerry volunteered for the Navy, for

Vietnam, and for swift boat duty.

* The U.S. Navy awarded John Kerry the Silver

Star, the Bronze Star with Combat V, and three Purple

Hearts.

* John McCain called the attacks by Swift Boat

Veterans for Bush " dishonest and dishonorable, " and he

called on George Bush to condemn the ad. George Bush

has refused to do so. What is taking him so long? Why

won't George Bush condemn these ads?

* The crewmates who served with John Kerry stand

with him.

* Swift Boat Veterans for Bush did not serve with

John Kerry in Vietnam; John O'Neill, the author of the

book of lies and distortions, never laid eyes on John

Kerry in Vietnam.

* Kerry's crewmates said of this ad: " These

assertions are garbage; these people weren't there

with John Kerry. If he hadn't made the right command

decisions, in my opinion, we would be some of the

names on that wall. " -Crewmate PCF 94, Gene Thorson,

in response to assertions that Kerry acted poorly in

combat.

* " That's a pure fabrication...the fire was strong

enough to knock out Tommy Belodeau's machine gun...I

was in the middle of the firefight. " -Jim Rassmann,

Special Forces Officer saved by John Kerry, in

response to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

assertion that there was no enemy fire on the day that

Rassmann was rescued by Lt. Kerry.

* " It was a hellacious firefight, I don't know how

these guys could stretch the truth like this " -Senior

enlisted man PCF 94 Del Sandusky in response to the

same assertion.

* Some of the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush were in

John's chain of command and wrote glowing Fitness

Reports on him; George Elliott: " In a combat

environment often requiring independent, decisive

action LTJG Kerry was unsurpassed...LTJG Kerry emerges

as the acknowledged leader in his peer group. "

(fitness report of John Kerry, by LTCMDR George

Elliott, 18 Dec 1969.)

* These attacks on John Kerry are part of a Bush

smear campaign against John Kerry; they are financed

by Bob Perry, a Texas Republican friend of Karl Rove,

and are organized and promoted by a Republican

communications firm, Spaeth Communications.