Comments on: Returning to 1971 and Finding the Truth http://politicalwinds.net/wp/index.php/archives/2004/08/21/returning-to-1971-and-finding-the-truth/ Politics and New Media Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:34:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.3 by: Cathy http://politicalwinds.net/wp/index.php/archives/2004/08/21/returning-to-1971-and-finding-the-truth/#comment-46 Mon, 23 Aug 2004 18:17:23 +0000 http://politicalwinds.net/wp/index.php/archives/2004/08/21/returning-to-1971-and-finding-the-truth/#comment-46 Thanks for your well-stated points. I have been in a rage for a few days about the media's doing the Bush campaign's bidding by broadcasting the despicable Swift Boat ads constantly, ads that most of us wouldn't have ever seen if they hadn't covered them at all, and endlessly. The Swift boat people only spent $1million, then were able to sit back and let the ads be replayed and replayed and commented on ad nauseum until , according to possibly bogus reporting, the numbers for Kerry's support by military fell. This story shouldn't have run for a day let alone three or four; what happened to coverage of the war, the economy, etc.? Again, the Bushies have suceeded in changing the subject, enabled by media. I did write letters of outrage to the major network news shows and CNN, but to no avail. Thanks for your well-stated points. I have been in a rage for a few days about the media’s doing the Bush campaign’s bidding by broadcasting the despicable Swift Boat ads constantly, ads that most of us wouldn’t have ever seen if they hadn’t covered them at all, and endlessly. The Swift boat people only spent $1million, then were able to sit back and let the ads be replayed and replayed and commented on ad nauseum until , according to possibly bogus reporting, the numbers for Kerry’s support by military fell. This story shouldn’t have run for a day let alone three or four; what happened to coverage of the war, the economy, etc.? Again, the Bushies have suceeded in changing the subject, enabled by media. I did write letters of outrage to the major network news shows and CNN, but to no avail.

]]> by: Miles Gerety http://politicalwinds.net/wp/index.php/archives/2004/08/21/returning-to-1971-and-finding-the-truth/#comment-45 Mon, 23 Aug 2004 18:15:43 +0000 http://politicalwinds.net/wp/index.php/archives/2004/08/21/returning-to-1971-and-finding-the-truth/#comment-45 Grant, this is a helluva development as Rood says he and Kerry are the only officers alive who were there, that those claiming in the ads that they were there weren't. Coming in the Republican leaning Chichago Tribune is also helpful. Miles Politics Reuters Navy Commander, Journalist, Backs Kerry on Vietnam 2 hours, 13 minutes ago Add Politics to My Yahoo! By Carol Giacomo PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - An American journalist who commanded a boat alongside John Kerry (news - web sites) in Vietnam broke a 35-year silence on Saturday and defended the Democratic presidential candidate against Republican critics of his military service. Photo Reuters Photo AP Photo Photo AP Photo Slideshow Slideshow: John Kerry Special Coverages Latest headlines: · Bush nephew courts US voters in Mexico AFP - 14 minutes ago · '527' funds power presidential contest AFP - 34 minutes ago · Kerry Campaign Unfazed by Bush Attacks AP - 39 minutes ago All Election Coverage Weighing in on what has become the most bitterly divisive issue of the 2004 campaign for the White House, William Rood of the Chicago Tribune said the tales told by Kerry's detractors are untrue. "There were three swift boats on the river that day in Vietnam more than 35 years ago -- three officers and 15 crew members. Only two of those officers remain to talk about what happened on February 28, 1969," he wrote in a story that appeared on the newspaper's Web site on Saturday. "One is John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate who won a Silver Star for what happened on that date. I am the other." Before now, wanting to put memories of war and killing behind him, Rood had refused all requests for interviews on the subject, including from his own newspaper. "But Kerry's critics, armed with stories I know to be untrue, have charged that the accounts of what happened were overblown." he wrote. "The critics have taken pains to say they're not trying to cast doubts on the merit of what others did, but their version of events has splashed doubt on all of us. "It's gotten harder and harder for those of us who were there to listen to accounts we know to be untrue, especially when they come from people who were not there," he added. Kerry, a former Navy lieutenant, is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, and his war service is essential to his ability to challenge President Bush (news - web sites) on issues of national security and leadership in the face of the Iraq (news - web sites) war and terrorism threats. Increasingly, veterans opposed to Kerry and allied with Bush -- led by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth -- have tried to undermine Kerry's service record and credibility and the justification for his medals. In the face of a new CBS poll showing Kerry's support among veterans has slipped since the Democratic convention, the Massachusetts senator has launched an aggressive counterattack. On Friday, Kerry accused the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth of collaborating with the Bush campaign and asked the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites) to force the group to withdraw ads challenging his Vietnam service. Bush spent the war in the United States serving in the Texas Air National Guard. Some Democrats have accused Bush of going absent without leave from the guard, citing gaps in his attendance record. Grant,

this is a helluva development as Rood says he and Kerry are the only officers alive who were there, that those claiming in the ads that they were there weren’t. Coming in the Republican leaning Chichago Tribune is also helpful.

Miles
Politics
Reuters
Navy Commander, Journalist, Backs Kerry on Vietnam

2 hours, 13 minutes ago

Add Politics to My Yahoo!

By Carol Giacomo

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - An American journalist who commanded a boat alongside John Kerry (news - web sites) in Vietnam broke a 35-year silence on Saturday and defended the Democratic presidential candidate against Republican critics of his military service.

Photo
Reuters Photo

AP Photo Photo
AP Photo
Slideshow Slideshow: John Kerry

Special Coverages Latest headlines:
· Bush nephew courts US voters in Mexico
AFP - 14 minutes ago
· ‘527′ funds power presidential contest
AFP - 34 minutes ago
· Kerry Campaign Unfazed by Bush Attacks
AP - 39 minutes ago

All Election Coverage

Weighing in on what has become the most bitterly divisive issue of the 2004 campaign for the White House, William Rood of the Chicago Tribune said the tales told by Kerry’s detractors are untrue.

“There were three swift boats on the river that day in Vietnam more than 35 years ago — three officers and 15 crew members. Only two of those officers remain to talk about what happened on February 28, 1969,” he wrote in a story that appeared on the newspaper’s Web site on Saturday.

“One is John Kerry, the Democratic presidential candidate who won a Silver Star for what happened on that date. I am the other.”

Before now, wanting to put memories of war and killing behind him, Rood had refused all requests for interviews on the subject, including from his own newspaper. “But Kerry’s critics, armed with stories I know to be untrue, have charged that the accounts of what happened were overblown.” he wrote.

“The critics have taken pains to say they’re not trying to cast doubts on the merit of what others did, but their version of events has splashed doubt on all of us.

“It’s gotten harder and harder for those of us who were there to listen to accounts we know to be untrue, especially when they come from people who were not there,” he added.

Kerry, a former Navy lieutenant, is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran, and his war service is essential to his ability to challenge President Bush (news - web sites) on issues of national security and leadership in the face of the Iraq (news - web sites) war and terrorism threats.

Increasingly, veterans opposed to Kerry and allied with Bush — led by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth — have tried to undermine Kerry’s service record and credibility and the justification for his medals.

In the face of a new CBS poll showing Kerry’s support among veterans has slipped since the Democratic convention, the Massachusetts senator has launched an aggressive counterattack.

On Friday, Kerry accused the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth of collaborating with the Bush campaign and asked the Federal Election Commission (news - web sites) to force the group to withdraw ads challenging his Vietnam service.

Bush spent the war in the United States serving in the Texas Air National Guard. Some Democrats have accused Bush of going absent without leave from the guard, citing gaps in his attendance record.

]]> by: Mariana Corrado http://politicalwinds.net/wp/index.php/archives/2004/08/21/returning-to-1971-and-finding-the-truth/#comment-43 Mon, 23 Aug 2004 18:12:47 +0000 http://politicalwinds.net/wp/index.php/archives/2004/08/21/returning-to-1971-and-finding-the-truth/#comment-43 Hi Grant, As usual I think this is great. However, I wish we could organize some call to action. Either have everyone who is disgusted with the media (and the reporters who all seem to have capitulated to their corporate benefactors be it GE, Disney, Fox, etc.) organize a protest. Be it a TV boycott for a week during the time when the networks are launching their fall roll-out of new shows. Or a barrage of e-mail and faxes to the shows and their hosts that are promoting misinformation. I personally would love to see a full page ad in the NY Times, LA Times and Washington Post written as a giant WANT AD for real journalists in this country with the guts and integrity to focus on the truth and the facts and let the public know what's really going on. This of course would cost some real bucks while the other methods are free! Hi Grant, As usual I think this is great. However, I wish we could organize some call to action. Either have everyone who is disgusted with the media (and the reporters who all seem to have capitulated to their corporate benefactors be it GE, Disney, Fox, etc.) organize a protest. Be it a TV boycott for a week during the time when the networks are launching their fall roll-out of new shows. Or a barrage of e-mail and faxes to the shows and their hosts that are promoting misinformation.

I personally would love to see a full page ad in the NY Times, LA Times and Washington Post written as a giant WANT AD for real journalists in this country with the guts and integrity to focus on the truth and the facts and let the public know what’s really going on. This of course would cost some real bucks while the other methods are free!

]]>