McGee - you love your stuff so much, you post it twice :lol:

I don't happen to think Winter Soldier is a problem at all - at least among those of us who lived through Vietnam.

The Bush campaign's tacit approval of the Swift boat stuff is going to open up his Alabama records and his Texas Air Guard (how he got in ahead of the waiting list), all over again.

I suspect that this is a battle that Bush can't really win.

If the group (the money, and press lady) had not been involved in the sliming of McCain and Max Cleveland then it wouldn't look so bad.

I suspect that they will not be able to walk away from it.

And they should have briefed Dole a little better. He went out on national television and said, Hell, how could he have gotten those purple hearts - two on the same day.

Unfortunately, as pundits have immediately pointed out, each was not only a different day but a different month.

The one thing that will surface is that there was a real downsizing of requirements for medals - especially Bronze Star. I think the Silver Star which Kerry also won was a pretty valid award.

My brother got a bronze star for simply being there for 12 months with the same unit. He was so impressed with his medal that he hit it (he was hitting rocks with a bat) into a swamp.

But, I do think that comparing military service is probably not a good thing for Bush.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Back to finances:

How come all you appologists can't find a reason for the fact that $8 billion, which was supposedly to go for infratstructure and security, has simply disappeared.

That's $8 billion.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Sorry for the double post -- the server burped.

Well, we'll see. My own guess is that it's a killer in many many ways, particularly among heartland swing voters. There's a reason Kerry wanted to keep it quiet.

Two things:

1. In a campaign season with Moveon, Michael Moore, and George Soros I am spectacularly unimpressed with the "tacit approval" charge. Hypocrisy, wither thou?

2. Indeed, as far as I know the Bush campaign has maintained a distance from the ads. Oh, sure, they're no doubt financed by a Republican -- but as long as there's no coordination with the campaign there's nothing wrong with that. Welcome to McCain-Feingold.

3. (okay, I lied). I don't think it's gonna damage Bush the same way. The National Guard stuff is already widely known about him -- this has already been vetted out. People's minds have already been made up, one way or the other about it. (It's like bringing up his years of drinking; old news.) Whereas a lot of the Kerry stuff, while percolating out there for years, is not well-known, I suspect, to the average Joe.

4. (hell, I'm on a roll) Except for the Cambodian charge (already proven to be true) I agree that the medal stuff waters down to he said/she said. I tend to believe the SBV's, but I agree that it's inconclusive. Again, though, that Winter Soldier stuff is looming -- they've already run an ad in some markets, I think.

Well, again, we'll see. My guess is that there's no way Bush really loses. At a bare minimum Kerry's credibility takes a hit as he has to backtrack on previous claims, as well as his iconic status as supersoldier takes a few dings.

This was all avoidable, is the thing. Even now, if Kerry would sit down with an interviewer somewhere and defend himself, he'd be able to at least staunch the bleeding.

tmcgee

One of their veteran staffpersons just had to be let go because he appeared in the new ad.

Oh, its a coincidence.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

That is why if the Dems did not lose their minds in the primary and they would have elected Lieberman then Lieberman would have won. Instead Kerry will continue to be picked apart. Just wait until the RNC starts reading his comments from the SEnate floor how the 1991 Gulf War was going to become another Vietnam and 1,000's would come home in body bags. Has Kerry been right about anything in his life???

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"If you have the courage to begin, you have the courage to succeed." -- David Viscott

First of all, Kerry did publicly denounce the more extreme attack ads that organizations like MOVE ON have run. Neither Bush nor anyone in his administration have done so with the Swift Boat Veterans for Trashing Progressives (oops I meant Truth).

Secondly, Bush campaign financeers have a direct link , (one of them is the moneyman for SBVT) to the SBVT and several other Conservative PACs trashing Kerry; Kerry has no such links to MOVE ON or any of the other fringe anti-Bush groups to my knowledge.

So you are wrong on both accounts tmcgee...

:what_is_:

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Peace,

John

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And McGee, despite your protests, it did turn out that the Bush team had direct interface with the Swift boat people and two Bush-Cheney staff have had to resign because of it.

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

Is the FBI secretly supporting John Kerry? I can't believe the timing of this investigation. Go Kerry. Bash Cheney.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6356265/

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs

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“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” - Jane Jacobs