KERRY LET'S PRESS DO "DIRTY WORK" IN ATTACKING VETERANS
Not willing to release his own military records, John Kerry's campaign (OK, let's called it "The Wasthington Post" who, so far hasn't been able to get Kerry's records) has leveraged the FOIA to get Larry Thurlow's records released. Thurlow is one of the Swift Boat Veteran's for Truth who oppose John Kerry's candidacy - a candidacy built almost entirely on John Kerry's 2 tours in Vietnam, including 4 months of combat. While Kerry mentions his service in every speech and has even conditioned reporters to describe him in unrelated articles as a "decorated Vietnam veteran", he thinks people should not dare think critically about his boasts.

Kerry even runs an ad with John Edwards saying "If you have any question about what John Kerry's made of, just spend 3 minutes with the men who served with him." Thurlow served with John Kerry, but Edwards means you should spend three minutes with only a very select few who served with John Kerry. And, by the way, you can talk to Max Cleland, who didn't. Don't dare spend three minutes with those who served in his Swift boat flotilla unless Kerry pulled him out of the water and his name has been provided by the Kerry campaign. And ignore the entire chain of command above him.

So, the Thurlow attack is based on a recent affidavit he signed saying that he and Kerry weren't under enemy fire during the Rassmann incident, which apparently contradicts the Bronze Star citiation received by Thurlow. But, Thurlow says his bronze star, too, is fraudulent if based on enemy fire. Somehow, this makes Thurlow a liar, and that's an issue to the Kerry campaign.

But it doesn't. In fact, it is wholly consistent with the story that Thurlow is telling today, that the incident did not happen the way Kerry says and that the medal citation is wrong. Now, we can argue Thurlow versus Navy, Thurlow versus Kerry, Kerry vesus Navy, etc., but that's what the whole SwiftVet complaint is about -- that the Navy awarded medals based on inaccurate accounts by Kerry that he is repeating today. But as usual, the press doesn't understand and refuses to look into the cornerstone of Kerry's campaign for President. They aren't questioning Kerry about it or demanded a release of his records as they did with President Bush. And today, The New York Times simply whines that this is the kind of thing that too much free speech leads to.