Veteran retracts criticism of Kerry

[papau]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/06/veteran_retracts_criticism_of_kerry/

Veteran retracts criticism of Kerry
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff | August 6, 2004

WASHINGTON -- A week after Senator John F. Kerry heralded his wartime experience by surrounding himself at the Democratic convention with his Vietnam ''Band of Brothers," a separate group of veterans has launched a television ad campaign and a book that questions the basis for some of Kerry's combat medals.

But yesterday, a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions. Lieutenant Commander George Elliott said in an interview that he had made a ''terrible mistake" in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star -- one of the main allegations in the book. The affidavit was given to The Boston Globe by the anti-Kerry group to justify assertions in their ad and book.<snip>

Yesterday, reached at his home, Elliott said he regretted signing the affidavit and said he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star.

''I still don't think he shot the guy in the back," Elliott said. ''It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here."<sni

Elliott said he was no under personal or political pressure to sign the statement, but he did feel ''time pressure" from those involved in the book. ''That's no excuse," Elliott said. ''I knew it was wrong . . . In a hurry I signed it and faxed it back. That was a mistake."

The affidavit also contradicted earlier statements by Elliott, who came to Boston during Kerry's 1996 Senate campaign to defend Kerry on similar charges, saying that Kerry acted properly and deserved the Silver Star.<snip>

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http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2004/08/06/kerry_smear/index_np.html

Historian Douglas Brinkley says the accusations in the Swift Boat ad are lies- "These are malicious fabrications in the heat of the election." The veterans in the ad "are simply malcontents who have never forgiven Kerry for his actions in speaking out against the war. They seek retribution by fabricating stories to destroy him."



Swift Boat Veteran John O'Neill has been trying to discredit John Kerry for three decades. He'd be more believable if he'd stop telling bald-faced lies on national TV.

By Martin Lewis

Aug. 6, 2004 | In 1971, John O'Neill was Richard Nixon's personal choice to attack Veterans Against the War leader John Kerry. Thirty-three years later, O'Neill is still on the attack. And as his recent lie on CNN shows, he has no more credibility now than he did then.
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Aamong other vets, George Elliot and Adrian Lonsdale with Elliott backing away from his assertion that Kerry shot a fleeing teenager in the back, telling the Boston Globe that he made a terrible mistake by signing an affidavit to that effect.back in 1996, when Kerry was running for re-election in Massachusetts, Elliott came to Kerry's defense, saying at a press conference, "The fact that he chased armed enemies down is not something to be looked down on." And who will first get to Lonsdale, who, in 1996, quite easily praised Kerry for the same conduct he is now criticizing him for in an ad? "As far as I was concerned, the war was won over there in that part for that period. And it was mainly won because of the bravado and the courage of the young officers that ran the boats, the SWIFT boats and the Coast Guard cutters and Senator Kerry was no exception. He was among the finest of those," he said in 1996.
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On CNN's "American Morning," Bill Hemmer interviewed two Vietnam vets — anti-Kerry Bob Elder and pro-Kerry Dal Sundusky. Elder said his gripe with Kerry was not only his betrayal that followed the Vietnam War, but also the way he "grossly exaggerated and lied" to get his first Purple Heart — an honor, Elder said, that did not meet the military's requirements for the award, which is that it come from hostile fire. Asked if he was there that day, Elder said, "No," but that he could "fill this studio with eyewitnesses." Why is his group only coming forward now? Elder said, "We have sat in silent and actual visceral contempt of this man for so many years because of his betrayal." Elder said they are only coming forward now because Kerry has decided he wants to be commander in chief. Sundusky vouched for Kerry's Bronze Star, Silver Star and two of his Purple Hearts though he was not there for Kerry's first incident either. Sundusky said, "John Kerry is a warrior" and that the United States needs a "warrior" in the White House because we are facing a "mess in Iraq."

[lunarboy13]

1. And so begins...

The sinking of the "Swiftboat Veterans Against Kerry" campaign. I hope the media keeps a spot-light on this...

[LiberalBushFan]

2. no mainstrain coverage of this retraction

at least not on cnn.com, msnbc.com, or foxnews.com homepages

[Got WMD]

3. CNN covered it this morning

Swift Boat retraction + Embarrassing Jobs report + Poor reception at
Minority Media Conference = TERROR ALERT... Triple Orange!!!!

Be Afraid... Be very Afraid!!!!

[vickie]

4. This is terrific.

Apparently (of course too late) this man grew a conscience. Hopefully this will further discredit these despicable characters.

I must say, I was surprised by how the sanctimonious screamers from cable tv (with the exception of the frauds of Faux - with the shocking exception of O'Reilly who said the evidence of Kerry's war record obviously supports Kerry) were very tepid and careful on this topic. They mostly sided with Kerry, as the swift boat crew that actually served with him attested to and supported his valor and bravery. Having Rassman (the special ops officer he pulled from the river) out there is very helpful. Having McCain denounce it is equally helpful.

Most of the blatherers seemed to agree that this has the potential to do more damage to the Dim Son than to Kerry (as Kerry actually volunteered to serve).

After the fake BIMBO story and now this. What are these clowns going to come up with next? Kerry was with goats...he's a cross-dresser...wife beater...bank robber...

We are dealing with some really loathesome scum!

Vickie Carter
Redondo Beach, CA