Kicking The Ashes

Oh my goodness - Jeb Bush defended John McCain as a war hero but once upon a time did not similarly defend John Kerry. That prompts Jake Trapper of CNN (who we normally like) to chime in with this:

Washington (CNN)After Donald Trump questioned Republican Sen. John McCain's status as a war hero, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush quickly jumped to McCain's defense.

"Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans - particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration," he tweeted on Saturday.

But that outrage was missing ten years ago, when a political group attacked another Vietnam veteran -- then-Sen. John Kerry, the Democratic nominee who sought to unseat Bush's brother, the incumbent president, during the 2004 election.

Instead, Bush praised Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that lobbed attacks questioning Kerry's service record in Vietnam -- attacks McCain unequivocally criticized in 2004 as "dishonest and dishonorable."

And the real groaner is this presentation of the view from the left as The Whole Truth:

All of the charges were contradicted by official military records and almost all of the men who served with Kerry came out in defense of their former crewmate, praising his courage. Only one of the swift boat critics served with Kerry.

Kerry received several medals for his service in Vietnam, including several Purple Heart medals for injuries he sustained in combat.

The Swift Boat attacks have since been widely discredited and the term swiftboating is now synonymous with lobbing unfair political attacks.

"All of the charges" were contradicted by military records? Just off-hand, what about Kerry's claim, made in a speech on the Senate floor, that he had spent Christmas in Cambodia after an illegal covert border crossing? No military records have been produced to verify Kerry's claim and his spokespeople backtracked. Which means what - all the Swift Boat charges were false except the ones that weren't?

My personal favorite is the charge by Admiral Schachte (ret) that, back when he was a brash young lieutenant and Executive Officer of Kerry's unit, it was Schachte, rather than Kerry, that commanded the three men in a whaler that led to Kerry's first Purple Heart.

The plot twist is this - "everybody" in the legacy media knows that Schachte was not on the boat because two sailors, Zaladonis and Runyon, claim that they were, as does John Kerry. But what they don't know is that Zaladonis and Runyon only came forward with that claim in 2004 when Kerry was under fire. Back in 2003, Zaladonis (who subsequently served on a Kerry Swift boat) was interviewed "repeatedly" by historian and hagiographer Douglas Brinkley. Michal Kranish of the Boston Globe also interviewed Zaladonis. Yet neither of these interviewers elicited from Zaladonis in 2003 the story about Kerry's first combat and first Purple Heart on what later was described by Zaladonis as "one of the scariest nights I've had in my life".

That is either a stunning lapse of interview technique by two different reporters or a strong hint that Zaladonis has a convenient memory. Of course, Brinkley also had access to Kerry's extensive war diary, but never references that source in piecing together the story of Kerry's first big adventure and first medal. All very mysterious, unless one suspects that Brinkley was more interested in propping up his central character than presenting the truth. As to official military records confirming who was on that patrol? Lost to history, sort of like Kerry's diary seem to be.

Well, water over the dam. But Jake Tapper ought to know better than to announce that all these questions were answered. And perhaps, if all the charges were answered, we can learn why it was that back in 2006 Kerry was promising to fight hard and fully debunk his critics. That business remains unfinished.

Comments

[James D]

Personally, I don't normally like Tapper.

He may be marginally less bad than some of his MSM brethren, but he is by no means honest, objective or anything that one would hope a reporter covering Presidential politics would be. He's still a leftist shill. Being the least shilly and the weakest leftist is not reason for praise.

[sbw]

Bush: Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans - particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration

Cheap rhetorical trick to group other veterans into a criticism directed at McCain. Neither Bush nor McCain is presidential timber.

[James D]

Also, there is a much larger distinction between the Swift Boat criticisms of Kerry, which Bush approved of; and Trump's criticism of McCain, which he doesn't. A couple, actually.

For one thing, Kerry's critics were fellow veterans, in some cases men who served directly with Kerry and thus had personal experience of their claims; Trump is not a veteran and has no shared experience with McCain.

For another, the Swift Boat critics were calling out Kerry's honesty and credibility (with ample reason); Trump was mocking McCain's capture and his suffering, but not at all disputing the truth of his experiences.

[narciso]

it's all category,

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1201872/posts?q=1&;page=51

seeing how Lurch has given the warm handshake to both the Wandering Coma, and the mullah's puppet,
Schachte was in fact underplaying his comments,

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Kerry was promising to fight hard and fully debunk his critics.--

Oh, for a just country where Kerry could conduct his debunking fight in the same cell OJ is searching for Nicole's real killer from.

If the magic hat doesn't fit, you must acquit.

[Jeff Dobbs]

Media: "Oh no. Trump stepped in it. We don't want him out of the race, he hurts Republicans."

John Kerry: ::salutes:: "Reporting for duty!"

Media: "Oooh, good plan. Republicans hate Kerry even more than McCain. If we make attacking Trump for his comments mean supporting Kerry - they'll back off for sure."

[maryrose]

Jeff
I was just going to ask for a new thread
I still would like to know the approximate number of regular posters here
Do not includetrolls

[Jim Smith]

In sworn testimony to the Senate, Kerry claimed to have personally witnessed atrocities and war crimes committed by American troops. He also admitted he had never made any attempt to stop them, not report these actions to superiors.

Under the UCMJ, Kerry's failure to act makes him as guilty as those who actually committed the crimes.

[narciso]

another piece, with a touch of category error:

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2015/07/21/even-trump-cant-knock-out-trump/

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Reposting from the last thread because it is a must read;
Stanley Kurtz on Barry's intentional destruction of the suburbs, now given the SCOTUS's disparate impact stamp of approval.

[narciso]

any further questions:

http://www.weaselzippers.us/229675-kerry-i-dont-know-how-to-interpret-ayatollah-khameneis-anti-american-remarks-after-nuclear-deal/

[Captain Hate]

Rocket surgeon on call:

http://www.weaselzippers.us/229659-martin-omalley-climate-change-created-isis/

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Hackers can remotely kill your car, and, if you're unfortunate, you.

[Dave (in MA)]

3824 days since Lurch promised to release his military records.

[narciso]

the thing is just because they are against IS, doesn't mean they are the good guys, its like stalinists vs, maoists

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2015/07/officials-from-al-nusrah-front-ahrar-al-sham-vow-to-continue-fight-against-islamic-state.php

[DebinNC]

Kurtz: "Grantees must identify factors (such as zoning laws, public-housing admissions criteria, and “lack of regional collaboration”) that account for any imbalance in living patterns"

I wonder if qualifying as "poor" is the only criteria, and not whether potential Section 8 applicants have felony records or house those that do?

[Captain Hate]

It must really frost Tapper and the rest of the Lurch shills that despite their protestations about them being "debunked" that the Swift Boaters were believed by more people than otherwise. And may well have put GWB over the top.

[narciso]

Tapper is a feckless weasel, as I have pointed out,
his big break was shilling the Medici stole the election, back in 2000, for Salon,

[Fleeing like gazelles.]

Heh, so we get to refight the Swift Boat wars.

I think it would be very interesting to get Jeb on record now about what he thinks of the Swifties. He won't say anything, now, betcha.

Even more interesting would be the thrust if he and Kerry were the respective nominees.

Several months ago I was amazed to be the subject of a frenzied attack by an otherwise reliable commenter when I started making Swiftie jokes about Kerry. This guy claimed to have vetted the story for Dubya, and all he had was the standard Kerry apologia about vindicating service records. So, I suspect another attempt will be made to rehabilitate Kerry. I hope more pictures come to light this time.

By Gaia, I hope this becomes a campaign issue again. Kerry can not stand the scrutiny, as we well showed here on this blog, lo these many years ago.

[Captain Hate]

Maybee had a soft spot in her noggin for Tapper which I'm sure Outhouse doesn't comment negatively on.

[James D]

Ig @ 12:44

That's horrifying, although not at all surprising.

I know I'll sound like a Luddite, but I don't know why we need to have our cars constantly connected on the level described in that article.

It seems to me as though the opportunity for mischief (either by private actors, or the government) is just too easy with that technology.

[Appalled]

How many noticed TM's felicitous (and perhaps intended) typo in this post?

[Captain Hate]

That looks like an autocorrect to me but maybe not...

[narciso]

some of his handiwork here:

http://www.historycommons.org/entity.jsp?entity=jake_tapper_1

[henry]

JamesD, it's part of the remote monitoring / kill switch that ends the danger of police chases (which police in blue hells don't do anyway). The elite know better than us.

Actually it is a very good warning for any part of the Internet of Things -- not much thought given to security or privacy on any of this stuff. The ROI for the manufacturer is in automating service calls / minimizing warranty costs.

[James D]

Re: Jake Tapper

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/14334/i-dated-monica-lewinsky

[Timb_116]

What a strange thing to type:

"Schachte, rather than Kerry, that {sic} commanded the three men in a whaler that led to Kerry's first Purple Heart"

So Schachte got shot in a combat zone and Kerry didn't?

I'm afraid Kerry's wonds suffered here ARE part of military records.

Tom shows just how far "reasonable" conservatives have drifted away from reality by defending the Swift Boat astroturf slanderers.

[narciso]

well look what we have here:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/chattanooga-shooter-mohammod-abdulazeez-al-qaeda-cleric-online/story?id=32585636

[Timb_116]

Crap, I posted too soon! That is exactly what Tom is saying. That a conspiracy of of Naval officers and enlisted men completed paperwork and medical records in order to get Kerry a Purple Heart he did not deserve!

Christ, slander lives on longer than the truth. Try Occam's Razor the next time you're asked to believe a Rove operation

[Go ahead, I dare ya.]

Heh, now ask Jeb Bush about John Kerry.

[Captain Hate]

I'm afraid Kerry's wonds suffered here ARE part of military records.

The records the lantern jawed goof won't release?

[Dave (in MA)]

Jughead has relented and has ordered the WH flag to be lowered to half-staff.

[C'mon, bring the Army Captain.]

Hiya, Timb 116. Go re-do reading comprehension. You're gonna embarrass yourself.

[Dave (in MA)]

Ig 12:44, you're just trying to make me feel better about driving a 12 year old car with a cassette deck.

[All three Hearts self-inflicted. Oh, my dying ass.]

The joke I'd made was about the AK-47 fire at the boat sinking. I actually believe there may well have been one.

[Captain Hate]

Glad to see that Poppin' really upgraded things by adding Jizz Shaw:

http://hotair.com/archives/2015/07/21/john-kasich-dumped-from-democrat-fundraiser-just-in-time-to-announce-potus-bid/

[narciso]

you see why they had let the squirrels run rampant, the shooter had awlaki's greatest hits collection, since the T-Dawgs big audition

[Jack is Back!]

All I have to say is that nothing can be debunked until the full DD-214 for Lt. Jg. John F. Kerry is released un-redacted with all amendments. I am especially interested in that one little detaill where President Jimmy Carter, CINC at the time, pardoned Kerry's dishonorable discharge and changed it to honorable or general discharge.

[narciso]

oops only off by 18 years, snorfle,

[Dave (in MA)]

CH, it's seared in my memory that he signed a form that allowed a completely impartial and unbiased third party, a Boston Globe guy, to take a peek at 'em and say that there's no there there. What more do you want?

[Captain Hate]

Very impressive on the updated count of Lurch's broken promise to Tim Russert, Dave; or is Howie keeping a running tally?

Tammy Bruce is carving up Preacher Kasich for his Medicaid expansion over the wishes of the state Senate.

[narciso]

and Carlos Slim's assured us, Bill Ayers was just a guy from Zaphod's neighborhood, nothing to see here,

[I still think Trump should run for the Democratic nomination.]

Somebody must be awfully confident that they can carry the narrative this time.

Kerry's been awfully quiet about this for years. I wonder if he's happy to see it brought back into the public discourse.

I guess we'll see. Imagine the Democrats so impoverished as to actually try to push this guy forward again. Who'll they consider next? Al Gore?

[Captain Hate]

Jeb Bush would make a good mainstream donk candidate.

[narciso]

when you dial down the ambient noise, you find this,

http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2015/07/21/new-developments-in-chattanooga-terror-attack-as-killers-family-media-pushes-loon-wolf-narrative/

[Captain Hate]

I'd love to see Tammy Bruce debate the new Phyllis Diller on Planned Parenthood.

[We don't call him 'Ol Ricebutt' for nuthin.]

Cap'n Haha, the records released do document his injuries, and that they are self-inflicted, sometimes not in the presence of the enemy.

[Captain Hate]

Yes Kim, maybe he had to jam mashed potatoes into that cavernous jaw to counterbalance the rice particles in his fat ass.

[Dave (in MA)]

CH, I set up a javascript counter back when the promise to Russert was starting to reveal itself as the BS that we all knew it was, over 10 years ago when I had briefly dabbled with the idea of keeping a blog.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Christ, slander lives on longer than the truth.--

Well, what we're talking about is libel not slander, but in either case, the problem Kerry has is, truth is an insurmountable defense against defamation.

[Dave (in MA)]

The GOP may have a lunatic fringe (i.e. Trump), but when the other side's idea of a moderate thinks that ISIS is caused by global warming, where's the sane fringe?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--Jeb Bush would make a good mainstream donk candidate.-

Yes he would. I wonder what kind of draw a moderate Republican changing parties and running against the various Marxist and socialist harpies and posers would have.

[Good times. Heh, ahead.]

I suspect Timb drew the short straw. Apparently, on very scanty evidence so far, he's quite ignorant of the whole fray and has been given standard talking points, conspiracy, Rove, official naval records.

Learn it up, Timb. Well worth your effort if he's gonna make a dash for it.

[Captain Hate]

Obviously Timb is unaware of how much I pine for the day when Rove stops stealing my oxygen.

[Captain Hate]

Is anybody surprised that the car which was hacked and driven into a ditch was the product of Chrysler and FixItAgainTony?

[jimmyk]

when the other side's idea of a moderate thinks that ISIS is caused by global warming, where's the sane fringe?

Here is a brief list of all the things caused by climate change, with links. Note that the ISIS claim goes back to a Puff Host piece a year ago:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/charles-b-strozier/how-climate-change-helped_b_5903170.html

[jojo]

the way I remember it Bush never condemned the swifties but he kept himself very apart from them. if I'm remembering rightly, Tapper's a liar and sloppy reporter "Instead, Bush praised Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group that lobbed attacks questioning Kerry's service record in Vietnam."

[Gad I hope Kerry reminds us he served in Vietnam.]

jojo, don't confuse the two Bushes.

From the attack by my internet friend, I suspect that Dubya Bush never quite trusted the Swifties. We know he could err; see Libby.

[Captain Hate]

I think your memory is accurate, jojo.

A member of the Horde on Trump:

Right now Trump's putting on a show and people who are polled like the show. And one thing: They don't take the actual race seriously. To be fair, they shouldn't. 15 months out, you're an LIV and you're asked about a bunch of no-names and that goof who is always on TV. He's funny. Who wouldn't vote for Lou Costello for president?

[narciso]

that sounds about right,

http://hotair.com/headlines/archives/2015/07/21/ex-iaea-leader-24-day-inspection-delay-under-nuke-deal-will-boost-irans-cheating/

you know I'm shocked,

[The worst of it was abandoning the sailors from the sinking boat.]

Cowardice and panic were the hallmarks of Kerry's service in to the Nam. I don't blame him for shooting the rocketeer in the back; I blame him for charging the position, foolishly and in a panic.

Then he tried to make it into innovative tactics, which caught a brief echo among the command, and may well have cost the life of his best friend over there, who may have been copying the tactic when he died, foolishly, but not from cowardice.

[Easy to misread.]

To be more clear, jojo, Tapper was quoting Jeb back then, not Dubya.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

No point in anyone else commenting on the Trump phenomenon after that 2:12 gem, Cap'n.

In fact, I'm ordering my Lou Costello bumper sticker right now.
Was thinking about updating my Ben Davis campaign theme

but maybe a fresher face than the guys running is what's needed...like a guy who's been dead 50 or 60 years.

[Well worth examining.]

jk, re: cooling, look at the UAH and RSS satellite temperature series.

The 'cause' has suffered greatly in the pandemonium of the rush up to Paris this winter. There is much cognitive dissonance, half want to explain the pause and half try to deny it.

The most recent NOAA adjustment by Thomas Karl et al is finally jumping the shark on temperature series.

[Captain Hate]

Don't get me started on the obscene lengths of modern Presidential campaigns, Iggy. Don't the candidates have anything better to do with their time? I know I blame this idiot for many of the ills of the world, but wasn't it Adultery of the Heart who first camped out in Iowa for a humongously unprecedented amount of time before their trash caucuses?

[Captain Hate]

Tammy Bruce shares some of our frustration of Fiorina possibly being excluded from the Rove News Channel debate.

[jojo]

darn I was hoping Tapper was making stuff up

[matt]

Did Kerry meet with Le Duc To or just some of his minions?

[Publius]

From Ignatz @ 12:16pm on the previous thread: Thomas Sowell on the traitor in chief and Iran (LUN)

"If he is that savvy at home, why is he so apparently incompetent abroad? Answering that question may indeed require us to "think the unthinkable," that we have indeed elected a man for whom America's best interests are not his top priority."

Thomas Sowell speaks the truth, but why has it taken six and one-half years for someone to speak what has been obvious from the first campaign?

The truth may not set us free, but it can illuminate what a mess we are in.

[James D]

CH @ 2:30

In all seriousness, I blame 24 hour news and the Internet for a lot of it, too.

There's so much time to fill, and so many people whose jobs depend on filling it, that the campaign just extends forever and ever.

[Miss Marple]

matt,

Met with Madam Nguyen Thi Binh who was one of the North Vietnamese representatives. I don't think Le Duc To was in Paris, sent reps instead.

[Captain Hate]

Paging Luis Gutierrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrez:

http://www.weaselzippers.us/229674-family-injured-when-hit-head-on-by-high-illegal-alien-driver-in-car-crash/

[pagar]

" that we have indeed elected a man for whom America's best interests are not his top priority."

IMO, has no concern at all about America's best interest. IMO, the administration's total concern is turning America into a fourth world nation. Looked down on by every other nation.

[Captain Hate]

Another unfunny bitter toad going away:

Garrison Keillor is retiring, no longer to do Prairie Home Companion.

[Appalled]

CH:

Re your 2:12 ==

Trump isn't Lou Costello, he's Bud Abbott, making the outlandish seem totally normal. Lou Costello is the voter who takes him seriously.

I'm paying Trump a compliment by the way. Costello is a so-so comedian. Abbott is the best straight man that ever lived.

[James D]

Answering that question may indeed require us to "think the unthinkable," that we have indeed elected a man for whom America's best interests are not his top priority."

That's been clear to most of us here since he first came onto the national scene.

Honestly, you'd have to do some serious mental gymnastics to even momentarily entertain the idea that he's ever had the slightest concern for America's best interests.

[Appalled]

In case you need a laugh in this somewhat surreal times:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_TGQ7rGL-Q

[matt]

Keillor lost it years ago. All schticks get old eventually.

Taranto really eviscerates Trump if you can access it. Trump is about as Republican as Bloomberg. A stooge for the oligopoly.

[Dave (in MA)]

David Burge @iowahawkblog
One week you're shaming people for not lowering a flag, the next you're being shamed into it yourself.
12:38 PM - 21 Jul 2015

[narciso]

http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20150721/news/150729797/

[Jeff Dobbs]

Ig:
In fact, I'm ordering my Lou Costello bumper sticker right now.
Was thinking about updating my Ben Davis campaign theme [...] but maybe a fresher face than the guys running is what's needed..

You haven't given up on HCOAB, have you?

[Publius]

You know that James, and I know that, but so far, I've only heard Bobby Jindal, Marco Rubio, and Ben Carson, allude to this fact, and even then you have to listen very carefully to what they say.

The point being is that what we think here at JOM does not register a peep within the knowledge of the general electorate. I'm confident that the vast majority of the city in which you live would vehemently disagree with both of us.

[DebinNC]

Oh for the days when the idea of "being paid to loaf" was so absurd it was funny.

[maryrose]

I love how people are starting to fill in the blanks wrt Obama
If we are lucky a person of his ilk will never be elected president again

[vet]

Republican party didn't ask saxbe chambliss to resign for questioning max clelands patriotism a wounded vietnam veteran or republican candidates attacks on tami duckworth.

[maryrose]

Dave
I love love love Iowahawk

[maryrose]

Vet get
Time to check Tammy Duckworths shady Veterans Affairs dealings and then get back to us
Kerry is a Boston Brahmi n Beacon Hill fraud which is really why he lost the election

[maryrose]

Remember Teraysuhs tax. Rate was 12 per cent

[DebinNC]

I think it would be hard to find another viable candidate as disconnected from mainstream America (Muslim Indonesia-Frank Marshall Davis HI-AmeriKKKa TUCC) as BOzo.

[maryrose]

Deb in NC
Obama is not like us
I said the same thing about some of the radicalized Mideasterners
Their growing up culture is very different from ours as is their respect for human life

[DebinNC]

Saxby Chambliss ad re Max Cleland's voting record that was pulled after John McCain and Chuck Hagel objected: link

Any airing and negative reaction to any Dem vet's voting record is an attack on his/her patriotism. And no pics of enemies aided by their Senate/House votes may be shown.

[Dave (in MA)]

"new Phyllis Diller" LOL, but I don't get the reference.

Maryrose, I'm sure he likes you, too.

[Janet S.]

also about Jake Tapper -

"In 1992, Tapper served as a campaign press secretary for Democratic congressional candidate Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky (PA-13) and later served as her congressional press secretary.[11]"

That is Chelsea Clinton's mother-in-law.

[DebinNC]

I won't link to The Last Refuge, because I don't want to give Trump more hits, but he responded today in SC to Lindsey calling him "jackass" yesterday. Trump recounted a story of Graham calling him awhile back, asking him to put in a good word for him at FOX and leaving his (hopefully, home) phone number. Today Trump held up the card on which he'd written the number and read it aloud ... slowly ... twice. Am I wrong to find that hilarious?

[GMax]

So how many little baby parts does it take to buy a Lamborghini? Inquiring minds want to know.

[DebinNC]

Lindsey on Twitter now requesting new phone suggestions.

[maryrose]

Transportation Bill going down in flames

[DebinNC]

Team Graham's response to Trump giving out Lindsey's personal phone number:

"The two people most excited about Donald Trump's candidacy are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton," Ferry said. "Because of Trump's bombastic and ridiculous campaign, we aren't talking about Obama's horrible deal with Iran or Hillary Clinton's plans to continue Obama's failed national security agenda."

Right, we're talking about Trump's response to Lindsey Graham calling him a "jackass" on Good Morning America.

[GUS]

Hey Timb, are you just a seagull flyby fuktard??

If you can fill us in on John Effin' Kerry's injuries, and proof of them, I'm willing to listen. Until then fuck yourself.

[henry]

Yeah, Trump will cause the world to ignore his criticisms of bad policies on immigration, the Iran deal, etc. it's now who did Trump insult this time?