Swift boat book sinking faster
Rev. Bob 'Bob' Crispen
home George W. Bush, the anti-Kerry book keeps on crumbling.
First you had Kerry's commander George Elliott confessing that "he had
made a 'terrible mistake' in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry
did not deserve the Silver Star." He went on to say that he thought
Kerry did deserve the medal.
Then you have author Larry Thurlow who's been accusing Kerry of lying
about the conditions to which Kerry recieved his Bronze star, saying he
was never in a situation that merited it. Turns out, the situation was
the same one in which Thurlow also recieved his own Bronze Star. Oops.
Then there's author John Corsi, who's given us these gems elsewhere:
On Islam: "a worthless, dangerous Satanic religion"
On Catholicism: "Boy buggering in both Islam and Catholicism
is okay with the Pope as long as it isn't reported by the
liberal press"
On Muslims: "RAGHEADS are Boy-Bumpers as clearly as they are
Women-Haters -- it all goes together"
On Kerry: "After he married TerRAHsa, didn't John Kerry begin
practicing Judiasm? He also has paternal grandparents that
were Jewish. What religion is John Kerry?"
On Senator Clinton: "Anybody ask why HELLary couldn't keep
BJ Bill satisfied? Not lesbo or anything, is she?"
Now stop just a minute. *That* is the best the Bush supporters could
get to write their book.
Then there's a major source, Retired Admiral Roy Hoffman, who has
changed his claims against Kerry and has told conflicting stories.
And now we discover that the book was bankrolled by longtime Bush
cronies. Texas GOP backer Bob J. Perry, who has donated more than
$100,000 and Crow Holdings, a Dallas development company run by Harlan
Crow, a trustee for the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. Crow
provided the bulk of the remaining budget for the group's operations,
including the anti-Kerry television ads.
Perry, a Houston homebuilder, is a major financial backer of both Bush
and Texas Congressman Tom DeLay. In the 1999-2000 election cycle,
according to Federal Election Commission records, Perry gave more than
$260,000 to Republican candidates and party committees. FEC filings
show Crow gave more than $300,000 to GOP causes in the same cycle.
St. Louis businessman William Franke, a Missouri Republican with close
ties to Attorney General John Ashcroft, is paying for the group’s web
site, according to the IRS filings. Robert A. Hahn, the web site
designer is a director for The Free Republic Network, a conservative
Republican activist organization, as is webmaster Scott Swett.
You used to be able to count on Republicans to run a proper smear
campaign. But the sheer incompetence of this effort is simply
embarrassing. Charles Colson, who's been involved with John O'Neill in
trying to discredit Kerry since 1971, must be shaking his head.
--
Rev. Bob "Bob" Crispen
bob at crispen dot org
Ex Cathedra Weblog: http://blog.crispen.org/
Don't ask yourself what the world needs - ask yourself what makes you
come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people
who have come alive. -- Howard Thurman
Bob230
<rev...@the.rectory> wrote:
>Hoped to be a major blow against Kerry from the forces backing stay-at-
>home George W. Bush, the anti-Kerry book keeps on crumbling.
It's far from crumbling. Mr. Novak has given it a positive review and
I might just pick up the book to see if there is any merit to the
author's arguments.
>
>First you had Kerry's commander George Elliott confessing that "he had
>made a 'terrible mistake' in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry
>did not deserve the Silver Star." He went on to say that he thought
>Kerry did deserve the medal.
>
<irrelevance snipped>
>
>Then there's a major source, Retired Admiral Roy Hoffman, who has
>changed his claims against Kerry and has told conflicting stories.
I'll withhold comments on this until I read the book.
>
>And now we discover that the book was bankrolled by longtime Bush
>cronies. Texas GOP backer Bob J. Perry, who has donated more than
>$100,000 and Crow Holdings, a Dallas development company run by Harlan
>Crow, a trustee for the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library. Crow
>provided the bulk of the remaining budget for the group's operations,
>including the anti-Kerry television ads.
Um...who else do you think they could get to help finance the
project....Barbara Streisand? Get real, no DNC backers would put up
any money for this book so that pretty much leaves GOP backers.
These vets are putting their reputations on the line to keep someone
who is unfit to lead out of the executive office. I'm willing to at
least give them a fair hearing.
<snip>
>You used to be able to count on Republicans to run a proper smear
>campaign. But the sheer incompetence of this effort is simply
>embarrassing. Charles Colson, who's been involved with John O'Neill in
>trying to discredit Kerry since 1971, must be shaking his head.
I don't know, Rev. Bob...I think this story has some legs. Judging by
the hysteria of the Dems it must be getting close to home.
Rev. Bob 'Bob' Crispen
09 Aug 2004 02:18:05p:
>>Hoped to be a major blow against Kerry from the forces backing
>>stay-at- home George W. Bush, the anti-Kerry book keeps on
>>crumbling.
>
> It's far from crumbling. Mr. Novak has given it a positive review
> and I might just pick up the book to see if there is any merit to
> the author's arguments.
Do you mean Robert Novak, the guy who knows the person in the White
House who outed Valerie Plame and won't tell?
Gee, I wonder what *he'll* have to say about it. I'm on pins and
needles.
Rev. Bob 'Bob' Crispen
09 Aug 2004 02:18:05p:
>>And now we discover that the book was bankrolled by longtime Bush
>>cronies. Texas GOP backer Bob J. Perry, who has donated more than
>>$100,000 and Crow Holdings, a Dallas development company run by
>>Harlan Crow, a trustee for the George H.W. Bush Presidential
>>Library. Crow provided the bulk of the remaining budget for the
>>group's operations, including the anti-Kerry television ads.
>
> Um...who else do you think they could get to help finance the
> project....Barbara Streisand? Get real,
No, Bob, you get real. My son has written two books and a videobook,
and his publishers gave him an advance on every one of them. Clinton
got an advance of millions.
Wasn't Ken trumpeting how this boat book was number one on Amazon? I
checked the NYT best seller lists and it didn't appear anywhere on
them, but I just figured they hadn't caught up with all the sales. Are
you trying to tell me this book is sinking faster than its authors and
sources are bailing out?
> no DNC backers would put
> up any money for this book so that pretty much leaves GOP backers.
> These vets are putting their reputations on the line to keep
> someone who is unfit to lead out of the executive office. I'm
> willing to at least give them a fair hearing.
By listening to what Bob Novak says about it? Gee, why don't you wait
to hear what Bill O'Reilly says?
> I don't know, Rev. Bob...I think this story has some legs.
> Judging by the hysteria of the Dems it must be getting close to
> home.
Hardly hysteria. In fact, pretty much everybody took one look at it,
said "another Bush campaign smear," and went about their business.
Like one of my favorite camp songs:
Ker-plunk
It sunk.
Bob230
<rev...@the.rectory> wrote:
>The voices told me that Bob230 <Bobt...@yahoo.com> would say on Mon
>09 Aug 2004 02:18:05p:
>
>>>And now we discover that the book was bankrolled by longtime Bush
>>>cronies. Texas GOP backer Bob J. Perry, who has donated more than
>>>$100,000 and Crow Holdings, a Dallas development company run by
>>>Harlan Crow, a trustee for the George H.W. Bush Presidential
>>>Library. Crow provided the bulk of the remaining budget for the
>>>group's operations, including the anti-Kerry television ads.
>>
>> Um...who else do you think they could get to help finance the
>> project....Barbara Streisand? Get real,
>
>No, Bob, you get real. My son has written two books and a videobook,
>and his publishers gave him an advance on every one of them. Clinton
>got an advance of millions.
I'm sure you're proud of your son and President Clinton but the
situations aren't quite the same. I don't think publishers are going
to put up much money for a hastily planned book that would hit an
already saturated market.
>
>Wasn't Ken trumpeting how this boat book was number one on Amazon? I
>checked the NYT best seller lists and it didn't appear anywhere on
>them, but I just figured they hadn't caught up with all the sales. Are
>you trying to tell me this book is sinking faster than its authors and
>sources are bailing out?
I just checked Amazon and it's still their best seller.
>
>> no DNC backers would put
>> up any money for this book so that pretty much leaves GOP backers.
>> These vets are putting their reputations on the line to keep
>> someone who is unfit to lead out of the executive office. I'm
>> willing to at least give them a fair hearing.
>
>By listening to what Bob Novak says about it? Gee, why don't you wait
>to hear what Bill O'Reilly says?
>
>> I don't know, Rev. Bob...I think this story has some legs.
>> Judging by the hysteria of the Dems it must be getting close to
>> home.
>
>Hardly hysteria. In fact, pretty much everybody took one look at it,
>said "another Bush campaign smear," and went about their business.
>
>Like one of my favorite camp songs:
>
> Ker-plunk
> It sunk.
LOL...we'll see.
Bob Wilson
> I just checked Amazon and it's still their best seller.
I would expect about 39%, the floor of GW's support, would buy that
book. Just as core Democratic supporters would buy other books. Amazon
does a good job of breaking down who reads what:
"If It's Not Close, They Can't Cheat: Crushing the Democrats in Every
Election and Why Your Life Depends on It." - Hugh Hewitt
- "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans . . ."
- "Misunderestimated: The President Battles Terrorism, John Kerry . . ."
- "Michael Moore Is A Big Fat Stupid White Man"
- "Weapons of Mass Distortion: The Coming Meltdown of the Liberal Media"
- "First Principles: A Primer of Ideas for the College-Bound . . ."
"Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush"
- "Plan of Attack" by Bob Woodward
- "The Price of Loyalty: George W. Bush, the White House, and the
Education of Paul O'Neill"
- "My Life" by Bill Clinton
- "American Dynasty: Aristocracy, Fortune, and the Politics of Deceit in
the House of Bush"
- "House of Bush, House of Saud: . . ."
Wait a bit and there will be another 'best seller'. It is how the system
works. But this is just prolog to finding out who will be the best vote
getter in November.
It comes down to this: GW Bush is weak in national service and John
Kerry exceptionally strong. To avoid erosion, Bush supporters have to
attack Kerry's service in combat and his Silver Star, Bronze Star and
three Purple Hearts. In addition, they have John Kerry's crew who served
on the same boat and support him today. But puncturing the lies in
"Unfit for Command" appears to be fairly easy. For example, claiming
service anywhere in Vietnam was 'service with John Kerry' versus being
on John Kerry's boat:
"Swift Boat Vets chairman's evolving story about knowing Kerry in
Vietnam
Retired Adm. Roy Hoffmann , chairman and co-founder of Swift Boat
Veterans for Truth , has changed his story about whether or not he
actually knew Senator John Kerry in Vietnam.
May 6: "Hoffman acknowledged he had no first-hand knowledge to discredit
Kerry's claims to valor and said that although Kerry was under his
command, he really didn't know Kerry much personally." [ Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel ]
August 4: "'I knew him well enough to know him ," Hoffman said. 'He's
the most vain individual I've ever met - aloof and arrogant.'" [ Scripps
Howard News Service ] . . ."
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408060011
The Admiral seems to have trouble recalling how he served with John
Kerry . . . perhaps by Nov. 1 he'll wind up claiming to have been a
crewman on Kerry's boat?
Then we have:
"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. . . ."
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/08/06/veteran_retracts_c
riticism_of_kerry/
For some, homorable service does not end, it can be bent, but not end.
Expect all but the worst organizers, the paymasters, of "Unfit for
Command" to come clean. The rest have enough history to make their
participation suspect except to those who want to believe.
Bob Wilson