Geoff_M
DIS Veteran, DVC Member, "Cum Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2000
Personally, I don't mind people challenging the assertions of the Swifties. Some of their claims were challenged and shown to be shaky, while others have been accepted and caused the Kerry camp to alter their tune about a couple of things. However, the Swifties never claimed to be unbiased. They've had an axe to grind with Kerry for some time now.So just how many of you who are suspicous of this memo were just as suspicous in regard to the Swift Boat Vets' ad?
My eagerness on this topic has very little to do with politics. I don't think that the DNC or the Kerry camp had a direct role in the matter. Nor do I think that Bush is in political hot water over the CBS reporting. As has been stated, I think people have made up their minds about Bush and his time in the ANG... one way or the other. Personally, I think it's safe to say that both Bush and Kerry used "the system" and played the odds at times to their personal advantage (i.e. attempts at deferments, ANG vs. regular military, volunteering for the Navy vs. risking being drafted into the infantry, etc.). I don't doubt that Kerry saved the guy blown overboard, nor do I doubt that Bush sufficiently fulfilled his time in the ANG to the statisfaction of those that discharged him. I also agree with Bush that Kerry's service was more nobel than his own due to the fact that Kerry subjected himself to hostile fire.
My beef on this matter is with CBS. The double standard that they, and other "old media" outlets display is appalling to me. To turn the tables. If the memo had been waved by the Swifties as partial "proof" of Kerry's supposed actions in Vietnam, do you think that CBS would have been so eager to air it and not give it a more detailed vetting? Do you think that 60 Minutes would have featured as their star witness to charges against Kerry a person that had raised over a 1/2 a million dollars for the Bush/Cheney campaign and was also a member of that campaign? Can you imagine Ra<sup>th</sup>er taking this mild approach about the partisan nature of the head of the Swifties:
DAN RATHER:
You're a Democrat. Lifelong Democrat. You're a supporter of John Kerry. Fair to say that you're in Sen. Kerry's inner circle?
BEN BARNES:
I don't know that I'm in his inner circle. I know I'm a supporter of Sen. Kerry. And I've supported him from the very first.
DAN RATHER:
You know that there are people who seeing this are going to say, "Well, Ben Barnes came forward now because he wants to help Sen. Kerry's campaign." How do you answer that?
BEN BARNES:
Well, I've been helping Sen. Kerry's campaign from the first day announced. And when I started being quoted on the Internet, and being quoted other places, some as I said, correctly, or-- and other times, incorrectly, I just thought it was time for me to once and for all, there was just too much speculation. There are too many people that are putting words in my mouth.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/09/08/60II/main642067.shtml
A question or two later Barnes makes this statement and Ra<sup>th</sup> accepts it and moves on: "I did not come here to play havoc with Gov. Bush, with President Bush's presidential campaign. I did not come here to do anything personal against President Bush." I can't imagine Ra<sup>th</sup>er letting that pass with a suspected GOP operative.
So when I sense CBS has screwed up big time on something like these memos and I think their slip is showing... I'm gonna pounce.