Kerry's silence speaks volumes
Guest View
John Rudolph
Special to The Augusta Free Press
A few questions about Unfit for Command, by John E. O'Neill ...
1. If this book is a lie and is a total fabrication of John Kerry's Vietnam follies, then why hasn't Kerry filed a libel suit against the author? One would think that such an expose, especially if it is a complete lie, that the exposed subject, Kerry, would have brought this to the attention of his attorney.
As a matter of opinion, I believe that would be Kerry's best approach against this book. Kerry has made a fatal mistake by not taking the appropriate actions necessary to get that book discredited and off the shelves immediately.
Instead, he's making the political mistake of his career by accusing Bush openly in the public eye for not stopping the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth. These actions only make him appear guiltier than ever.
2. Why has
www.moveon.org, the Web site most famous for denouncing the Bush administration's actions during this term, taken action to call on the man that they pick on the most to call for an end to the ads that are run by an independent group called Swift Boat Veterans For Truth?
Isn't this the case of the pot calling the kettle black, or more aptly put, the mouse calling the rat a rodent?
How dare this group do such a thing. It violates the very principles of their existence. Sure, they can bash Bush whenever they can, no matter how slanderous, but at the same time, they turn to him for help in bailing out their candidate, who is a poor choice for the Democrats to begin with.
3. Why is John Kerry so desperate to call on President Bush to stop these ads, and even more so, why is Sen. John McCain so adamant in calling for the same thing?
First off, Bush doesn't have too much to say about Swift Boat Veterans For Truth, because he has no ties to them. I have heard that a Republican is funding SBVFT, but where's the solid evidence that the money is coming from the Bush administration?
So, for example, let's say that I was loaded with cash, and decided to offload my wallet into the publication of this now controversial book. Does that make me, a common citizen/registered Republican voter, an instant co-conspirator with the Bush administration? Hardly not. What I do with my money is nobody's business.
And, what about the mysterious Sen. McCain, who at one time during the past election campaign was a bitter enemy of then-presidential candidate George W. Bush, is now supposedly campaigning actively with the president while at the same time is calling for Bush to stop the ads by SBVFT? What does he have to hide? Is there something lurking in his past Vietnam tour of duty that the public should know about?
For example, how did the fire onboard the USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam start? Did he accidentally fire the missile that started the flight deck fire, which led to hundreds killed? After all, he was in the cockpit of the plane that launched that missile into another plane.
Perhaps Sen. McCain should remain dormant during this political crisis and remain doing his job as senator while he is still clean. Yes, Sen. McCain, there are people out there asking questions about your own tour of duty in Vietnam. Being a former Forrestal Sailor myself, these questions came up during my tour onboard this fine naval vessel back in 1981. I am still questioning this, just as much as I question your loyalty to the Republican Party.
Unfit For Command seems to maintain a steady and believable course in my views, even though some Swiftees are coming out against the book, and one of them is arguing that certain portions of the book may be contradicting his own accounts. Perhaps the most controversial discussion thus far is Kerry's medal collection, particularly the three Purple Heart medals he obtained during such a short tour.
After all, it seems highly controversial how he could obtain three Purple Heart medals in a four-and-a-half month period, and then suddenly within a matter of a day or two after receiving the third Purple Heart, decide to get out of Vietnam.
Obtaining three Purple Hearts was anyone's ticket out of Vietnam anyway, and we all know that Kerry was against this war even before he stepped foot in theater.
One last question to ponder: Was he there to merely collect medals for his political resume, or is Kerry a true war hero being marred by 250 of his former Swiftees who served with him in the same coastal division? That's a lot of people.
That decision rests with the public. It should not be left up to the president or anyone else in the top of the food chain to have these ads removed that might be speaking the truth.
After all, this is a nation that supports freedom of speech. Kerry should take this one to his attorneys if he feels that he's a victim of libel - not by accusing the president that he's getting someone else to do his "dirty work."