SWIFT BOAT TO...
Remember the old song “Slow Boat To China?”
It is passe, of course, and “Swift Boat To Viet Nam” is now steadily part of the news. Wherever you turn, you hear about “Swift Boats.”
It all happened a third of a century ago, but the term “Swift Boat” is a key word in today's events and, strangely enough, many people are insisting they have never known the term until this past week.
The series of television spots now running in some areas are not something new in spite of the fact that Kerry people seem to be seeing and hearing about them for the first time. Just about every point that the advertisements are now making downgrading the Kerry “war hero” status claimed by the Democratic Party was made public months ago.
Just about every facet of the material as used in the series of spots now running was graphically displayed on C-Span in a special, nation-wide program which ran for a good hour and a half shortly after John Kerry indicated his campaign would be based primarily the “war hero” theme. Many seem to feel that was inevitable because he had no other platform on which he could base a run for the office. It was plain enough at that time - months ago - to see that a last-minute drive to unseat Kerry would be a part of the current campaign near the end of it all.
I wrote about it at the time and wondered how it could be that such material was so openly discussed in unusual detail on C-Span. That tape, after this fracas is all over, will be a collector's item ands it will be run many times showing what was happening well in advance of the time the material was used in the campaign. It was not a surprise at all. It was natural outgrowth of series of crass misjudgments made in formulating the original plan for John Kerry to run for the office. Planner ,no doubt, considered that , while Kerry could run on a “war hero” - even his attainments surpassed those of George W. Bush which had served through National Guard membership of a rather sketchy nature. It was also deemed possible because William Clinton, a man with no military experience whatsoever as well as anti-war group associations, had been elected by the American people to serve as the Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces. One such a premise, the campaign was set underway.
The real message of the Veteran's Against Kerry spots do not dwell entirely on the nature of the awards he received,but note his active affiliation, even some leadership, of anti-war protesters. Deception has been proved to be a part of his dramatic throwing away of his military medals. He accusations of gross criminal activities by U.S. troops in Viet Nam in testimony before Congressional committees stands as an inexcusable affront to our National Guard and each of the branches of military service. All, he testified, were guilty of torture, disfigurement of natives, brutality - and he spoke as a as witness to such war crimes committed by members of the various American military forces.
I hear this morning that John Kerry is entering legal proceedings to stop the use of the Veteran group's spots. In accusing Bush of backing them and paying for the ads, he is, I would say, searching for any a way at all out of this dilemma - one which was so plainly indicated as being sure to happen months ago.
The election is being decided this week. Now, I feel, is the critical moment when Americans will decide which way they will go. I cannot be sure of either way. I know which I favor, but I also have the record of some strange things we have done in the past so neither way is going to come as a surprise.
A.L.M. August 21, 2004 [c661ds]
