Friday, August 20, 2004
Smell the desperation...
It's just overkill...
Today's New York Times completely disassembles the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group:
Records show that the group received the bulk of its initial financing from two men with ties to the president and his family - one a longtime political associate of Mr. Rove's, the other a trustee of the foundation for Mr. Bush's father's presidential library. A Texas publicist who once helped prepare Mr. Bush's father for his debate when he was running for vice president provided them with strategic advice. And the group's television commercial was produced by the same team that made the devastating ad mocking Michael S. Dukakis in an oversized tank helmet when he and Mr. Bush's father faced off in the 1988 presidential election.
The piece also goes on to discuss how many of the individuals involved with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had lavished praise on Kerry, some as late as last year. The Times further connects the web between the organizations start up and it's funding sources...which are directly linked to big time Bush donors/supporters in Texas.
Last evening, Larry Turlow of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth appeared on Hardball with Chris Mathews...where Turlow was forced to admit he had no actual evidence that any of the accusations he was making were true.
And in the most bizarre twist of this entire thing whackjob rightwing columnist Michelle Malkin wildly accuses Kerry of deliberately shooting himself to get his first Purple Heart (also on Hardball last evening, same transcript further down).
Toward the end of Mathew's show, David Gergen (former Presidential advisor) sums it all up:
DAVID GERGEN, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: It would be better to take responsibility, but I think everybody knows these are Republicans who are funding this. And John Kerry is getting the best of this argument. When he says, it‘s fronting for the Bush people, the money does come from Republicans and everybody connects the dots. The conclusion is that they are doing the dirty work. The president ought to denounce this ad and move on. It‘s a losing proposition for the president.
MATTHEWS: Do you think the people around him share that assessment politically?
GERGEN: Well, I guess they don‘t because they seem to—Dana said they‘re dancing away from it in Texas and not denouncing the ad, but they‘ve—I think the Democrats—it is interesting to me, Chris. The last couple of weeks, we thought George Bush was politically more adept and boxing in John Kerry on Iraq and he did a good job. On this issue, it defies belief that the Bush administration would like to keep the issue of John Kerry‘s war record and shrapnel in his leg and his heroism front and center in the campaign. This is Kerry‘s strong point not his weak point.
This whole thing with the Swift Boaters has seemed like desperation on the part of the Bush people from the outset. It's stupid to align themselves with these guys, which is exactly what Bush is doing by not denouncing them and their actions.
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Today's New York Times completely disassembles the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group:
Records show that the group received the bulk of its initial financing from two men with ties to the president and his family - one a longtime political associate of Mr. Rove's, the other a trustee of the foundation for Mr. Bush's father's presidential library. A Texas publicist who once helped prepare Mr. Bush's father for his debate when he was running for vice president provided them with strategic advice. And the group's television commercial was produced by the same team that made the devastating ad mocking Michael S. Dukakis in an oversized tank helmet when he and Mr. Bush's father faced off in the 1988 presidential election.
The piece also goes on to discuss how many of the individuals involved with the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth had lavished praise on Kerry, some as late as last year. The Times further connects the web between the organizations start up and it's funding sources...which are directly linked to big time Bush donors/supporters in Texas.
Last evening, Larry Turlow of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth appeared on Hardball with Chris Mathews...where Turlow was forced to admit he had no actual evidence that any of the accusations he was making were true.
And in the most bizarre twist of this entire thing whackjob rightwing columnist Michelle Malkin wildly accuses Kerry of deliberately shooting himself to get his first Purple Heart (also on Hardball last evening, same transcript further down).
Toward the end of Mathew's show, David Gergen (former Presidential advisor) sums it all up:
DAVID GERGEN, FMR. PRESIDENTIAL ADVISER: It would be better to take responsibility, but I think everybody knows these are Republicans who are funding this. And John Kerry is getting the best of this argument. When he says, it‘s fronting for the Bush people, the money does come from Republicans and everybody connects the dots. The conclusion is that they are doing the dirty work. The president ought to denounce this ad and move on. It‘s a losing proposition for the president.
MATTHEWS: Do you think the people around him share that assessment politically?
GERGEN: Well, I guess they don‘t because they seem to—Dana said they‘re dancing away from it in Texas and not denouncing the ad, but they‘ve—I think the Democrats—it is interesting to me, Chris. The last couple of weeks, we thought George Bush was politically more adept and boxing in John Kerry on Iraq and he did a good job. On this issue, it defies belief that the Bush administration would like to keep the issue of John Kerry‘s war record and shrapnel in his leg and his heroism front and center in the campaign. This is Kerry‘s strong point not his weak point.
This whole thing with the Swift Boaters has seemed like desperation on the part of the Bush people from the outset. It's stupid to align themselves with these guys, which is exactly what Bush is doing by not denouncing them and their actions.
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