March 13, 1969, again

Suntimes

Did Kerry write own report of disputed clash?
October 1, 2004

BY THOMAS LIPSCOMB

A faded 35-year-old operations order recovered from the Naval Historical Center in Washington bears directly on the ongoing dispute between Sen. John Kerry and the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about who wrote the key after-action report that ended Kerry's service in Vietnam. The report appears in the official Navy records and is posted on Kerry's presidential campaign Web site.

The report details Kerry's participation in a naval operation on the Bay Hap River on March 13, 1969, in such glowing terms that he was awarded a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star for pulling Special Forces officer James Rassmann out of the water while under heavy enemy fire. This third Purple Heart allowed Kerry to cut short his Vietnam tour after only four months.

The report in question described a mission of five swift boats ambushed by a mine explosion that seriously damaged one boat while the swift boats received heavy fire from both banks. The fire continued for three miles, the report said. Roy Hoffman, the admiral who commanded the swift boats in Vietnam, finds that detail alone absurd. Hoffman, a member of the anti-Kerry swift boat veterans group, says: "There was never an incident under my command in all of Vietnam where my boats were engaged by continuous fire from both banks of a half mile in length, much less three."

[This article describes the situation much more clearly than many I’ve seen. It’s looking worse for Kerry on this issue.]

MOUNT ST. HELENE'S

All kinds of coverage of the eruptions. This could be the first of a string of explosions. There have been several plumes shooting into the air. I tried the net camera and had it for a little while. It updated every 5 minutes, but then it changed to "tough luck" not seeing that anymore.

CNN and FOX have good coverage. There seemed to be a period of still shots, but it's back "live" now.

The camera is 5 miles away. It calmed down a bit. Looking into "horseshoe" area (open area toward you) the steam and ash seemed to be from the right side. No magma involved at this time. The hot magma has not gotten to the surface, yet. Some lava is expected to seep, quietly, out; the hot material should form another dome. Has it been almost 25 years? Seems more like 5 to 10 years.

At the moment, this is not expected to cause problems. A deep earthquake would be a problem; but, they don't seem to expect that. They predicted the possibility that today might be the day.

The level of seismic activity doesn't match that of 1980; therefore, the conclusion is that the event will be much less dramatic and dangerous. It may vent a few times and rest.

Don't Pull Out the Troops

Iraqi's Plea to Labour: don't Pull Out Troops

By Vivienne Morgan, Political Staff, PA News

The woman who helped swing the vote at the Labour conference over pulling troops out of Iraq today accused party members of naivety about the situation in the country.

Shanaz Rashid – whose husband is a minister in the interim Iraqi government – was earlier given a standing ovation when she made an emotional appeal not to pull troops out.

Close to tears, she told party activists that many friends had perished under Saddam Hussein and she had kissed the ground with joy on arriving back at Baghdad after the war.


(…)“Yes, there have been difficulties. Yes, there have been mistakes perhaps many mistakes. No, you did not find weapons of mass destruction."

“But for the great majority of Iraqis WMD was never the issue. We don’t understand the criticism of your Prime Minister. All we wanted was to be free.”

She added: “I appeal to you all ... to help us build a new democratic federal Iraq that would respect the lives of human beings.”

Asked later if she considered Labour members naive about the situation for Iraqis, she said:

“Yes I do think so. They don’t know the reality of their lives."

“They haven’t lived through Saddam. They don’t know what we’ve been through.”

“It is not fair of them to ask the British Government to withdraw their forces before completing their mission."

“They are going to harm the Iraqi people more. They are going to cause more deaths."

“If they are concerned about the Iraqi children they should not be asking the British Government to leave them alone at the mercy of others.”

She continued: “The Iraqi people born 30 or 35 years ago have seen nothing but one kind of rule and that is dictatorship.”

“You cannot just change them in a matter of day and night. People of Iraq have become strangers. We need time to be introduced to each other again.”

“We should be given time to know one another, to see the differences, to see the options and we need all the help in the world to rebuild our home.”

Read Full Article HERE

[Hat tip: antimedia
via: Iraq the Model
Thanks to both for finding this.]

BACKDRAFT

Debate Impressions:

Kerry looked better than I thought he would. Bush was (approximately) what I expected. Tony Blair would have blown them both away; Blair is practiced at responding to challenging remarks because of the question/answer sessions in Parliament. Neither candidate (Kerry/Bush) is experienced, or good, at it.

Today’s C-SPAN comments are interesting: a radio listener felt Bush had won; a TV viewer felt Kerry had won. It brings up a question. Will the American People vote on appearance more than what the candidates were saying? (It’s possible many will.)

Bush drove home the points he wished to cover—time after time, after time. Bang, bang, hammer, more nails—it got boring after a while.

Kerry had a little more variety, became a little more comfortable. BING, BANG, slam, hammer/nails—it got boring after a while.

The questions were good ones. Neither candidate made the most of them; both candidates could have done better. Bush missed more opportunities than Kerry. Bush, also, left less wiggle-room for Kerry to barge through. Kerry left several gaps, Bush did not barge through.

KERRY: Ask the people in the armed forces today. We've got Guards and Reserves who are doing double duties. We've got a backdoor draft taking place in America today: people with stop-loss programs where they're told you can't get out of the military; nine out of our 10 active duty divisions committed to Iraq one way or the other, either going, coming or preparing.

So this is the way the president has overextended the United States.

That's why, in my plan, I add two active duty divisions to the United States Army, not for Iraq, but for our general demands across the globe.

I also intend to double the number of special forces so that we can do the job we need to do with respect fighting the terrorists around the world. And if we do that, then we have the ability to be able to respond more rapidly.

The above is a gap to drive a truck through. Democrats have been pushing a draft issue, while (simultaneously) screeching about “needing more troops;” and, this lets the American People know from which party the draft scare is coming. Two Democrats submitted a draft bill (Rangel and Hollings, IIRC.) Then they used the scare tactics saying the Republicans were going to institute the draft after the elections.

It’s a stylized, self-fulfilling, political, strawman. Yell it loud enough, often enough, that is sounds like a necessity. Then scream you’re going to have to have a draft because you need more troops. We needed more troops when we arrived in Baghdad, because we moved far more quickly than we imagined possible. We were more successful; not less successful; but, that created another series of problems.

Democrats are the ones who want more troops. Members of the Democrat Party have attempted to get a bill passed to reinstitute the draft. Kerry wants to add divisions, and double special forces. Where does he think he is going to get them? It’s clever to try it, to say it, and then blame the opposition for the whole thing. Well, it would be clever, except the trail leads back to the Democrats. They’re stuck with it.

Vote Democrat if you want a draft. The hand-writing is on the wall with this issue.

And, how does Kerry reconcile his party’s promoting the draft, Kerry’s plan for increasing troops and special forces; and a withdraw beginning in 6 months? Kerry’s crowd wants more troops in Iraq, and is willing to draft them, but is going to take them out starting in 6 months. It would be difficult to get them all there in 6 months. This is nonsensical. And, they believe they can do this and blame a draft on the opposition who wants lighter, more mobile forces—which would not necessitate larger numbers (meaning draft.)

I think the Democrats are going to be scorched on this issue. It’s not a “back-door draft” they will be experiencing; it’s a “BACKDRAFT.” (Most firefighters are familiar with the concept of backdraft, and the wisdom of staying away from it.)

BUSH/KERRY DEBATE

Washington Post Transcript of the 9/30 Debate

KERRY STAMP

If Kerry becomes President, I will have to stick to my words: The office of President deserves a certain amount of respect. It would be difficult. While he's just a candidate, I can laugh and be disrepectful--because Kerry was so disrespectful of the soldiers, sailors, POWs, and the regular citizens who love their country. And so . . . Kerry deserves this--

Original HERE

Gerry Bruno
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

September 30, 2004
08:02 AM

Did you hear that the U.S. Postal Service had to cancel plans for a John"F" Kerry stamp?

It seems as if it caused too much confusion.

People didn't know which side to spit on!

[Blank lines inserted for easy of reading]

Debate Expectations

Both sides are trying to lower expectations for themselves, and hype up expectations for the other side.

It should be interesting; and, it's about time they both speak without sound bites.

Just think what we will all suffer after this debate. There will be 90 minutes of sound bites for all the networks. We'll probably hear the same ones, over...and over.

Late NOON

Hugh Hewitt:

“And this, from KerrySpot, in its entirety, so you won't miss it:”

IT WAS LATE, KERRY SAID, REFERRING TO NOON [ 09/29 08:52 AM ]
The good news is John Kerry did an interview on Good Morning America, and he was asked about his "I voted for it before I voted against it" comment.

Kerry responded, "No, it wasn’t classic at all. It just was a very inarticulate way of saying something, and I had one of those inarticulate moments late in the evening when I was dead tired in the primaries and I didn't say something very clearly."
Hey, it happens! No big deal. Everybody has made a comment that doesn't make sense late at night... except...

“‘I actually did vote for his $87 billion, before I voted against it,’ he told a group of veterans at a noontime appearance at Marshall University. He went on to explain that he preliminarily backed the request, so long as it was financed not by deficit spending but with a tax surcharge on the wealthy that Bush opposed.”

As Bush spokesman Steve Schmidt suggested, maybe his watch was on Paris time.'

"What a Gomer Kerry has turned out to be."(Hewitt)

NEW SWIFT BOAT AD

HERE is the latest one.

SPACESHIPONE

There seems to be no network coverage of SPACESHIPONE, other than the cable networks. It's amazing to watch this non-government race of entrepreneurs working on the challenge of space flight.

While watching, the network said there were two minutes to go. I blinked and missed the separation. This isn't watching a race to see an accident; it's watching and hoping for success. There was a moment when the ship began to spin. The spin increased, but finally it was under control. Now the ship is gliding gently down toward earth.

The announcer said the requirement was reached; . . . success. One height which was mentioned was 330,000 feet; but, the rockets seemed to be shut off early to regain control from the spin. Nevertheless, the height seems to have been achieved and the SPACESHIPONE, upon successful landing, will be prepared for the required second run within two weeks. The crew is anticipating the second run on Monday.

This is like watching Charles Lindbergh, or the Wright Brothers at Kitty Hawk. It looks like commuter space flight in the making.

Four minutes to landing--which has been described as the most dangerous part. The spectators can see the craft with the naked eye. Looks like there is a single engine craft ahead of the one. On a wider shot, there are four crafts and it's difficult to see which is which. They don't always focus solely on the ONE. Here is comes, gliding, TOUCHDOWNE.....BEAUTIFUL.

Best JFK2 AD YET!

IT'S THE ULTIMATE JOHN KERRY AD:

http:johnkerryads.websiteanimal.com/

[Thanks to Bandit]

CELSIUS 41.11

The temperature at which the brain begins to die is CELCIUS 41.11.

It’s a challenge to Farenhype 9/11. Let the fun begin!

the site

IRAQ the MODEL

Ali, Iraq the Model

Bush was telling the exact truth about the electricity, while what Allawi said about security cannot be proved or contradicted that easily. Still there’s a lot of truth in his statement, and I mean when was the last time you heard in the news about Duhok, Samawa, Diwanyia, Kerbela, Irbil, Ammarah, Kut, Hilla and generally governerates out of the so-called Sunni triangle? Even in that area it’s not as gloomy as it’s portrayed by the MSM, as there are of course few towns that suffer terrible security situation, but even in governerates like Anbar, have you heard the words Rawa, Haditha, Ana, Rutba or Heet lately? Well these are all large cities in Anbar that seem to be not having any serious problems regarding security otherwise we’d hear them mentioned at least once a week as the MSM is not missing to report even ordinary crimes that have no political meaning what so ever! Still Allawi wasn’t painting a rosy picture, as he made it clear that the task is a very difficult one and Iraq need all the help she can get to succeed in it.


Allawi’s speech was articulate, impressive and honest and most Iraqis I talked to lately share the same opinion with me, but much more impressive was the reaction of all members of the congress who were there. That was the American people there, the whole American nation not just republicans, standing and cheering not Allawi but what he stood for; IRAQ. They were showing support and friendship to Iraq not Allawi and that was a rare moment in history where the two nations Iraq and America stood as equal friends, no actually it was more like family as one American friend described. Insulting Allawi and Bush and the whole speech, speaking so harshly of that unique moment is an insult not to Bush or Allawi but to both the Iraqi and American nations, and yes that goes for everyone did that.


(…)I’ll never stop telling what I believe is the truth and won’t stop fighting for that regardless of all the silly accusations and even threats sometimes. I’m not pro-Bush and I’m not pro-Allawi but I stand firmly with the new Iraq and with America. Iraq has run out of “historical leaders” and I guess there must be some people who still miss that time but they shouldn’t feel that bitter, as one can always visit one of our brother Arab and Muslim nations to remember the “good old days” that we, the vast majority of Iraqis are ready to give our lives to make sure they won’t be repeated.

If you haven’t read the postings at Iraq the Model, you might read them first chance you have. They are powerful and passionate.

RANGEL

Did Charlie Rangel really say, "Nobody windsurfs in Harlem?"

No, Newt Gingrich said it.

Representative Charles Rangel from Harlem said, 'We want him to be campaigning like his life depended on it. I don't want him to be playing football or surfing or bicycling. I want him to tell people we're at war and we shouldn't be at war, to talk about all the things we used to have and that we've lost in the last four years.'" Unbelievable attitude.

At any rate, so here's Kerry out there wind surfing and Charles Rangel doesn't like it.

Limbaugh

I don’t read Limbaugh; so, I skimmed it and left the site.

It would have been a good anti-Kerry quote; but, apparently only Newt said it.

BLOGGERS

Freedom's Truth (by Patrick)

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Kerry's Twin Senator, Kennedy, calls it a Quagmire
Dont you love media bias in the thick of a campaign? Top senator calls Iraq 'quagmire' for US, they say. Folks, It's Ted Kennedy. He may be tops in weight, in Liberalism, and in closeness to the Kerry campaign, but he's not Majority Leader nor even his party's leading Senator.

Kerry's Closest Colleague, Sen Kennedy, Spreads Defeatism on Iraqi Liberation Effort

The Kennedy/Kerry deafening din of defeatism; are they also Twin Terror-Weenies?

Another interesting on from Freedom’s Truth

Fallujah: US strikes taking toll on terrorists

AP reports that 100 insurgents were killed in this month's strikes on Fallujah, according to DoD.

The strikes have stopped attacks elsewhere in Iraq while setting off deadly feuds among insurgent groups holed up in the city west of Baghdad, said Air Force Brig. Gen. Erv Lessel, deputy operations director for U.S.-led forces here. "We're confident that, through these airstrikes, we have been able to thwart many large-scale attacks and suicide bombings that were in the planning process," Lessel said in a briefing with reporters. "We've gotten some of his associates and emerging leadership in his organization."

Thanks to All: Via Powerline, pointing to >Chrenkoff, pointing to Freedom’s Truth. Read them all, along the way.



Look out Olde Media, they’re in their jammies, now!

NEW to KERRY

KERRY JUST HEARD THE WORDS: "VICTORY" AND "WIN"

It's all new to Kerry. He never thought of it before.

He liked the words: "WEAKNESS" and "QUIT" and "LEAVE"

And, "EXIT STRATEGY"

Kerry likes the words: "Plan for Peace" but, we are not at peace.

WE'RE AT WAR!

DON'T MISS IT!!

PRE-ORDER YOURS TODAY.

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FOR REPUBLICANS: There is a lock on the box.

FOR DEMOCRATS: We promise years of FLIP/FLOP.

Unfortunately, the clown is delicately made and very well-dressed; but tends to get depressed if a white flag is not raised periodically.

IT’S THE LATEST; IT’S THE GREATEST; GET YOURS NOW!
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WE ARE IN THE FINAL TESTING STAGE OF THIS VERY NEW PRODUCT AND ARE IN THE PROCESS OF CORRECTING ONE MALFUNCTION: WE ARE HOPING TO HAVE KERRY BACK IN THE RICH LOOKING BOX WITHIN A FEW DAYS.

BUT, NEVER FEAR, ONCE BACK IN THE BOX, KERRY CLOWN DOES NOT APPEAR FOR ANOTHER 30 YEARS.

PRE-ORDER YOURS; and SOME FOR YOUR FRIENDS.

SURRENDER KERRY

Kerry promotes "petty-peace." This is the short peace which lulls you in the false sense of security. That brief time when you settle back a bit . . .BEFORE ALL HELL BREAKS LOSE! It’s peace with a growing cancer that may just kill US. We can’t afford to let down our guard. We can’t afford to be looking the other way. We CAN’T AFFORD KERRY!

Kerry doesn’t know which end is up. His sister spoke out trying to scare Australia; is she on our side? NO. Kerry spoke out against ALLAWI, who is on our side; does NOT speak out against France, who is not on our side.

Some wonder which side KERRY is on? He doesn’t know. We could tell him: when Kerry speaks the words of the enemy . . . KERRY IS NOT OUR FRIEND. When KERRY speaks against our friends and allies . . .KERRY IS NOT OUR FRIEND. Kerry is not for U.S.; he is not on our side.

What is Kerry for? He’s not sure; but, we are!

KERRY IS FOR KERRY. Whatever he has to do to be President, whatever he has to say to be President; Kerry is for Kerry. He tried to surrender US before; he is trying to surrender US, again.

Kerry is the #1 SURRENDER MONKEY. Well Kerry, NOT IN MY NAME and NOT IN OUR NAME. Don’t wave the white surrender flag around US.

Kerry is for SURRENDER. (He needs to find the nearest Al Qaeda office and surrender himself because he is not surrendering US!) If Kerry is for SURRENDER, let him SURRENDER HIMSELF.

PUMPING BILGE

Did you happen to see this on Kerry's site early in the campaign?

26 JAN 1969 Ong Doc River

PCFs 94 and 66 escorted troops up the Ong Doc River early in the morning when they were ambushed by gun and rocket fire from approximately 40 men on both sides of the river. Two B-40 rounds hit close to Kerry's boat, while PCF 66 received 2 B-40 rocket hits. Three men on PCF66 were wounded. A junk containing South Vietnamese troops was also sunk, killing 11 South Vietnamese troops. Intelligence reports after the mission indicated that the Viet Cong troops may have planned the ambush in advance.


27 JAN 1969 Cua Lon and Dam Doi Rivers

Five swift boats conducted operations in the Cua Lon and Dam Doi Rivers. The units received hostile fire twice during the operation.


29 JAN 1969 Cua Lon Rivers

Early in the morning seven swift boats embarked on a mission to destroy enemy installations along the Cua Lon River. While Kerry's boat and another (PCF72) were probing a canal along the river, Kerry's boat came under heavy fire and was hit by a B-40 rocket in the cabin area. One member of Kerry's crew -- Forward Gunner David Alston - suffered shrapnel wounds in his head. His injuries were not considered serious and he was sent to the 29th Evac Hospital at Binh Thuy.

[Emphasis--mine. At the very least, this is deceptive. It is twisting fact and permitting people to draw erroneous conclusions. The boat was not Kerry's until after the January 29, incident. I have seen no proof that the forward gunner returned to serve on "Kerry's boat after he was injured."

Kerry needed to "puff" his story.

KERRY'S OLD TIMES

POSTED ON THE SWIFT BOATS VETERANS FOR TRUTH SITE: (link on right)

Hello all. To briefly introduce myself, I am the former spouse of a career (26 years) Navy Master Chief and Chief Warrant Officer who served in 1968 and 1969 attached to the Mobile Riverine Force, Mekong Delta. He was part of the support and salvage teams from the USS Sphinx and at the time a 1st Class Shipfitter. His stories of what it was like patrolling the river at that time have stayed with me over all these years. However, my own connection to the cause for truth of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is what John Kerry did when he returned Stateside.

It was not easy being a military family back then as all of you remember, I'm sure. I was refused employment, we were refused rentals (in San Diego there were signs saying "no pets, no sailors") and you didn't dare appear in public in uniform from about 1972 on or risk attack.

And attack they did ... the worst was the day of the raw sewage throwing as we left the base.

However, what has stayed with me as deeply as for some of you who served honorably during these trying times is what happened to our 7 year old son.

Shortly after John Kerry gave his infamous Congressional testimony, my 7 year old was called upon in class to recite what he had "done last night before going to bed." In typical 2nd grade speak, he recited a list of things like ... ate dinner, watched TV, brushed my teeth, said prayers for my Daddy (who at that time was on his 3rd Vietnam tour).

This is where the story goes very very bad.

This young child was told by his stringy-haired, flip flop clad teacher that,
"God doesn't listen to prayers for baby killers."

My son punched the teacher and I was called to school to "deal" with this unruly child.

When I was told what the teacher said, I told the principal, "get her out of here before I do more than punch her." At that point, I was threatened with police action.

So, do we have a beef against John Kerry that may be 30 plus years old, or should we move on as so many think we should. We did move on, we moved on for all those thirty plus years, put the whole thing behind us ... until this campaign. I'm a Mom and a wife who feels every bit as strongly about both Kerry's cowardly Vietnam actions and his disgusting anti-war actions and I cannot understand how any decent human being can support the man.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for speaking up for all of us.

A refresher for those who have forgotten the old "Kerry Times" Past. Made possible courtesy of Kerry and Fonda.

You may ask where Bush was in 1971, '72, '73. Who cares? We know wherever he was, he wasn't trying to give away the country. And, he wasn't speaking the words of the enemy.

BELDAR'S CHALLENGE

BELDAR issues a challenge:

A challenge to those who claim that the SwiftVets' allegations have been "debunked" or are "unsubstantiated"

My lawyer readers will immediately recognize this as an invitation to Kerry supporters to make a motion for partial summary judgment on the SwiftVets' claims.
This short paragraph from a New York Times article perfectly illustrates the liberal media's widespread characterization of the results to date of the SwiftVets' campaign (boldface added):

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which drew national attention with advertisements making unsubstantiated attacks against Mr. Kerry's military service, has less money and uses several strategies to stretch its dollars, said one of its leaders, John O'Neill.

Very little of the Swift Boat information has been debunked. Yet, Kerry and Crew (media included) have made claims the information has been debunked. Beldar challenges the Kerry Crew, and has set up (what he believes are) reasonable rules.

Check out the Beldar Challenge HERE