This might be why there were many comments from Republican pundits that getting this out in the primary and getting past it makes it less powerful in the general election. This would be true if it were a lie - and that is why we are already hearing it being compared to swiftboating. But, like the Romney attacks of Gingrich, it is not swiftboating. They are more like Republican versions of Michael Moore, who took real facts and showed them in the most negative way possible. Moore does not make things up - at worst, he cherry picks the information for what fits his narrative and he glibly connects dots with lines that MIGHT exist. Swiftboating went well beyond that - they - pure and simple - lied and made stuff up. In addition, there is something additionally wrong that the party claiming to honor the military used the service of young man in his 20s, who risked his life every day, rather than avoid service as he easily could have done, to try to destroy a reputation of honesty and integrity that he had from his Senate work.
I think the republicans realizing they have no alternative (Huntsman could be, but they don't want him) in the men currently running, are working hard to get the attacks on Romney labeled as "swiftboating", potshots, or distortions. Here are good articles countering that for the allegations against Mitt ( http://www.thenation.com/blog/165546/critiquing-romneys-bain-record-not-swift-boating ) and Gingrich ( http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/political-animal/2012_01/setting_the_standard_for_disho034491.php ) Ironic that the Republicans' unconscionable attacks on Kerry are now being used by their media allies to try to make it harder for largely true accusations to stick to them -- and occasionally, to add injury to insult - describing the lies about Kerry with neutral words - like "questioned his story of his service. (There was NO Kerry account, they questioned the official Navy account.)
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