Kerry allows Navy release of military, medical records

[sabra]

<<SNIP>>
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/06/07/kerry_allows_navy_release_of_military_medical_records?mode=PF

Kerry allows Navy release of military, medical records
Show numerous commendations
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff | June 7, 2005

WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry, ending at least two years of refusal, has waived privacy restrictions and authorized the release of his full military and medical records.

The records, which the Navy Personnel Command provided to the Globe, are mostly a duplication of what Kerry released during his 2004 campaign for president, including numerous commendations from commanding officers who later criticized Kerry's Vietnam service.

The lack of any substantive new material about Kerry's military career in the documents raises the question of why Kerry refused for so long to waive privacy restrictions. An earlier release of the full record might have helped his campaign because it contains a number of reports lauding his service. Indeed, one of the first actions of the group that came to be known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was to call on Kerry to sign a privacy waiver and release all of his military and medical records.


But Kerry refused, even though it turned out that the records included commendations from some of the same veterans who were criticizing him.

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[still_one]

1. so let me get this straight

Kerry brings up his military service at the democratic convention, then is attacked for it by the swift puke vets, then refuses to defend it, and now has a change of heart since it doesn't mean sqwat anymore

Mr. Kerry you had your chance to lead this country, and you lost it

[dave123williams]

3. That's it in a nutshell.

[skylarmae]

4. Amen! somehow this sickens me...

guess, my heart still aches for our Country.

[wellst0nev0ter]

54. Maybe He Was Afraid The MSM Will Focus On His Grades

Instead of the Swift Boat lies.

Turns out he was right.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

5. That implies that the 2004 election was honest and above board....

...do you really believe that?

[seriousstan]

8. Maybe the other current story about his college grades is spot on.

This doesn't appear to have had much thought behind it. Why did he not release this and shut the entire SB people down?

[jwirr]

18. While I agree with you on this issue, the grades article

is one of the worst pieces of journalism I have seen. It uses only grades and grade point averages to denote intelligence. If one student took nothing but easy courses (cheer leading, golf, swimming, etc.) and the other took hard courses (trig, logic, law, etc.) the grades and points could be equal but it says nothing about intelligence levels. When Kerry and bushie both release their transcripts then we will see some proof of intelligence.

[Virginian]

61. Grades vs. Pass/Fail?

How many GPA points do you get from Pass/Fail grading? The last year or two Dubya was in school, Yale went from grades to Pass/Fail. Kerry's transcript would have been all grades.

[blm]

9. No. Kerry RELEASED all his service records THEN, except for medical.

The MEDIA acted as if he was holding something damaging back because the rightwing pushed the idea that he was.

The release of his complete files shows Kerry released ALL his Naval records earlier and the press spins their dereliction to blame Kerry YET AGAIN.

Can't believe you people blame Kerry.....in SPITE of the facts.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

21. When the Media Is Already Out to Get You, Don't Hand them a Gun

The issue isn't what was in the records. The issue was the false appearance that he was trying to hide ANYTHING, which could have been dispelled by a full waiver.

And it also appears there were additional records which included commendations from the Swift Boat Liars.

This was a mistake, plain and simple. Intellectual honesty demands we admit nothing less.

DTH

[Career Prole]

35. Thanks, BLM! n/t

[Warpy]

13. If this is his opening salvo in a future libel suit

against Regenery, Corsi, and O'Neill, then this is OK by me.

Otherwise, it's just more of too little, too late.

He's going to have to sue these guys at some point, or he'll lose his Senate seat because of them. They are NOT going away. Bully boys never do, not until you stand up to them. Plus, a lawsuit would give him subpoena power and who knows what's living under all those rocks and where all the bodies are buried?

Kerry was STUPID not to sue the day that book came out. Winning the suit wasn't the point. Tying up their resources while using the power of the court to discover who their sugar daddies really were and what was driving them were the points.

[Jacobin]

25. This is not England

You can just about forget libel suits in America by political figures.

[Warpy]

48. What part of "winning was not the point"

didn't you understand? What part of "tying up their resources and using subpoena power" didn't you get?

No, it would never have gone to trial. There might have been a token settlement. However, the damage he could have done the SV liars and their GOP puppetmasters was incalculable.

Again, he was STUPID for not doing it.

[theboss]

36. He can't prove libel

Public figures have a near impossible task in proving libel.

[Jacobin]

23. Nice timing, huh.

WTF is UP with this guy?

[Media_Lies_Daily]

2. I think it was a tactic designed to get Herr Busch to release his...

...his military records. Obviously, that didn't work.

[blm]

14. CAN ANYONE READ? The records match EVERYTHING HE RELEASED EARLIER

just as he claimed during the campaign while holding back only his medical records.

His SERVICE RECORDS WERE RELEASED and the rightwingtalkingpointdrivenmedia SPUN everyone into believing he was holding back damaging records.

[msanthrope]

17. No--they don;t match--what the RW failed to release was the

commendations from people now in the SBVT. Should be interesting.

[blm]

27. Those commendations were in legit press. Broadcast media ran with RW spin

This is another cover up of the FACT that broadcast media spun the story against Kerry to protect Bush.

[ekelly]

59. Just as he claimed.....

He has proved his opposition to be the liars and spin masters that they truely are.

Looks to me as though he is trying to set up the repuke constituency to have doubts about their leaders.

This will be expecially helpful in getting those voters who are on the fence to come to our side.

[Mizmoon]

6. I want to believe he mishandled this thing

but for someone who has been a Washington politcal insider, and an economic elite insider, his whole freakin life I find it hard to believe.

*gulp* Does anyone think he threw this election on purpose? It couldn't be. Could it?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

15. Yeah, he really threw the election

:sarcasm: :eyes: Get real.

[Mizmoon]

19. Then YOU explain it Vash

Explain it so it makes sense ... why didn't he release these when they would have helped? The reason given, because he didn't want to give in to the swifty's demands, is ludicrous.

[DoveTurnedHawk]

20. Occam's Razor: Stupidity, Obstinacy, Contrariness

These were his worst enemies demanding the docs, maybe he just felt like he had to do the opposite, even though releasing them was the better call.

DTH

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

24. I'm certain you've never made a mistake or taken bad advice in your life.

Yes, every single error you've ever made was a calculated decision to let everyone else in the world take advantage of you. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? :sarcasm:

Please, present REAL evidence that Kerry threw the election, outside of your completely absurd conspiracy theories. And no, "Skull and Bones" doesn't count.

[Mizmoon]

26. Not one that cost me the presidency

and not one I could have anticipated for, oh, I dunno, 30 years ...

And you still haven't explained it. You've just been using your :sarcasm: against me even though I'm a Democrat who voted for Kerry and supported him fully. I have a right to be disappointed and angry that he fucked this up so badly.

[Name removed]

29. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Mizmoon]

31. Still waiting for your explanation n/t

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

33. Bad decision. Your turn.

[Mizmoon]

39. So bad it's supicious

and THAT'S WHY I ASKED THE "DO YOU THINK HE THREW IT" question.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

40. And what was his motive?

[Mizmoon]

41. Unknown

Seems like he has enough money and power to keep him content forever, but then again so does the BFEE yet they keep pushing for more. It's hard to know what motivates a man of that means, but I do know that his decision in this case seems fishy.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

42. Sorry, that's not good enough.

You must present SOME motive as to why Kerry wouldn't want to become the most powerful man in the world. If you can't come up with a damn good reason, leave your half-baked theories at the door.

[Mizmoon]

43. Not good enough for YOU maybe

but unbiased observers (some right here in the same thread) are asking the same questions as I am. Your indignation does not erase the reality that this stinks to the high heavens.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

45. Unbiased, eh?

I'm sure.

[Mizmoon]

46. Yes, unbiased n/t

[bemildred]

28. Yes, I do. nt

[Prisoner_Number_Six]

7. Just more proof that he was a ringer.

I will never trust him.

[msanthrope]

10. Now that the election is over, why won't Bush sign a 180? n/t

[msanthrope]

11. Now that Kerry has released his, why won;t Bush do so, too? n/t

[msanthrope]

12. Now that Bush isn't up for reelection, what's the harm in signing HIS 180?

And that, my friends, is the real question.

[theboss]

37. Which is why you asked it three time?

What's up with that?

[LynnTheDem]

53. SIGN A RELEASE, BUSH.

WHY won't bush sign Form 180? WHAT ARE YOU HIDING, BUSH?

[DoveTurnedHawk]

16. King of Bad Decisions

Wow. Just wow.

DTH

[AngryWhiteLiberal]

22. EXACTLY. What a dumbass. Release this right before commenting on DSM???

Kerry deserved to lose(?) in 2004, if he really approved the release of this information RIGHT BEFORE HE'S SUPPOSED TO BRING UP THE DOWNING STREET MEMO. What the fuck?

JB

[blm]

30. He approved release a MONTH ago. Complete Naval service released in 2004

but the media spun it with the RW talking points that he didn't release his medical records which proved he was hiding something.

The broadcast media would never say that he released ALL his Naval service files during the campaign, even though he did.

[MaryBear]

32. Kerry usually has a reason for what he does.

Kerry seems usually to have e reason for what he does and when he does it. I expect that is true here - both when he refused and now that he has released them.

[Jacobin]

34. I guess his 'reason' is just too involved and esoteric for us

mere mortals to understand, right?

:eyes:

[MaryBear]

47. Are you being sarcastic?

Do you know his reasons?

[Jacobin]

49. Nice catch. Yes, that was sarcasm

No, I do not know his reason.

I'm not a faith based voter. I don't see anything in this other than utter incompetence or complete indifference to his campaign.

I'm sure the faithful can spin some esoterica on why this is 'good'. I'd rather have someone straightforward who wants to win.

[MaryBear]

58. I'm not exactly the faithful but

the guy seems pretty level headed and my first impulse would be to find out what his reason is. I haven't followed the impulse so don't know and am simply offering an opinion. I'd want to know first and then trash if I thought appropriate, rather than trash without knowing.

[theboss]

38. I'm a smart guy; I am well-educated; I understand politics...

...and I'm Italian. We have a good knack for human nature.

And some of Kerry's decisions simply baffle me.

[Freddie Stubbs]

60. Sometimes smart people do dumb things

Look at some of the mistakes that Clinton made.

[MasonJar]

44. No, 1 I am sure Kerry won the election. No.2 Why would he bend

to the demands of the Swift Boat garbage? He showed courage and integrity to stand up to the lies. A man with his stature and dignity and patriotism should not have to deal with the demands of slime. We, the Dems, are culpable; we should have nailed those jokers for their lies.

[sadiesworld]

50. Ahhh...

so that's the spin. I guess Kerry couldn't "dirty himself" by addressing election fraud either, eh? :crazy:

[LynnTheDem]

51. WHEN WILL BUSH SIGN A RELEASE FOR HIS RECORDS???

SIGN A RELEASE, BUSH.

[underpants]

52. Exactly he never has- a FACT that was passed over by the RW media

McClellan was asked about it and gave a "we have already covered that" LIE and no one ever brought it up again....more likely they were told not to.

[Supersedeas]

57. the CORPORATE media was full of swift boat then, full of JACKO now

[nickdw]

55. Maybe Kerry spied? ( keep it simple silly )

Maybe Kerry did some sensitive intelligence work while commanding his boat, or at the very least worked with intelligence officers. He seems like a smart guy who looks at all the angles all the time, so go figure.

Perhaps he was expecting the Navy to release the records about him spying but the Navy redacted it and by duty and by law Kerry is obligated not to say anything.. It's just a theory I could be totally wrong I have no evidence and don't care to look for it. If Kerry was into espionage I hope it was for good purposes ( e.g. he didn't get manipulated ).

This reminds me of Gov. Howard Dean's late brother. Didn't he travel abroad and spy for the U.S. government?

~N

[napi21]

56. Well, I think it was pure stubborness on Kerry's part!

He kept saying I'll release mine when Geirge releases his, and I think he was just too damn stubborn to give in. Dumb move in my opinion, but everyone does dumb things once in a while.

[truthisfreedom]

62. who knows... maybe Kerry was afraid (or had been made aware) that false

information had been planted in his files, and he needed to vet them to make sure nothing had been altered. these things take time.