Kerry's Response to the Did He Change Story/Medals Story

[liveoaktx]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4836412/
Kerry told ABC: “The Republicans have spent $60 million in the last few weeks trying to attack me. And this comes from a president and a Republican Party that can’t even answer whether or not he showed up for duty in the National Guard. I’m not going to stand for it.”

The anti-Bush political group MoveOn PAC released a 60-second television ad Monday comparing Kerry’s service in Vietnam to President Bush’s record with the Texas Air National Guard. Bush has been criticized for being unable to account for some periods of his Guard service.

“This election is about character,” the ad concludes. “It’s between John Kerry, who left no man behind ... and George W. Bush, who simply left.”

[fryguy]

1. DU the poll too..

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4836412

[bigtree]

2. That's Josh Marshall tough

Good for Kerry.

[Tinoire]

3. That's a very good one

“It’s between John Kerry, who left no man behind ... and George W. Bush, who simply left.”

Has a good, memorable ring to it too.

[papau]

4. Just another ABC Chris Vlasto smear

Why is ABC running another Chris Vlasto smear? ABC News is currently running a web headline which reads "Medal Dispute, EXCLUSIVE: Did Kerry lie about Vietnam War medals?" When was the last time ABC used the "L" word about President Bush? Or is it always 'exaggeration' when it's President Bush? Or is this again the ABC producer that creatively edited a video with Hillary Clinton about the Rose law firm, changing the meaning of her answer, the fellow who smeared Howard Dean with the trouper abuse story, falsely implied Iraq was behind the anthrax scare, and was a Star reprinter and indeed message taker to Jim McDougal - granted that Jeff Greenfield had no problem ignoring the lie as he tried to create a WH worried about exposure of secrets if Vince Foster death is investigated moment - but one still marvels at Vlasto's telling other reporters that "corrupt liars were in the White House, not the independent counsel's office".

Now the link between Starr's office, the Wall Street Journal and ABC television can be written off as a business need - but what is reason that ABC has allowed Vlasto to run with the word "LIE" in a Kerry does not distinguish between "medal", "ribbon", and "medallion" - says military uses term medal for all or part of the award - story?

Granted that Vlasto, who picked up the tab for a celebratory dinner for Paula Jones, is just doing his right wing thing, but doesn't ABC have standards? Chris Vlasto’s SOP remains the same: slime and smear with the most salacious of charges be they true or false - God can sort that out later - but is it not time for ABC to get off its GOP required kneepads?

http://www.moveonpac.org/warrecord/

[liveoaktx]

5. Another plug to CALL THEM-they took out the word Lie but STILL

have an inflammatory, partisan title on the homepage "Why did Kerry change story about Vietnam medals? " which of course ASSUMES that he changed his story. This despite the fact that the ticker contains the title "Did John Kerry Discard Vietnam Medals" as well as the ticker. It took ONLY ONE HOUR with a bunch of people speaking up to get them to take Lie out of the title, keep it up and tell them to alter the title to MATCH the other newsworthy titles elsewhere on the site.

212-556-0300