EMAIL THE HELL OUT OF NIGHTLINE

[julialnyc]

starting a smear campaign from here say.

Here we go again...and what does it say that john o'neil is guest....?

The Swift Boat Controversy: New Witnesses
October 14, 2004

John Kerry's service in Vietnam has become a campaign issue. The group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth alleges that Kerry has distorted the truth about what happened during the war and questions whether he deserved the medals he received. Tonight, you'll hear from eyewitnesses who have not spoken before: the Vietnamese who fought against him.

We've had the debates and the race is a virtual dead-heat. This is the part of a campaign when there are daily fires--issues that rise, flare, and then go away, only to be replaced by a new one the next day. But for a while, this campaign was dominated by Vietnam, a war that ended, at least the fighting, thirty years ago. John Kerry made his service in Vietnam a major part of his campaign. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth fired back. They have alleged that Kerry was not truthful about his actions in Vietnam. Then questions were raised about the group's connections to people linked to the GOP. And so the story just kept spiraling in different directions. But the polls clearly showed that Kerry was hurt by allegations that he was not candid about his actions in Vietnam.

Which brings us to an old _expression: the fog of war. People, in general, are not always great eyewitnesses. Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them. But in the whole Swift Boat controversy, there is one group that hasn't been heard from at length: the Vietnamese. Producer Andrew Morse went to Vietnam, to the coordinates taken from the U.S. military after-action report from Kerry's battle for which he won the Silver Star. And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other? Can these questions be definitively settled? You'll have to judge. One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day. We do not know who that man is, or whatever happened to that tape.

Ted will be anchoring tonight, and he will be joined by John O'Neill, a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the author of Unfit for Command, a book critical of Kerry. I hope you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Washington D.C.

[davidjhorrell]

1. WHAT THE HELL?

[Connie_Corleone]

2. KICK!

[Texas_Dem]

3. I need a link.

[HootieMcBoob]

19. Link

[e-mail]

[Out the Parasites]

4. You've got to be kidding me - what a piece of pooh...

What are they even thinking?

[Bozos for Bush]

5. I for one trust Ted Koppel

Just because John O'Neill will be on doesn't mean it will be unfavorable for us.

[julialnyc]

8. i don't think so

I've seen him on before and while koppel questions him, he opens a can of worms and a huge discussion.


the swift boats have had their 15 minutes (and they hurt Kerry) and the media should lay off the smear!

Why did rather get such heat.....I think we should write to let Koppel know we will turn him into rather.

These people are not documented, could have been payed off....and are very unlikely to have been carrying Kerry's name around all this time.


My only sense of relief is that this is what Sinclair is trying to do and those are the same people that wouldn't air nightline-the fallen, but I'm not confident!

[AndyTiedye]

28. That's Why They Want to Do it Again and Again

> the swift boats have had their 15 minutes (and they hurt Kerry)

Repeat the lies enough time, and people start to believe them.

It's going to be all-Bush-all-the-time from now on, like August only much worse.

[Cocoa]

10. I for one DON'T trust Ted Koppel

he's one of the worst, imo.


My email to him:

Dear Mr. Koppel,

The smears didn't get enough attention the first time around?

Tons of substance in this campaign, lots of issues to talk about, and Nightline chooses the smears.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

11. No! Ted will let O'Neill smear the Hell out of JK!

:argh:

[Algorem]

26. "America Held Hostage"Ted Koppel?

That Ted Koppel?

[girl gone mad]

31. Ted Koppel is one of the least trustworthy "journalists" around.

Nightline was a blatant cheerleader for the Iraq war. They ran 10 pro-war pieces for every 10 seconds of anti-war sentiment (and sometimes it wasn't even anti-war sentiment, just "hold on a minute, let's think this through" sentiment).

Nightline did a show before the war in which their guest gushed about the intrinsic beauty of war itself. As if bombs falling on villages was somehow the living equivalent of a Rembrandt painting. He also said that peace was an unnatural and impossible state for humans. Leni Reifenstahl would have been pleased to see it.

After the war began, and Koppel appeared in desert fatigues, embedded with the troops, a media coup he'd made no mention of prior to the war, it became apparent that Koppel's pro-war bias was no accident.

[StickNCA]

73. Koppel is one of us

He just can't be as vocal!

[Lefta Dissenter]

6. When you email them

ask them when they're airing the show in which the Iraqi people are being interviewed about what is going on today in their country.

I'm sure the stories will differ from the rosy picture that bush has been painting... edited to ask if that wouldn't be more relevent to this election?

[Robbien]

7. I say ignore it. Rehash of a over-hashed topic.

Keep the focus on the issues.

[HootieMcBoob]

12. that was the original strategy

and it failed miserably. you don't ignore these things and they don't just go away.

[Robbien]

22. It has already been overly discussed.

Unlike the big pork bills, offshoring, the deficit, the bad job situation.

Let the right wing keep harping on it. As I said, there are many other issues to talk about and the campaign should not be distracted once again.

[HootieMcBoob]

27. my point exactly

that's why we make a pre-emptive strike. we need to write to nightline letting them know exactly what you've just said. That this has been talked into the ground and it outrageous that they're planning to give these lying bastards more free airtime. During the first go-round the strategy was oh lets just ignore it and it'll go away. Well, it didn't go away and John Kerry suffered because of it. I think we have to have Kerry's back. He needs us as much as we need him and if we see this kind of crap about to happen we need to raise a stink about it.

[okieinpain]

35. it's good this and the sinclair deal are coming after the debates.

I think most folks are now going back into their sleep world as far as politics are concerned and these two deal will not hurt kerry. they have seen kerry and bush side by side, and I think kerry has gotten the better reviews.

the only thing that can stop kerry now is kerry.

[Connie_Corleone]

9. You know what?

I don't think it will be that bad. Their interviewing the vietnamese who were eyewitnesses. Maybe Koppel will confront O'Neill with their eyewitness accounts.

[julialnyc]

14. you know what

I just listened to someone who gave good advice.

We should write them a nice email just stating that we know as a great program they will show both sides of the story. This very well might be to set O'Neil up, but just to be sure we could write a polite letter.

[Connie_Corleone]

16. I already wrote them. n/t

[HootieMcBoob]

15. just that fact that he's giving these bastards more air time

is beyond belief. I can't just sit here and hope that he'll do the right thing.

[SoCalDemocrat]

36. My letter

I cannot believe you're going to give credence to these smear artists. Have you completely lost your sanity? More likely you've lost your journalistic intengrity. These people are simply not credible. Their claims have been debunked time and time again. How can you so shamelessly pander to the right and give these cretins free air time on your program?

Smear Boat Liars for Bush have had their time. Nightline can do far better. No! Nightline could not do worse to air this tired and baseless rhetoric.

It is bad enough that you were a shameless cheerleader for the Iraq War. Don't fail the American people yet again. Why don't you do a special interviewing the Iraqi people about how they feel having the U.S. in their country and about the state of affairs there? Why don't you cover Halliburton and how they were awarded a no-bid contract, and have since lost billions of dollars?

LYING TRAITORS FILL THE AIR
FOR THE TRUTH, THEY DO NOT CARE
WATCH THEM SMEAR, WITHOUT REGRETS
THOSE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

Chorus:
FILLED WITH LIES, THEY BEAT THEIR CHESTS
MAD WITH RAGE OVER BRAVE PROTESTS
THEY WORK FOR BUSH WITH THEIR VAGUE THREATS
THESE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

TRAINED BY ROVE TO MINE HIS THEMES
TRAINED IN VICIOUS, MINDLESS MEMES
MEN WHO SPEW THEIR FALSE VIGNETTES
PROUD TO BE SLIMMING SWIFT BOAT VETS

Chorus:
FILLED WITH LIES, THEY BEAT THEIR CHESTS
MAD WITH RAGE OVER BRAVE PROTESTS
THEY WORK FOR BUSH WITH THEIR VAGUE THREATS
THESE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

HERE AT HOME, THE YOUNG WIVES WAIT
WILL THEIR BRAVE MEN, FACE THE SAME FATE?
BUSH WILL USE THEIR SACRIFICE
NEVER KNOWING HOW DEAR THE PRICE

YOUR SILVER WINGS ARE A SICK FRAUD
YOUR LYING ADS SHOULD BE OUTLAWED
YOU'LL BE EXPOSED, I'LL WIN MY BETS
NOTHING LOWER, THAN THE SWIFT BOAT VETS.

Chorus:
FILLED WITH LIES, THEY BEAT THEIR CHESTS
MAD WITH RAGE OVER BRAVE PROTESTS
THEY WORK FOR BUSH WITH THEIR VAGUE THREATS
THESE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

[HFishbine]

55. Your letter

starts with speculation:

"I cannot believe you're going to give credence to these smear artists."

[nostamj]

13. unbelievable!! I'll offer to sing this for Ted....

b]THE BALLAD OF THE SWIFT BOAT VETS (with apologies–i guess–to Barry Sadler)

LYING TRAITORS FILL THE AIR
FOR THE TRUTH, THEY DO NOT CARE
WATCH THEM SMEAR, WITHOUT REGRETS
THOSE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

Chorus:
FILLED WITH LIES, THEY BEAT THEIR CHESTS
MAD WITH RAGE OVER BRAVE PROTESTS
THEY WORK FOR BUSH WITH THEIR VAGUE THREATS
THESE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

TRAINED BY ROVE TO MINE HIS THEMES
TRAINED IN VICIOUS, MINDLESS MEMES
MEN WHO SPEW THEIR FALSE VIGNETTES
PROUD TO BE SLIMMING SWIFT BOAT VETS

Chorus:
FILLED WITH LIES, THEY BEAT THEIR CHESTS
MAD WITH RAGE OVER BRAVE PROTESTS
THEY WORK FOR BUSH WITH THEIR VAGUE THREATS
THESE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

HERE AT HOME, THE YOUNG WIVES WAIT
WILL THEIR BRAVE MEN, FACE THE SAME FATE?
BUSH WILL USE THEIR SACRIFICE
NEVER KNOWING HOW DEAR THE PRICE

YOUR SILVER WINGS ARE A SICK FRAUD
YOUR LYING ADS SHOULD BE OUTLAWED
YOU'LL BE EXPOSED, I'LL WIN MY BETS
NOTHING LOWER, THAN THE SWIFT BOAT VETS.

Chorus:
FILLED WITH LIES, THEY BEAT THEIR CHESTS
MAD WITH RAGE OVER BRAVE PROTESTS
THEY WORK FOR BUSH WITH THEIR VAGUE THREATS
THESE FEW FOOLS, CALLED THE SWIFT BOAT VETS

[genius]

17. Don't just email - call. Also demand = time with writer of "Unfit Commandr

I'm tired of this broadcast contribution to the Bush campaign.

[julialnyc]

18. example email

someone wrote an example email from another blog that I liked:

If you want to send something, send something nice like "I hope the report indicates that Kerry is the one telling the truth, and you are giving O'neil an opportunity to come clean about his lies. If not it is your journalistic duty to provide the other side of the story and invite one of Kerry's crew members or swiftboat supporters to defend him."

I have a feeling that ABC might be setting up O'Neil to take a fall tonight. Do not be too judgemental until we see the report.

[HootieMcBoob]

20. you mean don't jump to any conclusions

until it's to late?

[Connie_Corleone]

21. Good email.

[evilqueen]

23. Email Nightline

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/PersonOfWeek/story?id=64544

[bush equals idiot]

24. I have never found Koppel to be anything but fair.

And often brutal to anyone who tried to twist the facts. Douglas Brinkley wrote an enormously researched biography of Kerry, the majority of his Viet Nam period, and he said there is not a blemish in his military record anywhere. He called it "stellar." He was on C-Span for an hour and he raved about Kerry. He also made it clear, he is not basing it on bias toward Kerry. Just the facts!

I think that old bloated face sewer dweller will face more than he bargained for.

[Barney Rocks]

25. Is this supposed to

air tonight? I just want to know--because I usually send a snail mail (gets more attention) but if this is already scheduled for tonight, I will send e-mail instead.

[evilqueen]

38. Yes, it's tonight.

This is the daily email I get from Nightline advising me of what's coming on:

The Swift Boat Controversy: New Witnesses

October 14, 2004

John Kerry's service in Vietnam has become a campaign issue. The group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth alleges that Kerry has distorted the truth about what happened during the war and questions whether he deserved the medals he received. Tonight, you'll hear from eyewitnesses who have not spoken before: the Vietnamese who fought against him.

We've had the debates and the race is a virtual dead-heat. This is the part of a campaign when there are daily fires--issues that rise, flare, and then go away, only to be replaced by a new one the next day. But for a while, this campaign was dominated by Vietnam, a war that ended, at least the fighting, thirty years ago. John Kerry made his service in Vietnam a major part of his campaign. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth fired back. They have alleged that Kerry was not truthful about his actions in Vietnam. Then questions were raised about the group's connections to people linked to the GOP. And so the story just kept spiraling in different directions. But the polls clearly showed that Kerry was hurt by allegations that he was not candid about his actions in Vietnam.

Which brings us to an old expression: the fog of war. People, in general, are not always great eyewitnesses. Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them. But in the whole Swift Boat controversy, there is one group that hasn't been heard from at length: the Vietnamese. Producer Andrew Morse went to Vietnam, to the coordinates taken from the U.S. military after-action report from Kerry's battle for which he won the Silver Star. And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other? Can these questions be definitively settled? You'll have to judge. One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day. We do not know who that man is, or whatever happened to that tape.

Ted will be anchoring tonight, and he will be joined by John O'Neill, a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the author of Unfit for Command, a book critical of Kerry. I hope you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Washington D.C.

[Barney Rocks]

48. OK

e-mail sent.

[i_c_a_White_Ghost]

29. I wrote

basically this is not what a divided country needs right now. I liken it to lighting a match in a room filled with dynamite. I said it's with regret that you are airing this show at this time and being a loyal watcher may no longer be. Also I said, this election should be about the issues! not 30 year old scores.

[settembrini]

30. My email

Dear Nightline,
I see that you are asking John O'Neill to participate on your show tonight. I hope you remind your audience that Mr. O'Neill has had a vendetta against John Kerry for over 30 years, and, with remarkably convenient timing, has co-authored a book with an anti-Catholic bigot that besmirches the record of a war hero. In this book, or rather through media discussion of the book, O'Neill has been able to hoodwink the public into thinking there is some question as to Mr. Kerry's valor. I hope you remind your viewers that Mr. O'Neill's book not only fails to rebut the testimonials of those who actually served with Kerry, but that it relies heavily on the preeminent "body-count" officer of the entire war, who happened to be called out in a Kerry biography. Finally, I trust you'll also demonstrate the implausibility of a Vietnamese soldier's ability to remember one day of a war that saw the death of millions of his countrymen and the incineration of much of his countryside.

[julialnyc]

37. great email

[Demit]

32. I was all set to email, then I read the poster's Nightline memo again

and I got a different take on it. In the next-to-last graf, it talks about the vet with a camaraman who was disparaging towards Kerry. So I think it's possible Nightline could be going to present very plainly that the whole Swiftboat thing IS an orchestrated smear. I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt.

And, in any case, another poster was right. The SBV's 15 minutes have passed, and they're losing traction. The public has now seen Kerry for their own selves, and it's too late for the smear-artists to define him. It won't take.

[evilqueen]

33. I emailed, and I reminded Koppel that I've stood up for him in the past...

back in April when he wanted to read the names of the Iraq war dead. I told him that we were once again fighting Sinclair, contacting stations as well as advertisers regarding the "film" they want to pass off as "news" in an attempt to smear Kerry.

I also asked him to mention that O'Neill was hired by Nixon way back in the '70's in an attempt to counter Kerry. And I mentioned that at the time, Nixon had Charles Colson investigate Kerry to dig up dirt in an attempt to smear Kerry, but Colson came up completely empty-handed.

:headbang:

[Tesibria]

44. I agree -- i think that this might just be dyno-mite

.... and might just knock Sinclair/the whole vet thing around a bit.

... it certainly SOUNDS like it -- why else would they be doing it now....

this is very interesting.

[geek tragedy]

34. Payback for the Swifties buying of ABC ad time on Monday Night Football.

Corrupt assholes.

[jackstraw45]

40. DAMN right....that's it!

You hit the nail on the head.

This is the way the Corporate Media works.

[SoCalDemocrat]

49. can we get confirmation here

How much did they pay?

[geek tragedy]

62. Don't know.

How much do 30 second spots cost on MNF? My guess is that it's a ton.

[julialnyc]

39. post any replies you get

[evilqueen]

41. *kick*

[Roland99]

42. **PROOF that the Swiftboat Veterans are LIARS**

Larry Thurlow, one of the lying Swiftboat Veterans:
http://www.nationalreview.com/script/printpage.asp?ref=/york/york200407301059.asp

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thurlow says that Kerry's version of the events of March 13, 1969, is simply wrong. "His story is a total fabrication," Thurlow says. One of the Swift Boats did hit a mine that day, Thurlow says, but much of the rest of Kerry's story is inaccurate. "This thing about being under intense enemy fire is a falsehood...There was no fire off either bank . This thing about getting Jim out of the river under a hail of bullets with these serious injuries is totally fabricated."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





The lie exposed:
http://www.thehistorynet.com/ah/blkerryinvietnam/index3.html

Larry Thurlow received a bronze star for a fire fight he now says did not occur!



AND

George Elliott lying:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5694561/

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HURLEY: This is from George Elliott, one of John Kerry‘s commanders in Vietnam. This is the recommendation for the award of the Bronze Star. And he talks about a little bit in this.

Then he says: “Shortly after starting their exit from this river, a mine detonated under one of the boats, PCF-3, lifting it two feet above the water and wounded everyone on board. Almost simultaneously, another mine detonated, close aboard PCF-94, knocking First Lieutenant Rassmann into the water and wounding Lieutenant J.G. Kerry in the right arm.” It goes on that PCF-4 provided cover fire, that they received sniper fire from the riverbanks. “Lieutenant J.G. Kerry, from his exposed position on the bow of the boat, managed to pull Lieutenant Rassmann aboard despite the painful wound in his right arm.

“Meanwhile, PCF-94 gunners provided accurate suppressing fire.” It concludes by saying: “Lieutenant J.G. Kerry proved himself to be calm, professional and highly courageous in the face of enemy fire.” That is signed by George Elliott, one of these same guys now who is saying, oh, but I remember it differently and I want to change my mind.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




http://www.factcheck.org/article.aspx?docID=231

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What Elliott said in the ad is that Kerry "has not been honest about what happened in Viet Nam." In his original affidavit Elliott said Kerry had not been "forthright" in Vietnam. The only example he offered of Kerry not being "honest" or "forthright" was this: "For example, in connection with his Silver Star, I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back.

In the Globe story, Elliott is quoted as saying it was a "terrible mistake" to sign that statement:

George Elliott (Globe account): It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here. . . . I knew it was wrong . . . In a hurry I signed it and faxed it back. That was a mistake.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_4998.shtml

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Another prominent figure in the anti-Kerry book as well as the ad denouncing Kerry, retired Lt. Commander George Elliott, recanted his statement last week in interviews with at least two news sources and then recounted his recant. Elliott also supported Kerry in his 1996 campaign and told a Boston audience that he felt the Senator "deserved the medals he won in Vietnam."

O’Neill further destroyed his credibility by appearing on CNN after assuring the network he had not spoke out publicly about Kerry this year. CNN later had to retract their claim of an “exclusive” interview after they learned O’Neill appeared on C-Span to discuss Kerry in March.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Elliott Praises Kerry in 1969 Report

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Elliott had a much different opinion of Kerry at the time than in the ad. In a fitness report on Kerry, dated Dec. 18, 1969, he stated that "in a combat environment often requiring independent, decisive action LTJG Kerry was unsurpassed...LTJG Kerry emerges as the acknowledged leader in his peer group."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Elliott also said he voted for Gore. I find that very hard to believe considering he's donated to the GOP. Elliott is a pathological liar. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.


AND

Hibbard has not revealed that he was Kerry's CO for only two weeks and never wrote a performance review for Kerry.


AND

Hoffman has been called a Kurtz-like psychopath.


quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Capt. Roy Hoffmann: "I told them you not only have authority," Hoffmann now says, "I damned well expect action. If there were men there and they didn’t kill them or capture them, you’d hear from me."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




Also, Hoffman is a liar:
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_4998.shtml

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“They seek retribution by fabricating stories to destroy Kerry,” Brinkley says. “Hoffman, in particular lacks credibility.”

On May 6, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Steve Schultze, interviewed Hoffman and wrote “Hoffmann acknowledged he had no first-hand knowledge to discredit Kerry's claims to valor and said that although Kerry was under his command, he really didn't know Kerry much personally.”

On August 5, however, Hoffman told Sean Hannity on his ABC radio show that "I knew him (Kerry) well, because I operated very closely with him and, uh, many of the operations, uh, most of the operations were-were conducted with multiple boats."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





AND

Merrie Spaeth is the Communications Director for the Swiftboat Veterans group and is a staunch GOP supporter.


AND

Their website is funded by a Missouri Republican with close ties to John Ashcroft.


AND

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/5/4/132751.shtml

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“It is our collective judgment that, upon your return from Vietnam, you grossly and knowingly distorted the conduct of the American soldiers, Marines, sailors and airmen of that war (including a betrayal of many of us, without regard for the danger your actions caused us.) Further, we believe that you have withheld and/or distorted material facts as to your own conduct in this war.”

But it is with regard to the latter sentence of the charge that O’Neill and others get vague.

When asked by NewsMax if they had in mind any potential smoking gun of distortion that might be revealed by an unfettered examination of Kerry’s military records, there was no answer forthcoming.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




AND

Who is Steve Gardner?
Swift Boat Vet "eyewitness" was not present for events leading to Kerry's medals or Purple Hearts
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408240001

quote:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gardner admitted that "he was not on the boat with Kerry during the incidents for which Kerry got his medals," reported The Columbus Dispatch on August 6. And as a guest on Michael Savage's radio show, Savage Nation, on August 2, Gardner said that of Kerry's three Purple Hearts, he could only attest to the first; Gardner later admitted to Savage that he was "not on the boat with him " when that injury occurred...

...in at least two interviews, Gardner has falsely claimed that he was present for the incidents leading to Kerry's receipt of awards...

...In an apparent attempt to substantiate his status as an eyewitness to key Kerry events, Gardner claimed on Scarborough Country, "hat boat never left the dock that I wasn't aboard it with John Kerry, never. I was with that boat everywhere we went." Gardner went on to make assertions regarding the events that occurred on March 13, 1969, involving Kerry's rescue of Jim Rassmann, for which Kerry received the Bronze Star. Gardner claimed to know that Kerry fled the scene on the river that day while the other three boats stayed and that Kerry then "turned around and came all the way back to pick up Mr. Rassmann that he had thrown off his boat when he took off, when he fled down the canal." But later in the show, Gardner admitted to not being present that day. When Scarborough attempted to revisit the "March 13, 1969 incident," Gardner said, "I'm not going to deal with that. Because I wasn't there."...

...On the August 2 broadcast of Savage Nation, Gardner himself claimed that all of the wounds for which Kerry received Purple Hearts "were superficial wounds, and I mean very superficial, scratches. The very first one is the only one that I can actually attest to because I was there when that wound happened." But Gardner was not there when Kerry sustained that wound; as noted above, Gardner went on to admit: "I was not on the boat with him but I -- in the next three days following that, I was with him on the boat going to take our new position up down there on the seaward operations."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------




And John O'Neill in his lie:

Swift Boat Writer Lied on Cambodia Claim
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&u=/ap/20040825/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_critic_swift_boats_1&printer=1

[julialnyc]

43. kick

[HFishbine]

45. Aren't we jumping to conlcusions?

Who knows what this will reveal? I'd like to watch it and see what it reveals. Then I'll judge.

[Tesibria]

47. PREDICTION.....

... of course this is ALL just guess-tilations until it's actually aired .... but ... knowing Koppel ... I predict

(a) a Vietnamese who shows his wounds recieved on the day (i.e., the day O'Neill says no fighting occurred)

(b) more information to cast doubt on O'Neill/Swift Boat Vets

(c) old photos or memorabilia showing that the "new" witnessses actually WERE there at the time

... a backlash against ABC w/ accusations that it coached the witnesses (and of course, you know you can't trust those vietnamese - ABC probably paid them off... or so Rush will be saying tomorrow)...,.

[SoCalDemocrat]

51. It's slimy NBC is airing this at all

There are dozens of issues, many covered in the debates, that Nightline could cover.

Why not Bin Laden?

Why not the economy and jobs?

[Tesibria]

56. Ok -- again -- it's all What Ifs

BUT -- IF what ABC Nightline is doing is nailing the SBV for their lies and discrediting their story -- then that's an important thing -- ESPECIALLY in light of the Sinclair stunt.


All of this is IF IF IF IF. But -- It just doesn't make sense to me any other way.

Call me a fool in 8 hours (but do it nicely please - pretty please) - but I'm hoping we'll be seeing some smiley faces after Nightline airs tonight.

[HFishbine]

57. How do you know

it won't be the final nail in the Swift Boat Vets for Truth (SIC) coffin? Maybe they will be doing us a service by completely discrediting these jokers for the remainder of the campaign.

[HFishbine]

53. Sounds plausible

More likely, I think, than Koppel jumping on the smear bandwagon.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

46. People are not always great eyewitnesses

So they are going to roll out yet more ungreat eyewitnesses??? WTF?

[Borgnine]

50. And so this DEBUNKED garbage starts up again.

The media is fucking shameless. They know these lies hurt Kerry once, so they're pulling it out of their dirty bag of tricks to coincide with Sinclair's smear fest next week.

I hate this scum.

[SoCalDemocrat]

64. Agreed. I think its cheap and exploitative

There is a lot of media attention on the Sinclair story. Koppel and Nightline are trying to cash in, nothing more. They're slime.

[Viking12]

52. Remind Koppel of his conversation with John Stewart

Make Koppel tell the TRUTH, not relay the facts.

TED KOPPEL(Off Camera) I think you're arguing about the difference between fact and truth. Which is the great problem with journalism. Let me explain.

JON STEWART Fact and truth?

TED KOPPEL (Off Camera) Fact and truth.

JON STEWART Are you going to tell me the Holocaust didn't happen?

TED KOPPEL (Off Camera) For the sake of -argument, let's say President Bush comes out there Thursday night and out of the blue talks about that well-known drug dealer and pedophile, Ted Koppel. And my colleagues then ...

JON STEWART Are you getting this?

TED KOPPEL(Off Camera) And my colleagues then the next morning say the President of the United States last night, in a surprising diversion from the rest of his speech, accused ABC host Ted Koppel of being a pedophile and a drug dealer. Are they factually correct in reporting that the President of the United States said that? Is it news that he said that? Sure, it is. Is it the truth? No. The truth may not emerge until ...

JON STEWART Or is it?

[evilqueen]

59. Yes, in my email I asked Koppel to tell the TRUTH. :)

[bush equals idiot]

54. I think O'Neil is walking right into the lions den. teehee.

[Tesibria]

58. i'm betting with you

:toast:

[evilqueen]

60. *kicked*

Tell Ted Koppel to tell the TRUTH

[julialnyc]

61. kick

[evilqueen]

63. *kick*

for night time crew

[autorank]

65. My note to ABC Nightline

Just great, more stupid stories about Swiftboats. Have you not noticed that there is a national tragedy taking place in Iraq. Our soldiers are dying and the country is going broke. You campaign coverage has now gone from nonexistent to pathetic.

Try being real journalists for a while. It may be refreshing.

[txindy]

66. You might want to watch it, first. It looks really good for John Kerry.

Check out the website and read the summary. All the Vietnamese witnesses corroborate the official report that says there was a massive firefight. Also, that the man who was killed was not an "unarmed boy" as the Swift Boat Liars claim, but a strong, grown man.

Unless they air something completely different from what they've summarized, this looks unremarkable. More corroboration of John Kerry's truthfulness.

Plus, the picture of JK and his puppy is adorable!

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Nightline/Vote2004/story?id=166434&page=1

[Bozos for Bush]

67. As I said before, trust Ted Koppel - the truth will air tonight

Thanks TXIndy for posting the quick summary. It's clear from the 4-page article at ABC.com that the Swift Boat Liars will be further discredited tonight.

[LittleClarkie]

68. Imagine having O'Neill on

with plans for an ambush.

I hope, I hope, I hope.

Let's keep our fingers crossed. Get em Ted.

[pa28]

77. That's right! Hold on to your pen.

The accounts of people who were there back up J.K. and show the swiftliars for what they are.

[senseandsensibility]

69. I'm on the west coast

and don't want to stay up that late to watch Nightline. When is it on on the east coast,and will you guys post about it? Also, are we still supposed to e-mail Nightline, or are we taking a wait and see approach? Thanks for any information.

[txindy]

70. Speaking for myself, I'd wait on the emails

It's too late to change anything at this late time, so hold off. Just MHO. I want to see before I react. It sounds good so far, but who knows? There might be a surprise or two. :shrug: I'm waiting, though.

[senseandsensibility]

71. Thanks!

Hope someone can post something something about it when it's on. Do you know what time it's on in the east?

[Clinton Crusader]

72. WTF???? I thought this was supp. to be a PRO Kerry show???

:kick:

[nicktom]

74. It just might turn out to be pro Kerry,

at least if you have read the threads at freeper land. I don't know how to post a link over there so you will have to take my word for it, or go see for yourself. But trust me they are not happy. In fact the first two times it was posted there it was deleted. I like to keep track of their B.S.

:evilgrin:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

76. ............

[CBHagman]

75. I don't know the end result...

...but I'm concerned that O'Neill is still all over the media like a rash. Here's what I wrote to Nightline. A little repetitive, but I was cross when I started typing:



I'm not sure I understand why Nightline is providing yet another forum for John O'Neill, the Vietnam veteran recruited by the Nixon administration to counteract John Kerry's criticism of the the administration's policy on Vietnam. O'Neill has received considerable attention in recent months as a Republican donor, coordinator of attack ads and also "co-author" of an attack book, "Unfit for Command," which also attacks John Kerry.

Just what O'Neill has done to deserve this amount of attention is unclear. The Department of the Navy did not suddenly decide in August of 2004 that John Kerry's service record was under question or that his medals were undeserved. Yet O'Neill has been given a platform throughout the media, a phoney depiction as nonpartisan or even pro-Democrat, all with the understanding that he will trash John Kerry's record.

May I be blunt, ladies and gentlemen? I've lived through the dirty tricks of Richard Nixon and Lee Atwater. I know exactly who and what John O'Neill is and why he is spending so much time in front of the national media. He's there to destroy a man's reputation and influence the outcome of a presidential election.

And spare me the pious pleadings about presenting both sides of the story. Would you invite the grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan to discuss the Catholic Church or civil rights issues? In the name of "balanced" reporting, the national media have abandoned standards and given a platform to partisan attack dogs who serve no purpose but to drag our national discourse into the sewer.

By all means bring on the military experts and historians, but spare us the network-sanctioned smear campaigns.

[Bozos for Bush]

78. Like I said, trust Ted Koppel

He's tough, but he's fair and honest. Has been for 24 years.

WTG Ted!!!!!!!!!!

[Bluebear]

79. I did not watch tonight because of this thread!

"Smear campaign" I wanted no part of. Sounds like I missed a dilly!

[Forkboy]

80. LOL...some pretty foolish looking people on this thread