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August 13, 2004 Quick Hits A few quick thoughts....
"By our souls and blood, we are giving life to you, Iraq." --Soccer crowd, paraphrasing former Saddam cheer. *** A reader emailed me yesterday, and made a good point about the current Hurricane/Tropical Storm tag team hitting Florida... FL is going to be hit by a Tropical Storm AND a Hurruicane in succession. All I can say is that Jeb and George better have the cleanup- National Guard, FEMA, Federal AID, etc.- primed and ready to go the second the sun comes out. With every vote so crucial in FL, they better not dither. Delay in plowing the streets after a blizzard cost a NYC mayor his job in the past.Good point.
So, how, exactly, do they plan to square that with the new Douglas Brinkley angle that Kerry was in Cambodia, but in January? Was he near Cambodia in January, too? Or are we meant to simply forget that ammendment to the story?
So what will Kerry say? Ann Haker suspects that Kerry wants the clamor to get as loud as possible. Once it does, he'll pull out evidence to support his position and make his critics look like fools.Well-played, if that is his angle, and it would probably destroy what currency the Swift Boat Vets have with the undecided public. I'm not sure it is, but it's worth remembering that this is a story he has told for decades, and not just a one-time invention. More to the point, this is not a story he invented "as a club to bludgeon supporters of Reagan's Nicaragua policy"....he had made the claim as early as 1979. I'm still not sure what to make of this story, but until I see some proof positive that he couldn't have been in Cambodia anywhere near that time, it's worth being cautious.
So, I'm back on the fence. (made easier by the fact that I live in Virginia) Unless Bush offers something important in his domestic economic policy that can reasonably be considered akin to libertarian/conservative values, I may just vote for.....well, I don't know. Even the Libertarian Party is nominating cranks this year, so what's left?
'fore I was not there, or was... In Cambodia. UPDATE II: Joe Kelley is back and still recovering. And he's got one heck of a vacation story to tell. Go welcome him back, and wish him well. |
I have family in Tampa, so I hope they are on the ball.
Posted by: Frank Castle at August 13, 2004 08:27 AM
The rope-a-dope theory isn't possible. Kerry's told too many different stories. First he was in Cambodia on Christmas eve -- an event that was "seared into my memory." Then he was five miles away from Cambodia. Then he was in the Mekong Delta between Cambodia and Vietnam (only the Mekong Delta isn't between Cambodia and Vietnam). Now, he was in Cambodia, but not on Christmas Eve, but in January.
There's no possible record that could back up four different contradictory stories.
Posted by: Spoons at August 13, 2004 08:55 AM
Perhaps, Spoons. Of course, those contradictory stories don't rule out the possibility that he was there at some point. They just mean each story can't be right.
On the other hand, some of those stories were floated as possibilities by campaign flacks, rather than Kerry, so they're not hard and fast. The discrepancy between Christmas Eve and January could possibly be attributed to--"seared" or not--a faulty memory. (heck, I have trouble remembering where I was last month)
I'm not arguing that such is the case. Just throwing out the possibilities.
Posted by: Jon Henke at August 13, 2004 09:02 AM
This all comes down to --- where was Bush and Cheney during the Viet Nam war? Excuse me? not in Viet Nam? drinking? partying? having fun making babies? The nerve of Bush and Cheney to send their henchmen after Kerry --- they just wish they had Kerry's war record. He came back yes to denounce the war, I lived during that time. So, thank you Mr. Kerry -- he spoke the truth of the Viet Nam war. He was not against the vets but those who took us there. This takes nothing away from those vets who served, they were brave and risked their life. I do respect them --- but our government used them. But, the vets had the courage to face the fire, you vets have my respect whether you agree or disagree with that time. You all did your country proud! But, I will not vote for Bush who pretends to be this big soldier... I will not vote for Cheney who refuses to admit he did not go there because he didn't want to. Both did not believe in the war or they would have gone there. Clinton did not go there, but, he admitted he didn't go there because he didn't believe. The conclusion-- Bush and Cheney are hyprocrites!
Nan
Posted by: Nancy at August 17, 2004 08:02 PM