Swift Boat Veterans for Slander

This editorial from today’s Post says it better than I ever could, so for the most part, I’ll let you go read it. Then just imagine me saying, “Yeah, me too!”

The people behind this ad and the associated book — or, more speficially, the person, Bob J. Perry, Duh-bya’s top Texas fundraiser — is scum. And that’s an assessment I’ll extend to those soldiers who knowingly made such outrageously false statements: “I served with John Kerry” can hardly be stretched to mean the same thing as the true “I served in Vietnam at the same time as John Kerry, but never actually knew him, met him, or had any contact with him before you guys asked if I’d appear in this commercial.” Oh, and the same goes for the doctor who claims to have treated one of Kerry’s injuries, but whose name is mysteriously missing from any of the documentation related to such treatment; speaking of which (thanks to The Daily Show), isn’t it a little odd that despite all of the horrific injuries this guy must have seen, for some reason he remembers this allegedly minor injury to some inconsequential officer? My ass.

That’s not to say that all of those who appear in the commercial or are quoted in the book are equally guilty. Kerry’s commanding officer has completely retracted his statements (at least with regard to Kerry’s Silver Star award). I’m not saying it lets him off the hook completely, but it does lessen his scum status a bit, at least in my eyes.

As for the ad and the book themselves? Slander and libel respectively. Not just “smears” — that’s all too tame a euphemism. And if it weren’t likely to be politically disadvantageous to do so, I’d recommend that John Kerry pursue every legal action against these perpetrators. Hell, wait until after the election, and then crush these dirtbags.

So where does little George stand on all of this? Hell, he’s all in favor of it. When asked to condemn the ad — by John McCain, no less — Bush (via his spokespuppet, Scott McClellan) refused, instead using it as an opportunity to make a direct criticism of “soft-money contributions.” And just in case anyone missed it, that attack was also none-too-subtlely directed at McCain himself, as it was the McCain-sponsored campaign finance legislation (which Bush signed, don’t forget) that brought about such tactics. But he said nothing even remotely critical of the ad or its content.

It amazes me that anybody with a brain can support this idiot. I honestly cannot understand it. Maybe the American people really are dumber than I give them credit for.