Pentagon to Investigate John Kerry

dr. what · Post by **dr. what** » 2004-09-05 02:13am

Apparently the Pentagon has ordered an official investigation into the awarding of John Kerry's five Vietnam War decorations.

Here

Official complaint

Comments?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-09-05 02:21am

I love the way the "Judicial Watch" people who demanded this investigation describe themselves as a totally nonpartisan public-advocacy group ... which just happens to consistently attack Democrats, condom-education programs, abortion, etc.

Post by **Vympel** » 2004-09-05 02:22am

Gag. "We read dis here book and it says ...."

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-09-05 02:26am

I'm so sick and tired of these grossly partisan organizations calling themselves "nonpartisan public-advocacy groups". Can't they be nailed on misrepresentation or something?

neoolong · Post by **neoolong** » 2004-09-05 02:29am

Wow. You'd think that such a horrible crime would have been brought up by them before, an election year.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-09-05 02:51am

Darth Wong wrote:I love the way the "Judicial Watch" people who demanded this investigation describe themselves as a totally nonpartisan public-advocacy group ... which just happens to consistently attack Democrats, condom-education programs, abortion, etc.

They also suied Vice-President Cheney over Halliburton; Tom Delay over illigal fundraising; the Ashcroft Justice Department in regards to alledged anti-hispanic bias, and the Department of the Army over a FOIA request concerning the selection of Kellog, Brown and Root to rebuild Iraq's oil industry.

They're more political ambulance chasers than right-wing conspiritors.

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-09-05 02:55am

Alex Moon wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:I love the way the "Judicial Watch" people who demanded this investigation describe themselves as a totally nonpartisan public-advocacy group ... which just happens to consistently attack Democrats, condom-education programs, abortion, etc.
They also suied Vice-President Cheney over Halliburton; Tom Delay over illigal fundraising; the Ashcroft Justice Department in regards to alledged anti-hispanic bias, and the Department of the Army over a FOIA request concerning the selection of Kellog, Brown and Root to rebuild Iraq's oil industry.

They're more political ambulance chasers than right-wing conspiritors.

Really? I looked at their website's announcements and cases and all I saw was "Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Reno, Reno, Clinton, condoms, abortion, Clinton ..."

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-09-05 02:56am

neoolong wrote:Wow. You'd think that such a horrible crime would have been brought up by them before, an election year.

Why? Who the fuck would have known about the whole medal fiasco before know? It's only after Kerry started running for President that the question of his combat decorations meant anything more than jack to anyone.

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-09-05 03:33am

Darth Wong wrote:
Alex Moon wrote:
Darth Wong wrote:I love the way the "Judicial Watch" people who demanded this investigation describe themselves as a totally nonpartisan public-advocacy group ... which just happens to consistently attack Democrats, condom-education programs, abortion, etc.
They also suied Vice-President Cheney over Halliburton; Tom Delay over illigal fundraising; the Ashcroft Justice Department in regards to alledged anti-hispanic bias, and the Department of the Army over a FOIA request concerning the selection of Kellog, Brown and Root to rebuild Iraq's oil industry.

They're more political ambulance chasers than right-wing conspiritors.
Really? I looked at their website's announcements and cases and all I saw was "Kerry, Kerry, Kerry, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Clinton, Reno, Reno, Clinton, condoms, abortion, Clinton ..."

http://www.judicialwatch.org/2329.shtml
http://www.judicialwatch.org/cases/76/092302.pdf
http://www.judicialwatch.org/1278.shtml
http://www.judicialwatch.org/1456.shtml Enron
http://www.judicialwatch.org/1478.shtml Robert Ray
http://www.judicialwatch.org/2098.shtml Halliburton
http://www.judicialwatch.org/cases/109/complaint.htm Army
http://www.judicialwatch.org/3687.shtml FBI
http://www.judicialwatch.org/1284.shtml More Enron

They've got eight years of the Clinton administration to dig through, and a lot of those cases have been going on for several years now in one way or another. There's going to be some lag involved in bringing these cases up, as evidenced by the fact that Bush Admin officials are involved in more of the later cases. I'm not denying that there's some bias, the founder is a conservative activiest so of course he's going to be more interested in clinton era scandals. I just don't agree that the organization is a Republican shrill. They're ambulance chasers, nothing more.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2004-09-05 12:20pm

Well, if Kerry's got nothing to hide, this can only help him and hurt his detractors, right?

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2004-09-05 12:23pm

Joe wrote:Well, if Kerry's got nothing to hide, this can only help him and hurt his detractors, right?

No, because the timing is such that the investigation will still be ongoing at the time of the election, hence he will be "under investigation".

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-09-05 12:40pm

Even if the Pentagon should investigate Kerry's medels, it should have withheld such an investigation until after November.

Quadlok · Post by **Quadlok** » 2004-09-05 02:31pm

Alex Moon wrote:
neoolong wrote:Wow. You'd think that such a horrible crime would have been brought up by them before, an election year.
Why? Who the fuck would have known about the whole medal fiasco before know? It's only after Kerry started running for President that the question of his combat decorations meant anything more than jack to anyone.

What about his Senate campaigns, why didn't his opponents use this seemingly damning evidence? For that matter, why didn't those people serving with him report to their superiors that Kerry's medals were fraudulent as soon as they were rewarded? Are we to assume they all suffered from a thirty-five year bout of selective amnesia?

Alex Moon · Post by **Alex Moon** » 2004-09-06 01:11am

Quadlok wrote:
Alex Moon wrote:
neoolong wrote:Wow. You'd think that such a horrible crime would have been brought up by them before, an election year.
Why? Who the fuck would have known about the whole medal fiasco before know? It's only after Kerry started running for President that the question of his combat decorations meant anything more than jack to anyone.
What about his Senate campaigns, why didn't his opponents use this seemingly damning evidence?

In 1984 he wasn't running on his Vietnam service. He was actively trying to avoid mention of his time in the Navy. In his 1996 race the Boston Globe did publish an article concerning Kerry's silver star. The rest of the Senate's Vietnam veterans rushed to his defense.

For that matter, why didn't those people serving with him report to their superiors that Kerry's medals were fraudulent as soon as they were rewarded? Are we to assume they all suffered from a thirty-five year bout of selective amnesia?

Kerry was transferred out of Vietnam two weeks after the incident for which he recieved the silver star. There are plenty of plausible reasons why they wouldn't have reported the medal as fraudulant. They could simply have not cared about what happened; they could have thought that they wouldn'd be believed; they could have felt pressure to keep silent. Since I'm not a mind reader nor a time traveller, we have to wait until a reporter asks these men that question. As for after Kerry left, what good would it do? These guys would have had their own problems to deal with, both in Vietnam and after they returned home. Spending time and energy fighting to get some kid you served under for four months could easily be seen as not worth it.