Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Disavow Florida Political Flyer

[DoYouEverWonder]

For Immediate Release

Saturday, August 21, 2004

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Disavow Florida Political Flyer

August 21, 2004 - Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), a non-partisan group representing more than 250 Swift Boat veterans who served with Senator John Kerry in Vietnam, repudiates and disassociates itself from the flyer that was allegedly distributed in Florida regarding an upcoming political event. SBVT has not authorized any such rallies, communications, events or other similar political activities with any political party, candidate or other political organization. Any suggestion that SBVT coordinated the production and distribution of this flyer promoting an event, or the event itself, with a political party is false.

SBVT is an independent organization dedicated to correcting the false statements made by Senator Kerry about his service record in Vietnam and the service records of the men who served with him. SBVT acts independently from and is not affiliated with any political party ? Republican, Democratic, or independent ? or any candidate for public office. Only the SBVT Executive Committee, comprised of men who served on Swift Boats in Vietnam, has the authority to authorize communications on behalf of the organization or official events.

http://swift1.he.net/~swiftvet/article.php?story=20040821095246406


Ah, excuse me, but since the SBV's are disavowing their claim about having anything to do with the flyer, would they like to explain why they applied for a Use Agreement with the City of Gainesville for the event that the flyer was promoting? And why they used the address of the Alachua Co Republican Headquarters on the application?





Note: Joe Ponder one of the Swift Boat Vets that appears in the now infamous ad, was scheduled to speak at the event and then cancelled on the advise of their lawyers.

[trumad]

1. I just emailed this to several blogs...

excellent find...

[DoYouEverWonder]

3. I do have scans

of the complete set of documents for anyone that might need them. I received these documents on Monday, from the City of Gainesville, after I requested copies, because they are part of the public record. I've posted a composite image here, just to make it easier to see the 'big picture'.

[comsymp]

16. It WOULD be nice to have a copy

of the entire Swifties & Repub forms, front & back, which actually show that they "share" an address. That would seem to be pretty damning and could spread like wildfire.

Postable?

[DoYouEverWonder]

17. Scans of all pages are available

Skinner posted some of the links on the Home Page yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/

[comsymp]

19. Yeah, saw those yesterday, but

It appears that he only posted Pg 1 of each- no address info that I could find-- think you (or someone) indicated that info was on Pg 2 of each app?

Probably overstating the importance but, to me, THAT link- over and above the obvious coordination and Repub HQ flyer issue, is the smoking gun... NO WAY they can get around that.

[DoYouEverWonder]

20. Look at the botton of the pic above

What I did was make a composite image of the top part of the cover page of each document and at the bottom is the section of the 2nd page showing the address, 1212 N. Main St. The address is the same on all four documents.

BTW: He is she



edit: Here's a link to a full copy of the 2nd page. All four documents were filled out with the same info.

[TheRovingGourmet]

21. That is great information. The contracts are all separate but

since they are all listed at the same address then something smells. This doesn't prove control but it sure does not look all above board. I'm going to make it a part of my talking points file.

[DoYouEverWonder]

22. The flyer is the link

They are all listed on the flyer and it was billed as one event.

The city has a time limit of 4 hours per renter, to rent the plaza, otherwise different rules apply regarding costs and requirements if you want it for a longer blocks of time.

[TheRovingGourmet]

23. But could you call this control? Being on the same ticket would

require some degree of coordination but would there be any control over content. I guess it would be sort of like three bands all playing at one concert. There would be coordination of course, but control over content?

I know this is an area of the 527s that I have not looked into deep enough, but I understand that for a violation to occur there has to be coordination between the campaign and the 527 and this coordination must be of a controlling nature. We need the lawyers on DU to weigh in on this.

[DoYouEverWonder]

24. What about the info in my Post #7?

This was the press release that was published in the Gainesville Sun before the event. It claims that all four groups are hosting the event.

[TheRovingGourmet]

27. I don't know. I read your's and Tansy's posts but something

still tells me that there is some wiggle room in the law. I'll try and pull the tax code this afternoon and see what it says about this issue.

BTW, if you are worried about getting in trouble in your hometown, post through someone else's proxy server and use an email address on someone else's system, with their permission, of course. I am sure that the owners of DU guard your information quite well also.

[Tansy_Gold]

25. The issue isn't "control"

ANY kind of coordination is prohibited, AFAIK.

In other words, the county party apparatus cannot call up the SBLs and say, "Hey, we're gonna do a voter registration picnic this week-end and we'd like to have you show up and make some speeches."

And the SBLs can't call up the county party and say, "Where's your next event so we can show up and hand out our lying lies?"

The group that does the soliciting of cooperation is guilty just by soliciting; the solicitee becomes guilty if they go along with it.

This does not mean that, say, the Kerry campaign can't monitor what is posted on DU (or on FR, for that matter) and glean ideas. It does mean that the Kerry campaign can't go to Skinner and ask for help coordinating events and that Skinner can't offer the help on behalf of DU. As an individual, yes; as an organization ( and certainly if DU were a 527), no.

I'm not an expert on FEC regs, 527s, PACs, etc. I've had a little experience with them, enough to know that the more distance you put between a 527 and the campaign it's supporting, the safer you are. The Alachua county official, Dineen What's-her-name, should have known better, IMHO. She made her cooperation and coordination with the various vets' organizations too overt. That's a big no-no.

But of course, she's a repuke, so what does she care?

[DoYouEverWonder]

26. Thanks for clearing that up

I think I've got enough proof here to prove a relationship.

Plus Joe Ponder, one of the vets in the 1st commericial was suppose to be one of the participants. He canceled when the news broke about the flyer.

[DoYouEverWonder]

28. Very Cool

Thanks.

[Vickers]

2. Ha! Excellent find!

And it continues:

"more than 250 who served with Senator John Kerry in Vietnam"

Jesus, they can scrounge up 250 guys who served at the same time as Kerry in Vietnam, when there were like 350,000 folks in the area at that time?

Wow.

[jayfish]

4. Fantastic Work. You Are A...

sterling example to all of the "investigative" journalists employed today. You should be getting paid for your work, not them. Bravo!

Jay

[wishlist]

5. Great post- Caught the Swiftliars redhanded in another boldfaced lie

Thanks to alert Dems, these guys can't work fast enough to coverup and twist the truth and make sudden changes to attempt to untie all of their Bushco connections.

[trumad]

6. Kick

[DoYouEverWonder]

7. I just found this blurb from the Sun on August 18th

with more details about the event:

The Swift Boat Vets for Truth, Vietnam Veterans Against Kerry and Veterans for Bush will host a political rally this weekend at the Downtown Community Plaza. The rally will be held from 2 to 10 p.m. on Saturday and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Speakers will include swift boat vets Pete Webster and Joe Ponder and Gen. Paul Albritton, a Vietnam War veteran. Video and audio excerpts from Kerry's Senate hearing in 1971 will be shown at the rally. Local Republican Party organizations such as College Republicans, the Alachua County Republican Executive Committee and Republican Federated Women will be on hand for the event.

Anyone with questions about the event can call [phone].

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040818/LOCAL/208180321/1078/today&template=printart


If someone would like to call the number and let me know whose phone it is, I would greatly appreciate it. With caller ID, I don't want someone to be able to ID me. I'm already getting myself into enough hot water in this town as it is.

[MaineDem]

9. According to Google...

the number is listed to Danielle Sessions.

[DoYouEverWonder]

10. That was quick, thanks

Not finding anything on google but every little bit helps.

[blondeatlast]

8. DYEW, meet William Rivers Pitt at truthout.org.

You guys would make an awesome pair.

You are what journalists OUGHT to be.

[dryan]

14. Just called...

woman answered just said "hello". would not give her name, she said that it was "cancelled because several of the speakers could not be there because of 'leftist' charges by the Kerry campaign and their false charges', whatever the hell that all means. she sounded half asleep. She also said that 'private citizens' were sponsoring the rally

[LynnTheDem]

11. "non-partisan"

ROTFLMAO!!!

So when are they attacking bush for being a deserter in a time of war? And screw this AWOL crap; over 90 days is DESERTION.

When are they attacking bush for wearing a medal he never earned???

When are they attacking bush for his lies of "I continued to fly for several years" and "I served in the Air Force"???

And when are they receiving donations and legal advice and joint rally eventing from anyone OTHER than republicans???

"non-partisan"...ROTFLMAO!!! Good one!

[DoYouEverWonder]

12. I don't know, but these folks

look pretty partisan to me?

[EST]

13. Is it possible these dips really can't hear the horselaugh

echoing in the winds all across the country? Give it up, boys! Don't you understand you've been BUSTED?! I may be a donkey, but I sho ain't a dumbass...

[dryan]

15. suggestions....

Why can't you send this information to the major networks--CBS, NBC, etc. I'm sure that Tim Russert may also be interested since he mentioned the Alachua flier on MTP last week. Keep up the good work--Go Gators!

[DoYouEverWonder]

18. I could use all the help I can get

if some of the folks around here could pass these along to the networks I'd appreciate it. I have to get back to my regular job for a bit.