Ex-President Bush Calls Charges of Swift Boat Group Compelling

[Nambe]

NYT

Former President George Bush fanned doubts yesterday about Senator John Kerry's service in Vietnam, sustaining a decades-old debate that has dominated the presidential campaign in the last few weeks.

In an interview with CNN, Mr. Bush did not directly challenge Mr. Kerry's record but rather, with the subtlety of a seasoned pro, parried questions in a way to gently bat the controversy aloft.

Pressed about advertisements by a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Mr. Bush called "rather compelling" the claims of some veterans who have attacked Mr. Kerry's service, and he noted that others had accused these veterans of lying. "I have great confidence in Bob Dole," he added. "I don't think he'd be out there just smearing." ..

Ride Don’t Drive * * It’s Global Cool

[Union Thug]

1. And i think that it's compelling the Bush sr. was said to be...

...in Texas at the time Kennedy was assassinated.

What? I'm just saying.. geez..

[struggle4progress]

18. Or that he lied to cover up CIA relations with the Letelier assassins. eom

[Born Free]

30. drip,drip,drip

It's keeps coming one drip at a time and many Democrats still believe they can ignore this that people will suddenly see the light and realize the facts rather than accept myths as truths. We went through it in 2000, and the democrats kept saying - oh it's not nice, lets talk about issues , every will realize it's not true, everyone will see the facts for what they are, no one will believe Al Gore said he invented the internet....Do democrats have some kind of learning disability? These are the tactics of the liars working for the bush coward and as long as democrats refuse to challenge them head on to smoke the bush coward at there will be a steady drip, drip, drip a constant growing doubt on Kerry's character and ability and all the facts and issues discussions will do no good. Democrats must taunt the bush coward, if he is half the man he wants Americans to think he is then why doesn't he stand up like a man and discuss the character issue concerning what he did during the Vietnam War era. Democrats think this is a non issue, but it's the character issue connected to it that will drive Kerry's numbers down. Ignoring this will not make it go away, it must be approached head on aggressively.

[ladjf]

45. Republicans have already mastered the ancient political art

of ridicule. The Democrats have yet to learn just how devastating the technique is. We are slow learners. We keep hoping the good will naturally win out in the end. Actually, we are right. But the only trouble is, those cycles can take generations to come to pass. By that time, irreparable damage will have already been done.

For every de-stabilizing action, Nature is ready with counter forces. But, by our standards, she works either too slowly or too catastrophically. We may be witness to this process as the global warming problems continue to increase. If we had any sense, we could learn from the past and save ourselves a lot of grief.

[ladjf]

43. ... and he couldn't remember where he was on that day.

That's compelling.

[calimary]

61. And I think it's compelling that he'd parachute out of his airplane alone

after mumbling a warning to his crew way in the back, never bothering to double-check that they'd heard him tell them to abandon ship, but he made sure HE got out in time. How 'bout YOUR distinguished war record, you old twerp? I understand YOURS isn't necessarily on the up-n-up, either.

[smirkymonkey]

69. What was the deal with that?

I haven't heard much about Poppy's "miraculous escape" from death.

[CO Liberal]

73. He Was Actually IN DALLAS That Day

But he can't remember what he was doing.

Every other American old enough to remember that day knows EXACTLY what they were doing that day when they heard the news...

[alittlelark]

2. Have I told you lately

how much I HATE THESE PEOPLE!!!!!

I hate them more than ANY of you....really, I Do.

[mikehiggins]

23. Not even close

I hate the Bush administration more than I have ever hated any political entity in my life. They make me nostalgic for Tricky Dick and Erlichman/Haldeman (or was that Siefried and Roy?).

I most certainly do not wish W any harm but I most devoutly wish, and pray, that he spends the rest of his life in the history book as the second single-term Bush.

If I was sure he wouldn't use it to buy Ripple, I'd send him the bus fare to Crawford.

[ladjf]

46. They are raping our Country, it's people and the Constitution.

How could you not hate them?

[CBHagman]

82. Stand in line, please. Stand in line.

These people disgust me in ways I thought I'd never be disgusted. I had a friendly argument with a buddy for years. He maintained that George H.W. Bush topped Ronald Reagan in the sheer evil department. I regarded Reagan as worse.

Well, this year I acknowledged my friend had won the argument. The Bushes are mind-bogglingly vindictive, cruel, treacherous, and manipulative. They win the evil sweepstakes.

[QC]

3. OK, everything's on the table, as Kerry said not long ago.

I want to know why Chimpy wouldn't take his drug test. I want him to respond to the drug bust rumors that have been around for 30 years. I want to know more about Laura killing her boyfriend.

Seriously. If Bush wants to campaign that way, then it's time to hit him with everything, true or not.

[BrotherBuzz]

9. No argument from me!

Let's go get them bastards!...Seriously!

[smirkymonkey]

71. Kerry needs to come out swinging after the convention

or he's toast, unless he's got some October Surprise of his own.

I think he's the man for the job, but wtf is up with this campaign?

[merh]

4. Flip flop

[PartyPooper]

5. When all else fails, send "WWII Bail-Out Killer Pilot" Sr. to the rescue!

Next they'll trot out Babs.

:puke:

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

19. Poppy made sure a cameraman was on his rescue submarine

'cause he knew he was going to be running for president one day, and it would be useful in the campaign.

Makes as much sense as the swifties' charges against Kerry's home movies.

[Cronus Protagonist]

39. Swift Boat Veterans Remember Christ's Crucifixion (pic)

Here's the link: http://bushspeaks.com/home.asp?did=178

[MO_Dem]

6. I wish they'd asked him

how much money he contributed to the Swiftliars.

[LTR]

7. Didn't Poppy ditch his crew so he could be propped up as a 'war hero'?

Uhhh... no you don't.

[speedoo]

8. Poppy was compelled to bail out of his plane.

Leaving his crew behind.

Coward.

[Judi Lynn]

10. But he CAN shoot wild animals which have been in cages

and turned lose for his "canned hunts!"

He also can throw those baseballs like a demon! Whuffa!

And he taught his son!

[susu369]

38. Poppy strikes me as a lascivious old pervert

Shiver....

He also reminds me of George McFly (Back to the Future) with his silly manner.

[Algorem]

40. Hey!that's what chickenhawk Republican Gerald McRaney was caught

on tape doing(killiing caged animals for fun) and he just got lung cancer.what a pity.Hope nothing bad happens to poor old Poopy.

[Poiuyt]

11. It was all a plot

He wanted to look like a war hero so he could be elected president.

[0007]

35. What a guy! If the world only knew!!

George Herbert Walker Bush lied about his war record in World War II. According to eye witness accounts he bailed out early causing the death of his two crewmen. The really damning thing is that he gives two differing accounts in two different auto-biographies:

"Yet, during the contest, Bush published two campaign autobiographies containing divergent accounts of his war experience. In Looking Forward (written with Victor Gold, a friend and adviser), Bush described telling Delaney and White to "bail out" and jumping himself. "I looked around for Delaney and White, but the only thing in sight was my parachute drifting away." This story seemed to square with what Bush had related oil the Finback and to Mierzejewski. But in Man of Integrity (written with Doug Wead, Bush's liaison to the eligious right), he presented a radically different version. "I thought I was a goner," Bush recounted here. "I looked back and saw that my rear gunner was out. He had been machine-gunned to death right where he was. So then I turned back over the water and we bailed out. "But Delaney did not survive. "He was evidently cut to ribbons as he parachuted down. I was luckier."

The second account is almost certainly a complete lie because:
Mierzejewski had been particularly close to Delaney. And Bush seemed to want to answer the agonizing unasked questions: Why didn't he make a water landing? Why was he the only one to jump? Did he panic? "Look," Mierzejewski told me Bush said to him, "I'm sure the two of them in the back were dead. I called them three times and got no answer." (Given the construction of the Avenger, it was impossible for the pilot, shielded by an armor plate, to see the crew; the only communication would have been by radio.)

[glitch]

13. laugh while you can, monkeyfolks

Aybody get this feeling they really do think our troops are their personal guards?

[Spiffarino]

15. I know they're spending a lot more on security in NYC

...than they are in Afghanistan this week. 17 people got themselves blown up in downtown Kabul, while Shrubya is tucked in, safe and sound under the protection of 60 million dollars worth of security.

Now that's what I call supporting our troops! </sarcasm>

[Javaman]

63. Babs looks like J.Edgar Hoover...

I still maintain that.

[smirkymonkey]

72. J. Edgar Hoover was a better dresser, though.

:evilgrin:

[lebkuchen]

12. Now we know where Junior inherited his mean qualities

Without lies, the Chimp has no chance, and our former thug in the CIA knows it.

[Old and In the Way]

14. Two Bushes taking on Kerry......cool.

These bastards are really "supporting the Troops". Questioning medals now? Or just Democratic medals? This is a scortched Earth policy these guys are playing here. They must have a shitload of stuff that can't ever let this country in on....like that slobby Mike Moore fella who helped expose the Bush payolla from the Sauds.

I wonder if we could do a father and son Presidential Cell in Leavonworth?

[Eloriel]

16. I saw part of that interview

and OMG was he smarmy Smarmy, smarmy, smarmy.

And that bit with commenting on Bob Dole's commetns -- self-referential circular logic. "If Bob Dole says it, it must be true. I trust Bob Dole."

Well, I don't.

Horrible, horrible, evil man: GHWB.

[Leilani]

22. When Poppy & Dole ran against each other

Dole said...Tell him (Bush) to stop lying about my record.

There was no love lost between those 2 for a while.

[Inland]

56. Whereas Bob Dole said, all these others can't all be liars

But of course, they can. Bush relies on Dole, Dole relies on strangers, strangers rely on the two or three that were on the river, and they were nuts. Two or three nutbag liars and the entire republican establishment picks it up as truth--or "serious questions that must be addressed."

That's the way they do it.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

60. Albert French didn't think they were lying either

the circle is huge. A domino of lies.

[Spiffarino]

17. Ass-kickin' time

Calling all Democrat 527s - we are on Code Fascist-Prick-Bastard. Get busy!

[bushwakker]

33. Don't hold your breath waiting for the Kerry camp to respond

haven't you heard - it's called political judo. You let the other side lie and kick the crap out of you and then - you lose the race on Nov 2nd. Brilliant.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

20. So both Laura and Poppy support the SmearBoaters but not George?

One guess on where Bush's brother Jeb and Stormtrooper Mama stand. George must be the only Republican who doesn't support the smear. But then that's the usual Bush modus operandi; pretend to be above the dirt while letting EVERYONE around him continue flinging it.

[polmaven]

57. George hasn't yet said,

specifically, he doesn't support the smear! He has only said he doesn't support ANY 527 ads being used. There IS a difference.

Even his statement to Matt Lauer about Kerry's Vietnam service "exceeding" his own didn't condemn the smear!

[The_Casual_Observer]

21. Well I think that a public flogging of Sr. and Jr. is compelling too

-only after a proper legal proceeding of course!

[Algorem]

42. then life sentences in their own personal private prison,under the care of

Warden Linndie.

[flaminbats]

24. thanks for that neutral perspective..

"I don't think he'd be out there just smearing."

No...Bob Dole would never be your hatchet man!

[otohara]

25. First Laura, Now Poppy - Who's Next?

Jeb of course, then Marvin, Neil - Twins, Prescott Jr., The press will be there to oblige to keep the fire burning.

[Kimber Scott]

26. He just wants to make sure he gets his money's worth out of the deal.

nt

[flordehinojos]

27. little boy junior learned all his trickery of lying, distorting, smearing

and planting fear from his POPPY. Some people consider POPPY's presidency as an HONORABLE ONE. I, FOR ONE, DISAGREE. POPPY has perfected to a greater degree that Junior the art of being a chameleon and that is what he is. He has a public face and then that inner raging persona which likes to smear, LOVES POWER LIKE A MADMAN, Goes to whatever extent he has to TO GET POWER, including that of having his son INSTALLED as president {sic) of the U.S. and going against every democratic principle that as the 41st president of the U.S. he knows is there.

KERRY OUGHT TO BRING UP POPPY'S BAILING OUT OF THE BARBARA II OVER THE WATERS OF CHICHI JIMA RATHER THAN LANDING HIS AIRCRAFT AFTER IT WAS HIT in at least an effort TO RESCUE HIS TWO CREWMEN. POPPY CHOSE TO BAIL OUT AND LET THE OTHER TWO DIE IN THE water CRASH LANDING OF THE BARBARA II.

Whoever was the interviewer (Judy Woodruff? Wolf Blitzer, the Kagan woman? Sweet Candy Trolley?) whoever ... that allowed POPPY to smear Kerry, however indirectly? They should have asked how the SBVT story compared to the very story of cowardice by POPPY and created by the same man who heads SBVT.

They (the CNN whores) of course, chose to bury it in the sand.

I just don't know how we are going to get rid of the arachnid web of repression the bushes are sealing us and our democracy in. It seems like the Bushes arachnic web of repression is growing tighter and tighter.




x( ;(

[JSJ]

28. fuck that stinking old nazi cadaver n/t

[Fight_n_back]

29. Bush's Dad lied about his own war record

http://wherewasgeorge.blogspot.com/

[Spiffarino]

44. Bush's Grandpa lied about his WWI medals

Prescott Bush sent a letter home that told of winning high honors in battle. Later, when it was found to be a lie, he had his mommy write letters to the editor saying it was just a "foolish prank."

It wasn't enough. Pres Bush was so shamed he was compelled to leave his hometown for good.

http://www.usndemvet.com/blog/archives/000656.html

[JI7]

31. Dole admitted he said what he did for political reasons

[arwalden]

32. I Found The Laura Bush Teen-Protsitute Stories "Compelling" As Well

Interesting word: compelling.

[Disturbed]

34. The Nazi comparison of the Bush Crime Family is sure..

compelling.

[MaineDem]

36. Bull shit!!!

I've about had it with these guys. What can we do to bring this back to them? How dare they lie like this!

[wishlist]

37. Media is not giving Kerry any credit for taking the high road either

Kerry and his campaign thought they would at least get some credit for denouncing the Move.On ad about Bush's Guard stint and stopping the ad showing McCain criticising Bush.

But nope- there is barely a mention of this in the media and instead the media plays right along with the despicable and discredited smear campaign of the Repubs who are being allowed to give more credibility to the anti-Kerry ads, despite all the lies exposed.

Kerry needs to hit back extremely hard and get back in the spotlight with some attention grabbing moments. I hate it though when he and Edwards fight back with great speeches but the media just paraphrases a line or two and doesn't show them actually delivering the lines themselves in front of a crowd. And then the talking heads blame Kerry for not fighting back and not showing strong leadership. They would love though for Kerry to get so mad that he reacts in a way they can turn against him by calling him over-the-top and negative.

[ladjf]

47. What ever we might be able to do, will be done without any

help from the media. It might not be possible. It's only a matter of time until we won't even have the INTERNET. What then? Word of mouth is not efficient enough to combat instant news media.

[ladjf]

41. But what about hundreds of counter claims and the official

word of the U.S.Navy? Why are they also compelling. Surely Mr. Bush couldn't be victim of personal prejudices. After all, he's a man of great integrity.

[llmart]

48. Oooooohhh.....

Somebody still has a big chip on his shoulder because the American people didn't give him a second term. What a wuss! Has to come out and smear Senator John Kerry because his little boy is a whiny crybaby. When is this old geezer gonna take a dirt nap already? The country would be better off without him and his bugeyed wife.

[BiggJawn]

49. The OJ trial was "compelling", too..like the aftermath of a trainwreck...

Too bad Poppy didn't feel "compelled" to stay in the front office of his TBM and try to get his crew out when he decided his bird was hurt (that is debatable. Eye witness says he was NOT on fire, and the plane was making power to climb)and bailed.

Let's call the old bastard "Bail-Out Bush"!

Because he bailed out and killed his crew, and he's spent his life bailing out Junior one thing after another...

[triguy46]

50. Compelling, kind of like dubya's absence in Alabama.

No one has claimed the $10,000 reward that they served with him there.
"No drink left behind" was his motto, I believe.

[wishlist]

51. Repub Vets should be ashamed-Dem campaigns never trashed them

These Repub 'war heroes' like GHWBush and Dole should be castigated by the media and the public, not given respect for boosting the unfounded attacks of Kerry's service. Dems like Clinton would never stoop so low as to question their heroism and whether they really 'earned' their combat medals. Democratic politicians would have been crucified and faced a backlash of shocked outrage if they had used slime tactics against combat vets in their campaigns.

[leesa]

52. They are desparate to keep this issue front and center

Kerry needs to stop responding and move on to the important issues like Iraq and the economy and our destroyed infrastructure.
He has nothing to defend. He didn't do anything wrong back then.

[Octafish]

53. Bush bailed out of a bailing plane, dooming the two men under his command.

Current head of the BFEE, the veteran of the Bay of Pigs Thing is the same turd who ratted out the wrong person on November 22, 1963.

http://www.internetpirate.com/bush.htm

Hey, Poppy! You're a traitor AND a crook!

[Stuckinthebush]

54. OK...that's it....

Time to get a Dem 527 to start hitting hard at AWOL Bush.

The GOP doesn't care if it is dirty...that is how they win. We need to get as dirty.

[Keirsey]

55. AWOL/deserter and unearned medals

Damn it, hit this chickenshit chickenhawk hard!!

Michael Moore, elaborate publicly on why you called Dubya a deserter!!

[Keirsey]

58. AND THEN IN 1992, BLUMENTHAL TRASHED BUSH'S WAR RECORD

National Review article:

http://www.nationalreview.com/kerry/kerry200408231323.asp

[TacticalPeek]

59. George W. Bush is a piece of chickenhawkshit.

Why not oppose him in every way possible?

Who can make the case for restraint in ousting this abomination? I'd listen to such a case, but I'd be amazed if I were persuaded.

Yes, TANG is on the table, and yes, years of cooking the records is on the table. And his driver's license and his pilot's license, and cocaine, and abortion, yes, they are on the table. Every rotten aspect of his sorry, miserable life is on the table. And this insidious decline of a good government he has engendered, by trampling laws and shredding the Constitution, everything is on the table!

No quarter!

[Keirsey]

62. homework assignment

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1887128751.01._PE_PIdp-schmoo2,TopRight,7,-26_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Beg, borrow, steal copies of "Fortunate Son".


http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1887128751/qid=1093960988/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-2412615-9550410?v=glance&s=books


Pre-order Kitty Kelley's "The Family : The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0375433937/qid=1093960941/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-2412615-9550410?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

[smirkymonkey]

75. Thanks! Just ordered!

can't wait to have all my theories confirmed.

[GCP]

83. She's left it a bit late

I hope this has some effect before the election. I'll be buying it from my local warehouse store when it comes out - even cheaper than Amazon.

[yellowcanine]

64. Wait 24 hrs for the non retraction retraction "I was misquoted; taken out

of context; If I have offended Senator Kerry I apologize, yada yada yada" Just as Dole did, Poppy will try to weasel out of the implication of his back hand smear.

[tabasco]

65. GHW Bush is helping me understand ...

why the guillotine was used so much during the French Revolution.

[goclark]

66. Poppy in the MIDDLE again!!!!!!

It is "compelling" that he has been in the middle of every major smear in this country since the 60's. The REAL HW Bush stood up last night and showed the world his ugly soul. Make no mistake, HW is the real President!

We have no choice now! There is no time to bat down all the lies, we MUST do a MeMe Smear Campaign on them!

BUSH LIED, PEOPLE DIED

BUSH is AWOL

Do the poignant March of the Coffins in front of EVERY Bush Rally!

Lay down on the Governor's steps of every state with signs that say "Bush stole '00, over my dead body will he steal '04"

What the hell are we waiting for..Nov. 3rd and them again?!!

What the hell are we waiting for!!:mad:
:evilfrown:
:evilfrown:

[Zorra]

67. POS hypocrite who got his spoiled brat kid into the Air National Guard

because of his money and political position, and then the chickenshit kid goes AWOL.

Oh, yeah, and his father, Prescott Bu$h, was a traitor who financed the nazis.

Indisputable facts.

Now that's what is "rather compelling".

[Rose Siding]

68. And not a single boast of his son's amazing record? sad!

[young_at_heart]

70. Remember, Junior doesn't talk to Dad about much of anything

He has a "higher father". Kind of gives you a clue about this dysfunctional family. Kerry served.....his son drank and used drugs and yet he disses Kerry?

[saigon68]

74. THE HEAD BUSH CRIMINAL

Props up his son THE CHIMPANZEE.

[Catfight]

76. Bob Dole stands up for lies and is a dishonorable Vet, he deserves to

be spit on.

[Mandate My Ass]

77. Bush Sr. called Michael Moore a slimeball

even though MM was telling the truth...'subtlety of a seasoned pro' my ass. He has all the subtlety of a senile old elephant in a china shop.

[Catfight]

78. Bob Dole is to Democrats what Jane Fonda is to Republicians.

[RobinA]

79. I Missed Something Somewhere

Now Bob Dole was on Kerry's Swift boat?

Now THAT'S compelling.

[ElementaryPenguin]

80. I find evidence linking ex-President Bush to the Kennedy Assassination

Compelling! Not to mention scores of other BFEE crimes!!!

[goclark]

81. You got that right!

Poppy Poopy is one EVIL NEO CON Leader.