I know why O'Neill (Swiftboatvets) HATES Kerry. 1971 Dick Cavett Show

[gardenista]

CSPAN re-ran a Dick Cavett show in which Kerry and O'Neil "debated" the merits of continuing the Vietnam war. Kerry absolutely annihilated him and exposed his lies in a very calm and deliberate manner. Made me like Kerry even more to see him at the age of 26 standing up to a RW lie machine.

[jean]

1. O'Neill was an early version of what we put up with today

- a relentless, repetitious, rude Republican. He kept reading his talking points and going for the personal attacks. Used the word 'pathetic' many times to describe Kerry - basically was trying to impeach Kerry any way he could.

I don't know how long O'Neill had been out of the service at the time of the Cavett show, but someone posted here tonight that Nixon pulled O'Neill out of service two months early in order to prep him to go after Kerry.

O'Neill kept interrupting and taking up as much airtime as he could get away with. At one point, Cavett said, in his low, calm voice, "I will finish this sentence," and shut O'N down for a while.

Also - he said he was from Texas, in answer to Cavett. More recently, O'Neill told Chris Matthews not to characterize him as a Texan. Then, later he had to admit to Matthews that he lived in Houston.

[ochazuke]

3. O'Neill a veteran of the smear wars

Richard Nixon chose him as his champion against Kerry. That bastard Dick Nixon stabs at us from his freaking grave. (He also gave us Rummy and Poppy Bush, etc.)

[Bush was AWOL]

2. After watching that, and listening to their views on the war

at the time, history has clearly proven Kerry to be right and O'Neil to be wrong.

[gardenista]

4. Yes, that's the best thing about watching the debate! Bless CSPAN for

showing it. It was such a pleasure to see that slime ball quietly and cooly get his ass kicked. Kerry didn't even have to break a sweat.

[burythehatchet]

6. the sad part is that these jerks believe we would have won

in Vietnam were it not for John Kerry and the anti-war movement.

[alphafemale]

5. Wow. This deserves a kick. n/t

[Michael Harrington]

7. It's a great piece of history.

Even apart from the fact that Kerry uses him like a Swiffer, I love the visual dichotomy: O'Neil, with that greasy crew cut, those white socks and that "Hey, Vern!" way he sits is almost a Central Casting parody of a Nixonite dildo.

Kerry, by contrast, has impeccable manners, is quiet and reserved, has a nice suit and a then-stylish Mod haircut :evilgrin:

It's no wonder Nixon loved one and hated the other.

O'Neil was on the Cavit show at least one other time, because I've seen film of another guy, a fellow who was either in a wheelchair or was missing part of a leg (perhaps both), a regular ex-soldier, who was utterly furious at O'Neil for claiming to speak in the name of "Most vets".

Has anyone else seen that?

[Disturbed]

8. He dspises Kerry.

J. Kerry was smiling a few times when this jerk tried to insult him. O'Neil came off as he does now, a lying, rude, asshole.

[Scairp]

9. This is good stuff

I think everyone needs to take the time to watch this. Much of what John Kerry said came to pass, and the insistence of O'Neill that Vietnamization was working, as we all now know, didn't. He was and is a fool, a liar and just a plain mean asshole. Here's the link, and I really hope everyone will watch.


http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=kerry+and+o%27neill&image1.x=17&image1.y=3

[NicRic]

10. I seen it a couple of times and ....

I was pleasantly surprised at what a very good debater Kerry is. Iam sure that bush is going to do as little debating with Kerry as he can get away with . Also the debates will probably be set up to avoid direct debating ,bushes handlers know Kerry would make bush lose his ability to think ,what little abilty he has anyway !