Swift Boat Veterans for the Ministry of Truth
Or
Fun With Re-Writing History

Just saw a bit on CNN in which Bill Hemmer interviewed a member of "Swift Boat Vetrans for Truth" and also a man who served with Kerry on his boat. Clearly I'm not objective in the matter, but it seemed to me to be an open-and-shut case. The SBVT fellow could barely control his rage when he discussed Kerry's testimony before the Senate, and it soon became clear that Kerry's anti-war stance was probably the motive for most of what's going on here. None of the SBVT fellows served on Kerry's boat and their claims are denied by the people who did serve on his boat. I have to say, the SBVT fellow came off as kind of a shady character with a big fat ax to grind, and many of his answers were tricky and evasive. In the ad, someone says that Kerry betrayed his comrades or something to that effect, but it turns out that that apparently refers to his testimony before the Senate, though the ad makes it seem as if its a judgment about his actions in combat.

CNN showed the ad itself, and it's extraordinarily vicious. I worry that it could be effective, but, of course, I couldn't tell. It' s not inconceivable that this ad could turn out to be the Willie Horton ad of our time... God, the ruthlessness of these people really is approaching Nixonian proportions.