Swift Boat Controversy Simplified

Swift Boat Controversy Simplified
Unfit for Command: Swift boat veterans against Kerry

This is a great book the context of which must be understood:
1) Kerry has refused to release his military records surrounding the incidents in question
2) Kerry has refused to allow his own book "The New Soldier" to be printed
3) According to the swift boat veterans and common sense Kerry's 4 months in Vietnam were at worst, fictionalized, and, at best, far less heroic than his medals would imply.
4) Kerry spent the immediate post war period making vicious statements against: the US, the military, its soldiers (baby killers, etc.) , and anti-communism.
5) Kerry spent the remaining 25 years as one of the most liberal politicians in the country voting against the military more so than almost any other politician.
6) As a presidential candidate and prospective commander-in-chief during war he had little or no credibility given this history. The polls continue to show this.
7) Kerry, despite being a presidential candidate, has taken no position on the current War on Terror
8) Kerry's deceptive strategy given the above history is to pretend that he is now "reporting for duty" as if he is well qualified and eager to be commander-in-chief.
9) Something like 65% of Americans don't believe he would be a willing or effective commander-in-chief given his history and despite their huge dissatisfaction with Bush.
10) Kerry's response in addition to silence, refusal to release his records or book, or state a war policy, has been to accuse the Bush campaign of sponsoring the swift boat veterans. Some vague connections have been demonstrated but this is no surprise given that they all seem to hate Kerry having served with him. But certainly the idea that the Bush campaign somehow made all 250 of them lie is purely absurd.

My personal point of view is that Kerry's ultra liberal 25 years after the war, when he could not have been elected to dog catcher anywhere in America, except Massachusetts, is far more important than the 4 months in Vietnam. But still, when 250 of the guys who served with him and under him in Vietnam write a book saying he largely falsified his entire Vietnam experience you have to consider that even that tiny 4 month period is a meaningful indictment of a prospective commander-in-chief in time of war.