02.21.08

Take back the term: “swift-boating” [Updated]

Posted in Politics, Rants at 6:25 pm by Sulla

Michelle Malkin makes a good point, though I quibble a bit with her definition. She says that “Swift-boating” should be defined as “to tell the truth about a Democrat,” but that only goes part way.

The Swift-Boat Veterans for Truth came together in 2004 with one goal: to uncover the truth of John “Reporting for Duty” Kerry’s true record. These were people who had served with him in Vietnam, and who were happy to see him leave Vietnam and wash their hands of him…until he decided to run for Commander in Chief. They could handle him being a backbench loudmouth Junior Senator from Massachusetts. But to have “Winter Soldier John” presiding over the lives of our men and women in uniform, whom he’d already betrayed repeatedly? They couldn’t live with it, so they gathered for One More Mission.

One of their early ads called into question whether Kerry deserved some of his medals. I’d read John O’Neill’s book about Kerry, and know that – at minimum – Kerry has been less than 100% forthcoming on his military service record, and has not signed the forms that would free up his records to public scrutiny. Pres. Bush went to great pains to honor Kerry’s military service, preferring to hammer Kerry on his decades of mediocre Senate service and endless foot-in-mouth moments. Kerry, it should be noted, had won many elections, and came close to winning in 2004, by propping up his own I-was-a-war-hero status and denigrating his opponents’. (Cheney didn’t serve; Bush’s Texas Air National Guard service was scrutinized, ridiculed, and even disputed in 2000 AND 2004 by Dan Rather’s crack team of Mary Mapes and … um … the guy who gave Kerry his hat.)

Kerry’s war record was truly irrelevant, but Kerry himself made it an overriding issue, the one that could and should sweep him to victory – because commanding a swift boat is just like commanding the entire US military, economy, diplomatic corps, etc. Only problem is, those who actually served with him came to a very different conclusion. They remembered a preening JFK wannabe who turned every scratch into a purple heart, videotaped his own heroics for later inclusion in his presidential library, and who they couldn’t wait to be rid of. Some criticized him for parleying three piddling excuses for purple hearts into a shortened tour; others have suggested that the “three Hearts and you’re flushed” concept was used to compel Kerry to exit the theater of war early. “Here’s some medals, ferret-face. Go home and get on with that political career you’re so keen on.”

This attack on Kerry’s war record didn’t go over well with everyone. John McCain, who was tortured for years as a POW in Vietnam, assailed as “dishonorable” the ad putting Kerry’s heroism into question. Bush refused to even stoop to “hey, folks have a right to ask…,” which given Kerry’s attack on Bush’s record was almost heroically restrained.

However…the commercials that dealt with Kerry’s record AFTER he returned from Vietnam, not even McCain argued with. The ones that quoted Kerry’s “winter soldier” testimony at length. The ones showing a fatigue-wearing ferret-faced Kerry within spitting distance of Jane Fonda at anti-war rallys. The ones quoting POWs whose torture was intensified because of Kerry’s aid-and-comfort-to-the-enemy comments. Kerry’s effort to be an anti-war hero as well as a war hero showed his fundamental unfitness for the presidency – he thought he represented the BEST of both worlds, and would get the military as well as the antiwar vote. Instead, he showed a tin ear and a narcissistic streak that nobody could entirely trust.

The end result in 2004 was close. A hundred thousand votes in Ohio would have changed the outcome. Arguably, the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth cost Kerry the election – and won a battle for the honor of all who served in Vietnam against the man who maligned them worldwide.

Kerry has been trying to fight back – not with facts, but by turning the term Swift Boat (which he once commanded) into an epithet – “to smear with lies.” The media has certainly been helping, and more than a few politicians have picked up the phrase – in the process, once again smearing American servicemen doing their duty to protect and defend the Constitution. Even my dad, no friend of Kerry, uses the term that way, though I correct him every time.

No, to “Swift Boat” doesn’t mean to smear unfairly. It shouldn’t, anyway. The Swifties exposed the hypocrisy, lies, slanders, and self-promotion of John Kerry against the American soldier, which has continued unabated for 35 years. That’s what “swift-boating” accomplished – they told the truth, and their unflinching, under-oath testimonies sunk a gold-digging pretender to a position he was unfit to fill.

So, perhaps “to swift boat” should mean: saved the day by telling (ahem) an inconvenient truth. and “to be swift-boated” is really “I woulda gotten away with it to, if not for you rotten kids, and your stupid dog too! (Rooby Roo!)”

My definition might not catch on. But there is a fight over the meaning of the word. The Swifties did us a service. We should honor their sacrifice in 2004 by rescuing their name from yet another John Kerry smear job.

[Update]: Michelle’s objection gets results (emphasis mine):

Greg Mueller responds to my post yesterday about the misuse of the term “Swift-Boating:”

Hi Michelle — I just saw the post you had on me about SBVT and I deserved the ding. Bad use of term on my part — I was trying to make the point that they still had it out for Republicans given how sour they still are over their view that the Swift Boat Vets prevented the Presidency from them and John Kerry. I was trying to say that they were doing their version — i.e. “trying” to do what they consider to be “Swift Boating.” After I said it, I realized it was not communicating that way and dropped it in subsequent interviews.

Obviously, the difference is stark — SBVT were heroes once again coming forward to tell the truth and blow the whistle on Kerry. The New York Times used anonymous sources to have yet another “Jason Blair moment,” no evidence, no truth, just, as Rush would say, a drive by hit job.

We were so proud and honored to have played a role in the Swift Boat Vets for Truth, working side by side so many true American heroes. John O’Neill, Bill Franke and I have grown to be terrific friends as I have with the other true heroes that were involved in the effort.

Very poor communication on my part. I made the comment to my friend Jonathan Martin at The Politico early in the AM and realized it was not reading as I meant it. He did not misquote me. He is a very good reporter and always quotes me accurately. In subsequent interviews throughout the day the following statement was distributed and used in a number of stories.

Stay diligent. The battle over meanings is not yet lost.

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