Faith in the White House
"George W. Bush: Faith in the White House," is a new documentary
produced by Grizzly Adams Productions (www.grizzlyadams.tv).
The documentary will be released on DVD in September. The documentary
promotes itself as saying that not since Abraham Lincoln have
Americans had such a man of faith in the White House.
Tony Blankley Op-Ed:
“As of this moment there is about a 50-50 chance that we will
elect, in the person of John Kerry, either a very fine man or a truly
despicable man president of the United States.”
Well-known political columnist Tony Blankley says he stayed up late
and read the new book “Unfit for Command – Swift Boat Veterans Speak
Out Against John Kerry” from cover to cover. His conclusion:
“An impartial reader (if there is still such a beast in this election
season) would have to conclude that either the book is a pack of lies
or John Kerry is in fact a reckless, lying man who misrepresented the
facts in order to receive medals he didn't deserve, and is indeed
unfit to command even a tug boat, let alone the United States military
as president.”
Blankley aptly points out that the book ‘appears to be meticulously
researched and reported... replete with copious footnotes, a detailed
index and two appendices.’ And that those bearing witness against John
Kerry are ‘first-hand witnesses’ who are ‘named and quoted verbatim to
support each specific, shocking charge.’ Blankley also comments that
each charge leveled at Kerry is ‘logically presented.’
Noting there are two groups of veterans involved (the group of eight
supporting and campaigning with Kerry, and the Swift Boat Veterans for
Truth group), Blankley observes:
One of these groups of men are lying through their teeth. This is not
a case of failed memories. In a few instances, it could be a case of
honest differences of perception of events. But considering all the
testimony and evidence, John Kerry is either Dr. Jekyll or Mr. Hyde.
As of this moment there is about a 50-50 chance that we will elect, in
the person of John Kerry, either a very fine man or a truly despicable
man president of the United States.
Much more is noted in Blankley’s editorial – all well worth the time
to read. [article
LINK] And in the end, Blankley issues a this appeal:
I would encourage some of the major voices of the non-conservative
mainline media — Tim Russert, Dan Rather, Leonard Downie Jr. of The
Washington Post — to do as I did. Spend an evening reading the book.
If they are not struck by the damning picture it paints of John Kerry
and the credibility of the presentation, forget about it. But if they
judge it as I did, then let their consciences be their guide.
Interview with Van O’Dell, Swift Boat
Veteran
“There are 7 men that stand behind Senators Kerry's stories. There
are 254 Swift Boat Veterans that stand with us. Out of the 254 there
are 60 who served directly with John Kerry and have first hand
knowledge of his activities in Vietnam and they include Steve Gardner
who served as Kerry's Gunners Mate. We all condemn his lies. The 7 who
support the Senator are on his payroll. What we have to gain is our
good name back after being called war criminals by a serial liar.”
– Van O’Dell, swift boat veteran
The following is the transcript of an interview with swift boat
veteran Van O’Dell, conducted by Judson Cox. It can be found on the
website
PipelineNews.org:
Judson Cox: Who are you, and who are
the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth?
Van Odell: I served in the U.S. Navy from October 1966 to
October 1972. I was assigned to Coastal Squadron 1 on Swift Boats as a
Gunners Mate in Vietnam, on January 9, 1969. During the period January
9, 1969 through July 1969 I served in Coastal Division 11 at An Thoi,
RVN. While assigned to Cos Div 11 I served on PCF's 93, 35, and 10. I
was on many of the river patrols that John Kerry was also assigned.
During this time I observed his behavior and some of the incidents
that are in dispute. My battle station as Gunners mate was the twin
50-cal gun tub; this position was the highest point on a swift and
allowed a 360 degree view of any action.
The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is a group of 254 swift boat
veterans, 60 of whom served with John Kerry. We were by his side
during the events for which he received his medals. We know the truth.
JC: Why have you come forward now?
VO: We came forward because Sen. Kerry seeks to become the
President of the United States of America. We believe that he is unfit
to be president, and to make this man Commander in Chief would be
demoralizing and dangerous for our military. Also, I now have a young
grandson who means the world to me. He is young enough to think his
grandfather is the greatest; without trying, I am his hero. It cuts me
to the quick to think one day he would study the history of a
president who served with me in Viet Nam and read the lies of
atrocities committed by Swift Boat Sailors, the lies John Kerry told.
What others think about me is nothing compared to what my grandson
thinks about his grandfather.
JC: What were your experiences with
John Kerry in Vietnam?
VO: During the month of March our crew was given a river patrol
mission along with several other boat crews on the Bay Hop River.
During our run in, and part of the run out of the river, we
encountered no hostile fire.
As we exited the river PCF 3 was the lead boat, we were second in the
line, PCF 51 was astern of our craft. The other boats were lined up
beside us including Kerry's boat PCF 94. During the transit we
encountered a fishing weir (gill net) stretched across the middle of
the river with just enough room on either side to allow a Swift boat
to pass. We passed the fishing weir river left. As the 3 boat passed
the weir on the narrowest part of the river it was hit by a mine,
which lifted it completely out of the water. I immediately began
firing my twin 50's towards river left to suppress any fire. I fired a
couple of hundred rounds and realized we were not receiving any return
fire from either bank. The other boats quit firing and we commenced
rescue operations for the PCF 3 crew and boat. WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY
FIRE FROM EITHER BANK. Our boat picked up members of the disabled
PCF-3. I continued to watch all the area for any VC activity and
witnessed the majority of the events of the day.
John Kerry received a Bronze Star for this incident, claiming that he
saved Jim Rassman's life, at the risk of his own, while receiving
hostile fire. That simply did not happen.
JC: What is your opinion of Sen.
Kerry's fitness for the presidency given these experiences?
VO: He is not fit to be Commander in Chief.
JC: What are the most important facts
the voters should know about Kerry's service in Vietnam?
VO: He lied. He lied about his service. He lied before the
Congress of the United States about atrocities committed by Vietnam
Veterans. His "eye witness accounts" of rapes, murders and torture by
Swift Boat sailors were fabricated, and tarred honorable veterans with
a stain that still exists today. His entire career in politics and his
campaign for the presidency is a lie.
JC: How have the Kerry campaign and the
Democratic Party reacted to your message?
VO: They have lied about our service in Vietnam with Kerry;
they lied about our political affiliations. And they are suing us to
stop us from exercising our freedom of speech.
JC: What is your party affiliation, and
for whom will you vote for president?
VO: I have no party affiliation; I have voted a split ticket
all my voting life. In this election the only decision I have made so
far is I will NOT support or vote for John Kerry.
JC: Who should have more credibility,
and why, the Swift Boat Vets for Truth or the band of brothers?
VO: There are 7 men that stand behind Senators Kerry's stories.
There are 254 Swift Boat Veterans that stand with us. Out of the 254
there are 60 who served directly with John Kerry and have first hand
knowledge of his activities in Vietnam and they include Steve Gardner
who served as Kerry's Gunners Mate. We all condemn his lies. The 7 who
support the Senator are on his payroll. What we have to gain is our
good name back after being called war criminals by a serial liar.
JC: Have you been threatened, either
with physical harm or legally?
VO: Not personally. We are being sued by the DNC and Kerry
Campaign to end our right to freedom of speech. A freedom we already
paid for with service and blood. We will not let these guys Kill our
first amendment right.
JC: How do you answer the issue of the
funding of your group?
VO: We accept donations from Americans who are interested in
getting the truth out. We never allow any donor to tell us what to
say. It's our message and it will not be changed by outsiders. Right
now our largest donor is the American people. Since the ad started we
have received 5000 donations totaling $300,000.00.
JC: Is there anything else you would
like to add, that I have not asked?
VO: Kerry recently recanted his statement that he was in
Cambodia under illegal orders during Christmas 1968. This is the
second lie he is admitting and I think his house of cards is starting
to fall.
JC: Mr. Odell, thank you for your
service to our country, for your bravery in standing for the truth and
for granting me this interview.
Judson Cox is a political columnist from the mountains of North
Carolina. As a college student, and President of the Foundation for
Conservative American Values, he has a unique perspective on matters
of politics, economics and culture.
Troop re-deployment
Bush will announce in a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars
convention in Cincinnati, two senior administration officials said,
that the U.S. is re-deploying troops from Europe and Asia.
As part of the largest troop realignment in years, Bush will shift
about 70,000 uniformed military personnel -- most of them currently in
Europe -- a senior official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
A significant proportion will come home, though it is not clear when.
U.S. armed forces stationed abroad, other than Iraq and Afghanistan,
now number about 200,000, of whom 100,000 are based in Europe. The
Pentagon advised German officials earlier this year that it was
considering removing two Army divisions from Germany and replacing
them with smaller, more mobile units.
The decision is meant to "strengthen our ability to respond to threats
overseas," one official said, declining to elaborate.
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld is briefing the Russians on the
re-deployment.
The German reductions are expected to be the most severe. They will
include the withdrawal of heavy army divisions the 1st Armoured, based
in Wiesbaden, and the 1st Infantry, based in Wurzburg and the closure
of 13 installations near the towns of Friedberg and Giessen. The Air
Force will withdraw from Rhein-Main Air Base in Frankfurt and
consolidate operations in Ramstein and Spangdahlem. One U.S. official
said there had been an intense, joint Pentagon/State Department effort
to ease the German government's concerns about the reduction and that
some new capabilities including a new brigade of light-armoured
Stryker vehicles are a result of German requests.
WMDs in Syria?
The Iraq Survey Group has interviewed former border guards who told of
how Saddam Hussein would send his trusted Iraqi Intelligence Service
to the Syrian border and replace them. This would occur until the
convoy of large trucks passed and then the regular border guards would
take over again.
American satellite intelligence showed heavy traffic between Syria and
Iraq leading up to the war in Iraq.
The Iraq Survey Group, which periodically briefs senior officials and
Congress, is due to deliver its next report in September. In addition
to interviewing hundreds of Iraqis, the ISG has collected and
cataloged millions of pages of documents, not all of which have been
fully examined.
Although Syria and Iraq competed for influence in the region, they
shared the same Ba'athist socialist ideology and maintained close ties
at certain government levels. The United States accused Syria during
the war of harboring some of Saddam's inner circle.
“Is” is remembered
Former Georgia Rep. Bob Barr's has a new book out titled, "The Meaning
of Is," promoted as the true legacy of the impeached Bill Clinton. In
promoting the book, Bar and his publisher are throwing a sixth
anniversary party of Clinton’s memorable testimony when he uttered the
now famous reply: “That depends upon what is - is.”
Kerry loves coal
West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Ohio all have major coal interest and
all are battleground states in the selection of the next president. It
seems that Kerry is shameless in his pandering for coal industry’s
votes.
Kerry is known as a great environmentalist -- not too far behind the
greatest environmentalist of them all, Al Gore. Now, Kerry has fallen
in love with coal --the main enemy of environmentalist who profess
coal is creating global warming.
The LA Times quotes Carol Raulston, spokeswoman for the National
Mining Assn., in a story about the coal factor in the elections:
"Maybe Kerry has accepted the necessity of generating electricity from
coal," she said, "but one has to wonder, if West Virginia and Ohio
were not swing states, if there'd be as much interest in this by his
campaign."
The Times reports that Kerry’s flip-flop is motivated by the fact that
Kerry now believes he can have his coal and clean air both:
As a senator from Massachusetts, where the air is polluted by upwind
coal-fired power plants in the Midwest, Kerry has long advocated
stringent pollution controls that are not popular with the coal
industry. On the campaign trail, he contends that the nation does not
have to choose between coal and clean air.
He advocates doubling the nation's investment in clean coal technology
to $10 billion over 10 years to make coal burn more cleanly. Bush has
asked for $310 million to $470 million a year for these purposes, sums
that Congress has regularly increased.
Kerry has also moderated his stance on the Kyoto Accord as well.
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