McCain condemns anti-Kerry ads, calls on White House to follow suit (by Ron Fournier, AP Political Writer, 5 August 2004)
By now, you've probably heard about the ads being run by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth which feature Viet Nam vets who claim that Kerry is a liar and isn't a war hero. And while it is not officially supported by the Bush Campaign, it is yet another example of the Bush administration refusing to rise to the level of common decency.
As a former target of this type of underhanded, intentional deceit and a Viet Nam war veteran himself, McCain is taking a stand. He has asked the White House to call for suspension of the ads. The White House has declined the request.
McCain said that's all in the past to him, but he's speaking out against the anti-Kerry ad because "it reopens all the old wounds of the Vietnam War, which I spent the last 35 years trying to heal."
"I deplore this kind of politics," McCain said. "I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam. I think George Bush served honorably in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War."...
This article covers the same ground with some additional coverage of Kerry calling for more minorities in journalism.
And finally, here's a great article published in Salon today that gives a broader view of the "relationship" between Kerry and his nemesis Jim O'Neill.
Posted by Elizabeth at August 6, 2004 01:00 PM