Dueling military records

When I read, watch, or listen to the news these days, I find myself asking the same questions over and over:

1) Who do these people think they are?

2) Do they think we're THAT stupid?

A man who didn't even show up for much of his own military "service" keeps telling us that the deaths of 3,000 innocent people on his watch are evidence that he's a good leader. But that's not enough: now he and his minions are trying to make us believe that his opponent, who actually served -- in combat, with distinction -- wouldn't be a good leader BECAUSE OF HIS SERVICE DURING VIETNAM? These are the same people who successfully slimed former Sen. Max Cleland of Georgia, who lost 3 limbs while serving his country in Vietnam, by attacking him for having been injured in that war. Do they think we're THAT stupid? Hey, it worked against Cleland, so now they're trying it against another decorated veteran. So that answers the second question, at least: yes, they do.

Speaking of questions, it's not like we're hearing any incisive or even intelligent ones from the press corps on this. When the Republicans proclaim, "You never know: there might be something questionable in John Kerry's military records," and then Kerry releases even more of his records than he already had, the reporters repeat, "There might be something questionable in Kerry's military records." A few hours of that, and the chant morphs into, "Controversy has emerged over John Kerry's military records."

Similarly, when Mr. Bush held his third prime-time press conference the other night, the press duly told us that reviews of his performance were "mixed."

Here's something else that's mixed: Ivory Soap, which its manufacturers claim is 99 and 44 one-hundredths percent pure. What about that other 66 one-hundredths, huh? You trying to hide something? And what about all those bubbles that cause Ivory to float? They never mention that it's full of holes!

See how it works? More importantly, see how well it works?

The mudslingers have forgotten one important detail: these days we can go straight to the source and find out for ourselves.
  ¶ 6:16 PM |