Release Them All, Senator
Sen. John Kerry, former Democrat candidate for president in 2004, claims that he has released all of his military records. The Boston Globe wrote a piece about it this week, in which it showed that, much like Pres. Bush, Kerry was a slightly above-average student in school. As I do not attend Harvard, I cannot attest to the difficulty of the classes, however I can say that with enough focus to studies, one can accomplish a lot.
But his school transcripts were not what we wanted to see. We want to see his military records. There are several reasons, and all of them revolving around several discrepancies. These discrepancies were raised on the talk of John O’Neill, a former Swift Boat man that served with Sen. Kerry, and the numerous bloggers that questioned a few of Sen. Kerry’s assertions. But, Charles Johnson at LittleGreenFootballs, has this today.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=16159_Did_Kerry_Really_Release_Navy_Records&only
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth head John O’Neill, who raised many of the charges against Kerry during the campaign, was challenged by Kerry on "Meet the Press" in January. Kerry promised he would sign his Standard Form 180, but he wanted former Swift Boat officer O’Neill to sign as well.
O’Neill did sign it and provided copies to the Chicago Sun-Times. According to O’Neill, "The Standard Form 180 could release ‘the full military and medical records.’ Or it could release just a few. It all depends on how it is filled out and where it was sent."
"There is nothing magic about signing a SF 180," said former Naval Judge Advocate General Mark Sullivan. "It is sort of like your checkbook. You can fill out a check for one dollar or a million. It is the same check form."
"And the Globe story says Kerry sent it to the Navy Personnel Command, which is only a limited storage location. So it is not surprising that the Globe then notes that what they received was largely ‘duplication’ of records previously released. The Navy Personnel Command primarily stores a subset of service records rather than a person’s full military records. There is no doubt there are a lot of after-action records missing from what Kerry has released," said Sullivan.
Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs has already found a discrepancy confirmed by the Department of the Navy of "at least a hundred pages" missing from those already disclosed by Kerry.
"If you take a look at my SF 180," O’Neill said, "you will see I have authorized the total release of all my records to anyone requesting to see them. But without seeing how Kerry’s SF 180 was filled out, everyone is only guessing about what was released."
So how an SF 180 is filled out is as important as signing it. But no one in the press has yet claimed to have seen a copy of Kerry’s SF-180. When asked if she had a copy of Kerry’s SF 180, the Globe’s Managing Editor Mary Jane Wilkinson said, "I haven’t seen it, and I don’t know if anyone here has."
So, he did not release all of his records. Thomas made note of this with a previous post that there is no mention of his "secret" Cambodia missions. As Ms. Wilkinson pointed out "I haven’t seen it, and I don’t know if anyone here has." That is telling. The Globe runs with a story hyping the supposed fact that Sen. Kerry released his records, and yet even the managing editor admits that she has not seen them, and that she is not sure anyone else there has.
What happened to editorial ethics?
You either have a story, or you do not. If you cannot prove that you have a piece of a story—like Sen. Kerry’s FULL records—then it should not be admitted in the story. I am not the editor of a major paper, yet I think I can do her job better than she is doing. Why allow such an allegation when there is no proof to back up it’s mention in a news story? Personally, I would demand to see those records prior to publication. Otherwise an amending of the story is needed.
And therein lies much of the problem with the MSM. They take what is given to them, for the most part, hook, line, and sinker, and are willing to ask for seconds before confirming what they just ate up. Bloggers that move faster than news occasionally do the same thing, but most of the reputable ones will update to clarify at a later time as the news comes out. But the MSM has shown that all too often, their basic drive is to be first, and damn the accuracy of the report.
And it is a sad, final step journalism has taken.
The Bunny ;)
Sen. John Kerry, former Democrat candidate for president in 2004, claims that he has released all of his military records. The Boston Globe wrote a piece about it this week, in which it showed that, much like Pres. Bush, Kerry was a slightly above-average student in school. As I do not attend Harvard, I cannot attest to the difficulty of the classes, however I can say that with enough focus to studies, one can accomplish a lot.
But his school transcripts were not what we wanted to see. We want to see his military records. There are several reasons, and all of them revolving around several discrepancies. These discrepancies were raised on the talk of John O’Neill, a former Swift Boat man that served with Sen. Kerry, and the numerous bloggers that questioned a few of Sen. Kerry’s assertions. But, Charles Johnson at LittleGreenFootballs, has this today.
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=16159_Did_Kerry_Really_Release_Navy_Records&only
Swift Boat Veterans for Truth head John O’Neill, who raised many of the charges against Kerry during the campaign, was challenged by Kerry on "Meet the Press" in January. Kerry promised he would sign his Standard Form 180, but he wanted former Swift Boat officer O’Neill to sign as well.
O’Neill did sign it and provided copies to the Chicago Sun-Times. According to O’Neill, "The Standard Form 180 could release ‘the full military and medical records.’ Or it could release just a few. It all depends on how it is filled out and where it was sent."
"There is nothing magic about signing a SF 180," said former Naval Judge Advocate General Mark Sullivan. "It is sort of like your checkbook. You can fill out a check for one dollar or a million. It is the same check form."
"And the Globe story says Kerry sent it to the Navy Personnel Command, which is only a limited storage location. So it is not surprising that the Globe then notes that what they received was largely ‘duplication’ of records previously released. The Navy Personnel Command primarily stores a subset of service records rather than a person’s full military records. There is no doubt there are a lot of after-action records missing from what Kerry has released," said Sullivan.
Washington Post reporter Michael Dobbs has already found a discrepancy confirmed by the Department of the Navy of "at least a hundred pages" missing from those already disclosed by Kerry.
"If you take a look at my SF 180," O’Neill said, "you will see I have authorized the total release of all my records to anyone requesting to see them. But without seeing how Kerry’s SF 180 was filled out, everyone is only guessing about what was released."
So how an SF 180 is filled out is as important as signing it. But no one in the press has yet claimed to have seen a copy of Kerry’s SF-180. When asked if she had a copy of Kerry’s SF 180, the Globe’s Managing Editor Mary Jane Wilkinson said, "I haven’t seen it, and I don’t know if anyone here has."
So, he did not release all of his records. Thomas made note of this with a previous post that there is no mention of his "secret" Cambodia missions. As Ms. Wilkinson pointed out "I haven’t seen it, and I don’t know if anyone here has." That is telling. The Globe runs with a story hyping the supposed fact that Sen. Kerry released his records, and yet even the managing editor admits that she has not seen them, and that she is not sure anyone else there has.
What happened to editorial ethics?
You either have a story, or you do not. If you cannot prove that you have a piece of a story—like Sen. Kerry’s FULL records—then it should not be admitted in the story. I am not the editor of a major paper, yet I think I can do her job better than she is doing. Why allow such an allegation when there is no proof to back up it’s mention in a news story? Personally, I would demand to see those records prior to publication. Otherwise an amending of the story is needed.
And therein lies much of the problem with the MSM. They take what is given to them, for the most part, hook, line, and sinker, and are willing to ask for seconds before confirming what they just ate up. Bloggers that move faster than news occasionally do the same thing, but most of the reputable ones will update to clarify at a later time as the news comes out. But the MSM has shown that all too often, their basic drive is to be first, and damn the accuracy of the report.
And it is a sad, final step journalism has taken.
The Bunny ;)
posted by Syd And Vaughn | 3:54 PM
5 Comments:
Good blog. Good ponts. Imho, the public will see only what Kerry wants us to see and no more. There's been a lot of speculation what it contains such as avoiding a dishonorable discharge and who knows what else. We know he is a liar. The instances are many including to a Senate committee. He's apparently honored in the Vietnam Hall of Fame. Before entering the military we know he opposed war. His military record might shed some light on why he became a peace activist well knowing everything he said and did gave aid and comfort to the enemy that encouraged the enemy to keep fighting. In fact the North Vietnam General Giap credits the antiwar protesters as winning the war for them. His medals are also suspect. I've never heard bragging from anyone that truly and honestly was award them except him. As far as this veteran with an Honorable discharge is concerned, hanging would be too kind for him. Rawriter
What's Kerry afraid of? He doesn't want us to learn that maybe he was a substandard soldier like we learned he was a substandard student? My my my
Honestly, it does not matter what Kerry wants. If he wants the Oval Office, he will answer the questions from the last election cycle, or face the repercussions we have waiting for him.
Marcie
First Kerry did not answer any questions the last election and almost won. The press will not ask or demand any answers because they back him. Second repercussions from who the bloggers give me a break!
Kerry will never release all his records. He is what he is! So move on to another subject this one is stale!
If I may answer the previous post, and I do apologize for engaging in a debate, but Kerry promised the release of all of his records back on Meet The Press. When he did sign his release of records, he did not release them all. Very little of his records show much of anything regarding his service.
I believe that is why "The Bunny" brought it up that her partner could find nothing regarding Kerry's supposed secret missions into Cambodia.
There are questions that still demand answers, and I remind the previous poster that Kerry has stated he wants to run for president again. He hasn't answered a single allegation made in the last election, and the release of these records don't come close to cutting the mustard.
The story, to some, may be old. But for complete accountability, if it is to come, I choose to err on the side of patience. He will, or he won't. It matters not to me, but before he asks me to trust him again, I would like some answers.
Mistress Pundit
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