The New York Times published an article Monday about the anger some Vietnam veterans feel over the vessel they used to serve on, Swift Boat, now being synonymous with "the nastiest of campaign smears."
In dredging up this issue, Times' writer Kate Zernike not only misrepresented many of the facts surrounding the claims made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, but also completely ignored the mainstream media's role in turning the name of this patrol craft into a political pejorative.
In fact, something the Times conveniently chose not to share with its readers was how one of its own columnists, Frank Rich, wrote one of the earliest and most prominent pieces recharacterizing this nautical term as a smear tactic in his August 21, 2005, article "The Swift Boating of Cindy Sheehan."
But before we get there, here's what the Times had to say Monday (emphasis added throughout, h/t NBer Bingo):
“Swift boat” has become the synonym for the nastiest of campaign smears, a shadow that hangs over the presidential race as pundits wait to proclaim that the Swiftboating has begun and candidates declare that they will not be Swiftboated.
Swift boat veterans — especially those who had nothing to do with the group that attacked Senator John Kerry’s military record in the 2004 election — want their good name back, and the good names of the men not lucky enough to come home alive.
As the piece ensued, Zernike continued the misinformation campaign that she's been on for years concerning this issue with some of the same falsehoods present in her May 28, 2006, column "Kerry Pressing Swift Boat Case Long After Loss."
A week later, investigative reporter and editor Thomas Lipscomb, who had broken a lot of the military record information of both Kerry and George W. Bush during the 2004 campaign, debunked much of Zernike's misrepresentations in a June 5, 2006, op-ed at Real Clear Politics:
Kate Zernike's story on the front page of the Memorial Day Sunday New York Times, "Kerry Pressing Swift Boat Case Long After Loss," is an unfortunate reminder of the Times's embarrassingly poor coverage of Kerry in the face of the Swift Boat Veterans' for Truth charges in the 2004 election.
In a truly delicious example of serendipity, Lipscomb published a blog at the Huffington Post Sunday evening just in time to bash recent media reports concerning the Swift Boat Vets:
The vast majority of what is left of the press is a decidedly atypical group of Americans who don't smoke or drink and have never been in the cub scouts or brownies, much less in the military service. And they do a lousy job of even reading military records intelligently, much less reporting on them.
And they continue to do so, as one can see with the latest frisson in The Huffington Post where both Jeffrey Klein and Sam Stein have run with stories that were just dead wrong in their basic facts about John Kerry's records release and his bet with Boone Pickens. And at the same time a minor Boston Globe columnist and Kerry's New York Times kneepads in residence reporter got the Pickens-Kerry bet story just as wrong for the same reason as they celebrated the Sandusky-Short group's appearance.
They have covered only one side of the story and they hadn't a clue how to research the realities of a confusing situation. No one had apparently even looked at the basic correspondence between Kerry and Pickens of November 16, 2007 which established their positions at the beginning.
Readers are strongly encouraged to review Lipscomb's entire lengthy analysis for information concerning Kerry, the Swift Boat Vets, and the wager offered by T. Boone Pickens that virtually no press outlet dares cover with such detail and clarity.
Moving forward, what's even worse than Zernike's abuse of facts in her most recent piece was that in her seeming angst concerning the pejorative use of the term Swift Boat, she chose not to address how liberals in the media are responsible for it.
Most comical indeed is that one of the earliest, prominent such usages was by her own colleague, Frank Rich (emphasis added):
Once [Cindy] Sheehan could no longer be ignored, the Swift Boating began. Character assassination is the Karl Rove tactic of choice, eagerly mimicked by his media surrogates, whenever the White House is confronted by a critic who challenges it on matters of war. The Swift Boating is especially vicious if the critic has more battle scars than a president who connived to serve stateside and a vice president who had "other priorities" during Vietnam.
The following day, Fox News's Bill O'Reilly took issue with the use of this term:
Hi, I'm Bill O'Reilly. Thank you for watching us tonight. The swift boating of Cindy Sheehan, that is the subject of this evening's "Talking Points Memo".
This story is no longer about Ms. Sheehan. It's now about the far left media trying to legitimatize her in the face of some damning evidence. Sympathetic newspaper columnists are putting forth that Cindy is being smeared by people like me. They call it the swift boating of Cindy Sheehan. Catchy, but totally misleading.
And, the rest, as they say, is history. From that point, press outlet after press outlet began referring to the right's treatment of Sheehan as "Swiftboating," forever changing the meaning of this previously innocent nautical term.
For instance, readers should recall Arianna Huffington's January 16, 2006, column "The President Needs to Denounce the Swift-Boating of Murtha... Now!," as well as Times columnist Paul Krugman's May 29, 2006, piece "Swift Boating the Planet."
As such, Ms. Zernike, if you really are angered by the pejorative use of Swift Boat, and want to help the veterans referred to in your article return the term to one "[connoting] service with honor," why don't you call on your fellow liberal journalists to cease and desist from using it this despicable way?
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters.















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Comments Policy
Actually
June 30, 2008 - 12:02 ET by American Infidel"Swift Boating" means telling the truth about a democrat candidate.
We've finally given liberals a war against fundamentalism, and they don't want to fight it. They would, except it would put them on the same side as the United States. Ann Coulter
Its a media tool.
June 30, 2008 - 12:08 ET by dronetekIts a tool the media uses to instantly discredit any crititisim of people it deems worthy. Its a lot like labeling people "racists".
Kate's continued lame defense of the indefensible...
June 30, 2008 - 12:13 ET by ThalpyKate's continued lame defense of the indefensible is getting old. She would make a great groupie; she is a groupie.
Definition
June 30, 2008 - 12:13 ET by Tom PaineSwift Boating - Using a Democrat candidate's actual words and actions in a way that exposes his hypocracy
swift boating
June 30, 2008 - 12:24 ET by pagg301. Swift Boating - Serving in the 'Brown Water Navy' ex. river patrol
2. Swift Boating - Telling the historical truth about one's service in said Navy.
Good stuff, NS.
June 30, 2008 - 12:25 ET by Gary HallGood stuff, NS.May I add a thought? OK then. I'd bet that a full accounting of the news stories which ran on the Swiftboat effort to address Kerry's Nam deficiencies, would clearly illustrate that almost all of the public's awareness of their effort (I'll guess 90% or higher), came from the MSM, itself, trying to Swiftboat the Swiftboat folks. It was the media that set about to defend Kerry, while other parts of the MSM were busy Ratherboating President Bush's National Guard experience.Perhaps the media did find a weak point or two in the Swiftboater's story, and that gave them carte blanche to waste barrels of newsprint ink, and hours of air time in their frenzied joint effort to keep President Bush from winning another term. However, when confronted with a story in whichy they apparently could find no opening, they let it lie quietly under the sofa cushion.
RADM William L. Schachte, Jr. USN (Ret.) tells his story.
RADM William L. Schachte, Jr. USN (Ret.) gets one TV interview. [and NBC's Lisa Myers, while a relatively fair interview for the MSM (of the enemy) does her best to make it look like Schachte's story, in this moment in time, is only about poliltics. - the Dem's, naturally don't do politics]
The question is; why did the MSM not spend barrels of newsprint ink, and hours of airtime swiftboating Retired Rear Admiral William Schachte, Jr? Did Dan Rather not find Schachte's eyewitness account compelling - how about a little bit interesting?
Gary,
June 30, 2008 - 12:37 ET by BlondeIt get's even more interesting. One quick "google" and here's an account from the OIC, Lt. Commander Grant Hibbard (who turned down Kerry's initial request for a Purple Heart).
Louis Letson, the base physician, saw Kerry and used tweezers to remove the tiny piece of shrapnel -- about 1 centimeter in length and 2 millimeters in diameter. Letson also confirmed that the scratch was inflicted with our M-79.
(Bold as found).
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
But Blonde, that's not news...
June 30, 2008 - 12:45 ET by Gary HallBut Blonde, that's not news... just ask Dan Rather. (;~/ gary
Gary, Blonde, great discussion
June 30, 2008 - 12:52 ET by DEVILDOCMOMand links, thanks. As has been mentioned by others I equate "swift boating" to telling the truth. As always, I disagree with the writings of the failed media.
Gary, I liked your "Ratherboating"; quite to the point. In addition, as to the choice of photos for this story, does anyone else notice how kerry is apart from the others in this photo?
Devilishly..
June 30, 2008 - 12:53 ET by Gary HallDevilishly.. should I copywrite it? (;-) gary
How about Ratherbutting
June 30, 2008 - 13:02 ET by BlondeYou know....
Unsupported by evidence BUT true.
I'm a professional BUT I walked off the evening news.
I am a big fat spinning news BUTT.
Like that.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Actually
July 1, 2008 - 00:00 ET by DEVILDOCMOMyou probably should. It is clever.
Swiftboat
June 30, 2008 - 12:37 ET by ScrapironSwiftboat---A naval combat boat >>>>>>
To Swiftboat---To tell the truth about a democrat politician.
So far the Swiftboat Vet's have been shown to be truthful. Hanoi John Kerry was proven a liar by several of the Vet's charges.
Time for the left wing dhimmi's and Lame Stream Media to get a life. The simple fact that the President did not/could not Order Hanoi John into Cambodia before he became president should be enough to clear the swift boat vet's, and show Hanoi John, as well as his supporters, as the liars.
Old, Retired and glad of it.
>>>Swift boat veterans —
June 30, 2008 - 12:43 ET by seanrobins>>>Swift boat veterans — especially those who had nothing to do with the group that attacked Senator John Kerry’s military record in the 2004 election — want their good name back, and the good names of the men not lucky enough to come home alive.
The really interesting this about the above thoroughly false (alright, 95% false) assertion is that Swift Boat Veterans for Truth included the VAST majority of swiftees who served with and at the time Kerry did, OVER 200!!!
So how many does that leave this assertion referring to?
sean robins
blog.seanrobins.com
One of Kerry's Defenders
June 30, 2008 - 12:49 ET by Del DolemonteIn the Puff-Ho Liscomb piece, one of Kerry's defenders, who was there, comments in the section below Liscomb's piece that it's "riddled with factual errors", but then doesn't say what those errors are.
John McCain may have his
June 30, 2008 - 12:49 ET by goldbarJohn McCain may have his own "swiftboating" to deal with and charges by former vets that he collaborated with the enemy. The group "Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain" are mounting a campaign similar to the one the Swiftboat Liars ran against Kerry.
Frankly, I don't think it will be needed seeing as Obama is leading in the majority of the swing states including McCain's home state of Arizona.
Goldbar
June 30, 2008 - 12:54 ET by BlondeYour assertation that McCain "collaborated" is so much crap. I'd like to see you hung from dislocated arms, and beaten to a pulp for five years, and not give up anything to the enemy.
John McCain had the opportunity to be released early, due to his name and his father's position, and chose to stay with the rest of the prisoners at the Hanoi Hilton.
You liberals can choose to spin it any way you'd like, you'll just look even more foolish than you already do.
David Gregory, do you know which damn network you lie for? ~ Uncle Jimbo, @Blackfive
Goldbar, just out of
June 30, 2008 - 12:59 ET by bassndudeGoldbar, just out of curiostity, what is your military and/or combat back ground?
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
I would give huge odds
June 30, 2008 - 13:59 ET by ahusserthat Goldbrick was never in the military nor anywhere in the vicinity of anything military. Just another drive-by troll runocrat attempting to smear the opposition with lies and innuendoes as always. All may deride McCain's waffling and strange politics but his service to his country IMO was above and beyond, unreproachable and untouchable. The left is at it again attempting to get revenge on the "Swift Boating" of Kerry the usual using lies as there weapon of choice. It is unfortunate in the extreme that I really believe that Obama critter aka "the messiah" is going to win the presidency. God help this nation.
I love this "Frankly, I
June 30, 2008 - 13:04 ET by Dan The Man 2I love this "Frankly, I don't think it will be needed seeing as Obama is leading in the majority of the swing states including McCain's home state of Arizona" as you dont understand there is a lot of time before November 4th and there is only one poll that means anything, the one on November 4th. I will welcome any look at McCains record as I will welcome any look at any canditates record.
I especially would like to look carefully at Obama as his record stinks. You dont understand the fact that all POW's break, it is just a matter of time. But, knowing your kind, I would not expect you to understand that our military are not supermen but human.
One thing you cant do is prove the SBV are liars, heck Kerry was offered a million to do it and failed. No he ran and faced us with his yellow streak.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
When confronted with the
June 30, 2008 - 13:41 ET by goldbarWhen confronted with the facts, T. Boone Pickens reneged on his offer.
Im not sure you would know
June 30, 2008 - 14:13 ET by Dan The Man 2Im not sure you would know any facts when you saw them "When confronted with the facts, T. Boone Pickens reneged on his offer" because he did not renege but clarified the terms of his offer. Which were modest considering there was a million dollars at stake. Kerry saw that he was to disclose his personal details which could very likely prove him to be a liar and balked.
The recent mandate of pejoratives and Ad homin rules prevent me fom telling you what for ... so take it for what its worth.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
Dan, With the recent
June 30, 2008 - 14:30 ET by Chris NormanDan,
With the recent proscription against the personal dressing downs, it leaves us with either A: Ignoring a hateful and untrue comment or B: Addressing the specific points of the comment in question. When the specific points are so much bileous hatred or just flat out crap - really not worthy of discussion, but can't be left unchallenged, what is a person to do?
We went over that
July 1, 2008 - 09:23 ET by bassndudeWe went over that goldbar...it is a false statement.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
The difference is that
June 30, 2008 - 13:18 ET by Joe C.America found the "swiftboaters" to be truthful because they were backed up by credible evidence, including John Kerry's own lies to Congress. Obama's "swiftboaters" have already proven to be liars without a scintilla of evidence. The more they try to smear McCain's military record, the more it will hurt B. Hussein.
No. It's that, even if
June 30, 2008 - 13:22 ET by SchnikeysNo. It's that, even if smear attempts happen, the American public won't care, as novelty is everything.
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"It could be the answer to our age-old, philosophical question, 'Why are we here?' PLASTIC!"
Leading
June 30, 2008 - 13:20 ET by SchnikeysWho's leading in Arizona, again?
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"It could be the answer to our age-old, philosophical question, 'Why are we here?' PLASTIC!"
Call Tempe area codes and
June 30, 2008 - 15:46 ET by Hunter12Call Tempe area codes and ask as your first question, "What's your new middle name?" If the answer is "Hussein", then ask your poll questions.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
>>>John McCain may have his
June 30, 2008 - 14:04 ET by seanrobins>>>John McCain may have his own "swiftboating" to deal with and charges by former vets that he collaborated with the enemy. The group "Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain" are mounting a campaign similar to the one the Swiftboat Liars ran against Kerry.
There are a few key differences that I don't expect you to have noticed, Mr. Dimwit...
First, the "charges" made by the Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth were, according to the 200-some Swifties participating (the vast majority of those who serve with and around Kerry at the time), were true. John F'in Kerry has never sought to address the facts presented by the Swifties - he's merely enlisted the services of idiots like Wesley Clark, the moveon.org crow, and yourself - to smear the Swifties. (Getting "Swiftboated" should really refer to what was done to the Veterans for DARING to out the facts behind John Kerry's service = John Kerry, the coward who STILL refuses to release his complete and unredacted war record...what a clown...)
Second, if you read John McCain's autobiographies (you can read, can't you...or does someone type your entries for you?), he himself will tell you about the "information" he provided to his torturers... which equalled nothing, as he knew nothing to reveal....
John McCain did, in fact, uphold the greatest traditions of the service by refusing to take early "leave" of his captors BEFORE those beneath him in rank were released.
Compare that to John F'in Kerry, who sought his own early stateside release from his service in Vietnam, by conjuring up his three miniscule "war wounds" and running back home. (Boo hoo, some rice in his a**)
I think we need to go back to the happy days of '04 and remind the voting public of the facts behind "War Hero" John Kerry's service. Hmmmm? now that Ted Kennedy will be leaving the senate soon, maybe we can get two more moron's out of there, Kerry and Obama. November would be a good time to laugh them both out of town.
sean robins
blog.seanrobins.com
Funny, the MSM never uses or
June 30, 2008 - 12:49 ET by Chris NormanFunny, the MSM never uses or "explains" the term "Borking"...
Whiners!
June 30, 2008 - 12:57 ET by JWFThe most unforgivable annoying thing about liberal democrats is their constant whining. Gawd, give it a rest!
No one is complaining about Bob Dole's or Bush I's loss. But here we are 8 years later still hearing about how Bush II stole the election from Al Bore and John Kerry getting Swift Boated.
look at the picture
June 30, 2008 - 13:14 ET by ferv888I would love to have some psyco babble on the picture that accompanies this article. Look at the stance of everyone, but Big Bad John. He is either shut out from the group or his is usual aloof self.
Would love to talk to the guys pictured for the real "picture."
ferv888
Yeah
June 30, 2008 - 14:07 ET by forestIt looks pretty awkward.
Aside from the word "swiftboating"
June 30, 2008 - 13:57 ET by YahooWatcherI personally enjoy the NYT's following statement:
Swift boat veterans — especially those who had nothing to do with the group that attacked Senator John Kerry’s military record in the 2004 election — want their good name back, and the good names of the men not lucky enough to come home alive.
Like the NYT gives a rat's behind about any Vietnam vets, especially those who lost their lives. I mean really - the same bunch of people who ran the "Betray-Us" advertisement is now concerned about the well being of our vets? I doubt it.
Kerry
June 30, 2008 - 14:22 ET by HawgdrvrJohn Kerry ran from his service in Vietnam until it was convenient and politically expedient. All of a sudden, running against a fellow veteran (yes those who have served in the Reserve/Guard forces are also veterans) he decides his service is superior to President Bush's. For only that one reason, he decides he will bank his election hopes on his wartime service which by all evidence he was very ashamed of. Remember throwing the medals away, testifying and lying before Congress about atrocities he witnessed, getting out of the Navy at the earliest opportunity, actively protesting against the war while our nation was still fighting, etc.
Kerry started all of this and I think the Swift Boat Vets did a great service to this nation by helping to insure that a whining loser such as John F**K**G Kerry (did you know he served in Vietnam) was not allowed to destroy this country as our President. His Senate tenure has been bad enough, especially for the US Military.
Can you imagine what the
June 30, 2008 - 15:52 ET by Hunter12Can you imagine what the margin of victory would have been for President Bush if the media had reported half of what this man did in the '70's? If you'd said Winter Soldier to 90% of the people who voted for Kerry, they would have replied with pride, "Yes, the man I support can ski!".
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last." - Sir Winston Churchill
NTY ignoring facts?
June 30, 2008 - 14:37 ET by mattmNTY ignoring facts? Nooooooooo!
waiting for the libel suit from John F. Kerry
June 30, 2008 - 19:49 ET by bulbasaurIf the Swift Boaters lied, sue them.
(chirp chirp chirp)
The Swift-boat veterans for Truth are true patriots
July 1, 2008 - 09:08 ET by c5thenTo me, Swift-boat means to bring up inconvenient truths about something that the media would prefer to have kept secret.
The Swift-boaters were smeared by the MSM in order to try and discredit their allegations. The reality is that they brought up truths and opinions that were as valid and more true than the MSm were willing to admit.
It's interesting to note that one of the examples above is the "Swift-boating of Rep. Murtha. Well, we are seeing that the military courts martial are agreeing with the "swift-boaters" in the Haditha case and acquitting or dropping the charges against all the acused. It seems that the "swift-boaters" were correct and Murtha was wrong. Just as they were with Kerry.
Why hasn't John Kerry sued the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth? Probabky because you can't sue someone for telling the truth, no matter that you don't like it.
The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.