Slandering f*ckers
Larry Thurlow, the member of Swift Boat Veterans for the Truth from the August 19 edition of FOX News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor with Heartland host John Kasich in for Bill O'Reilly:
KASICH: Mr. Thurlow, The Washington Post
reports today that along with your heroic act, there also was enemy fire that you had to endure, something different than what you said and obviously means that Senator Kerry was under some enemy fire. How do you respond to this contradiction?
THURLOW: Well, it's a contradiction on the report, but here's where the contradiction comes from. The fact is that on that particular day the operation report, the after action report was written by John Kerry. And it describes what happened to his boat.
My citation was written ten days after the fact. A gentleman named Michael Dodd, who came on with this information, called me yesterday and he read my citation to me. I haven't seen a copy of my citation for over 30 years, but it says in there that twice I was under two different times in the report that I was under intense enemy fire during the operation on the 3 boat. The fact of the matter is we received no fire on that day from the enemy on the bank.
KASICH: Now when you saw that [your Bronze Star] citation and it said in there that you were under enemy fire, at that point in time did you say, "Hey wait, you got this all wrong. I wasn't under any enemy fire"? Or did you just sort of ignore that?
THURLOW: Well, I just took it home, put it away, and kind of ignored the whole thing. But the truth of the matter is...
KASICH: Well, then, don't you think at that time -- listen, Larry, these are very serious charges. Don't you think...
THURLOW: Yes, they are. Extremely serious.
KASICH: ... don't you think at that point you should have said, "Well, wait a minute, this never happened this way"? Now James Rassmann, who has said that Kerry saved his life, he says there was enemy fire. So why should we believe you and not Rassmann, whose life he claims was saved by John Kerry?
THURLOW: Well, he did pick Jim Rassmann up out of the water, because I was there. I witnessed it. But here's the difference. We were not under enemy fire. And that part of my citation where it says we are comes from John Kerry's after action report.
KASICH: Right. But Larry, here's what I'm driving at. You know, if I got a citation that said I saved somebody at FOX News when something was happening and it wasn't that way, I don't know, maybe I would attempt to correct the record. But let's move on from that for a second and get to the heart of this.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408200004
Michelle Malkin, syndicated right-wing columnist from the August 19 edition of Hardball with Willie Brown and Host Chris Mathews:
WILLIE BROWN [Former mayor of San Francisco]: He volunteered twice. He volunteered twice in Vietnam. He literally got shot. There's no question about any of those things. So what else is there to discuss? How much he got shot, how deep, how much shrapnel?
MALKIN: Well, yes. Why don't people ask him more specific questions about the shrapnel in his leg. They are legitimate questions about whether or not it was a self-inflicted wound.
[crosstalk]
MATTHEWS: What do you mean by self-inflicted? Are you saying he shot himself on purpose? Is that what you're saying?
MALKIN: Did you read the book...
MATTHEWS: I'm asking a simple question. Are you saying that he shot himself on purpose.
MALKIN: I'm saying some of these soldiers...
MATTHEWS: And I'm asking question.
MALKIN: And I'm answering it.
MATTHEWS: Did he shoot himself on purpose.
MALKIN: Some of the soldiers have made allegations that these were self-inflicted wounds.
MATTHEWS: No one has ever accused him of shooting himself on purpose.
MALKIN: That these were self-inflicted wounds.
MATTHEWS: You're saying there are -- he shot himself on purpose, that's a criminal act?
MALKIN: I'm saying that I've read the book and some of the...
[crosstalk]
MATTHEWS: I want an answer yes or no, Michelle.
MALKIN: Some of the veterans say...
MATTHEWS: No. No one has every accused him of shooting himself on purpose.
MALKIN: Yes. Some of them say that.
MATTHEWS: Tell me where that...
MALKIN: Self-inflicted wounds -- in February, 1969.
MATTHEWS: This is not a show for this kind of talk. Are you accusing him of shooting himself on purpose to avoid combat or to get credit?
MALKIN: I'm saying that's what some of these...
MATTHEWS: Give me a name.
MALKIN: Patrick Runyon and William Zaladonis.
MATTHEWS: They said -- Patrick Runyon...
MALKIN: These people have...
MATTHEWS: And they said he shot himself on purpose to avoid combat or take credit for a wound?
MALKIN: These people have cast a lot of doubt on whether or not...
MATTHEWS: That's cast a lot of doubt. That's complete nonsense.
MALKIN: Did you read the section in the book...
MATTHEWS: I want a statement from you on this program, say to me right now, that you believe he shot himself to get credit for a purple heart.
MALKIN: I'm not sure. I'm saying...
MATTHEWS: Why did you say?
MALKIN: I'm talking about what's in the book.
MATTHEWS: What is in the book. Is there -- is there a direct accusation in any book you've ever read in your life that says John Kerry ever shot himself on purpose to get credit for a purple heart? On purpose?
MALKIN: On.
MATTHEWS: On purpose? Yes or no, Michelle.
MALKIN: In the February 1969 -- in the February 1969 event.
MATTHEWS: Did he say on it purpose.
MALKIN: There are doubts about whether or not it was intense rifle fire or not. And I wish you would ask these questions of John Kerry instead of me.
MATTHEWS: I have never heard anyone say he shot himself on purpose.
I haven't heard you say it.
MALKIN: Have you tried to ask -- have you tried ask John Kerry these questions?
MATTHEWS: If he shot himself on purpose. No. I have not asked him that.
MALKIN: Don't you wonder?
MATTHEWS: No, I don't. It's never occurred to me.
http://mediamatters.org/items/200408200005