It seems to me that this is a bad idea:

Opponents of John Kerry have hired a Dallas-area private investigator to gather information aimed at discrediting his military service, say several veterans who served with the Massachusetts Democrat in Vietnam.

Several veterans who have been contacted in recent days accused the private investigator, Tom Rupprath of Rockwall, of twisting their words to produce misleading and inaccurate accounts that call into doubt the medals Mr. Kerry received for his service. ... Mr. Rupprath was hired by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth on the recommendation of Merrie Spaeth, a Dallas public relations executive assisting the anti-Kerry group.

The investigator declined to discuss his work, but Ms. Spaeth said he is a former FBI agent assigned to produce an accurate and objective account of how the Democratic presidential candidate earned his combat medals.

SBVT can do whatever they like with their money, and inasmuch as any other 527 can, they're free to advertise how they like in the upcoming campaign. In my opinion, they'd be better served focusing on Kerry's activities after he returned from Vietnam than his record under fire. Perhaps Kerry exaggerated his injuries in a combat area to invoke the three-wounds-out policy, perhaps he didn't, but he undoubtedly served in combat. The SBVT's efforts will only reinforce that point and generate sympathy against this low-handed attack -- the very kind of attack we decried earlier when the Democrats attacked Bush's National Guard service.

Speaking of which, while I agree this is a destructive tactic for the Swifties, the Daily Kos just can't help overreaching:

Dirty Tricks 'R Us are at it again.

Yeah, sure. A Google of "National Guard Bush service" at the Daily Kos comes up with 233 hits. Just remember, Kos, while Bush served his country flying jets in the TANG and Cheney raised a family, your buddy Bill Clinton was busy deceiving his draft board and hiding out in England. Using your logic, you should have voted for Bob Dole in 1996. But sauce for the gander never did taste very good to Democrats...

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» Kerry's House of Ketchup #18 from The American Mind
Kerry speaks. Ladies and gentleman, boys, girls, and political spinners of all ages, I present you the 18th edition... [Read More]

Tracked on July 15, 2004 12:40 AM