Stephen Gardner, a member of John Kerry's Swiftbaot crew, appeared with Hugh Hewitt on his show tonight after I had already been on. Although I missed Hugh's show -- I was taking a break at work when I went on -- Hugh has posted the transcript of the Gardner interview on his blog. Gardner specifically and categorically refuted Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia story ... and since he served on Kerry's boat in December 1968, he should know:

HH: Now you served with him on Christmas Eve 1968, correct?

SG: That is correct.

HH: What did you do on Christmas Eve 1968?

SG: Well, I damn sure wasn't in Cambodia, I'll tell you that.

HH: (Laughter) Do you remember?

SG: We were basically just down in the lower part of the Sa Dec. just patrolling.

HH: All right. Were you looking for Bob Hope that night?

SG: No, (laughter) this was just how bad this guy is. People get a whiff of this and get a hold of it. Because you are just getting the edge of what drives John Kerry.

HH: What is that Steve Gardner?

SG: He is an opportunist, number one. But he is a self-seeking opportunist who used the laws that were designed to help the honest men who were over there in Vietnam who had gotten wounded three times to get them back out of it. He knew the rules well, and he used that to get out of there early.

Gardner also scoffs at the notion that Kerry transported a CIA agent into Cambodia or anywhere near there, as Kerry still insists by the tale's inclusion on his web site:

HH: OK, well put. Now, Steve Gardner, John Kerry has also been discovered to have been telling a story that he took a CIA man at least one CIA man into Cambodia and that he kept his hat. When you were on the boat with John Kerry, for your two months and two weeks of the tour that he served, did you ever have a CIA man on board?

SG: Number one, no.

HH: Did you ever take anyone to Cambodia and drop them off?

SG: Categorically no.

HH: Did you get near Cambodia and drop anybody off?

SG: The closest we can get to Cambodia, and that's a long swim, is 50 miles.

For those who value only the testimony of people from John Kerry's boat, Gardner should answer your objections. Read all of Hugh's enlightening interview with Gardner.

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» Kerry Caught Lying Again About Vietnam History from I love Jet Noise
Several people have been covering this (notably Captain Ed) but I had to laugh at this: Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign was scrambling Monday night to deal with new charges that he fabricated claims he was dispatched to Cambodia during [Read More]

Tracked on August 11, 2004 7:39 AM