It appears that former corporate raider T. Boone Pickens made a speech to some sort of publication celebrating its 40th anniversary and crowing that part of its success was the deaths of many of its rivals from drug overdoses and sexually transmitted disease.
Remember the so-called “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth”? They ran a smear campaign on John Kerry in his 2004 bid for the presidency. They were resurrected recently when a Boston newspaper gave the lying thugs a new podium to comment on a possible 2012 Kerry presidential bid.,
You see, the Republicans had a problem. Their opposition was a legitimate Vietnam War veteran and decorated war hero. He “soiled” his reputation (in their small, little minds) when he turned into an antiwar activists (he even showed up in Doonesbury comic strips of the time). Here was a man who seen the horrors of war, responded with courage, saw the futility of the fight and turned to speak against it.
Now, the Republicans had a drunken frat boy and failed businessman. During Vietnam, Boy George Bush got a cushy, country club Texas national guard assignment as a fighter pilot, defending the Gulf Coast. Even that limited duty was a burden to a spoiled lad of plenty, and he went AWOL. Interestingly enough, many of his personnel records from that time “in the service” have disappeared.
So, how do you handle it? You turn the coward, your candidate, into a hero and spread lies to turn your opponent into a fraud. Bankrolled by Pickens and others, there was plenty of money for these snakes to spread their lies.
To its discredit, the Kerry campaign let them get away with it. For some reason, they never asked the question - Where was George?
Well, through such smear campaigns, along with their cowardly appeals to 9/11 and outright voter fraud, Bush won reelection.
Fast forward to present. Sen. John Kerry now says his group has put together a dossier to counter such claims should they surface again (four years too late). It makes one wonder what he may be up to.
So, what happens? In the speech I mentioned above, T. Boone said he’ll pay one million dollars to anyone who can prove one claim in the swift boat campaign was false. Rush Limbaugh jumped into the fray, but who cares?
Kerry said he’d take that challenge and donate the money to Paralyzed Veterans of America, a charity for paralyzed vets.
I welcome the opportunity to prove that you are a man of your word and that the so-called “Swift Boat Veterans for Truth” lied. While I am prepared to show they lied on allegation after allegation, you have generously offered to pay one million dollars for just one thing that can be proven false. I am prepared to prove the lie beyond any reasonable doubt.
Pickens response was quick and weasely. First, he lies (again) and then he completely welches on his offer:
My concern at the Spectator Dinner was, and continues to be, that you and other political figures were and are maligning the Swift Boat Veterans, and I want to prevent this important part of American history from being unfairly portrayed.
In order to disprove the accuracy of the Swift Boat ads, I will ultimately need you to provide the following:
1) The journal you maintained during your service in Vietnam. 2) Your military record, specifically your service records for the years 1971-1978, and copies of all movies and tapes made during your service.When you have done so, if you can then prove anything in the ads was materially untrue, I will gladly award $1 million.
Now, none of that extra stuff was mentioned in the original offer as reported from several sources. The magazine’s website curiously is mute on the whole subject.
However, one neocon syncophant website parrots the offer in the following words, written by a right-wing, lapdog blogger who claims to have been there:
T. Boone Pickens responded to John F. Kerry’s latest whining about his having been “swiftboated” by offering a million dollars to anyone who could prove wrong anything the Swiftboat Veterans charged about Kerry.
No mention of conditions there.
It just shows once again that the neocons and their lapdogs are more concerned about money than truth. Obviously, Sickens Pickens knows the claims of the swift boat gunsels can be shot down with ease. Ergo, he immediately begins to back peddle and add new conditions. Of course, the brain dead followers of Pickens and the druggies, felons, liars, perverts and thieves of right-wing radio will claim these are just conditions. Why? Because they have told do so. Perish the thought that they could have an original thought.
Maybe someone should offer a million dollar prize to anyone who can prove Boy George Bush was not a drunken deserter during Vietnam.
