McCain takes on Swift Boat Veterans

News everywhere before I went to work was of the devastating ad that was put out by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that claims John Kerry did nothing to earn his medals in Vietnam.

So far, it has managed only to wedge McCain once again against Bush and defending John Kerry. Good work, guys!

''I deplore this kind of politics,'' McCain said. ''I think the ad is dishonest and dishonorable. As it is, none of these individuals served on the boat (Kerry) commanded. Many of his crew have testified to his courage under fire. I think John Kerry served honorably in Vietnam. I think George Bush served honorably in the Texas Air National Guard during the Vietnam War.''

While acknowledging the White House denied involvement, he still called for the White House to condemn the ad, adding ''I can't believe the president would pull such a cheap stunt.''

Also of note, all the men that actually served on Kerry's boat still claim he served bravely and admirably.

Media Matters has much more on the Swift Boat crew. Link here and here, to start, and perhaps updates here as well.

Here's some notes:

On FOX News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, co-host Alan Colmes challenged the credibility of the Swift Boat Vets. Colmes noted that Swift Boat Vets leader O'Neill did not serve in Vietnam with Kerry; rather, as O'Neill told Colmes, "I actually took his boat over, but about two months after he [Kerry] left." Colmes also draws attention to the flip-flopping nature of the comments made about Kerry by several group members.

*UPDATE* DC Blues over at Daily Kos does the research I can't at work:

Just watched Inside Politics, and their story on the smear ad on Kerry's Vietnam service. Judy Woodruff interviewed Larry Thurlow and Jim Rassman. Thurlow was claiming that during Kerry's rescue of Rassman, there was no enemy fire at all, and hence Kerry didn't deserve a purple heart or a bronze star. Rassman held his ground, saying he that Thurlow must be telling this story for partisan reasons.

A simple Google search reveals a completely different story in American History magazine from this past April. While Kerry was rescuing Rassman,

"Thurlow was struggling to get PCF-3's wounded gunner out of his hole and onto the deck when the damaged Swift ran aground hard on a shoal on the right side of the river, sending Thurlow somersaulting into the water. At the same moment, the five Swifts came under fire from the right side again, and Kerry remembered thinking that was it -- they were going to get completely cut off and annihilated in a crossfire."

Thurlow noted in the IP interview that he was thrown into the water that day, but didn't say why. The American History article also notes:

"Kerry and the other wounded men received medical attention aboard a Coast Guard cutter, which was the closest ship capable of treating them. Along with a third Purple Heart for the injury to his right arm, Kerry was also awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery, as was Larry Thurlow."

In other words, if Kerry doesn't deserve his bronze star, seems that Thurlow doesn't deserve his either. But I don't see him rushing to give it back. It's unforgivable to allow a vet like Thurlow, whatever kind of person he is now, to tarnish his own heroism by encouraging these lies. If Bush had the slightest understanding of honor he would never allow this by his surrogates. It's just disgusting.