QandO

August 19, 2004

Thurlow, Updated
Posted by Dale Franks

As I've stated several times when referring to this whole Swiftvets deal, we simply can't know what actually happened on those specific days, 35 years ago, on those rivers in Vietnam. We weren't there. And considering the fact that it happened 35 years ago, the guys that were there can't actually be sure of their memories either.

I've said this before, too, and I'll it again: I am inclined to believe the Swiftvets more than I am Kerry, because Kerry appears to have played fast and loose with the truth several times in his recorded public life. The Winter Soldiers "investigation" was a sham, taking "testimony: from several "vets" who had never even been to Vietnam, or worse, weren't even veterans. The Christmas in Cambodia that is seared--seared!--into his memory. The Magic Hat. Kerry is a guy who seems prone to tell stories of dubious plausibility.That tells us something about his character. After all, if Kerry had a 3-decade record of unshakeable honesty, it wouldn't be quite as easy to beleive the Swiftvet allegations, would it.

Trial attorneys have a saying about witness credibility, "Lie in one, lie in all", meaning, that once a witness is caught telling one lie on the stand, his whole credibility is shot. That, in large part, explains what's already happened with Kerry.

Ah, but now we've got a problem with one of the main Swiftvets guys. Does that change my assessment of Kerry's problems with the truth? No, because Kerry's problems arise from his own statements, not those of the Swiftvets.

Look, I would love for the Swiftvets stuff to be true. I think John Kerry is wrong on practically every national security poilicy he espouses, and most of his economics are a load of crap as well. I think his actions on behalf of VVAW bordered on the traitorous. So, I want to believe his medals were faked, and his heroism is a sham. I get the same feeling watching Kerry throw that half-cocked salute that I got watching Alec Baldwin play Jimmy Doolittle in Pearl Harbor. He's creepy and I don't like him.

But, more than anything, I want to know the truth. If the Swiftvets are lying I want to know that. Whatever the truth is, or the closest approximation to it that we can obtain, I want to know, because knowing what's true is more important to me than my biases. If I'm wrong about Kerry's character, I want to know that, because it means I am correcting a deficiency that exists in me.

Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, all we've learned from this is that Thurlow may be as big a weasel as John Kerry. Doesn't mean that Kerry still isn't a weasel. Doesn't mean that the other Swiftvets are weasels either. Or, who knows, maybe neither Thurlow nor Kerry are weasels in this particular case. People tend to remember--and with perfect sincerity--what they wish to remember.

Thurlow remembers the river being calm and flat, with crickets chirping and mosquitos lazily flitting about, their gentle, buzzing whine the only break in an otherwise pastoral scene. Kerry remembers the harsh crack of gunfire, the brown water exploding into white columns of spray as bullets struck the surface of the river, the water drenching him as reached out for Jim Rassman's hand.

As I said when writing about Jim Rassman's Wall Street Journal op/ed, everybody may be perfectly sincere in their memories, while, at the same time, being quite wrong.

The only way we'll ever have a chance at determining anything resembling the truth if for full disclosure of all the relevant records. When W was getting slammed for being AWOL from the Guard, we got everything in existence, right down to his dental records, for cripes' sake!

So, why aren't we getting the same thing now? Why won't Kerry sign the SF 180? Why isn't the media going after Kerry with the same enthusiasm it had when going after W's TANG service records, or Thurlow's records in this case? Why is Kerry getting a pass?

There are a lot of questions that could be answered with full disclosure, and it's not impropoer to ask why we aren't getting it. Nor is it improper to draw inferences from the fact that we aren't getting it.

TrackBack