Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Respond to Boston Globe Retraction

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Respond to Boston Globe Retraction

In the ongoing saga of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the story took another turn recently. Yesterday one of the veterans key to the SwiftVets argument admitted he had made a mistake in signing an affidavit that criticized the validity of John Kerry’s Silver Star award.

In an article by Michael Kranish of the Boston Globe, veteran George Elliott states that ”It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I’m the one in trouble here.” He also admitted to feeling “time pressure” to sign the affidavit.

This statement seems to undermine the credibility of the entire Swift Boat organization. But wait there’s more.

The SwiftVets countered with a carefully worded press release attacking the Globe article yet provided no direct quote from George Elliott. Instead they state the following:

“He [Elliott] reaffirms his statement in the current advertisement paid for by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, Captain Elliott reaffirms his affidavit in support of that advertisement, and he reaffirms his request that the ad be played.”

For clarification, within the ad Elliott states, “John Kerry has not been honest about what happened in Vietnam.”

Okay, but was this statement in reference to his comments when Kerry returned home, a.k.a. the atrocities, or was it referring to his specific actions in Vietnam?

Within his first affidavit Elliott states:

“Kerry was also not forthright in Vietnam. For example, in connection with his Silver Star, I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back.”

Elliott wasn’t even making a statement in the quote above, he was just being used to spread a rumor. It’s the same thing as saying, “I was never informed that Kerry is a space alien with six invisible green arms.” It’s true, I was never informed that Kerry is a space alien.

So during his interview with the Boston Globe, Elliott probably admitted that it was wrong to be used in that fashion. The SwiftVets most likely swooped him up this morning, got him to sign an entirely new affidavit (which I cannot even make sense of) and told him “Hey buddy, it’s true, be a team player. Take the blue pill and come back home.”

I have to admit that the SwiftVets legal and media team is outstanding. They are wording their statements so carefully that they keep their supporters believing every word they say, without saying anything relevant.