“Smear Boat” Veterans File Publicity Stunt Lawsuit
by Pamela LeaveyThey are at it again… those “Smear Boat” Veterans who are shills for the Republican Party. One would think that the Republican Party is in enough hot water right now (corruption, cronyism, scandals) and these fools would know better than to start dredging around for more publicity for their lost cause. But NO… Carlton Sherwood and his band of twisted cohorts who defamed John Kerry, are suing John Kerry and a former campaign staffer, claiming that they defamed him.
David Wade a Kerry spokesperson told AP News yesterday, “This is simply more of the same smears and sleaze against a decorated Vietnam veteran from more of the same serial liars who disgraced themselves in 2004. It’s too bad the truth doesn’t matter to the right wing when there’s a chance to fund-raise based on outright falsehood and slander.”
Carlton Sherwood claims that “the film was funded only by Vietnam veterans from Pennsylvania.” Sherwood, himself is resident of Harrisburg, PA. The group fronting for Carlton Sherwood in the filing of this lawsuit is the Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation, who weren’t even in existence during the 2004 campaign. Their website states they were launched on “05/05/2005.”
This lawsuit is nothing more than another pathetic attempt by the people who masterminded the Swift Boat attacks and their allies to get publicity and raise funds for their bizarre and divisive right wing cause, not to mention their defense in a lawsuit pending against Carlton Sherwood by someone depicted in the film. This is the classic MO of these Swifties — to make false and wild accusations in a desperate attempt to get media attention and raise money.
No doubt Nixon dirty trickster and Bush ally John O’Neill is wrapped up in this latest invention to keep himself and his twisted right wing cause in the news and smear any veteran who dares to speak truth to power. In fact, sources tell me that recently O’Neill sent out a fundraising email to gin up the right wing by once again exploiting the Vietnam tragedy and the politics of smear and fear, all in the name of cash.
But it won’t work. John O’Neil and the “Smear Boat” veterans were discredited by every major media outlet for their false and baseless attacks in 2004. The film Stolen Honor was also widely criticized in 2004 for its baseless accusations and a slanted viewpoint. Media outlets across the country refused to air it. In fact, the movie was SO FAR out of the mainstream, that even right wing Sinclair Broadcasting had to give up their plans to air it. Stolen Honor’s producer, Carlton Sherwood, is known to be a “highly partisan right wing activist”, a former Bush advisor, who is a “discredited” journalist.
As I mentioned, there is a lawsuit pending against the producers of Stolen Honor by someone depicted in the film, and in fact there are multiple lawsuits against Carlton Sherwood, et al. These lawsuits are still pending in court and this new lawsuit by this new Swift Boat front group clearly looks like an attempt to try to muddy the waters.
The Swift Boat attack team truly represents the very worst in American politics — the smear and fear tactics so prevalent from the right wing. But, we are on to their tricks and tactics and we will not tolerate them. The truth is America is sick of them too.
Americans have seen too many times, how the right wing tries to destroy anyone with the courage to stand up to them — whether it was John McCain in South Carolina in ‘00, Max Cleland in ‘02, John Kerry in ‘04, or even the mother of a soldier killed in Iraq in ‘05.
They will stoop to record lows to squash dissent and hold onto their power… Why? Because they hate John Kerry for his courage 35 years ago for standing up to Richard Nixon. And because, they fear John Kerry today because he still has the courage to hold Washington Republicans accountable. John Kerry has been on the the most hated list of every Republican president since Nixon. Think Iran Contra, think BCCI. He is their worst enemy.
So now we see, once again, that the right wing has gone right back to their disgraceful dirty tricks. The idea that these proven serial liars would sue John Kerry for libel is laughable… it is like an arsonist suing the guy who called 911 to get the firefighters before the building burned down. There was indeed lying, slander, and libel in 2004 and, it was done by these very same extreme right wing partisans.
John Kerry spoke the truth to power when he came home from Vietnam and he still continues to do so every day. Democrats need to stand with John Kerry and let him know “we’ve got your back.”
Democrats need to fight back. Because, this isn’t just about John Kerry. This is about every veteran who dares to dissent, this is about every man or woman in this country who has dared to speak the truth to power and been slimed by the partisan right wing hacks fronting for those who wrongly hold power in this country.
The culture of corruption is rampant in the Republican Party and this is just another sign of that corruption. It’s time to make a stand. We’ve recently seen attempts to “Swift Boat” Cindy Sheehan and Paul Hackett. We can not allow this to continue.
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This title says it all in a few words:
http://www.cinematical.com/2005/10/06/john-kerrys-defamers-sue-for-defamation/
“John Kerry’s defamers sue for defamation”
Yay! Yay! Woo Hoo! Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap! Yay! Yay!!!!
I think I may be in love. Pamela, will you marry me?
Oh, never mind. I already know the answer. If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it a 1000 times. “Sorry Dave from P but a girl has have SOME standards and/or I’ve never been THAT drunk and/or…”
Good grief, he hasn’t even announced his bid yet, and they are already at it. Talk about lame. Carlton sounds like a twisted magician try to pull a rabbit out of his ass!!
This makes me so, SO angry. I’m only comforted by…
“Though men of small mind and less character may project themselves on their fellow citizens and say that an America that admits its mistakes will become a craven and hallow place, we will continue this struggle; because this country is bigger than they are and it’s bigger than any of us here.”
-John Kerry, 1971
JK also said, “This is not the struggle of one war, or of one moth or one year. It’s a struggle and an effort and a sacrifice which we make for the rest of our lives.” Well, he ws right (as always), and I will continue this fight for Truth… and I swear to God I will work my ass off to see Paul Hackett elected to the senate in 2006!!!!
Everyone watch Going Upriver. It will make you happy.
And great post, Pamela.
Pamela
Second Dave on the love part, without the marriage proposal.
LOL Dave must have had his wheaties today. He done went and got all touchy feely on us
But who can blame him?
Oh my goodness… I should stand up to the swifties more often it seems!
Dave from Princeton
You better be careful, I just might take you up on your offer!
Pamela Leavey Says:
October 6th, 2005 at 10:34 am
Oh yeah, you left coasters are all brave when you’re a safe 3000 miles away!
Donnie McDaniel
and Yup!
LOL. Hey Dave from Princeton, you wanna another good laugh? I was just reading that FEMA actually sent two prisoners in Avoyelles Parish each a check for $2000 to the correctional facility!! I have to bookmar that one for 2006.
this is about every man or woman in this country who has dared to speak the truth to power and been slimed by the partisan LEFT wing hacks
Donnie McDaniel Says:
October 6th, 2005 at 10:57 am
Well at least now you guys know why FEMA has too busy to help you. Have you thought of getting arrested and tossed in jail before FEMA runs out of money?
Anonymous Says:
October 6th, 2005 at 11:09 am
That was really funny!! Kudos! Right-wingers speaking truth to power, EVER! ROTFLMFAO. Oh you’re killing me, stop, stop, LOL! Oh by the way, actually it’s really hard for LEFT wing “partisan hacks” to slime right-wingers. To slime someone, it has to be both a lie and unjustified.
Actually, I can’t think of anything I could say about them that they haven’t already done worse and will continue to do worse. You can’t make stuff up worse then what they both do and spew out daily. It’s seems to be some kind of personal can you top this contest theyhave with each other. It’s their nature and all they apparantly stand for now. Well except for unbelievable hypocrisy. Really sucks they took over the GOP and “conservatism”, both of who have actually had some decent ideas occasionally in the past. Those days are long gone though.
Anonymous Says:
October 6th, 2005 at 11:09 am
I don’t think it’s the imaginary slime you speak of that you have to worry about. Worry about the blood on the hands of the radical right, in the name of GOD. The only slime I see, is leading our country right now. So once again, I have to say for you and the rest like you, to hunch you shoulders back and pull real hard. When you hear that loud pop, thats the sound of your head coming out your ass!!
Dave from Princeton Says:
October 6th, 2005 at 11:30 am
Nah, I think we need to save as much space as possible for the GOP in the jails across the nation.
Ok,
The house is still going to be a mess when my friend gets here tomorrow.
Dave from P and Donnie both had something really good for breakfast and I want to know what. Donnie is right, we need the jailspace for the GOP.
Anonymous: Harry Truman once said:
“I don’t give em hell. I give them the truth and they think it’s hell”
Adlai Stevenson:
Paraphrased: I am willing to negotiate with the Republicans. If they will stop telling lies about me, I’ll stop telling the truth about them.
Frankly, I believe the Donkeys have longer memories than the Elephants.
And has everyone noticed that BCCI, Iran Contra, Delay, the Swifties and Al Qaeda have something in common? How to con people into contributing $ for something that is not what you use it for. As one cartonist depicted, they don’t just launder, they’ve added dry cleaning.
“As one cartonist depicted, they don’t just launder, they’ve added dry cleaning”
One hour martinizing to be exact.
Donnie
You are cracking me up today!
Dave from Princeton
LOL! You know what they say about distance…
Pamela Leavey Says:
October 6th, 2005 at 12:46 pm
HEHE, you ought to see what I put on blogsforbush!!!! I know they won’t have the guts to post it. Mentioned how I look forward to seeing Delay in prison garb and pondered on how his cellmate might look.
Pamela and Dave,
Distance does wonders. If it weren’t for the 3000 miles between me and the ex, he’d be disabled and I would be behind bars.
Donnie is on a roll…keep em comin’
“Distance does wonders. If it weren’t for the 3000 miles between me and the ex, he’d be disabled and I would be behind bars”
OK now I thought we agreed to leave room for the GOP? I’m lucky in the fact that my ex and I get along just fine now. But of course, she’s two hours away
Rove: Hey George, why did the chicken cross the road?
Bush: That’s not funny Carl!!! I picked that woman for a good reason!!
Donnie,
You DIDN’T imply there is such a thing as prison drag??? He might get scared enough to plea bargain.
We agreed on the jailspace for the GOP today. My AK exit was in 7/94. I’m very glad to have left space for someone. There are women in AK who would qualify.
No I just said ROFLMFAO thinking what his cellmate might look like. I don’t expect them to post it. They are some of the ones that screen them. LOL it was funny though.
Anonymous has an unintentional point in talking about those “slimed by the partisan LEFT wing hacks.”
There is far less smearing from the left, considering that such slime is the standard operation procedure from the right for anyone who disagrees with them. Still, there are some on the left who do fit this. Someone as sensible as John Kerry has been faced with being slimed by partisans on both the far left and right.
Of course the actions of the Swift Boat Liars has nothing to do with speaking truth to power. With regards to Vietnam, Kerry has a history of presenting honest reports (not always going along with the left in every protest action). It is the Swift Boat Liars who have practiced pure slime here.
I love John Kerry. And my husband knows that. @;-)
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KJ,
I guess its good that your husband isn’t jealous. For whatever it’s worth, my wife saw Teresa Heinz Kerry and I hugging back in 2004 and didn’t object. (I bet JK would have been ok with it too.)
KJ,
Yup, There’s all kinds of love. And the fact that Kerry speaks truth to power, even when it is against some Dems or not in favor of all their ideas, is why we love him.
I love humor. Ziggy cartoon today:
He’s in front of the TV with a tv guide and the parrot behind.
“The History channel IS repeating itself”
And on the subject of Intelligent Design, Scroll down and select Oliphant:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/opinions/cartoonsandvideos/
toles_main.html
Ginny in CO Says:
October 6th, 2005 at 1:50 pm
“And on the subject of Intelligent Design”
HEY DAVE, I think she’s talking about you!!
Ginny,
Loved the Oliphant. LOL!
Dave,
I just tried to check the link and it didn’t work. If anyone else has trouble try:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/opinions/?nav=globetop
Scroll down and select Toles, then scroll and click on Oliphant.
YIKES, my better mouse trap just sprang…. Time to get a cat. Intelligent use of evolution?
Re: Toles…. hahahahahahaha!!!!! he’s good.
Ron, I think that picture of you and Teresa needs to be put up on the blog at LEAST once a month.
And yeah, my husband understands my love of John Kerry extends beyond the obvious… I love his integrity, wit, perserverance AND his choice of a wife. 
Hopefully we’ll both get a chance to shake his hand this coming weekend.
Ginny, yes, intelligent use of evolution. LOLCats are at the top of the evolutionary ladder. Just ask mine, she’s also a Goddess and won’t hesitate to tell you.
KJ
If Ron gets to post his picture with THK then I get to post mine with JK!
Pam, well then, post!!! LOL Take turns, one each month.
KJ
We’ll wait till you get yours to post on Sunday!
Ya think Marvin would take it? Ohhhhh…. if only. I just hope we get a chance to shake his hand and thank him. (Of course, Ken will have to do the thanking because I’ll be struck mute and then start crying.)
KJ
He will. Marvin loves to take photos – you have a digital?
Pamela, yes. Fairly new, bought it for the convention.
Media Matters have also weighed in on this –
http://mediamatters.org/items/200510060006
More follow up…
The latest press release from the Smears
It is a ridiculous, viscious thing to do. However, Kerry was very foolish for not taking these guys on himself in a courtroom. John Dean advised him to od so in an article in Findlaw after the smears began. It just makes sense. Not hitting back has the public appearance of cowardice or guilt. Being too “high minded” to respond is a non-starter for someone in Kerry’s position.
Emboldened by Kerry’s mild response, they’ve come out swinging and will continue until he takes them out. There is still time to file a countersuit which he definitely should do.
When George Galloway was slandered he went to court and won, twice.
Everytime the old accusations are raked up, he can refer to his court victories. Galloway has been very successful in stunning neo-cons into incoherence. Kerry should take a page from his book.
I wonder what the chances of victory would be for Kerry, even though the facts are on his side. There’s a very high bar for a public official to win a libel or slander suit.
When he starts leading on Iraq and withdrawl, he could address the anti-war Vets from both wars at that time.
When I think of it, the records of O’Neill and Hoffman, the other Swifties, are not great. A little digging into these characters might find more than just a difference of political party.
Max C. said men were afraid to ride with O’Neill. There is something there.
Carol DW
“When George Galloway was slandered he went to court and won, twice.”
That was not in the U.S., it was in Britain. Their laws and system are different than ours. Election cycles are shorter in Britain, and so too if I am not mistaken are the waits for court trials.
As for what John Dean said. He cites a case in which Goldwater sued for defamation of character during the election. Glodwater lost the election. The lawsuit could have played on that loss. Needless to say, I’m quite sure all the various in’s and out’s of suing then were discussed. No doubt they are probably being discussed again.
Kerry’s response was not all that “mild”. The MSM played a big factor in al of that meme.
Ron
I think there really is a clear cut case at this point. I’m no lawyer, but it seems to be cut and dry. A counter suit to their suit would probably carry more weight then their’s. Their suit appears to be very flimsy.
Pamela,
It is far from cut and dry. It’s not simply an issue of who is right. If Kerry was a private citizen there would probably be no question, but people have much more leeway to criticize public officials.
Their suit is flimsy–so much for the conservative opposition to frivilous suits–but that doesn’t mean Kerry could win on a counter suit.
Ron
Have you seen the papers they filed?
I read what Carol DW mentioned about John Dean’s advice to Kerry – the Goldwater case, Goldwater won his lawsuit.
“After trial, a jury found the publications defamatory and damaging – and rendered a verdict in Goldwater’s favor. Then the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit upheld the verdict – deeming the evidence to have shown both that the defendants “knowingly published defamatory statements” and they were motivated by actual malice when doing so.
Not unlike the infamous Goldwater issue of Fact magazine, John O’Neill’s co-authored Unfit For Command reeks of actual malice. Whether Senator Kerry is elected or not, he should take these false charges to court in order to end this kind of campaigning. In so doing, he would protect not only himself, his campaign, and his legacy – he would also set a valuable precedent for future candidates, and do a public service by warding off future baseless attacks.”
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/dean/20040831.html
Public officials and public figures basically fall into the same line on these laws and some public figures have won cases of libel in recent years.
That this has been a consistent ongoing assault by these people seems to me to carry more weight for a case. But, hey what do I know. Not much.
Salon gives this a nod today via the Daou Report –
“Blog Box
The Daou Report “Smear Boat” veterans strike again. 7:50 PDT”
[...] actions. Personally I wonder if he didn’t just hear voices while drunk or using drugs. They are at it again… those “Smear Boat” Veterans who are shills for the Republican Party. One would [...]
Hello, this is my first post here although I’ve keeping up with you all since Light up the darkness. I have to say after the election I was pretty sick about the whole state of things but coming to Kerry sites like these reenforced my belief that he was maligned and is still the best candidate in 08.
I agree with those of you who posted that Kerry needs to sue these lying bastards. I think rather he wins or looses he needs to take them to court and let people on the right and left know that he isn’t taking any more crap. I’ve always thought he should have sued o’neill and the others for defamation and anything else. O’neill wrote a book so I would think a lawsuit against him and the publisher could carry. As for this other group well Kerry needs to get a kick butt lawyer who won’t take any prisoners and has no loyalty to washington and kick butt. It will affect his legacy and his work and his chances in 08. I read on article a while back that some folks were saying that because he didn’t fight the lying swift boats hard enough they were salivating at the thought of what the Clintons would do to him. Now I know this is a dem friendly site but it needs to be said that I’m sure the clinton people are watching this closely. I still say Rove has his hands in this swift boat mess to. I’m tired of people saying just because a vet spoke out against the nam war they aren’t fit to serve. As far as I’m concern Kerry went to nam and fought and killed so if he saw that it was a mistake to be there he has everyright to say so. Saw where USA today has another editorial from a writer bashing Kerry/Edwards stickers still on cars. The press is still piling on Kerry and I think he needs to hit his attackers hard. If he doesn’t they won’t leave him or THK alone. This veterans bashing Kerry need to get a dose of their own medicine.
Pen
Welcome to the Dem Daily. We’re totally Kerry friendly here. I’m sure the Clinton folks are watching us and others too. I have no doubt. That’s okay… I think there were strong reasons during the campaign not to persue a law suit and I hope that we will see something now. Yes both the right and the left need to know he’s kicking ass and taking numbers.
*waves to Pen* Hi Pen! Jump on in! The water’s fine.