Many interesting and educational comments.

Pathetic to see DC linking to sites that merely assert O’Neill is a liar to support his hope that the tales of Kerry are not true. You’ve probably seen this http://beldar.blogs.com/beldarblog/2004/08/what_the_other_.html

One point to consider is that Kerry gave his Senate testimony AFTER returning from Paris and his consultations with North Vietnamese and VC cadre. Since his talking points were precisely those that were emanating from Hanoi, I suspect that JFK took his marching orders directly from Hanoi. “The Cambodian Candidate” may cut too close to the truth. As an aside, I will stipulate that there may well have been at least one occurrence of each of the atrocities Kerry cited committed by the American side, but certainly not on the scale he claimed. We were in fact consistently and ad nauseum counseled on the Rules of Engagement. Couldn’t drop on a target in Laos that had not been personally cleared by Field Marshall Sullivan, Ambassador in Vientiane.

Another key point for me is that all participants agree that on the Bronze Star mission when Kerry fished Rassmann out of the water that Kerry’s boat exited the area after the first mine went off. In fact, he exited in such a rapid and accelerating turn that Rassmann was thrown from the boat. Only after Thurlow had saved PCF 3 from sinking did Kerry return to the area.

Folks, that tells me two things. First there was no hostile fire coming from the shore, although Kerry may have included it in the writeup. Second, Kerry bugged out. He ran. Showed the white feather. Like Lord Jim, he jumped. Instead of steering to the sound of the guns, the important lesson he reminded us that he learned in Vietnam, he ran from the sound of a mine.

Democrats, your candidate is a coward.