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candidate accepts donations from Swiftboat Chairman John O'Neill
Published on May 21, 2007 By Sean Conners aka SConn1 In Republican
In the 2004 Presidential campaign, America was introduced to a new term for lying. The term came from a group of pro-republican partisn hacks who's leader had a history of being recruited by people like Richard Nixon to smear and discredit rivals. In both Nixon's and the 2004 Bush campaign, that man who was hired to carry out a mission of propoganda and smear campaigns was John O'Neill.



The group John O'Neill founded for the purposes of serving the Bush campaign, like it had the Nixon campaign was the "Swiftboat Veterans For (gag) Truth." This "527" organization took lying in a political campaign to a new level. O'Neill himself lied about former republican ties, current republican ties as well as making up damning stories about John Kerry's heroic military service that earned him the Silver Star amongst other military accolades. Kerry's service has never actually been questioned by anyone in any official capacity in the military. The honors and awards he received have been proven to be gotten with honor and are beyond reproach.



But that didn't stop O'Neill and his lying buddies from saying anything they could to try to make it appear that Senator Kerry, then a candidate for President, somehow scammed a bunch of medals from the US military when he volunteered to serve in Vietnam.



This is what the non partisan group, "MediaMatters" had to say about Mr O'Neill and how casually he will lie....



After Chris Matthews said to O'Neill, "You go back to the Nixon era, when [former President Richard] Nixon was looking for someone. [Chuck] Colson and those guys were looking for somebody to debunk the Kerry record, because all the records show they were scared to death of this guy. And you played that role," O'Neill replied, "That's just not true."



O'Neill was lying.



Former Nixon special counsel Chuck Colson has said that Kerry was an "articulate" and "credible leader" of those veterans calling for an end to the Vietnam War and therefore "an immediate target of the Nixon administration." As such, the Nixon administration found it necessary to "create a counterfoil" to Kerry. Colson recounted, "We found a vet named John O'Neill and formed a group called Vietnam Veterans for a Just Peace. We had O'Neill meet the President, and we did everything we could do to boost his group." Articles from the April 21 edition of the Houston Chronicle and the June 17, 2003, edition of The Boston Globe confirm close ties between O'Neill and the Nixon administration.



O'Neill went on to lie and lie, having his swiftboat veterans parrot the lies and have them spread like a cancer throughout the media. By the time everyone figured out that O'Neill and his cronies were just lying and making up whatever they could to make Kerry look bad, the damage was done.



( ed note: More of O'Neill's lies can be found at the link, if you are interested, go there...Link )



And while John O'Neill has faded back into the backround, despite anything else, he left us with this wonderful terminology that describes the lying that pundits do...



"Swiftboating."



And in this big Presidential race, who has jumped on the swift boat?



Well, for one, Massechucetts ex-Governor Mitt Romney is accepting donations from Swiftboat veterans like O'Neill. As is Bush propogandist and apologist, Duncan Hunter. Hunter was the only candidate to identify himself as a "Bush Republican" at the debates on Fox News last week.



And while it is not so surprising to see Hunter embrace the lying O'Neill it is a little of a shock to see Romney team up with swiftboat veterans. You would think that the Swiftboat veterans would have a problem with "flip-floppers" after 2004, but apparantly not. I guess it just depends on who's flip one wants to flop.



And while it's all hollywoodesque smiles for Romney on the campaign trail and in front of the camera, one has to wonder what Mitt and his swiftboat buddies are cooking up for 2008 when the cameras aren't rolling and all is quiet on the trail.


















Comments
on May 21, 2007
and the democrats don't lie

as i have said hello sean the democrat
on May 21, 2007
and the democrats don't lie

dan...please stick to the subject when replying.

as i have said hello sean the democrat

and please don't slander me if you wish to remain here. i am a registered libertarian and have been for at least a decade. if you wish to check delaware voter roles or whatever you have to do to verify, feel free. but lying purposefully is not a tact i'd reccomend. i've been more than decent to ya here son...it's time for you to settle down and decide if you wish to be part of an intelligent discussion or a mud throwing session.

if you can contradict the facts put forward here...please feel free. but the article has nothing to do with democrats or my party affiliation. which again, is libertarian.
on May 21, 2007
I never questioned Kerry and his war record, I thought what the swifties did to Kerry was deplorable.

But, Kerry, ET all In 2003 is the reason I changed parties from a long time Democrat, dating back to 1968.
What Kerry did to Vietnam war veterans in 1973 on the floor of Congress was the single most despicable act ever done. He painted me, along with a million and a half honorable fighting men as baby killers, rapists, murderers of civilians, all due to the behavior of a few, a very few men. I never have and never will forgive him for that. Kerry will say anything to keep power, as will any politician.

As for Romney and the "swifties" lets see what they do before we start condemning them.
on May 21, 2007
This is what the non partisan group, "MediaMatters" had to say about Mr O'Neill and how casually he will lie....


You would have maybe had a case until here. As it is funded by Moveon.org (and Soros) media matters is not non-partisan.

But having read your article, having read the VERY partisan mediamatters, having sifted through all the statements made ABOUT kerry by Swiftboat, I have yet to see one of their statements about Kerry or his tenure with Swiftboats called a lie (none in your link, just a partisan smear attack).

The sad fact is that Swiftboat stung kerry badly, and instead of refuting the facts they presented, the media and kerry and soros and all his cronies have decided to attack the messenger. This is fair game as he did make himself a target by starting the organization. And he does not seem to mind drawing the heat, as his words appear to stand on their own.

on May 21, 2007
As for Romney and the "swifties" lets see what they do before we start condemning them.


he took their money months ago. and doesn't appear to be giving it back.

I have yet to see one of their statements about Kerry or his tenure with Swiftboats called a lie


guess ya didn't look very hard...
On Crossfire, O'Neill claimed that there "are more than 60 people that served with John Kerry that contributed to this book."

In fact, only one man who served on John Kerry's boat, Stephen Gardner, is involved with Swift Boat Vets or Unfit for Command. While the group's members are veterans of the Vietnam War and may have served at the same time as Kerry or even on boats near Kerry's, only one man who served on John Kerry's boat, Stephen Gardner, is involved with Swift Boat Vets or Unfit for Command. And Gardner was not present for the events that led to any of Kerry's medals or any of Kerry's three Purple Hearts.


let's start with that.
on May 21, 2007
Kerry aside, I see no able contenders to take over from Bush. Not yet anyway. The contenders all seem to be mired in glue!
on May 21, 2007
let's start with that.


Ok, again, where is it refuting what was said about Kerry? You are attacking the author (and as I said, that is fair), but not the message. Where is anyone attacking the facts they presented? Or I should say, refuting them. I know they were attacked, but never refuted.
on May 21, 2007
and the democrats don't lie


and what is that subject how badly the repubilcans lie and the democrats don't

havent you been reading the other feed where the democrats are trying to make it possible to raise taxes whenever they want to

WITH NO POSSIBLE VETO FROM THE PRESIDENT

just as they can do now with pay raises

the democrats are trying to steal the government away from us and you defend them

the republicans are trying to take parts of the government away from us and you condemn them as if they are trying to steal the government

i don't care how you are registered i have seen you do nothing but defend the democrats no matter what just like dictator col gene

and now you are telling me i can not write what i think that makes you a thought police and a democrat

not a liberterain as you claim becouse a liberterain as you have said would be rather upset about the democrats trying to steal the government.

i agree the republicans are evil but the democrats are more evil.

so what do i do not vote at all.

i keep calling for all elected officials to be replaced with new ones.
on May 21, 2007
and what is that subject how badly the repubilcans lie and the democrats don't


the subject is swift boat leader john oneill and who he gives to and supports.

and now you are telling me i can not write what i think that makes you a thought police and a democrat



i am just asking what every other blog site on here requests. that you stick to the subject and not throw mud. i am not telling you what to think, but what i consider acceptable here, on my private space. you can "think" whatever ya want.

not a liberterain as you claim becouse a liberterain as you have said would be rather upset about the democrats trying to steal the government.


lots of things upset me about the government. and i have written plenty of criticizm of the democrats. plus, don't think you know all my feelings based on my articles here.

so what do i do not vote at all.

i keep calling for all elected officials to be replaced with new ones.


interesting plan...getting new people elected without voting for them. let me know how that works out for ya.








on May 21, 2007
you still defend the democrats no matter what


getting new people elected without voting for them. let me know how that works out for ya.



i never said do it without voting them in i said get rid of the ones in office now

you know the elected idiots in washington now
on May 21, 2007
you see you want me to talk about how bad the republicans are and not mention how much worse the democrats are

if i don't then you will blacklist me becouse i don't agree with what you are trying to do
on May 21, 2007
so what do i do not vote at all.


danielost..doing this isn't going to solve anything.
on May 21, 2007
the subject is swift boat leader john oneill and who he gives to and supports.


No it isn't. It's about how you think and feel that John O'Neill lied.
on May 21, 2007
danielost..doing this isn't going to solve anything.


i was being sarcastic
on May 21, 2007
i was being sarcastic


ok, i'll bite,,,how so?