The New York Times counterattacks against the Swift Boat Veterans in a lengthy, page-one story that is focused on the supposed inside story behind the story, rather than the charges themselves.
A series of interviews and a review of documents show a web of connections to the Bush family, high-profile Texas political figures and President Bush's chief political aide, Karl Rove.Records show that the group received the bulk of its initial financing from two men with ties to the president and his family - one a longtime political associate of Mr. Rove's, the other a trustee of the foundation for Mr. Bush's father's presidential library. A Texas publicist who once helped prepare Mr. Bush's father for his debate when he was running for vice president provided them with strategic advice. And the group's television commercial was produced by the same team that made the devastating ad mocking Michael S. Dukakis in an oversized tank helmet when he and Mr. Bush's father faced off in the 1988 presidential election.
Kerry's bogus Cambodia story, his most obvious self-aggrandizing fabrication, is mentioned near the very end, but (of course) only in passing.
This is typical defense attorney's strategy, applied to journalism: when the facts are inconvenient, attack the accusers. The other important goal of the story is to tie the Swift Boat Veterans as closely as possible to President Bush.
DRUDGE calls the NYT story "The Empire Strikes Back."
The Washington Times is running three excerpts from the related book Unfit for Command, by John O'Neill.
One of the Swift Boat Veterans was on the Chris Baker radio program yesterday and stated something like, "When you're catching flak, you must be over the target." Indeed.
UPDATE: Outside the Beltway and the omniscient InstaPundit have good observations and coverage of responses to the NYT's shot.
Posted by Alan at August 20, 2004 05:34 AM