Daily Howler: John O’Neill lied in George’s face. He knew George was weak and unprepared

Did Kerry try to “gut intelligence” in 1995? Bush said so back in March, and today we get another look at how cosmically phony that claim really was. In today’s Post, Dana Milbank reports that Rep. Porter Goss (R-FL) also proposed a cut in intelligence services that year—a cut that was massively larger than Kerry’s. But is Bush disturbed by Goss’s bad judgment? Hardly! Goss is now the president’s choice to head the CIA!
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DOLE (1988): As we approached the enemy, there was a brief exchange of gunfire. I took a grenade in hand, pulled the pin, and tossed it in the direction of the farmhouse. It wasn’t a very good pitch (remember, I was used to catching passes, not throwing them). In the darkness, the grenade must have struck a tree and bounced off. It exploded nearby, sending a sliver of metal into my leg — the sort of injury the Army patched up with Mercurochrome and a Purple Heart.

Laughable, isn’t it? As Dole explained when he was being more honest, his own Purple Heart was the result of a superficial wound — a superficial wound that was self-inflicted! It takes a special kind of man to say what Dole said to Blitzer on Sunday — and it takes a non-existent press corps to look the other way when he does.

Kerry Maintains Lead Over Bush Among Likely Voters in New Mexico

John Kerry continues to have a slight lead over George W. Bush among likely voters in New Mexico according to a survey by the American Research Group. A total of 49% of likely voters say they would vote for Kerry if the presidential election were being held today and 42% say they would vote for Bush. … These overall results are unchanged from a survey conducted in early July.

In a race between just Bush and Kerry, Kerry leads Bush 52% to 42%, with 6% undecided.

New Mexico Politics with Joe Monahan

Bush’s big NM problem remains the Democrats. …

The stop in ABQ, like the one in Dona Ana, is a swing vote move, with the vote in the areas outside of the city limits still seen as vital and laden with possibility. Bush was beaten by Gore by about 4,000 votes four years ago in Bernalillo and needs to at least tie here and probably win it if he is to get our five electoral votes, say our Prez pros.

“This is a good playbook. With Bush here for a full day he demonstrates his seriousness about capturing the state. His earlier stops have been short hops that did not give him the exposure he needed,” observed our insider R analyst. …

Again, in future polls watch that D number. That’s the key. It’s essential the Prez win over moderate D’s or else he is dead money. It will be interesting to see from his speeches in ABQ and Cruces Thursday how he will go about getting the job done.

The New York Times – Bush Promises to Offer Detailed Plans at Convention

Republicans said they would seek to turn any disruptions to their advantage, by portraying protests by even independent activists as Democratic-sanctioned displays of disrespect for a sitting president. … [mjh: so much for freedom of speech and association]

Republicans are pressing for a quick and quiet adoption of a platform to minimize dissent over issues that have divided the party, in particular immigration restrictions and a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

The New York Times – Friendly Fire: The Birth of an Anti-Kerry Ad

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. …

Several of those now declaring Mr. Kerry “unfit” had lavished praise on him, some as recently as last year. …

Patrick Runyon, who served on a mission with Mr. Kerry, said he initially thought the caller was from a pro-Kerry group, and happily gave a statement about the night Mr. Kerry won his first Purple Heart. The investigator said he would send it to him by e-mail for his signature. Mr. Runyon said the edited version was stripped of all references to enemy combat, making it look like just another night in the Mekong Delta.

“It made it sound like I didn’t believe we got any returned fire,” he said. “He made it sound like it was a normal operation. It was the scariest night of my life.” …

“I went to university and was called a baby killer and a murderer because of guys like Kerry and what he was saying,” said Van Odell, who appears in the first advertisement, accusing Mr. Kerry of lying to get his Bronze Star. “Not once did I participate in the atrocities he said were happening.”

As Mr. Lonsdale explained it: “We won the battle. Kerry went home and lost the war for us.

It’s payback time for daring to question what Duhbya was doing in the National Guard. Now, the same long knives that gutted McCain in 2000 are drawn on Kerry. mjh

Update: Two New Witnesses Contradict Kerry’s Swift Boat Critics – FactCheck.org

We have updated our Aug. 6 article on the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ad to include two new accounts that surfaced Aug. 22. One supported Kerry’s account of the actions for which he was awarded the Silver Star, and the other supported Kerry’s account of receiving enemy fire during the rescue for which Kerry was awarded the Bronze Star.