(09/13/04)
Intelligence agencies are picking up plenty of chatter from the blogosphere concerning CBS News and allegedly forged documents. Apparently 60 Minutes II broke a story last week unearthing damaging memos attacking Bush's National Guard record. Yes, he got into the National Guard so that he could stay out of combat during the Vietnam War. Yes, well-connected Daddy got him there. So another rich kid got out of his obligations to his country, didn't even serve all that honorably. He would go on to be president. Now most experts are saying that the documents are most likely fake, fabricated using Microsoft Word and not a 1970's era typewriter.
A few weeks ago the talk of the town was Swift Boats Veterans for Truth, an effective organization that told lies and half-truths with a straight face. It worked, and Bush has a sizeable lead in the polls. Kerry had to defend his war record and his Purple Hearts and his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee and all that good stuff.
Nobody seems to notice that none of this stuff really matters. Kerry was late to defend himself, but I don't remember anything he said about issues during that time. In fact, he seems to be indistinguishable from Bush on foreign policy, Bush's glaring weakness. Stop talking so much about the past except to talk about the future. If either party wants to talk about Bush's first term, it has to be in the context of what that means to his second term (if elected). The election should be about the next four years, not the past 30 years.
This rant requires no plan of action. The 2004 campaigns are a lost cause. Everyone's staying home this year except for me and about 4 other people.
