Friday, 6 August 2004 - 1:02 AM CDT

Three things. (1) I'm not going to waste time trying to figure out if these Swift Boat Vets for Truth have any valid points. They probably do and Kerry surely, as you suggest, invited this sort of attack. (2) If you want a stunning examination of Kerry's Vietnam record, go here. It's from the left, but you may find a lot to like there. It uncovers plenty that makes Kerry's recent DNC performance look like an asinine stunt. (3) There are legitimate questions about why Bush was grounded after failing to show for his physical, and where he went in the meantime. One thing is certain -- the privileges he was afforded went far beyond those available to the guardsmen now on extended duty in his nasty little Iraq war.

Friday, 6 August 2004 - 5:29 AM CDT

Cleveland and Arthur both bought their way out of the draft in the Civil War. Is that worse than Bush not showing up for weekend warrior duty when he had logged in a great many months in hazardous training and, by the standards observed at the time, fulfilled enough of his obligations to merit an honorable discharge? You have to figure that there was a scale of conscientious responses to service during the Viet Nam War, ranging from actually volunteering for combat duty to dodging the draft through shady deferments and running away to Canada. The Great Bill Clinton weaseled his way out of the draft and no one on the Left had a word to say about it during the Great Golden Age We Sure Wish We Could Return To. And now your party has nominated a man whose greatest qualification seems to be his war record. That is a mighty weird double-standard.

Friday, 6 August 2004 - 5:47 PM CDT

I don't disagree at all with your double standard remark. There are many of us on the left who are dismayed by the way Kerry is portraying his war record. On the other hand, the privilege afforded Bush -- extending to the circumstances of his discharge -- would be incredibly welcome to guardsmen now suffering extended deployments and incredible life sacrifice in the president's war. I have a family member (in-law) in this situation, so I I've seen what this means.