christmas in cambodia
15 Aug 2004This whole “christmas in cambodia” thing has to be one of the stupidest smear attempts I’ve ever read, and yet another reason why reading instapundit’s partisan buffoonery should be avoided. But since I accidentally did, let me now quote Kevin Drum, who puts this one to bed:
So let me get this straight. Kerry did go to Cambodia – even though that was supposedly impossible, he did take CIA guys in – even though that was supposedly absurd, and he did get a hat from one of them – even though that was supposedly a sign of mental instability. The extent of Kerry’s malfeasance is that instead of doing it in December, he actually did it in January and February.
Considering that he’s mentioned this story only twice, most recently 18 years ago, and it turns out that his only crime is to have tarted it up with a bit of holiday pathos, I think I’ll pass on following it any further down the Swift Vets rabbit hole. But thanks to everyone who displayed their deep unseriousness about this election by participating in this smear. It will be remembered.
It matters because he’s made “i was in Vietnam” central to his campaign. Even his own team has backed off the claims.
Additionally, it’s important because the brown books and other chicanery issued to suppress the Swifties can be called into question because their first charge (he wasn’t in Cambodia) has turned out to be true.
Now, i think the swifties are some partisans (or at least partisan backed) and should be taken with a grain of salt. But what is more astounding to me has been the Kerry camp’s reactions. Not good for Kerry.