Why John Kerry is Fighting the Swift Boat Veterans Now

Interesting column by Thomas Lispcomb The Truth, John Kerry, and The New York Times:

Kate Zernike's story on the front page of the Memorial Day Sunday New York Times, "Kerry Pressing Swift Boat Case Long After Loss," is an unfortunate reminder of the Times's embarrassingly poor coverage of Kerry in the face of the Swift Boat Veterans' for Truth charges in the 2004 election. Now as then, the Times acts as if the issues involved were between Kerry's latest representations of his record and the "unsubstantiated" charges of the Swift Boat group. The Times used the term "unsubstantiated" more than twenty times during its election coverage and continues to make no discernable effort to examine any of the charges in detail.

Lipscomb conversely does look at the charges in detail and its not pretty for Kerry. It does make for interesting reading though.

The question many are asking is why John Kerry is going after the Swift Boat Veterans now. Some see it as an indication that Kerry is going to make a Presidential run in 2008. I think it is something more pedestrian.

John Kerry's senate seat is up for re-election in 2008 and any lies about his Vietnam record will surely become a campaign issue in 2008 if they are not addressed now. The Swift Boat controversy combined with Kerry's very poor job attendance record as US Senator make him very vulnerable to both Republican and Democratic challenges. On the Republican side - former Governor and current Ambassador to Canada Paul Cellucci looms as a threat to Kerry's seat and given that Kerry's record will be the main issue a no-name "reform" Democratic candidate could have an excellent chance.

Kerry is addressing the Swift Boat Veterans now because if he doesn't - he knows he's doomed to lose re-election in 2008.

EDIT: Or maybe he's just a doofus