Fighting Back Against Republican Lies

Karl Rove's attack on liberals with false claims of opposing necessary use of military force is nothing new. Josh Marshall argues that this is the "exact same thing" as occurred when John Kerry's military record was attacked last August.

Marshall links back to a post from August 19 which is notable for showing the need to fight back against these attacks. This is also notable as many of Kerry's critics claim he never fought back against the attacks. Josh Marshall proves otherwise as he reports how Kerry "responded squarely to the attacks" and quotes from this statement given by Kerry in a speech to the International Association of Fire Fighters in Boston:

Over the last week or so, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has been attacking me. Of course, this group isn’t interested in the truth--and they're not telling the truth. They didn’t even exist until I won the nomination for president.

But here's what you really need to know about them. They're funded by hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Republican contributor out of Texas. They’re a front for the Bush campaign. And the fact that the President won’t denounce what they’re up to tells you everything you need to know--he wants them to do his dirty work.

Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam.

As firefighters you risk your lives everyday. You know what it’s like to see the truth in the moment. You’re proud of what you’ve done--and so am I.

Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: "Bring it on."