Not Too Swift

The Scumboat Vets for Innuendo, Half-Truths and Lies and their ad is not something I much want to go into. It is already backfiring - badly - and why would you commit homicide on someone who's committing suicide? So let's just recap the last 24 hours or so:

They released the ad of a bunch of Swift Boat Vets making outrageous charges about John Kerry, and trumpeted it to the skies. An analysis of these guys was posted by Matt Gunn back in May when these clowns first surfaced, and is still quite relevant.

And John McCain - who I don't like politically, but is at least an honorable human being - put a pin in their balloon by attacking the ad, calling it "dishonorable" and saying that the same slimy tactics were used on him. And almost immediately the story became the slimy tactics being used AGAINST Kerry, instead of the false accusations themselves.

Then they went on CNN and Larry Thurlow - one of the Swift Boat Vets - got his clock cleaned by Jim Rassmann, the guy whose life Kerry saved, for which action Kerry received the Bronze Star.

"RASSMANN: Mr. Thurlow is being disingenuous. I don't know what his motivation is, but I was receiving fire in the water every time I came up for air. I don't recall anybody being in the area around us until I came up maybe five or six times for air and Kerry came back to pick me up out of the water."

Then alert bloggers pointed out that Thurlow received a Bronze Star on the same day for the same action. From David Brinkley's report on Kerry:

"Kerry and the other wounded men received medical attention aboard a Coast Guard cutter, which was the closest ship capable of treating them. Along with a third Purple Heart for the injury to his right arm, Kerry was also awarded a Bronze Star for his bravery, as was Larry Thurlow."

If Kerry's Bronze Star was bogus, so was Thurlow's.

And finally, one of the Swift Boat Vets admitted that he was lying.

Yesterday, reached at his home, Elliott said he regretted signing the affidavit and said he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star.

''I still don't think he shot the guy in the back," Elliott said. ''It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here."

Cardhouse built.

Cardhouse fallen.

"He that diggeth a pit shall fall in it."