Hannity claims Kerry was never in combat in Vietnam

[LittleClarkie]

Excuse me while I spaz...

http://mediamatters.org/items/200502150010

Hannity claimed "absence of evidence" that Kerry "was in combat in Vietnam"

FOX News and radio host Sean Hannity made the obviously false claim on his February 11 radio program that "there is an absence of evidence" that Senator John Kerry "was in combat in Vietnam." Echoing a syndicated column by right-wing pundit Ann Coulter, Hannity compared Kerry's record in Vietnam to that of Ward Churchill, the University of Colorado professor who compared some victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks to Nazis: "here is an absence of evidence, just like John Kerry, that he ever was in combat in Vietnam."

In fact, as Media Matters for America has documented, Kerry's Silver Star citation noted that he was awarded the medal for "extraordinary daring and personal courage ... in attacking a numerically superior force in the face of intense fire." And according to Kerry's Bronze Star citation: "Kerry's calmness, professionalism and great personal courage under fire were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

Not even the discredited Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (now Swift Vets and POWs for Truth), which made numerous baseless allegations in an effort to discredit Kerry's military record, went so far as to question whether Kerry "ever was in combat in Vietnam." Despite right-wing efforts -- promoted in part by Hannity -- to smear Kerry's record of service, the Navy investigator general confirmed that all of "Senator Kerry's awards were properly approved."

On the February 11 edition of ABC Radio Networks' The Sean Hannity Show, Hannity referenced Coulter's February 11 syndicated column, in which she claimed: "Churchill already has a phony lineage and phony war record -- just like John Kerry! ... In addition to an absence of evidence about Indian heritage, there is an absence of evidence that he was in combat in Vietnam."

[Mist]

1. It's not allowed for a Dem. to have been in Vietnam! especially

with all the chickenhawks in the * admin. who never saw action. Talk about "denial" !

[SpiralHawk]

2. OK, while Hannity is in re-hash mode, lets reopen Bush's military

records and debate that again.

Somehow, I feel we never "got to the bottom" (as Scottie McLellan would say) of the "issssues."

[tridim]

3. Why are these idiots still talking about Kerry?

He "lost". Right?

[LittleClarkie]

11. Apparently they still find him an "irritant"

O'Reilly, right in the middle of a bit about the Super Bowl, shot a quick gratuitous "in the manner of Ghengis Khan" reference into talking about some guy going up the Philly "Rocky" steps as payment for the Eagles loss.

No spin, huh Bill? Asshat.

And that goes for Hannity. Only asshat isn't enough. There isn't a word strong enough.

[blondeatlast]

44. That's the BIG question, but it will get ignored in the debate over

what Hannity said.

This is troubling that they even still care.

Why is he still seen as a threat?

[Cats Against Frist]

51. Oh, the freepers want to finish him off

He's like "Hillary 2" in their eyes. One interesting thing to note is how this is ABSOLUTE PROOF that freepers are brainwashed animals. How many people in this nation -- even conservatives -- who don't follow hate radio or FR are obsessing about bringing down John Kerry? It's some weird fucking obsession that would NOT be there, if not stirred and stirred by the freepers' masters.

What purpose does it serve? Keeps them ANGRY, keeps them frothing. As more men and women die in Iraq, they might start to question, but if they need reminding to be indignant, self-righteous and a target to deflect from Bush scandals -- there's always VIETKERRY to keep them going. Remember, some of these freepers actually bought the Swift Vet stuff, and are reduced to tearing piles of jelly over whipped up, sentimental military narratives. There's real emotion tied into this, as well, for thousands of PTSD, traumatized, angry veterans who need to channel their anger onto someone. Kerry makes nice fodder, because if they're focused on him, they never have to focus on the government.

Did you ever notice how the asshats at the Bush rallies and the Republican Convention would, on cue, like actually emotionally cheer at the talking point of "stopping malpractice lawsuits?" These people who supposedly love "families," didn't latch on to John Edwards securing restitution for an innocent girl who got her guts sucked out by a pool filter -- they latched onto protecting liable corporations.

How does one create an "emotional" link to TORT REFORM, for fuck's sake?

Easy. Propaganda and Brainwashing.

Sick shit.

[politicasista]

4. That owl face is just jealous cause he didn't serve

But seriously, Kerry should sue these people and get him off his back. Unfortunately, they are not going away anytime soon. (I just want to scream at Ms. Cahill and Mr. Shrum for their handling of this).

[Bluzmann57]

5. I guess ten or twenty witnesses aren't enough

and besides that, isn't the election over? Why is hannity bringing this nonsense up again? Is he just a complete idiot? Oh wait, he is. And hannity has never even been in the military so who the fuck is he to say a damn thing? Man oh man this guy upsets me! And as far as coulter is concerned, she was probably waiting for the troops to come home so she could whore herself out to them and they probably told her that they weren't interested, they have two perfectly good hands. Sorry.

[ginnyinWI]

30. it's probably a friendly little message from Cheney

telling him to get Kerry again. Kerry's making the "boss" look bad now, with his "I told you so" speech about the military. These guys never let a deed go unpunished. They are out to get Harry Reid with a smear campaign, just because he won't play dead for them.

[LittleClarkie]

31. Who was it who said that Hannity was going to have trouble

not spouting Republican talking points all the time. Even some Repub pundits figured they'd have to break from the lame duck admin. But not Hannity. I don't think he'd know what to do.

What was the name of his book? "Deliver Us From Evil"? Um, that would be YOU, Sean. So if you would be so kind as to deliver us from YOU, we'd be much obliged.

[blondeatlast]

45. Snarf! You owe me a keyboard, dammit. nt

[miss_kitty]

6. And where did Hannity serve?

Just askin'

[Pirate Smile]

7. We really need to make Hannity a joke. A nice, large campaign to

discredit this idiot is really in order - string together all the idiotic and obviously wrong lies he spews would be great.

Franken, Olberman and FDR's grandson are going after Hume. Let's all go after Hannity too.

We can't forget combat veteran and Peabody award winner Bill O'Reily either.

[DIKB]

8. So now they want to what ?

Beat a dead horse ?

For what purpose ? He's done running for president. What are they railing against ?

There's even less "evidence" of the existence of Jesus Christ, yet they have no problems believing in that. It seems to me they believe what they want, when it's convenient to them. That and they are never gonna be satisfied, they chew all the gossip and hatred they can, and keep gnawing on the bone, long after all the meat is gone.

To all conservatives, neocons, and freeper lurkers. GIVE IT A FUCKING REST !!!

[marcologico]

9. Amazin' what idiots people publicly make of themselves given a little

financialincentive.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

10. And Kerry should SUE them. The truth is always a defense and there is

ample evidence that these people are acting with malice. Until somone sues them for their deliberate lies, they'll just keep it up.

The Food Lion case proved you can change the media's behavior...it's time to use the RW's tactics on them.

[sendero]

14. I wish he would..

... I am so sick of this.

Kerry should sue that little fuck - he will shit his fucking pants. Kerry should ask for multi-million punitive damages, and basically put the whores on notice - there has to be SOME ELEMENT OF TRUTH to your charges or you risk financial ruin.

Since they are WHORES anyway, financial ruin is one of the few things they fear.

[marcologico]

12. Hey maybe he'll get Jeff Gannon on his show to corroborate his story!

Can a Men of SBVT gatefold calendar be far behind?

[blondeatlast]

46. You just described Ken Mehlman's fondest wish... nt

[bear425]

54. Wouldn't it be nice for ole Hannity's name to show up in

Guckert's little black book. I'm sure that's going to turn up, eventually. :)

[queeg]

13. Hannity is just a Guckert

From now on, any republican who blatantly tells a lie I will call a Guckert.

[sellitman]

17. I like it!

I will do the same! :toast:

[blondeatlast]

47. Republicans=Guckerts. Saves LOADS of time. nt

[rodeodance]

58. good one--email Hannity this--would be curious if he responded.

[RebelOne]

60. He won't respond. I have e-mailed him lots of stuff

debunking things he has said on his radio show and he has never replied.

[donco6]

15. Hannity Claims Kerry Never Existed - film at 11

I mean, really, how far can you take this and still have people believing it? I really wonder sometimes.

[liwkenne]

16. WTF?

John O'Neill on Hardball with Chris Matthews, August 12, 2004:

"John Kerry got shot at. I‘m not denying that John Kerry in being shot at showed courage. I think he did, just like all the rest of us."

Even the Swift Boat Liars never tried to claim Kerry wasn't in combat.

It's official - Sean Hannity is insane.

[rodeodance]

18. Hannity quoting Coulter--the stupid quoting the stupid!! and the stupid

will believe. quite simple. Bet Coulter is pleassssssedd!!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

19. Well, it's official. The Viet Nam War never happened.

Sean inSannity is just one step away from declaring the Viet Nam War was just a figment of John Kerry's imagination so he claim he is a war hero when he ran for president 30 years after the fact. The Swift Boat Liars are just part of the necessary window dressing to disprove Kerry's wild claims.

I find it so amazing that these guys who never served a day - not one single day - war time or not and have the audacity to criticize anyone who did serve. inSannity is just pulling a Guckert. Like the term - Guckert - reminds ya of yuck, so apropos.

[blondeatlast]

48. I think you nailed it. None of them served, so it couldn't have happened,

of course. Expect more talking points along these lines.

I'm only half joking, even though as a child, I was never allowed in the room during the late 60s-early 70s when the news was on.

Believe me, I knew.

[Goldeneye]

20. Well, we have a new yardstick to measure

the freeper madness by. This is fricking insane on about 10 different levels: first and foremost there is ample documentation that Kerry was in Vietnam (video footage, pictures, military records, antiwar protests, medals, x-rays that show shrapnel in his leg, witnesses). Second, what war did Hannity fight in? Third, Bush was never in vietnam. Fourth, if Fox viewers can swallow this crap, I say we forget about converting them...they're doomed to rot in their own ignorance and I don't want them anywhere near the democratic party. Fifth, where do they get off ripping on vets anyway? Sixth, WTF?

[GarySeven]

21. Don't forget those "self-inflicted" wounds ...

Remember that the cunning Kerry way back in Vietnam days found some scrap shrapnel, then cut open his leg and deliberately inserted the shards of metal deep into his flesh as part of a plot to run for president in 2004. Oh, the lengths those libruls will go!!

[vixengrl]

22. Hmm, isn't Kerry still carrying some shrapnel--in his body?

Hannity is a small man with very little forehead and very little forebrain. His knuckles fail to graze the carpet through a miracle of tailoring. He is like a shipment to a dollar store, easily discounted. By quoting Coulter, he is demonstrating a kind of asexual reproduction that only lower life forms are capable of.

[ginnyinWI]

29. they'd see the x-rays proving the shrapnel is still in his leg,

and they'd say something like he put it there himself. It's useless to tryo to confront these liars with any sorts of proof that they don't want to hear. :grr:
(white-hot metal in the leg, anyone?)

[jojo54]

23. Why don't they just give it up?

I'm so sick and tired hearing about this crap! The election's over so why can't they move on to something else? Is Kerry STILL such a threat to them that they have to continue this crapola for the next 4 years??? And where are the Dems in all this? Why can't they start defending their own? Is anyone else as sick of this as I am?

[despairing optimist]

24. And some claim Hannity is a non-entity incapable of serious thought

Does that level the playing field?

[dansolo]

25. Mediamatters is reading it wrong

What Coulter and Hannity are doing is comparing Churchill's claim of being "in combat in Vietnam" with Kerry's "phony war record". I am assuming that Coulter is referring to the whole Swift Boat attacks, and the claim that Kerry's medals were undeserved, not whether he served or not. While it is fun to attack Hannity and COulter, saying that he claimed that Kerry "was never in combat in Vietnam" is not technically correct. They are trying to imply the connection, but if you parse the sentence, they aren't actually saying what Mediamatters is claiming.

[LittleClarkie]

27. Ann said what you say, but Hannity sems to have taken it further

if he said, as MediaMatters has quoted: "...here is an absence of evidence, just like John Kerry, that he ever was in combat in Vietnam."

I think Hannity either misstated what Ann said, or he intended to say it that way. If he meant it the way you're saying, he said it badly.

[dansolo]

63. You're right - Hannity did butcher it

I'm sure that Hannity wanted to make the same point as Ann, but by changing her wording, he screwed up the meaning. I guess I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, and attributing it more to his screwed up parsing than actually trying to make the claim that Kerry didn't serve in Vietnam. Even the Swift Boaters didn't make that claim.

[RebelOne]

36. No, I heard the show.

And Hannity did say that Kerry, like Churchill, was never in combat in Vietnam.

[blondeatlast]

50. And the Bushbots take the time to parse sentences. Right.

Nothing these bastards do isn't first thought out at Cato, AEI, and the Heritage Foundation.

You just wait. O'Reilly will pick it up, pretty soon it'll be the subject of water-cooler debate.

There are no accidents on RW television. They know PRECISELY what they are doing.

[Dr Fate]

26. Was Hannity even in the service?- That would be a NO.

n/t

[zulchzulu]

28. Hannity is a traitor & an insult to those who have served in the military

I would personally like to hang the sonofabitch punkass dickwad myself for treason. I'm sure many vets would love to do the same.

Actually, there is no rope that is worth putting around that coward's neck. He'll get his own karmic end soon enough by his own hand.

[driver8]

33. Here's one vet who agrees with you.

However, putting a rope around the coward's neck might be difficult since he has his head so far up his ass.

I believe in karma, but when are these guys going to get theirs? I have been waiting for 3 years, now.

[LittleClarkie]

34. I think we're going to have to be out of the grip of the nightmare before

the full horror comes to light.

History will NOT be kind.

[kiki]

39. You can't break someone's neck...

...if they don't have a spine.

It'd be like trying to hang a jellyfish.

[driver8]

What a fucking idiot.

Do these guys just spout their bullshit to get a reaction? How could someone say something so stupid and actually believe it? Another example of "throwing something out and hoping it sticks" from freeperland.

I am so sick of the lying and bullshit from these MSM idiots. Maybe John Stewart needs to go on Hannity's piece of shit show.

[RebelOne]

37. I think Hannity would be afraid to have Jon Stewart

on because John would show Hannity to be the asshole that he is.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[NVMojo]

35. at what point do we start hunting up shit on this idiots and flinging it?

I am so sick of those who live in glass repuke houses throwing rocks. Time to shatter their houses !!!!

Years ago, after Rove stepped up higher in Repuke politics, the RNC and company began hiring "opposition researchers". Clue in Dems!!!

[OneTwentyoNine]

42. I agree,and if I were Kerry.....

I'd send Baby Jesus a letter through Kerry's attorney giving him until his next TV show to retract the statement on TV or face a lawsuit.

Dems HAVE got to quit sitting around wringing their hands and claiming "we're not stooping to their level". That bullshit was tried over and over when Pillboy first showed up.

FOR GODS SAKE,TAKE THESE BASTARDS ON!!

[Skwmom]

38. Of course he was in combat.

Unfortunately for Kerry the swift boat mission changed while he was in training for that mission. Oh well, his first mission was a safe one (and at least he was able to shoot some great footage for his future political campaigns).

[Disturbed]

41. A duel.

Maybe J. Kerry should slap Hannity in the face and challenge him to a duel and shoot the jerkoff.

[Vickers]

40. OK, fuck it...if I was Kerry I'd challenge Blockhead to a live ammo

fight, out in the jungle, just those two, using the skills they have and standard issue military rifles.

So, Blockhead, you up to it?

[OneTwentyoNine]

43. Hey,why not? Dems let these bastards get away with this crap daily..

Earth to Kerry and other Dems,put your FUCKING foot down now and say thats ENOUGH,we're fighting back.

Kerry needs to SUE Hannity's ass just for starters,ask for a retraction on Hannitys TV show.

BTW,wonder what candy ass Alan Colmes had to say about Hannitys statement?

[Mutley]

49. hannity is a clown

he will say anything. i don't know why anyone takes him seriously anymore. i think he may be in love with john kerry. he just cant let it go. poor bastard. :crazy:

[robbedvoter]

52. Kerry who?

[The Backlash Cometh]

53. This is Kerry's opportunity.

He needs to sue Hannity for libel. If he doesn't, Kerry will never be president because this thing will follow him to 2008.

[rodeodance]

57. I suspect he gets tired of stupid things like this!! --Kerry was invited

on the Hannity show--recall this--but he had sence enough not to on that show. I think he knew intuitively that whatever he said--it would be twisted and parced.

[txaslftist]

55. Obviously a Hitler acolyte...

...spewing Hitler's big lies...

Wasn't it Hitler who came up with the Big Lie theory? The one that says if you tell a huge, outrageous whopper long enough and loud enough, eventually people will believe it despite all obvious evidence to the contrary?

Help me out here, was it Hitler or one of his cronies that came up with that little gem?

[opihimoimoi]

56. I believe it was Himmler

[txaslftist]

59. Well, it was certainly a lesson the right took to heart.

[opihimoimoi]

62. Ignorance rules and as such are vulnerable to this sort of shit

[Jeff in Cincinnati]

61. An absence of evidence?

He was wounded three times in front of dozens of witnesses.