John Kerry: Clandestine Transparency

September 19, 2004

It was recently reported that the Associated Press filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Pentagon forcing them to scour the bowels of their records department for any and all files that have anything to do with George W. Bush. Of course, this is productive activity while we are fighting a war on those who use terrorism as their chief weapon but I digress.

It is amazing to me that a “news organization” – and I use that word generously – that refuses to identify reporters who published a falsified story about Bush supporters booing a salutation from the President to Bill Clinton as he underwent heart surgery would be arrogant enough to file a Freedom of Information Act request with anybody about anything. The fact that it is over a topic that has less to do with who is qualified to be President of the United States than it does with whether my dog is pedigreed or not is even more incredible.

President Bush signed a Form 180 authorizing all of his military records to be accessible to the public. It should be pointed out that CBS News producer Mary Mapes is reported to have been working on “Memogate” for over four years. That means she was working on the story before President Bush was elected to office. With the resources of CBS News and the power of a seething Bush-hater like Dan Rather, one would think that if anything did existed, any file, any testimony, that would have concretely implicated Lt. George W. Bush in any “unbecoming” activity it would have been brought to the forefront well before now.

The fact of the matter is that all of the power of the liberal media, all of the motivation of the liberal 527 groups and all of George Soros’ money will not change the truth of the matter. President Bush has nothing to hide about his National Guard service. He exceeded the required points for service and received an honorable discharge. One would have to fabricate documents a lot better than the ones CBS tried to use to change history.

What is truly pathetic is that while AP, MoveOn.org and CBS try to do everything in James Carville’s power to smear President Bush thee are real matters being sheltered from the American public and they have to do with John Kerry.

Judicial Watch, a public watchdog group, recently filed its own Freedom of Information Act request with the US Navy to have John Kerry’s military records made available to the public. Recently they responded by saying that no request was warranted because John Kerry has never signed a Form 180, ever. They did, however, say that most of Kerry’s military records were open to public scrutiny on his website. All but 31 pages that remain sealed because John Kerry hasn’t signed that all-important Form 180. This means that no one would ever have access to Kerry’s military records unless Kerry himself authorized their publication.

It can be speculated that answers to many questions still outstanding lie within the 31 pages that Kerry is refusing to make public. Questions like, “Why didn’t Kerry receive an honorable discharge until 2001?” among others.

A true raping of the American people is happening right before our eyes. It is being perpetrated at the hands of the liberally bias mainstream news media and they expect us to say thank you after they are finished violating the public trust. Thanks Mr. Rather! How were we? Compliant enough for you?

There are some real questions out there and there is little over a month left to get the answers. In order for these answers to come to the forefront it will be necessary for the mainstream media to apply pressure on the Kerry campaign to do what they should have demanded they do from the very beginning: release everything.

Teresa Heinz Kerry should be required to release all of her financial statements. As she is the main breadwinner in that family it will directly affect the conduct of a man that could be President of the United States. It doesn’t matter who she is trying to shield – although one could argue that it is the connection between her philanthropy and many ultra-liberal causes that is being hidden – the fact that she would be living at the taxpayers expense for four years requires this elitist to step up to the plate.

John Kerry has to sign the Form 180 so that questions about his service, true questions about whether or not he fraudulently obtained honors meant for true heroes, can be either validated or laid to rest.

If the AP, CBS and the mainstream news media want to really report the news then they will get on these stories instead of beating the 4-year old dead horse story that is President Bush’s National Guard Service. Then they could look into why Kerry met with North Vietnamese officials in Paris while still a Naval officer but that would be too much to even hope for.

Frank Salvato

Copyright © 2004 Frank Salvato