August 18, 2004

THE KERRY CAMPAIGN held a news conference yesterday defending Senator Kerry against charges that he's withheld parts of his military records. The Washington Times has a report here. Quoteable:
"Senator Kerry's entire military service record is posted on JohnKerry.com. His entire record," said Michael Meehan, adviser for communications to the campaign ..

Mr. Meehan, acknowledging that Mr. Kerry has not signed Standard Form 180, said the records have all been laid out nonetheless. "Has he signed the form?" he asked. "No. What he's signed is his release of privacy to the United States Navy to turn over his entire military record and he's posted it up on his Web site, so the whole world can see his entire military record."

[Swift vet John] O'Neill, though, said the campaign has acknowledged in the past it that has withheld some records.

"That's a lie or a carefully calculated set of words," he said yesterday in a telephone interview. "He continues to conceal, for example, his medical records. He's provided virtually none of his medical records, only an interpretation of them by a friendly physician."

Mr. O'Neill said the key is Standard Form 180, which, if Mr. Kerry signed it, would let reporters or anyone else write the Defense Department to ask for all of his military records.

"If he executes Standard Form 180, he would no longer be the gatekeeper, the gatekeeper would be the U.S. military."

Posted by Greg Ransom | TrackBack