(This is reposted from my comment below.)

Mike (and sites all over the web) are talking about this Boston Globe story reporting that one of the gentlemen in the Swift Boat Veterans has recanted his criticism of Kerry, and then, just as quickly was released this statement from the Vets saying that, well, no he didn't recant.

The Boston Globe is desperate to get Kerry elected. They're carrying the guy's water. Kranish (author of the Globe piece) is paid by the Kerry campaign - not that that seems to bother the Globe.

I don't care about anyone's Vietnam history (within broad reason), but Kerry has made his military background a central part of his campaign. HE POLITICIZED IT. He just can't shut up about it, and I'm not sure that was such a great idea considering his history, but he's done it. Well now all those guys who are pissed about what he did when he got back and are pissed about the low standard he achieved to receive his medals and his trip home when plenty of other guys did much, much more and never got medals, and maybe never made it back - now those guys are speaking out. I don't blame them.

They've earned the right. They were there. They have a right to speak out, too. What can I tell ya? *I* wouldn't have said what they're saying, and questioned Kerry as they are, even if I felt pretty damn sure Kerry and his history were a load of crap - hardly anyone can...except these guys. And the fact that there are so many of them is very, very compelling.

Maybe this won't work out well for Bush. Maybe he should take the lead and denounce these guys, or at least what they're doing. He could probably do a pretty good job of indicating how silly and irrelevant arguments over Vietnam are when we have a real terrorist threat going on today. It could make him look good. But that's just a tactic. I'll leave that to Bush and his advisers. I say these Vets have a right to speak out against Kerry should they feel it necessary - and they obviously do.