Are Swift Boat Charges “Unsubstantiated”?
Bruce Kesler (H/T: Lorie Byrd)
The Left created a new verb, “swiftboating,” to represent false political charges that are, again a term endlessly repeated in the media, “unsubstantiated” in reference to the case presented by the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth against John Kerry during the 2004 presidential campaign.
The Swift Boat veterans presented much corroborated evidence and witness reports, and other researchers confirmed many elements. Largely due to the unwillingness of John Kerry to come clean about his record, however, there are elements that have not been firmly tied down. The major media, then till now, have mostly failed to investigate the charges or press Kerry for his claims or records, and some major venues collaborated with Kerry to squelch the charges.
So, that works to leave those still defending John Kerry’s record with leeway and ink to quibble or to besmirch the Swift Boat veterans. But, Kerry dares not to reveal his full records or go into court. Instead, he relies upon allies in the media to evade, obfuscate and to smear.
First, let’s get some terms clarified.
“Substantiated” has a legal definition:
Substantiated means supported by proof or evidence. It is something that is supported or verified by corroborating information.
“Unsubstantiated,” on the other hand, as a Marine Corps leaders manual says, is of two types: ...
