Will irresistable force meet an immovable object?
Over the pond in the UK Times (why does it take a British newspaper to bring us this?), word comes that soon US media organizations will unleash a series of exposés (shocking, they never do that!) that will tell "the 'untold story' of 9/11".
Helped by the firefighters’ union, (FDNY battalion chief Jim) Riches and his friends are preparing to “swiftboat” Giuliani, borrowing the tactics of the Vietnam veterans, under the title Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, who pierced the Democratic nominee John Kerry’s seemingly armour-plated credentials as a decorated war hero during the 2004 presidential campaign.Now wait just a second.... Back in 2004, we were told by our elite media organizations that the Swift Boaters were telling lies about John Kerry, that what was not fabricated by them was taken out of context, and unfairly smearing the "good name" of a "hero".
If Jim Riches and his pals are going to "swiftboat" Rudy, does that mean they are also going to tell lies, take things out of context, and smear his "good name"? Or is the concept of "swiftboating" going to suddenly be a noble pursuit in search of truth and justice? Will a "swiftboater" magically become the new media darling, like Time magazine's gushing coverage of "whistleblowers", but wholly unlike their treatment of John O'Neill? Will there ever be the barest acknowledgement that perhaps the senior Kedwards wasn't all he promoted himself to be?
Don't hold your breath. The media will not explain away their pandering shift, and will just act as if the actions of one are naturally noble while the other obviously scurrilous. Not so much as a whiff of an apology will waft down from the ivory towers of the DLM establishment toward the Swifties they maligned, but the firefighters' union will be placed on a pedestal not even a Greek god could scale.
For the record, I welcome Jim Riches and the firefighters to the political stage, and I'm interested in hearing what they have to say - for a little while, at least. I hope they remain as respectful in their dissent as possible, and once they have spoken their peace, I hope they leave the Republican Party to decide for ourselves if the issues they bring up should disqualify Rudy from the nomination. If we decide they don't, and Rudy gets the nod, I hope they will make their voices heard in the appropriate venues as they exercise their rights as citizens throughout the general election.
I have no desire to canonize Giuliani in the first place. To do so over legitimate claims that his failures outweigh his strengths would be especially egregious. I expect, however, that most of the problems Riches will complain about will not hurt Rudy too badly. If I'm wrong, and Giuliani cannot withstand the pressure, I'll be happy that Riches has given us the opportunity to turn away from a decision that could have become a grave mistake for the entire country.
Besides, we still have The Fred.
