John O'Neill: Swift Boat, Slow Brain

Nightline went to the Vietnamese villages of Tran Thoi and Nha Vi to ask residents about a day some thirty-five years ago when a squadron of US Patrol Boats engaged local fighters. One boat was PCF 94, commanded by Lt. (JG) John Kerry.

Memories don't last forever, but significant events stay with people, particularly when the events involve death and destruction. Such was the case on February 28, 1969. The villagers who spoke to Nightline recall in a general sense what happened, and certainly remember the folks who died that day. Interestingly, their accounts are more or less in agreement with the after-action report written up for the US Navy. On the basis of the report, Kerry was awarded a Silver Star.

However, one person who was nowhere near Tran Thoi and Nha Vi on that day insists the villagers and report are in error. That man is John O'Neill. Last night, following Nightline's report from Vietnam, O'Neill butted heads with Ted Koppel. Actually, he did little more than plug his book, whine about how the show was duped by the commies, and generally make an ass of himself.

Oh--one other thing: last night's report also noted that someone--an American--was in the area six months before Nightline. It appears this person was working for O'Neill's organization, but left after speaking to villagers who confirmed the overall truth of Kerry's version of events. (Kevin Drum notes this as well as Josh Marshall).

Amazingly, O'Neill managed to out asshole Koppel himself, which is no mean feat. Ted is a sneer-master, if not THE sneer-master of network news. I have zero affinity for the guy, but getting on his bad side isn't a such a good thing. Koppel and shows like his function as gatekeepers of the national agenda, and when he dismisses you as a schill or hack, it's a sign that your message is no longer getting through. Such was the case with Mr. O'Neill last night.

The Swift Boat morons look like they'll get their time on Sinclair Broadcasting, which is unfortunate, given the extent to which they're lying. However, between the organized boycotts of advertisers and the negative publicity surrounding the program itself, this particular instance of a Rove sleaze tactic seems to be barely treading water rather than knifing the Democrats in the back. And after watching O'Neill's pathetic performance last night--well, I don't want to get too optimistic, but it sure would be good if this was the beginning of the end for their brand of gutter politics. We deserve a lot better.