Four months in Vietnam

Babble on.

This editorial in the Washington Post captures what I believe to be the relevant points on the issue of John Kerry's Vietnam service and throws some well-deserved cold water on the allegations of the Swift Boat Veterans.

Democratic nominee John F. Kerry has made his tour of duty in Vietnam -- a stint in which he earned three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star -- a centerpiece of his presidential campaign. To the extent, then, that there are legitimate questions about Mr. Kerry's behavior -- either in Vietnam or back home as a prominent antiwar activist -- those are fair game. (Babbler's bold)

To be clear, I have no qualms with people who feel National Security is the most important issue in the upcoming campaign, and want to know more about John Kerry's qualifications in that regard. I wonder, though, why people want to give four months in Vietnam over thirty years ago more weight than twenty years of votes in the U.S. Senate.

Could it be that Kerry's four months on the swift boats was the apogee of his public service career?

Babble off.

Update: I think one of the 'legitimate questions' referred to above is where LTJG Kerry was on Christmas Day 1968. Not because where he was is intrinsically important, but because lying about it thirty-six years later in order to get elected POTUS indicates something about the man's character. And remember, he's the one who has made his Vietnam service the central issue in this campaign.