The National Enquirer's cover story, "John Kerry's secret Life Exposed" is the first taste of what the media will dredge up on our future nominee. It digs the dirt on Kerry's cosmetic surgery, marrying for wealth, tossing others' medals in protest of Vietnam while keeping his own, and what a bad date he was when single.
Before you look down your nose at the National Enquirer, consider that its readership far outpaces The New York Times, And, for the past year at least, the National Enquirer has proven a more credible source than The New York Times.
The Enquirer story, in the Feb 17, 2004 issue on page 32 (you have to flip past 31 pages of Hollywood gossip to get there; The Enquirer knows its readers), dishes the following dirt:
- Bimbo eruptions: he "was a notorious for hitting the singles bars in Boston and Washington" (while single). Celebrity stars he dated have donated to other Dem candidates, not Kerry. One date reports Kerry wanted to have sex where he could see himself in a mirror. And a gorgeous 22 year old blonde was spotted leaving his Boston town house near midnight while his wife was away in Nantucket.
- Vanity: Kerry admits to cosmetic surgery, but has given conflicting justifications, and his denial of Botox treatment is shown to be not credible.
- No real war hero: He got out of Vietnam early; he requested and obtained a six month early transfer out on the grounds that he already had three Purple Hearts. "But none of his wounds was disabling." He tossed other soldiers' medals in Vietnam protests but displays his own.
- Mysterious family history. His grandfather was a Czech Jew who converted to Catholicism and later committed suicide in a personal financial scandal.
- Betrayal and dependence. He ran for Lt Governor against his wife's wishes and in spite of her suicidal depression (she's written two books about it). They separated that year. He was broke and, for a time, homeless after the divorce. His second marriage to the widow of Senator Heinz has put Kerry in the lap of luxury.
P.S. Before you rate me down (just posting the news here, folks), consider my Howard Dean diary entry, coming up next.