Swiftboating is American political jargon for an ad hominem attack against a public figure, coordinated by an independent or pseudo-independent group, usually resulting in a benefit to an established political force. Specifically, this form of attack is controversial, easily repeatable, and difficult to verify or disprove because it is generally based on personal feelings or recollections.
What we are witnessing these past few days on sites like the New Republic, The Opinionator Blog, Redstate, and numerous other Rightwing blogs, is a swiftboating of Markos Moulitsas.
In John Kerry's case, a bunch of Republican chicken-hawks took a war hero and painted him as a coward.
Here, the Tom Delay Republican party, drowning in corruption scandals, is taking an independent and entirely above board blogger, who effectively and pungeantly rails against the Republican culture of corruption, and painting him as "corrupt" and in the pockets of politicians.
Of course, the smear is utterly and entirely false. As Markos has stated, and as the FEC records conclusively show, Markos takes no money whatsoever from any politicians. His political preferences with respect to individual candidates have nothing to do with his financial interests.
But, nevertheless, the charge is thrown out there, using rank speculation and guilt by association, among other tricks of the smear artist. And the charge is repeated by those who should know better.
This is all about muddying the waters. The Republicans are the corrupt political party, as Abramoff's K Street sewer and the Dukestir's Hooker-laden limos demonstrate. But if they can muddy the waters with scurrilous charges against a widely read and influential critic, then the Republicans' work is done.
We fought back against the baseless "corruption" smears leveled at Harry Reid. And we can fight back here as well. Bullshit smears based on rank speculation shall not stand.
No more Swiftboats. Not here. This. Ends. Now.