Many of us have been labeling the rapid fire barrage of attacks immediately before Super Tuesday as as classic Rovian tactic: "Swift Boating" as it has become known.
For this we have been received either scorn or simple wide eyed amazement, as if a Democrat could never use Rove's tactics, even less so kind Hillary Clinton.
But her gloating over her enjoyment at using such tactics has become too much.
One can reach a firm conclusion:
Anything brought up by the Clinton campaign so late must be presumed false until proven true beyond a reasonable doubt, something which could take weeks.
Today the true authority on "Swift Boat" tactics, John Kerry, spoke out in a letter sent today to Obama supporters.
Without naming the source of the attacks, Kerry says:
As a veteran, it disgusts me that the Swift Boats we loved while we were in uniform on the Mekong Delta have been rendered, in Karl Rove's twisted politics, an ugly verb meaning to lie about someone's character just to win an election. I know it's not enough to complain about a past we can't change when our challenge is to win the future -- which is why we must stop the Swiftboating, stop the push-polling, stop the front groups, and stop the email chain smears.
And he upholds the basic tenet of the Obama campaign, not to be reduced to the attacker's level:
The truth matters, but how you fight the lies matters even more.
Then Kerry makes a statement which must give us all pause for thought:
We must be determined never again to lose any election to a lie
Then the situation becomes clearer:
This year, the attacks are already starting.
Obviously, not from the Republicans.
Kerry does not accuse, but lets us draw our own conclusions as to the source.
Some of you may have heard about the disgusting lies about Barack Obama that are being circulated by email. These attacks smear Barack's Christian faith and deep patriotism, and they distort his record of more than two decades of public service. They are nothing short of "Swiftboat" style anonymous attacks.
I would add that the attacks don't stop with anonymous attacks. Turning one half of one percent "present" votes, standard in the Illinois senate into a character issue.
Expect much, much more mud before February 5. And presume it to be false, unless you desperately want them to be true, of course. In that case maybe you should think about Kerry's advice, and whether we can afford to win another election based on lies.