Let’s be clear–attacking the service record of an elected official who fought for our country is never acceptable. Period, full stop. Donald Trump learned that the hard way when his despicable attack on John McCain’s service record earned him condemnation from both sides of the aisle. But it seems that two of Trump’s harshest Republican critics, Jeb Bush and Rick Perry, seem to have had a breakdown in memory. Judd Legum of ThinkProgress discovered that Jeb! and Perry were among the staunchest supporters of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in 2004, even though their attacks on John Kerry were virtually of the same spirit as Trump’s attacks on McCain.
On the day before George W. Bush was sworn in for a second term, his baby brother, Jeb!–then governor of Florida–sent a letter to George “Bud” Day, one of the leaders of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, thanking him for his support during the campaign. Jeb! applauded Day and “other Swifties” for having the “willingness to stand up against John Kerry.” Blogger Peter Daou obtained a copy of the letter Jeb! sent Day. Read it here:
During the campaign, Jeb! told Sean Hannity that he didn’t think the Swifties’ attacks on Kerry were “a smear.”
Day, you will recall, declared that Kerry was “unfit to become president” because of his role in the anti-war movement after returning from Vietnam. He doubled down further in an?op-ed at WorldNetDaily, saying that Kerry would “go down in history as the Benedict Arnold of 1971.” Now how is that any different in spirit from Trump saying that McCain wasn’t really a war hero because he was a POW? Apparently Jeb! thinks there’s a difference, because within hours of Trump’s statement, Jeb! rushed out with this tweet:
Enough with the slanderous attacks. @SenJohnMcCain and all our veterans – particularly POWs have earned our respect and admiration.
? Jeb Bush (@JebBush) July 18, 2015
Apparently said “respect and admiration” was missing in 2004. A number of other Twitter users weren’t fooled, and called Jeb! out for his memory breakdown. Jeb! hasn’t responded yet.
Jeb! wasn’t the only governor who gave the Swifties a standing ovation in 2004. Perry, then governor of Texas, said that there were “a lot of questions” about Kerry’s service, and called for Kerry to release his military records. In contrast, Perry has kicked Trump up, down, and sideways over the last three days. He has not only called for Trump to get out of the race, but has further called for his fellow conservatives to fight against the “cancer of Trump-ism.” Now where was that outrage in 2004?
If there is any difference at all between the Swifties’ tactics of 2004 and Trump’s breakdown of decency this weekend, I’d like to know what it is. Frankly, I don’t think there is one. If Jeb! and Perry think there is, it says a lot about them.
