The story has legs, after all

Like most in the blogosphere, I have been following the John Kerry/Swift Vets tussle for several weeks now. And like many conservatives, I was pretty sure that after a small splash in a few states, the Swift Vets' damning allegations of Kerry would be ignored by the Mainstream Media and die of neglect. I didn't really think the blogosphere and talk radio would be able to overcome Big Media's coverup, let alone keep the story alive.

Well, I was wrong, and how. The Swift Boat Veteran's modest anti-Kerry effort might turn out to be the most significant issue of the campaign. And the Kerry campaign and the MSM have no one to blame but themselves. By ignoring the issue, they made it all the more significant. Kerry now appears to have covered up negative aspects of his record, while the MSM have shown everyone just how biased they really are by openly helping him to do so.

This is now the issue of the hour, day, week and month. Every other issue Kerry and the Democrats wanted to emphasize -- the economy, Iraq, health care, etc. -- has taken a back seat to Kerry's Viet Nam service. Which is supremely ironic: Kerry's Viet Nam service was his main issue. Careful what you wish for.

This issue isn't going away. Instapundit, Ed Morrisey, and other now smell blood and are moving in for the kill. There are enough contradictions in Kerry's official account(s) of his service that even the most biased observers have to admit that he is in trouble. And the Swift Vets are just getting started. In a masterful tactical move, they started their attack with the most controversial allegations about Kerry's Viet Nam service. Now that everyone is paying attention, they have changed directions and are emphasizing Kerry's anti-war past. If the first ad was damaging to Kerry, then the new ad will be devastating.

Poor John Kerry. He has the misfortune of running for president just as Big Media's power is collapsing. Now he has to run on his record, not his resume. For a liberal, that is political suicide.