He HAS released all his records, asshole. Made-up stuff
doesn't count.
WS

"pyjamarama" wrote in message
om...
Looks like John F---ing Kerry's got something to hide.

Besides his Senate voting Record, that is...



Kerry refuses to release more records
By Michael Kranish, Globe Staff | April 20, 2004

WASHINGTON -- The day after John F. Kerry said he would make all of
his military records available for inspection at his campaign
headquarters, a spokesman said the senator would not release any new
documents, leaving undisclosed many of Kerry's evaluations by his Navy
commanding officers, some medical records, and possibly other
material.

Kerry, in an interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press," was asked
whether he would follow President Bush's example and release all of
his military records. "I have," Kerry said. "I've shown them --
they're available for you to come and look at." He added that "people
can come and see them at headquarters."

But when a reporter showed up yesterday morning to review the
documents, the campaign staff declined, saying all requests must go
through the press spokesman, Michael Meehan. Late yesterday, Meehan
said the only records available would be those already released to
this newspaper.

"He is releasing all military records he has released to The Boston
Globe," Meehan said in a telephone interview. In a follow-up e-mail,
Meehan said it was those particular records to which Kerry was
referring on "Meet the Press."

Kerry has not released the formal evaluations from superior officers,
although his campaign has given a letter from a commanding officer
that recommended him for service aboard Navy patrol boats and also
reports for the Silver and Bronze stars that laud Kerry's actions in
combat. By comparison, retired Army General Wesley K. Clark released
hundreds of pages of his records during the Democratic primary
campaign, including all evaluations of him by his superiors.

Bush earlier this year released 300 pages of documents after media
outlets raised new questions about the extent of his National Guard
service. Those records, which Bush promised during a Feb. 8 appearance
on "Meet the Press" to make available, included many military
evaluations and medical records.

White House communications director Dan Bartlett, in a telephone
interview, contrasted Bush's action with that of Kerry's. "The
president made a pledge before the American people, and he made his
complete file available to the media and the public," Bartlett said.
"They were able to review all of his medical records, and we fully
released the remainder of his military files, including evaluations
and performance sheets as well as days served. The president lived up
to his commitment he made to the public, and we should expect the same
from his opponent."

The question about Kerry's military records came up when Tim Russert,
the moderator of "Meet The Press," asked the Massachusetts senator
about a story in the Globe last week that quoted Kerry's former
commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Grant Hibbard, as saying that
he raised questions about Kerry's first Purple Heart. Hibbard said
that he had heard from others in the office that there were questions
about whether Kerry and his crew took enemy fire, and Hibbard observed
that Kerry's wound was minor, resembling a fingernail scrape. Purple
Heart regulations say nothing about the severity of the wound. The
campaign earlier this year showed the Globe a record verifying that
Kerry was treated for the wound and that shrapnel was removed. That
document was cited in last week's story, which was based on the
forthcoming book, "John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography," written by
a team of Globe reporters.

Meehan said yesterday that the campaign would show that document to
what he called "legitimate" news organizations. He said other records
previously shared with the Globe -- including documents describing
Kerry's actions when he was awarded the Silver and Bronze stars --
would be shared with other reporters. Asked whether Kerry would
release his evaluations, as Clark did during the primaries, Meehan
responded: "We don't have Wesley Clark's evaluations." Asked directly
whether Kerry would release all of his own evaluations, Meehan
repeated that the campaign would release only the records already made
available.

Meehan similarly said no new records would be released when asked if
the campaign would make public other medical records besides the one
related to the first Purple Heart.