Kerry Campaign: All Bets Are Off the Table

This is one flip-flop I'm on my feet and cheering over: the decision by the Kerry campaign to change its mind about not running ads during August.

They're running a TV ad, and it blows Bush, Rove and the Swift Boat Liars right out of the delta. The dam burst today, and this just might be the corner-turning we've been hearing so much about.

They're listening. And they're doing something. If they can keep this intensity up through November, the Bush days are blessedly over.

Kerry-Edwards Campaign Debunks False Swift Boat Attacks; Sets the Record Straight With New Ad

In response to the false and dishonest attack ad from Republican supporters of President Bush, the Kerry-Edwards campaign released a new television ad to set the record straight, featuring former Green Beret Lt. Jim Rassmann testifying to John Kerry's heroic and honorable service in Vietnam. In the ad, long-time registered Republican, former Lt. Jim Rassmann relives his experience on the Mekong Delta in Vietnam the day that Lt. John Kerry saved his life. The 30-second spot, "Rassmann," is airing in the states where the false claims were first aired, including Ohio, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

See the video here. And here's what greets visitors to the Kerry-Edwards homepage:

"Thirty years ago, official Navy reports documented my service in Vietnam and awarded me the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, and three Purple Hearts. Thirty years ago, this was the plain truth. It still is. And I still carry the shrapnel in my leg from a wound in Vietnam ... Of course, the President keeps telling people he would never question my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-funded attack group does just that. Well, if he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: 'Bring it on.'

"I'm not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America - then, now, or ever. And I'm not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me. And let me make this commitment today: their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security - the issues that really matter to the American people." - John Kerry, August 19, 2004

You can read the entire speech here (without using Bush-F***Yourself's favorite transcription device - the overuse of the [APPLAUSE] slugs). When we find a video link, we'll let you know.