Photo: Mitchell Levy/Globe Photos;
Sandy King/Getty Images
In the magazine this week, Geoffrey Gray wrote about the political implications of Rudy Giuliani’s lack of military service. In the piece, he described VoteVets.org as a “left-leaning version of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.” Those eight words were posted on Daily Kos and generated lots of letters. There are too many to print here, but after the jump, a sampling of spleen. (Gray’s response will be posted shortly.)
• “I’ve read several things written by or heard several comments by someone from VoteVets.org, and I don’t recall any out-and-out lies that were characteristic of the Swift Boat group in 2004. I think your comparison is very poor. The questions is, was the comparison intentional? Maybe Gray’s dishonest writing and the Swift Boat organization are a better pairing.” —Robert F. Francis
• “There was not one shred of evidence for the Swift Boat Liars, and you know it. Comparing the two is sloppy, lazy, rotten journalism. Shame!” —SpudRph
• “Comparing VoteVets to the bought and paid for Swiftboat Liars for total disinformation is like confusing Mother Teresa with George Bush. In the first case (VoteVets & Mother Teresa ) you have folks with honor, telling the truth and doing good for the public benefit, who might get their reward in heaven. In the second case (Swiftboaters & GWB) you have pus-filled whores, filthy criminals and congenital liars going down on a limp drunk for a line of brown coke. Sincerely, Fred”
• “Tell that lying putz Geoffrey Gray that VoteVets.org is not ‘a left-leaning version of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth’ … If any of the editors of New York Magazine have an honest bone in your body, you’ll publicly apologize for Gray’s slur.” —Tom Betz
• “Excuse me, but where did you get that from? VoteVets ought to sue you for that one. I write for a living as well, have written for the Economist among others, and I’d never get away with stating as fact, based on no evidence, something that libelous.” —John Aravosis
How NOT to curry favor with the netroots – left OR right. [Daily Kos]
Rudy & ‘Nam [NYM]
