The "Swiftboat" Has Landed

I knew this would happen at some point.

I absolutely knew it.

Given the fact that the race between Mikey and Patrick Murphy is as close as it is, I KNEW it was only a matter of time before Mikey and the Repugs resorted to this slimy tactic.

Let's not forget that this is the same group of people that, almost exactly two years ago, slimed then-Democratic congressional candidate Ginny Schrader by saying that she, a Jew, supported Hezbollah (the prediction from Fact-esque at that time that Mikey would cave on every decision in favor of his right-wing handlers the way he caved by refusing to blame the RNCC for the Hezbollah ad was 100 percent correct).

With the same total absence of a spine then as now, Mikey organizes a press conference with the group Veterans For Fitzpatrick that has suddenly given birth to itself as if by magic (as I noted below, the Inky can't count, but the Repugs can count to at least 527, if you know what I mean) and then, after listening to Air Force Major Kevin Kelly and Army Capt. Richard Barbato question Patrick's service, Mikey says...

"In no way, shape or form would I ever question Pat Murphy's service to our country."

I can't imagine the life form that Fitzpatrick must be for him to state these words while any sentient being with a pulse and any cognitive activity whatsoever hearing what he says knows beyond a doubt that THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT FITZPATRICK IS DOING!

(Here's a link to the main story, and of course the Courier Times thought this was worthy of additional coverage...and Brian Scheid and the paper actually report with a perfectly straight face that "Fitzpatrick abandoned Bush's 'stay the course' policy last month," when in reality, Mikey hasn't 'abandoned' a damn thing.)

I should add that this cretin Barbato said in the story that Patrick "was always back at the unit's headquarters while the rest of the unit's soldiers were fighting."

That is utter garbage.

The story did go to the trouble to point out that, according to Patrick's military records, he served seven months as a paratrooper and a regimental judge advocate, advising on the legalities of combat operations, overseeing Iraqi courts and police stations and prosecuting American soldiers for drug use and abuse of Iraqi prisoners.

Patrick also said that the warehouse 14 miles south of Baghdad where his brigade was headquartered frequently cam under mortar and sniper fire.

Also included in the story is an appropriate comeback from Patrick totally calling Mikey on this nonsense, as well as these words from John Kerry who supported Patrick in the story also:

"I have news for Mike Fitzpatrick. In war, bullets don't differentiate between lawyers and medics, enlisted men and officers."

I know there will be much more forthcoming on this in the coming days, but please allow me to point out something else concerning this "story."

Yesterday, an article appeared in the paper about Patrick meeting with Tim Roemer of the 9/11 Commission at the Woodbourne Road train station to point out the fact that Mikey and the Repugs haven't done a damn thing to improve rail security. The Courier Times ran the story on Page 5 of the Local News section.

The story of the "Swiftboating" charge was the front-page headline today (overtop the story of Clinton's arrival next week to campaign for Patrick).

The stench of winger bias was just about palpable.

Update 10/7: It turns out that this group Veterans For Fitzpatrick (which, not surprisingly, must have deep pockets) has put a HUGE ad board at the intersection of Route 332 and Stony Hill Road in Lower Makefield, PA, timed ever so well with the press conference they held yesterday with Mikey where they swift boated Patrick.

That location, by the way, is the same as that of Stony Hill Farms, which just started its Halloween festival, full of family activities including a "moon bounce" for the kids, haunted house and "Hayride of Horror" (oddly appropriate, actually).

And as you can imagine, the traffic is pouring right into that location (and right past that disgusting ad board).

The Repugs are masters of marketing, I'll give them that; smear Patrick while the Courier Times does its "Mikey Steno Patrol" bit, and then, after Mom and Dad read about it in the paper, drive out for weekend stuff with the kids and have the message reinforced loud and clear.

And Mikey continues to act like he doesn't know about any of this, and all of this timing is completely coincidental.

This reeks of a typical Repug 527 operation; Mikey gets hammered on the war and the fact that he votes in lockstep with Dubya and the Repug leadership, so in come these Veterans For Fitzpatrick clowns to slime the opposition.

As I've said before, we in the 8th district deserve much, MUCH better than this.

Update 10/8: What Atrios sez (along with Taylor Marsh at HuffPo)...