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My personal musings about anything that gets on my radar screen--heavily dominated by politics.

2004-08-10

Swiftboat Service and Memory

I have recently gotten into trouble at work for my memory. Well, let's be more clear--I actually screwed up about seven years ago. It's just that I was recently asked about this and my memory is vague, which put me back in the hot water. My opinion? If the only thing on record is distant events and my memory, then there is reason to question my integrity; if, on the other hand, there is an intervening record which indicates otherwise, my character should not be subject to "pop-quizzing" of my memory.

Which brings me to John Kerry. Sure, I'm willing to give him a little leeway on his memory of thirty year old events. The problem for him is that the intervening record indicates an opportunism and, shall we say, creativity or embellishment about the past that would bring into question his integrity. At the very least, the public deserves a full accounting of the events of Christmas Eve 1968, an explanation of how a person 20 years of Senate service is unfamiliar with the lag time between elections and inaugurations, and a discussion of the root issues behind his aggrandizement of his service on the floor of the Senate.

There is a vast world of difference between forgetfulness about the past and the invention of the past. The one is forgivable, if not necessarily desirable in a President; the other is disturbing, and disqualifying of the highest office.
Posted by: Michael / 8/10/2004 12:01:00 AM

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