Max Cleland has clearly either lost his mind, or has sold his soul. It would be laughable if it were not so sad.

Cleland served honorably and courageously in Vietnam, winning a Silver Star at Khe Sanh, and was later horribly injured in an accident (which could have happened anywhere in the Army — that it happened in Vietnam was a coincidence.) I remember many years ago seeing a news-magazine item about him during one of his campaigns for Georgia Secretary of State and thinking "there's a guy I could vote for, just on his war record."

Well, no more.

In the time since his Senate re-election loss in 2002, he seems to have come unhinged. He claims to have been called unpatriotic during that campaign; in fact, all that was questioned was his Senate record, which is what is suppposed to happen in a Senate election. He was then one of those who led the charge on the proven-false claims that President Bush was AWOL from his National Guard service.

And now he is used as a prop by the Kerry camp. Today it was the letter to be given to the President:

Mr. President, as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, we believe you owe a special duty to America's combat veterans when they are under false and scurrilous attacks. We hope you will recognize this duty, and speak out against this group and their efforts to smear the reputation of a man who has served this country nobly.

[As if the Swift Boat Vets didn't serve nobly, as if none were wounded, as if none have won awards for bravery. As if the "attacks" are either false or scurrilous.]

Tomorrow it'll undoubtedly be something else.

If Kerry wants the activities of SBVT to stop, perhaps he ought to release all his military records. Or he could attempt to rein in the foul trolls at MoveOn(dot)org. Until then, Bush has given him the correct answer: go pound sand.

Kerry seems to have taken a lesson or two from his Vietnam experience — he accuses others of doing the things he does himself. I think it's called "projection."

Update: a reminder of who really has connections to 527s.

Posted by Russ at 08:09 PM, August 25, 2004 in Politics