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Wednesday, August 18, 2004

# Posted 2:13 AM by Ariel David Adesnik  

YES, KERRY WAS IN CAMBODIA: Except he was there in January or February of 1969, just not on Christmas of 1968. That's the official word from biographer Douglas Brinkley, who has also written quite an interesting book on Jimmy Carter's post-presidential life.

According to Brinkley, the purpose of Kerry's mission was, in fact, to transport US Special Forces into Cambodia. That explains how Kerry got his secret lucky hat from the CIA. The hat matters because it is the only detail about the whole Cambodia episode that Kerry has referred to recently.

Otherwise, as Kevin Drum points out, Kerry hasn't said a word about spending Christmas in Cambodia in quite some time. (Kevin says 18 years, but the wire report quoted here shows that it's only 12.) According to Kevin, the Cambodia story is now dead since
Kerry's only crime is to have tarted [his story] up with a bit of holiday pathos, I think I'll pass on following it any further down the Swift Vets rabbit hole. But thanks to everyone who displayed their deep unseriousness about this election by participating in this smear. It will be remembered.
While Kerry's greatest sin may have been to change some dates, the convinction with which he did so is still quite striking. As Kerry told the Senate after recounting his Christmas in Cambodia, "I have that memory which is seared --seared -- in me."

I'm also curious about the details of the story which Kerry sometimes added, especially about the drunken South Vietnamese soldiers who almost killed Lt. Kerry in the process of celebrating Christmas. But hey, maybe they were celebrating Tet instead of Christmas.

Anyhow, if this is where the story ends, I guess I'll have to compliment the media on not paying excessive attention to scurrilous but vocal charges against the Democratic candidate.
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