He Doth Protest Too Much

"Fraud and falsehood only dread examination. Truth invites it."

- Thomas Cooper (1759-1851), English born American educator

I thought this short editorial that I read in this morning's New Hampshire Union Leader captured some of what I've felt myself thinking about the Kerry campaign's reaction to the ads being run by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. Here's an excerpt, but take a minute to read the whole thing:

"Meanwhile, John Kerry is trying to get bookstores to stop carrying Unfit for Command, the best-selling book in which veterans challenge Kerry's war record. So, where is the left-wing outrage over Kerry's attack on free speech?"

I believe that Kerry has made a big mistake in publicly criticizing this group and its attack on his military record. Doing so has brought it to the attention of big media and provided increased exposure for these veterans and their allegations. He would have fared better had he remained quiet and above the fray as Bush did while he was being trashed by detractors like Richard Clark, Joseph Wilson and Michael Moore. 

Now everyone who has tuned into the evening news knows he lied before the Senate about being in Cambodia in 1968 and are probably wondering how many more of the Swift Boat Vets' accusations are true. This is not a good position for Kerry to be in, and from where I sit, it's mostly of his own making.

Update: Glenn Reynolds at InstaPundit presents an approach from a parallel universe which, in my opinion, would have worked much better for Mr. Kerry than the one he and his advisers have chosen.