My High School Friend John O'Neill and the Swiftboat Attack

[splat]

At Whitley Strieber's site, of all places, and without a byline.

My High School Friend John O'Neill and the Swiftboat Attack

Notable:

The fact that what is, essentially, a lie would be used like this in a political campaign is a shame. The fact that it would work so easily is an even greater one.

The fact that it would be done by an old friend who I know to possess a noble spirit and a marvelous mind makes my heart ache. If men of honor like John O'Neill are willing to stoop to such acts as this for their causes, then it means to me that our republic is in real trouble.

I have heard, also, that some Republicans in Texas are thinking that John O'Neill might run for the Senate when Kay Baily Hutchinson retires, and I very much fear that he is doing what he is doing to get that Senate seat, without regard to the moral implications of his own acts.

I wonder, though, if he has really become conservative enough, and close enough to the religious right, to satisfy the Texas Republican Party? Its last convention was more like a religious revival than a political convention. In Texas, the Republican Party is the political arm of the Christian Right. But John was not a religious person at all as a young man. Indeed, when I spoke to him briefly a couple of years ago, he was no more religious than he had been before.

[BootinUp]

1. I'd go bust to keep him out of the Senate

Tell me when to start contributing.

[Auntie Bush]

13. Good for you Jim! Where ya been? Mised ya!

[BootinUp]

14. Hi there

Just been kinda busy :hi:

[still_one]

2. It probably isn't john o neill, but an alien posing a o'neill

[bahrbearian]

3. Do us a favor an talk to him again, but talk some sense into him.

[Cha]

5. In the letter to the editor from Jim Russell

in Telluride, Colorado..Russell hits the nail on the head when he says their ends don't justify their means.

People like o'neil think it's okay to do anything as long as they win.

[Cha]

4. What a strange essay...eeire to get the background like

that on the reprehensible john o'neil.

But I did get this out of it..

"The Swift Boat ads are a lie, I am sorry to say. I know that John is telling his lie, at least in part, out of a good heart. He hates Kerry for what he perceives as attacks on the Vietnam soldiers, but he is also lying out of ambition, I fear, and that is an ugly thing to see."

[Dogmudgeon]

8. Understandable

It's difficult watching a friend go bad. Even when we admit it to ourselves, it can be impossible to raise the same level of outrage that others feel.

But it's one hell of an essay -- and gives us a little glimpse into what's coming in Texas politics (Strieber is from Texas).

--bkl

[SayitAintSo]

6. Well, we've preserved the tin foil hat vote !

:tinfoilhat:

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Strieber is "one of us"

With all the right-wing loonies in the new-age movement, I'm glad there are a few liberal Democrats around. Especially from Texas, as Strieber is.

Keep in mind, too, that John Stossel is one of the highest-visibility Skeptics out there, and he's Foxian in his Rightness.

I don't care what anyone believes about UFOs; as long as they think that Bush must go, in my view they're "one of us".

--bkl

[SayitAintSo]

15. Agreed ... just a little levity ....

Personally ... I think the Bushies are reptilian shape-shifters myself ... :)

[Trillo]

7. "men of honor like John O'Neill " -- A new oxymoron? nt

[A_Possum]

10. Wow. It's so deeply sad.

It's painful to see people you have respected, people who really influenced your life, be ethically and morally corrupted by the neo-Republican politcal machine.

I know, I feel like I've lost my father in that way--the person I looked up to more than anyone, who taught me to question and think, and now I can't even talk to him about this stuff, I don't dare, because both of us just go crazy.

But I know in my heart that there is too much wrong with what Republicans say now. They can't be excused. It's not just politics anymore, it's simple ethics and morality and truth.

[faithnotgreed]

17. sorry about you and your dad. you say it right on: its not just

politics anymore, its simple ethics and morality and truth.

beautiful in the midst of the sadness

[Algorem]

11. he was dumped by Clearchannel because of his nasty habit of honesty

http://www.unknowncountry.com/journal/?id=106

[Misskittycat]

12. If there is any truth to the TX Senate intentions,

why is that not being aggressively set forth by Dems as a "motive"
(i.e., defeating his credibility) for lying and putting forth these smears?

[Moonbeam_Starlight]

16. It was written by Strieber, though.

[Southern Patriot]

18. O'Neill has been eaten up with resentment and bitterness

for 35 years. He was resentful of Kerry on the Dick Cavett show and it's only festered ever since.

Watch him. He'll be perfectly aligned with big Repub donors in TX for a run at the senate seat. He's cool on camera and comes across great. He's one scary Repub if you're a Democrat that believes in the truth.

[Zero Division]

19. Strieber often has interesting political views, even when I disagree

It's unfortunate that writing about personal experiences that challenge the deeply held beliefs of both organized religions and atheistic materialism turned him into such a social pariah. I've always admired Strieber for maintaining a healthy level of skepticism about his own experiences. On the other hand, I understand entirely the reaction of those who've never really read much about the phenomena. It sounds horribly ridiculous, for sure. I'm not one to believe every conspiracy theory or fantastic story myself, but I don't think the majority of people who claim to have experienced things like Strieber apparently has are lying about the fact that they truly believe what has happened to them is real.

Anyway--getting back to the subject of politics--from reading Strieber's political opinions, I get the feeling that Strieber leans toward liberal ideas on most issues, but loudly proclaims his centrism because he views liberal economic stances with only the most straw man-laden misconceptions, without any understanding of the amount of balanced nuance that often goes along with liberal economic stances (Paul Krugman's economic views, come to mind as a great example of these kind of political economic views). I think that understanding and countering such misconceptions among self-proclaimed centrists could go a long way in countering the right wing vilification of the liberal label and liberal labels, as well.