The seditious behavior of John Kerry

Can or should we accept the truth revulsion that we are living through today?

While some politicians have shaded the truth, most of them still stop at deliberate lies. While truth tampering did not begin with Bill Clinton's election, an era of sanctioned evasion began in 1992. But only a few spoilsports cared.

The international post-war reputation of the United States for honesty in diplomacy, commerce, law and in day-to-day transactions became a joke. A handful of people made a lot of money from the financial disasters of Enron, Global Crossing, Xerox and years passed before one or two culprits faced jail time. The message was loud and clear. In an ethical society, it is easy for an unethical person to become rich and successful; honesty has no currency.

John Kerry certainly is following in the Clinton tradition.

Unlike President George W. Bush, former Vice President Al Gore and most candidates for office, Kerry refuses to allow the Pentagon to release his military records. Speculations are rife, from his Purple Hearts, to criteria about his medals, and why Kerry did not receive an honorable discharge until March 2001, nearly 30 years after his service ended on July 1, 1972.

No explanation has been offered.

Informed guys in the Pentagon believe Kerry originally was discharged in the 1970s with a "general" discharge and used his pro-Clinton votes during the impeachment of Boy Bill to apply political pressure for an upgrade. Obviously, his military records would contain material on his appeal, and might explain the 30-year delay.

From the scant information available, John Kerry signed his enlistment contract with the U.S. Navy on Feb. 18, 1966. He was discharged from "total active duty" on Jan. 3, 1970, with three years and 18 days of active duty. On that date, he was posted to the Naval Reserve Manpower Center in Bainbridge, Md., with "ready reserve" status and required to do 48 drills and 17 days of active duty a year until 1972. That year, on July 1, he was transferred to "standby reserve -- active" and was discharged from the U.S. Naval Reserve on Feb. 16, 1978.

Kerry's friends can and will argue about dates. But here are some irrefutable facts:

--Kerry was a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy

--Kerry was an official of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), a self-styled revolutionary organization giving aid and comfort to our enemies

--Kerry was and is a U.S. senator

--Kerry was and is in violation of the U.S. Constitution.

In May 1970, Kerry, a commissioned officer in the U.S. Navy, was in Paris on his honeymoon. He met with Madame Nguyen Thi Binh, the Viet Cong's foreign minister. The next month he joined the Communist-controlled VVAW and helped organize their seditious Winter Soldier hearings in Detroit, along with their march to Washington. These events were designed in rebellion against the U.S. government and to change its policies.

On April 22, 1971, Kerry, still an officer in the U.S. Navy, gave evidence to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee of his shame in being an American and told horror stories of the behavior of the U.S. military. Throughout the next six months, Kerry remained active with the VVAW as a leader and a spokesman, appearing on national television to claim that he had been a war criminal and a delegate at meetings with the Viet Cong in Paris.

During this period, Lt. John Kerry attended many VVAW meetings and mass rallies at which the Viet Cong flag was displayed and the U.S. flag desecrated. He also attended a VVAW conference where the assassination of U.S. senators was discussed. He took no action to close that discussion or report it to the FBI, despite the participants' planning murder. He did, however, leave before a vote was taken on how to implement the crime.

It could be argued that, in 1970 and 1971, John Kerry, an officer in the U.S. Navy, violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Article 104, part 904; and the U.S. Code 18 USC 953, for violating the U.S. Constitution.

From these facts, Kerry also may be in direct violation of the 14th Amendment, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which states, "No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President" having previously taken an oath to support the Constitution of the United States who has "engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."

Even though it was 33 years ago, the Constitution places no time limit on prosecution. If Kerry placed himself in violation of our laws, there are many witnesses available and willing to provide testimony of those events. Let's uncover the revolting truth.

Dateline D.C. is written by a Washington-based British journalist and political observer.

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