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February 17, 2004

Coming soon ...

Kerry's Vietnamese Baby!

Next week, at your barber shop, beauty salon, or at the check-out line of your grocery store, you will hear the story about how Senator John Kerry fathered and abandoned a child in Viet Nam. When you encounter this tale, remember that you heard it first here, and it is not true because I just made it up! However, this is the kind of story that has become standard issue for the right-wing dirty tricks department. Remember Bill Clinton's alleged black child? They even used this same story against John McCain in the South Carolina Primary when it looked like McCain might defeat Bush.

Now, the dirty tricksters are targeting Senator Kerry. A "photograph" of John Kerry and Jane Fonda together at a 1970s anti-war rally is being circulated on the Internet. It is a fake. Thanks to Photoshop, you can have a picture of anything you want. How about a picture of George Bush shaking hands with Adolph Hitler? A few mouse clicks with cut and paste and you've got it! Stories about Kerry and the Intern are also in circulation. Never mind that the woman in question was never an "intern," or worked for Kerry, and everyone involved said nothing ever happened. But, hey, it worked so well with Clinton, why not try it again. After all, the Republicans are desperate to knock Kerry out of the race -- a match-up between a guy who was shot at in Viet Nam vs a guy who went AWOL does not bode well for the conservatives. Karl Rove and his allies will be very busy between now and election day, but remember, as we say in New Hampshire, after snow season comes mud season, and it looks like mud season has arrived early this year.