Some of those featured in the smear boat ad are on record as having previously praised Kerry. George Elliot nominated Kerry for his Silver Star. Rear Amiral Roy Hoffman sent cables to Kerry and his crew praising their achievements in river skirmishes.
Now they say he is unfit. I wonder who got to them? Their stories aren't adding up.
One thing they don't want you to know is that the people behind this smear operation have ties to Richard Nixon's dirty tricks squad. Read Joe Conason's take on this here.
One of the ringleaders of the smear campaign is John O'Neil who was recruited by Nixon's Chuck Colson to assist in plans to "destroy" John Kerry back in 1971. The group's media consultant, Merrie Spaeth, was Kenneth Starr's coach who prepared him to deliver his testimony urging the impeachment of President Clinton. This arrangement was set up by none other than Ted Olson, who was also a key figure in the smear campaign digging up dirt on President Clinton in Arkansas (The Arkansas Project).
For more, read Joe Conason's piece in Salon. Also visit the Snopes Urban Legends Reference site.
