Did Mr. Kerry deserve his Bronze Star?
Yes. The Swift Boat Veterans claim that he was not facing enemy fire when he rescued a Green Beret, Jim Rassmann, but that is contradicted by those were there, like William Rood and Mr. Rassmann (a Republican). In fact, Mr. Rassmann recommended Mr. Kerry for a Silver Star. Readers enjoyed Kristof s pleasing conclusion, but his reasoning here is utterly bogus. According to Kristof, the Swift Boat Vets claim that Kerry was not facing enemy fire. But so what, the pundit says; the claim is contradicted by those who were there. It s hard to imagine a more facile answer. In fact, the claim is contradicted by some who were there—and the claim is supported by others who were present. It s sad to see such facile reasoning show up on the Times op-ed page. That fallen culture we discussed in yesterday s HOWLER is reflected in this hapless effort. (Note: Rood wasn t present at the Bronze Star event. Kristof corrects the mistake this morning.) But then, Kristof simply ducks several Swift Boat Vet c
