] Compared with Kerry, George W. Bush is a coward. This is ] not a reference to their respective activities during ] Vietnam. It refers to the current election campaign. Bush ] happily benefits from the slime his supporters are ] spreading but refuses to take responsibility for it or to ] call point-blank for it to stop. He got away with this ] when the prime mover was the shadowy Swift boats group. ] Will he get away with it when the accusers are his own ] vice president, high officials of his own administration ] (Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage) and members ] of Congress from his own party (House Speaker J. Dennis ] Hastert or Sen. Orrin Hatch)? The answer is yes: Based on ] recent experience, he probably will get away with it. |