Kerry's Records Show "Swift Boat Veterans" Flip-Flops

Sen John Kerry (D-MA) has finally released his military records. It's creating a new mystery about why he didn't do it sooner. They show commendations for his service. In a written statement, Sen Kerry says the delayed release was mainly stubborness toward his opponents who wanted the records released:

''The call for me to sign a 180 form came from the same partisan operatives who were lying about my record on a daily basis on the Web and in the right-wing media. Even though the media was discrediting them, they continued to lie. I felt strongly that we shouldn't kowtow to them and their attempts to drag their lies out."

The Boston Globe reports that an earlier release of his records may have even sunk his most vocal critics during the campaign:

"[O]ne of the first actions of the group that came to be known as Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was to call on Kerry to sign a privacy waiver and release all of his military and medical records.

But Kerry refused, even though it turned out that the records included commendations from some of the same veterans who were criticizing him."

The latest release doesn't include "after action reports" -- the write ups of firefights and other combat actions filed right after the battles happened. Those are public records. They've been available for years at the Navy historical center in Washington. (Boston Globe)