The last time a presidential candidate claimed to have been duped on something this important was in 1967, when Michigan Republican Gov. George Romney said he had been "brainwashed" by the military into supporting the war in Vietnam. The blunder took him out of contention for the presidential nomination. Perhaps it will do the same thing for John Kerry.
John Kerry can't have it both ways. If he wants to run as the genuine war hero, he can't run away from his own vote to support the war. If he wants to stand up for the soldiers who have defended this country, he can't claim the victories they secured in Afghanistan and Iraq are meaningless. And if he's going to accuse the Commander-in-Chief of lying, he better not lie to make his own case.
Kerry's campaign has been faltering badly in recent months. After a promising start, he's now behind in the polls and in fundraising. Not even a good aircraft carrier photo-op is likely to keep his campaign afloat. And if Kerry goes down, so does the hope that the Democrats will finally erase their image as the party of protestors, not warriors.