Christmas in Cambodia hits the MSM in today's Boston Globe, but not as a news item, instead it comes in the form of an Op-Ed from Kerry partisan, Joan Vennochi, who urges the Senator to speak out for himself. The trouble is, Vennochi demonstrates why this is such a radioactive subject for Kerry - it's almost impossible for Kerry to sound good, because it's becoming increasingly clear that there is no good explanation for Kerry's prevarications. Even this piece that purports to defend Kerry's record doesn't come out helping him much in substance.

Boston Globe: Speak for yourself, John Kerry:

Actually, it's John Kerry's past that created those men, the SwiftVets. George Bush hasn't had to lift a finger. They're not fabricated surrogates. They are real flesh and blood veterans - over 250 of Kerry's former peers - who don't like him much, and would rather oppose him than see one of their own become President.

Now you're talkin'! Own it.

You know, I have to say I think that's one of the few things Kerry has been consistent on - remember, Kerry never really meant that we should actually invade Iraq (Well, he did, but this is his story now.), he only meant the vote as a threat, but George Bush 'effed' it up and went and actually attacked! Who could know?

They're not only for Bush...scratch that...they're not so much for Bush, as they are AGAINST (all caps) Kerry. And they know whether Kerry is telling the truth or not. They were there.

There would be if that were true, but of course it isn't The President making these accusations - something no amount of hand waving should distract the reader from - and need I mention that The President's integrity remains intact, thank you very much.

Vennochi is lying here. George Bush said no such thing. In fact, he said the opposite. More distracting hand waiving...

It doesn't? You mean it doesn't matter whether he made his decisions in good conscience based on the best and widely available and accepted information, processed under decision-making conditions that resulted in conclusions many accepted as a worthy course of action - as opposed to simple outright manipulation, prevarication and flip-flop...something a Kerry Presidency is looking more and more likely to guarantee? I believe it does matter, and I believe it is going to matter to the voters - most of whom will come to the correct conclusions.

A feeling lying, hand-waiving journalists are only too willing to feed into and foster. With pundits like this helping us make sense of things, no wonder we barely have enough sense to get in out of the rain - or heed the terror warnings of the people who we employ to protect us.

Thank you, thank you, for bringing these issues into the pages of the Boston Globe. Now maybe people will become curious. Where's that little Starship Troopers hyperlink, "Want to Learn More?"

One of the things that made the Willie Horton ads infamous, BTW, was their apparent play on racial fears. There's quite a bit more substance to the SwiftVet accusations - a whole book's worth.

True, but it's not unlikely that voters who would have given Kerry credit for his service, and looked the other way on what he did when he came home, will find his tall-tales a bit more than can be overlooked and excused.

Do they ever! Because it's an issue of substance being put forward by people with the credibility to make the issue stick. Writing them off as "Bush supporters" (is that really expected to work?) and otherwise cheap attempts to wave shiny objects in front of voters, just won't work.

Thank you, thank you, again, for bringing this issue into the pages of the Boston Globe. There's a growing problem for Kerry. He can't speak out in defense of himself on this issue, it increasingly appears, because...well...he has nothing to say, and even his supporters - or 'surrogates,' to borrow a term - risk making things worse by bringing this issue - an issue of undeniable substance - to an increasing number of people.

Update: Patterico makes short work of today's LA Times' Kerry advocacy handling of the issue, and Beldar has a lengthy fisking.