Sen. John Kerry's campaign biographer Douglas Brinkley said Sunday that if an ongoing Navy investigation into Kerry's military decorations turns up evidence of "purposeful" deception, it could spell doom for the top Democrat's White House bid.

Praising reporter Thomas Lipscomb, who broke news of the Navy investigation on Friday, Brinkley told WABC Radio's Steve Malzberg, "Journalists are going to have to see whether there's a discrepancy on [the citations posted to Kerry's] Web site - whether there's something wrong that's said there or not."

"If so," said the "Tour of Duty" author, "Kerry would have to fix it immediately - and it does raise some questions as to why that would happen."
"Is it sloppiness, is it purposeful intent, is there an easy explanation for it?" Brinkley wondered.

He said that while questions raised by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth about Kerry's war record have been very damaging, "so far they haven't been lethal." But Brinkley predicted that a discrepancy with Kerry's medals could seriously escalate his political problems.

Asked if inconsistencies uncovered by the Navy probe could be the "death knell" for Kerry's campaign, Brinkley told Malzberg, "It could."

In the next breath he hastened to add, however: "Right now it's unclear. So we have to just wait to see what all this adds up to."

The presidential historian called on Kerry to authorize the release of his full military file, saying, "Clearly some of these military records should be made available to the press."

While I hope purposeful deception would damage this candidate's
run for the White House, it does not seem to have hurt the
President's chances.

I haven't seen their ads but I hear they are pretty mean. I asked my dad being a Vietnam veteran and veteran of the Gulf war if he had seen them and he said he refused to watch them because that was thirty five years ago and Kerry volunteered and and did his job but does think what he said when he got back was wrong and should have wait until after the war. I would just like to see it go away on both sides because they both served(Kerry overseas and Bush in the National guard at home)and they both need to get to the issues this country faces.  

Did you find this article on the ABC website?

for themselves and determine whether they agree with you point of view on the story?

The investigation that was mentioned by the poster of the thread was triggered by a formal request to the Navy by a group called "Judicial Watch".  Here are two links that describe what is happening as well as the text for an article that mentioned the Judicial Watch request.  Those that want to can read the information and make up their own minds as to what it means.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,131319,00.html

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=40272

    I was not able to find any references to the investigation on any other mainline news sites other than FOX.

Article on Judicial Watch Request:

Judicial Watch Calls For Investigation Into Kerry’s Medals, Anti-War ActionsFormal Complaint Filed Over Senator’s Vietnam Awards, Post-Service Activities(Washington, D.C.) – Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, today filed a request with the U.S. Navy and the Defense Department for an investigation into the awards granted to Sen. John Kerry during his service with the U.S. Navy in Vietnam.  Judicial Watch also requested that military authorities investigate Kerry’s anti-war activities, including his meeting with North Vietnamese and Viet Cong delegations in Paris, while a member of the Naval Reserve. Basing its requests on a recently published book, Unfit for Command, by former Navy officer John E. O’Neill and Jerome R. Corsi, Ph.D, and on news media interviews of other officers and sailors who served with Kerry, Judicial Watch notes that unresolved allegations against Kerry include: false official reports and statements; dishonorable conduct; aiding the enemy; dereliction of duty; misuse and abuse of U.S. government equipment and property; war crimes; and multiple violations of U.S. Navy regulations and directives, the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the U.S. Code. Kerry was awarded three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star and a Bronze Star for “wounds” received and actions in Vietnam, but eyewitnesses refute his version of a number of the events that were the basis for receiving the commendations.  Judicial Watch is asking the Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy, including its Department Board of Decorations and Medals, to look into the circumstances surrounding Kerry’s awards. Judicial Watch also is requesting an investigation of Kerry’s anti-war activities.  After he was released from active duty but while he was a commissioned officer in the inactive Naval Reserve, Kerry joined the anti-war group Vietnam Veterans Against the War and traveled to Paris to meet with delegations from North Vietnam and the Communist Viet Cong.  He held a press conference in Washington, D.C., following the meeting and advocated the “peace proposal,” which included war damage reparations, put forth by the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. “The allegations concerning Kerry’s conduct during the Vietnam War are credible, serious and shocking,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.  “The sooner an investigation begins, the better.” [To see a copy of the complaint, click here.  For an Adobe Acrobat version, click here.]Top of Page