Remember on the "Happy Days "TV series when the Fonz would get

tounge-tied around a certain word? He couldn't pronounce "wrong." He

would say, "I guess I was wrrrr ... wrrrrr ... wrrrr," and someone

would have to finish the word for him. That line, to me, used to be the best

part of the program. Haven't we all known someone who was just like the Fonz

in that respect?

In my last article, "America's Worst Nightmare," I stated that

there were, in my opinion, two possible candidates that I believed had character

that Kerry could pick to bring some credibility to his ticket. I mentioned

Joe Lieberman and Senator John Edwards. I am happy for the country that he

picked John Edwards because I do believe in my soul and spirit that he is

basically a moral man with character. Yet it's not over. We haven't heard

from the extreme left in their convention yet.

I realize that politics at that level makes strange bedfellows, as they

used to say. The old folks also used to say that a leopard doesn't change

his spots. I am saying all this to say that I feel Kerry would drop John

Edwards in two seconds and forget his name if it would suit his purpose.

When all the smoke and mirrors are seen in the light of day and all the spin

stops, it will be interesting how the ticket looks after the convention.

I do know one thing that you can take to the bank and that one thing is

that character matters. We saw what happens in the Oval Office when "you

let the fox loose in the hen house."

The "spin zone" would have you believe that Kerry has changed

since his days with Hanoi Jane and his book degrading the very men who were

doing their duty with great honor in Vietnam.

Here is what the men who actually served with Kerry had to say about him.

Please read every word; your future may depend upon it. This was sent to

me by a longtime friend, Dave Smith, whom I served with proudly. Thank you

Dave for your friendship, your Christian life, your service to our country

and your love of freedom.

This is their side of the story, entitled "Swift Boat Veterans Speak

Out."

"We resent very deeply the false war crimes charges he made coming

back from Vietnam in 1971 and repeated in the book 'Tour of Duty.' We

think those cast an aspersion on all those living and dead, from our unit

and other units in Vietnam. We think that he knew he was lying when he made

the charges, and we think that they're unsupportable. We intend to bring

the truth about that to the American people. We believe, based on our experience

with him, that he is totally unfit to be the Commander-in-Chief." - John

O'Neill, spokesman, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

"I do not believe John Kerry is fit to be Commander-in-Chief of the

Armed forces of the United States. This is not a political issue. It is a

matter of his judgment, truthfulness, reliability, loyalty and trust, all

absolute tenets of command. His biography, 'Tour of Duty,' by Douglas Brinkley,

is replete with gross exaggerations, distortions of fact, contradictions

and slanderous lies. His contempt for the military and authority is evident

a strong anti-Vietnam War bias and a self-serving determination to build

a foundation for his political future. He was aggressive, but vain and prone

to impulsive judgment, often with disregard for specific tactical assignments.

He was a 'loose cannon.' In an abbreviated tour of four months and 12 days,

and with his specious medals secure, Lt.(jg) Kerry bugged out and began his

infamous betrayal of all United States forces in the Vietnam War. That included

our soldiers, our marines, our sailors, our coast guardsmen, our airmen,

and our POWs. His leadership within the so-called Vietnam Veterans Against

the War and testimony before Congress in 1971 charging us with unspeakable

atrocities remain an undocumented but nevertheless meticulous stain on the

men and women who honorably stayed the course. Senator Kerry is not fit for

command." - Rear Admiral Roy Hoffman, USN (retired), chairman,

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth

"During Lt.(jg) Kerry's tour, he was under my command for two or three

specific operations, before his rapid exit. Trust, loyalty and judgment are

the key, operative words. His turncoat performance in 1971 in his grubby

shirt and his medal-tossing escapade, coupled with his slanderous lines in

the recent book portraying us that served, including all POWs and MIAs, as

murderous war criminals, I believe, will have a lasting effect on all military

veterans and their families. Kerry would be described as devious, self-absorbing,

manipulative, disdain for authority, disruptive, but the most common phrase

that you'd hear is 'requires constant supervision.'" - Captain

Charles Plumly, USN (retired)

"Thirty-five years ago, many of us fell silent when we came