Rising bets: Kerry in centre of Deny Awards War
Rising bets: Bush aide quits over anti-Kerry ads
Presidential elections in US today experience a new trick during its absorbing pace. John Kerry's service in Vietnam continued to reverberate through the presidential race Wednesday. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth have expressed their distrust to John Kerry's awards - the Silver and Bronze Stars along with three Purple Hearts for the Vietnam War.
These attacks and the advertising campaign against Democrats target veteran voters, who are likely to demonstrate predominant support of Kerry, reported Sanmateocountytimes.com. According to Nytimes.com, though Mr. Bush continues giving praise to Mr. Kerry's services, he lets some authorities spread unfounded charges that his opponent fabricated his medal-winning experience as a Swift boat commander.
As Chicago Sun Times reports, Benjamin Ginsberg, a top lawyer for Bush's re-election committee, resigned after disclosing that he had provided legal advice to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an independent group airing TV ads that accuse Kerry of lying about his war record. In Crawford, a bevy of TV cameras recorded the scene as Max Cleland, a former Georgia Democratic senator and a Vietnam veteran, showed up in his wheelchair at the Secret Service checkpoint about a mile from Bush's 1,600-acre ranch. He and Jim Rassmann, a former Green Beret whose life Kerry saved in Vietnam, unsuccessfully attempted to deliver a letter calling on the president to ''show the courage and guts to denounce these ads.''
The Kerry campaign charged in the letter that the ads are ''scurrilous attacks'' that ''dishonor the service and sacrifice of veterans,'' the source reported.
On the one hand Kerry is considered to be one of the bravest heroes. According to Berkshireeagle.com, some people think starting Vietnam Veterans Against the War was the most courageous thing John Kerry ever did. He attracted Nixon White House with denunciation of the war before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and became a ‘hero with medals on his chest’.
On the other hand Kerry’s contribution is now denounced by some authorities. Journalists have examined three leaders of this “disclosing” group, and found them to stand Kerry's side in the past. They now contravene their actions as saying about his false awards. The leader of this group, Ret. Rear Admiral Roy Hoffman, was revealed to approve Kerry’s Silver Star in June of 2003 as saying: "It took guts and I admire that."
Another member of the group is George Elliott, who also supported Kerry's side in his Senate re-election campaign saying his Silver Star, "was an act of courage." He was one of Kerry's commanders and said, "The man was unsurpassed and the acknowledged leader of his peer group." The third person, Adrian Lonsdale, announced during Kerry’s re-election campaign as saying that Kerry was "one of the finest of the swift boat veterans showing bravado and courage."
Referring to these facts, Sanmateocountytimes.com supposed that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth was funded by Bob Perry and Harlan Crowe, two men close to Bush and the Texas GOP.
The enormous attention is now easy to understand, analyzing these colourful campaigns touting voters in favour of one from two candidates – Kerry or Bush. According to Dailynews.com, the amount wagered on the outcome of the November election reached more than $500 million.
"The closer we are getting to the election date, the more people are betting on it," claimed Gregor Weiss, bet manager at Intertops.com, an offshore gaming company that is taking betting action on Bush and Democratic challenger John Kerry.
The company, which has collected more than 3,500 political bets this season, is now estimating the total amount of money wagered. According to initial research, the number is counting in the "high five figures." Thousands of traders have bet about $500 million on Bush and Kerry's chances. The company currently lists Kerry at 1.74 and has Bush at 1.87.
Bodog.com, a Costa Rica-based gambling operator, has taken in nearly 500 wagers garnering $19,000 on Bush and Kerry bets. At this site Bush is favoured to win at 130 to Kerry's 110.
Intrade.com, an Ireland-located company, is offering Bush’s odds at 52 while Kerry's odds at 48. While Bush maintains the edge, his stock has fallen since the beginning of the year, when he was trading at 75.
