O’Neill’s Swift Implosion!

Share article:

Holy-moly, don’t know how many of you saw Nightline last night, but after months of whining that Swift Vet Master Shill, John O’Neill was not getting the network exposure that he thought he somehow deserved (how anyone could suggest that group didn’t get enough exposure is beyond me, but anyway)…O’Neill finally got his chance last night. And, man, was it one for the record books!

O’Neill had a complete meltdown on live TV! The Nightline report began with a difficult trip up river into Vietnam to the very location of the disputed Kerry Silver Star incident to speak to the eyewitnesses in the village from that day. They remembered it well. Every witness that Nightline spoke to, none of whom seemed to know who the hell John Kerry was, corroborated every bit of the Navy’s original account of the event.

The report completely destroyed O’Neill’s thesis on this one particular event (the only one this Nightline report focused on), and his charge that there was no enemy fire on that day, and that Kerry shot some lone little 12 year old kid in the back as he was running away.

O’Neill was interviewed by Koppel after the report and he simply imploded with an incoherent rambling explanation of how Nightline had it all wrong, was trusting in those evil Commie’s who love John Kerry (never mind that this village was hours up river into the middle of nowhere, and none of those interviewed had even heard of the man!), and how the accounts of the eye-witnesses had to be wrong because they were at odds with the Boston Globe’s story on the matter.

It was amazing. O’Neill kept holding up the opened pages from the Boston Globe book, Kerry’s autobiography a Kerry Biography (ed: correction made. O’Neill called it a Kerry autobiography, but he was misleading there.) and his own anti-Kerry polemic. Switching back and forth between the books (at least 5 times each!) flashing the unintelligable-on-television pages that he wanted people to read. No matter what Koppel did, he couldn’t bring this guy back to his senses. It was an extraordinary thing to watch! O’Neill, in the bargain, blew any and all credibility he might have had left in a single network interview.

Unfortunately, Nightline doesn’t offer free video online (they have it, but it costs money). Their “What They Saw…” report, from the eye-witnesses will have to suffice, if you even care about that story at this point. UPDATE: Full Nightline show from last night available here in Windows Media Player format! O’Neill’s implosion is last 10 minutes or so of show.(Thanks, Chuck for the link!)

(Prepare now for the wingnuts to repeat, in comments, the defenses that Rush offered them this morning for last night’s embarrassing affair. Ignore them. It’s more smoke and mirrors…O’Neill simply blew himself up with a devastating self-inflicted wound. It was a live televised disaster. Period.)

Share article:

Reader Comments on

O’Neill’s Swift Implosion!

5 Comments

(Comments are now closed.)


5 Responses

  1. 2)
    Brad said on 10/15/2004 @ 4:55pm PT: [Permalink]

    Thanks, Chuck! Traffic must be huge right now, cause I can’t seem to get to it. But I’ll keep trying, and when it clears up, I’ll post the link as an update!

  2. 3)
    537 votes said on 10/16/2004 @ 5:53am PT: [Permalink]

    Nice dig at CBS by Ted at the very end. Something like, "we are journalists. when we uncover a story, we report it, not conceal it."

  3. 4)
    Mrs. J said on 10/17/2004 @ 7:30am PT: [Permalink]

    WOW. It’s actually kind of funny.

    R: Please don’t pick up anymore book.
    O: Okay. I won’t.

    What does he do? Picks up another book.

    You know what REALLY bothers me though? It is really starting to tick me off. There are thousands of troops right now in Iraq fighting this war. You republican Americans are the FIRST to attack someone when ANY comments are made about this war, by saying that democrats are "Disrespecting the troops."

    That’s all I hear. Liberals disrepect the troops (who are risking their lives for your freedom).America Haters. Liberals should be "supporting the troops". It’s bad to say Wrong War, wrong place, wrong time. Bad, bad, bad.

    WAKE THE HELL UP !!!

    John Kerry was such a troop. He was just a guy who went to war. What is the BIG DAMN DEAL? Are you going to do this with those poor people who are fighting in Iraq too? Support them now and back-stab them later??!!!

    If one of them comes back and decides to run for President in 10 years, are you going to make fun of him and his service? Are you going to talk about how many stars the guy got ad nauseam?? Are you going to dissect what he did in a time of war and criticize him for it?

    YOU are the America haters. I finally get the meaning of the term "America Hater" and I have even met a couple of you online.

    Kerry is one of your own (unlike your current President) and all you can do is find fault in it. Shame on you all ! Hypocrites.

  4. 5)
    jaime said on 10/17/2004 @ 2:38pm PT: [Permalink]

    How sad is it, that Kerry’s life has been in serving the public (whether to your taste or not is a matter of opinion), and O’Neill’s life has been devoted to taking down John Kerry.

    The best thing for John O’neill is a Kerry win. Either way, he’ll be offered a commentator’s job at Fox.

(Comments are now closed.)


BB SIDEBAR NOTICE

Thanks to you, The BRAD BLOG has been trouble-making and muckraking for … 22 YEARS!!!

Please help The BRAD BLOG, BradCast and Green News Report remain independent and 100% reader and listener supported in our 23rd YEAR!!!

ONE TIME
any amount...

MONTHLY
any amount...

OR VIA SNAIL MAIL
Make check out to...
Brad Friedman / BRAD BLOG
7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594
Los Angeles, CA 90028

RECENT POSTS

Idle Hands…

Time off, and an update on the BRAD BLOG update...

Sunday ‘Have You Considered Treason?’ Toons

THIS WEEK: The Unstoppable Steal ... The Colbert Canary ... The Paxton Primer ...

Republicans Are Revolting: ‘BradCast’ 5/21/2026

Guests: Heather Digby Parton of Salon, 'Driftglass' of 'Pro Left Podcast' on the primaries, the ballroom, the slush fund, the wars, the media, Stephen Colbert, and much more...

‘Green News Report’ – May 21, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

Primary Results from Six States and Trump’s $1.8 Billion Taxpayer-Funded Grift Machine: ‘BradCast’ 5/20/2026

Results and context from AL, GA, ID, KY, OR, PA; Also: Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol cops file suit to shutdown Trump's 'insurrectionist slush fund'...

NAACP Calls for Voting Rights Boycott of College Sports at Southern Schools: ‘BradCast’ 5/19/2026

Also: We endorse Trump's endorsement in TX GOP U.S. Senate runoff!; DOJ adds MORE corruption to Trump's already 'most corrupt' agreement in U.S. history...

‘Green News Report’ – May 19, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen

‘The Most Corrupt Thing in ALL of American History’: Trump’s $1.8 Billion DOJ-Facilitated Taxpayer Heist: ‘BradCast’ 5/18/2026

Guest: Robert Weissman of Public Citizen; Also: Election results from LA; Mass voting rights protest in AL; More...

Sunday ‘All Over the Map’ Toons

THIS WEEK: South Rising Again ... T in China ... Strait Outta Hormuz ...

More GOP Vote Rigging Underway. Hey, Maryland Dems! Time to Get Crackin’!: ‘BradCast’ 5/14/2026

Also: GA GOP rigs Atlanta D.A. elections; MT's new voter suppression law nixed by state court; Much more...

‘Green News Report’ – May 14, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen...

Do Dems Have the Courage Required to Restore and Reform American Democracy? (Do You?): ‘BradCast’ 5/13/2026

Guest: Kate Riga of Talking Points Memo; Also: SC Senate leader blocks U.S. House gerrymandering; Primary results from WV, NE...

Offshore Oil Rig Fire in SoCal a Preview of Trump’s NEXT Huge Failure: ‘BradCast’ 5/12/2026

Guest: Brady Bradshaw of Center for Biological Diversity; Also: Inflation spiked to 3-year high in April; Dems still favored to win House, despite GOP map rigging...

‘Green News Report’ – May 12, 2026

With Brad Friedman and Desi Doyen...

Virginia Supremes Void Special Election on Redistricting Referendum in Huge Gift to Vote Rigging GOP: ‘BradCast’ 5/11/2026

Voting rights disappearing, Jim Crow returning before our eyes in GOP-controlled state after state; Callers ring in...

About Brad Friedman...

Brad is an independent investigative journalist, blogger and broadcaster. Full Bio & Testimonials… Media Appearance Archive… Articles & Editorials Elsewhere… Contact…

He has contributed chapters to these books…
…And is featured in these documentary films…

BRAD BLOG ON THE AIR!

THE BRADCAST on KPFK/Pacifica Radio Network (90.7FM Los Angeles, 98.7FM Santa Barbara, 93.7FM N. San Diego and nationally syndicated, Monday-Thursday, on many other affiliate stations! ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
GREEN NEWS REPORT, nationally syndicated, with new episodes on Tuesday and Thursday. ALSO VIA PODCAST: RSS/XML feed | Pandora | TuneIn | Apple Podcasts/iTunes | iHeart | Amazon Music
Media Appearance Archives…

AD CONTENT

ADDITIONAL STUFF

Brad Friedman/
The BRAD BLOG Named...

Buzz Flash's 'Wings of Justice' Honoree
Project Censored 2010 Award Recipient
The 2008 Weblog Awards