The Music Replacement. I'm So Sorry.

Since the BPI have called a halt to Music Fridays — introducing: US Election round-up!

(Well, that'll keep them interested. *YAWN* — Ed.)

Anyway, the big story of the week is Swift Veterans Against Kerry. This is a group of Vietnam veterans who have written a book, Unfit For Command, and released an advert calling John Kerry's war record into question. Specifically, they say that Kerry did not deserve the Bronze Star he was awarded for rescuing Jim Rassman, and that he lied when testifying about war crimes. If nothing else, this advert has seriously pissed off John McCain, who called upon the White House to denounce it (so far, they've only issued a non-committal "we have said that we won't talk about Kerry's military record" statement). The book is currently number one on Amazon, but the story is beginning to fall apart already.

Firstly, none of the men in the advert actually served on Kerry's boat. All of the men who served with Kerry are supporting him, bar one who is now dead. Secondly, one of the members of SVAK, Larry Thurlow, who has been on several news networks this week denouncing Kerry and insisting that the attack never took place, won a Bronze Star himself for the incident. So he's lying now, or he doesn't deserve his Star either. And finally, George Elliot, a member of the group in the advert, appeared in today's Boston Globe to retract the claims that he made, and to say that he regretted making them.

One question remains though: how did this new group manage to find enough funds to broadcast in the hotly contested swing states of Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin (at a cost of roughly $500,000)? It appears the key figures behind the campaign are a Texan Republican, Bob Perry, who donated $100,000 to the group, and John O'Neill, the co-writer of Unfit For Command, who was once hired by the Nixon Government to discredit Kerry and the Veterans Against The War group back in the 1970s. No direct involvement from the White House. Of course.

Meanwhile, the latest news from Florida. Welcome to the bounce.