[opendtv] Re: News: Dems Walk A Dangerous Path With Anti-Kerry-Film Complaint
- From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 23:17:15 -0700
there is just the thinnest chance that this "lawsuit" (actually a strategic
lawsuit aganist public participation, or SLAPP) will survive the first
rounds of demurrers (even if everything you say is true, you collect
nothing).
virtually without merit.
And, journalists always get sued in these kinds of jackpot cases. Few
collect.
John Willkie
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of John Shutt
Sent: Monday, October 18, 2004 2:59 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: News: Dems Walk A Dangerous Path With
Anti-Kerry-Film Complaint
----- Original Message -----
From: "Craig Birkmaier" <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
> I have heard many pundits try to discredit the Stolen Honor
> documentary as an attack, yet I have not hear of a single
> misrepresentation...yet.
Craig,
Well, here's one:
(10-18) 13:56 PDT PHILADELPHIA (AP) --
A Vietnam veteran shown in a documentary criticizing Sen. John Kerry's
anti-war activities filed a libel lawsuit against the movie's producer
Monday, saying the film falsely calls him a fraud and a liar.
Kenneth J. Campbell, now a professor at the University of Delaware, said in
the suit that "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" combines footage of him
appearing at a 1971 war protest with narration that claims that many of the
supposed veterans who took part in the event were later "discovered as
frauds" who "never set foot on the battlefield, or left the comfort of the
States, or even served in uniform."
The suit said viewers would be left with the perception that Campbell had
lied about his military service.
"It paints me as having been a fabricator, a fraud and a liar," Campbell
said.
Campbell attached copies of his military records to the lawsuit, showing he
received a Purple Heart and eight other medals, ribbons and decorations for
his service in Vietnam.
Carlton Sherwood, the film's producer, called the lawsuit "baseless."
"We will not be deterred or silenced by such an unfounded, groundless legal
ploy done as a last-ditch effort to prevent Americans from hearing the story
of America's Vietnam POWs and John Kerry's role in their prolonged
captivity," Sherwood said in a statement distributed by a firm representing
his company, Red White and Blue Productions.
The segment involving Campbell shows him speaking with another Marine at a
1971 gathering in Detroit, during which Kerry and other servicemen shared
stories about horrific acts they had committed or witnessed during the war.
Campbell asks whether the Marine recalls an assault on a Vietnamese village;
the Marine offers to provide more detail. Neither man is identified.
Sherwood introduces the conversation by saying, "Many of the horror stories
seem made up on the spot," but does not elaborate as to why he believes that
to be the case.
Campbell also threatened legal action against the Sinclair Broadcast Group,
an owner of 62 television stations that has announced that it intends to
pre-empt regular programming to broadcast "Stolen Honor."
The film explores Kerry's 1971 testimony before the Senate and links him to
anti-war activist and actress Jane Fonda. Vietnam prisoners of war claim in
the film that his testimony demeaned them and led to prisoners being held
longer.
The Democratic National Committee filed a complaint with the Federal
Election Commission contending that airing the film should be considered an
illegal in-kind contribution to the Bush campaign. Kerry's presidential
campaign asked that each station carrying the program provide a similar
amount of time to Kerry supporters.
Sinclair has contended that the program is news and has invited Kerry to
appear on a post-broadcast program. Kerry has declined.
URL:
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/10/18/politics
1111EDT0501.DTL
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