User:JamesMLane/SBVT intro

Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT), formed in 2004, is an organization of American Swift boat veterans of the Vietnam War, registered under section 527 of the U.S. tax code to oppose John Kerry's U.S. presidential aspirations.

SBVT criticizes Kerry with regard to his military service history while he was in Vietnam (particularly some of the medals he received) and his subsequent activities in opposition to the war in the early 1970s. It has expressed these positions in a book and television advertisements that feature Vietnam veterans. Other Vietnam veterans have disputed the charges and supported Kerry. The organization has also been the subject of formal complaints from the Kerry campaign (alleging that it is illegally coordinated with the Bush campaign) and independent groups (alleging improper fundraising).

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I would make the following changes to the second paragraph:

SBVT has challenged the legitimacy of how Kerry obtained several combat medals and his accounts of the Vietnam war, particularly the veracity of his 1971 testimony before Congress. The group has made these challenges in television advertisements appearing in hotly contested electoral states, in a book, and in the widespread print and electronic media coverage members of the group received. The group's message had an impact on the 2004 presidential campaign, causing Kerry's poll numbers to dip, especially amongst veterans. But critics of the group, and many men who served directly under Kerry, charged that the allegations made by SBVT were false and amounted to a "dishonest" (citation required) smear campaign designed to discredit Kerry. The organization has also been the subject of formal complaints from the Kerry campaign which alleges that the Bush campaign illegally coordinated with SBVT. --Nysus 06:28, 7 Sep 2004 (UTC)