A sage piece of commentary from Kevin Drum that <$NoAd$>shouldn't get lost in the mix ...

This story is a perfect demonstration of the difference between the Swift Boat controversy and the National Guard controversy. Both are tales from long ago and both are related to Vietnam, but the documentary evidence in the two cases is like night and day. In the Swift Boat case, practically every new piece of documentary evidence indicates that Kerry's accusers are lying. Conversely, in the National Guard case, practically every new piece of documentary evidence provides additional confirmation that the charges against Bush are true.

That really is the heart of the matter. But in telling fashion it's a distinction many miss.