Karl Rove has let the dogs loose.

They are getting really desperate.

I will not be saying a whole lot about the current brouhaha over John Kerry's military record. It doesn't really even deserve any discussion. But just in case anyone is wondering whether or not they should put a lot of trust in the latest round of stories about

Boston.com / News / Nation / Veteran retracts criticism of Kerry:

"But yesterday, a key figure in the anti-Kerry campaign, Kerry's former commanding officer, backed off one of the key contentions. Lieutenant Commander George Elliott said in an interview that he had made a ''terrible mistake' in signing an affidavit that suggests Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star -- one of the main allegations in the book. The affidavit was given to The Boston Globe by the anti-Kerry group to justify assertions in their ad and book.

Elliott is quoted as saying that Kerry ''lied about what occurred in Vietnam . . . for example, in connection with his Silver Star, I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back.'

The statement refers to an episode in which Kerry killed a Viet Cong soldier who had been carrying a rocket launcher, part of a chain of events that formed the basis of his Silver Star. Over time, some Kerry critics have questioned whether the soldier posed a danger to Kerry's crew. Crew members have said Kerry's actions saved their lives.

Yesterday, reached at his home, Elliott said he regretted signing the affidavit and said he still thinks Kerry deserved the Silver Star. ''I still don't think he shot the guy in the back,' Elliott said. ''It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here.'"

BTW-If you want have any residual thoughts that these charges are legitimate, click here to eliminate any those as well.

In the end, these are guys that are still mad at John Kerry's actions after the war. This is not my area of expertise, so I will not be touching that issue with a ten foot pole. However, this seems awfully similar to the Clinton trooper story that came out once he became a true contender for the presidency. There is an industry on both sides to make a name for yourself by spreading salacious stories. Even if they are false, the publishers and authors get a ton of publicity. If John Kerry is elected, I suspect the level of vitriol will continue to be raised. And mark my words, those congressional hearings that no one seems willing to hold regarding current Adminstrations issues (Medicare scandal, War Profiteering, etc..), will quickly be resurrected and the dirt digging will begin. I don't know what it is going to take to bring this nation together.

Such a sad state of affairs....