Waiting For The Other Shoes to Drop

Two stories are lingering out there about John Kerry that have the potential to derail his candidacy. What's interesting is that the mainstream press has known about these for months, but seems to have the attitude that if they ignore it, it will go away. They may yet be successful.

The first and more serious issue is his wife's tax records. Even if there's nothing there that is controversial, her taxes will likely seem small when compared to her wealth. That's because our tax structure taxes income not wealth. A woman worth $500 million paying "only" several hundred grand in taxes will not look good. There's a good chance she paid nothing. But it's her choice of charities that I'm waiting to see.

Second, and less volatile is Kerry's medical records. Everyone knows Kerry served in Vietnam. In fact, it's his campaign theme. Few realize he served only four months "in country" of a 12 month tour. After collecting his third Purple Heart, he was entitled to go home. It is the nature of his wounds then, that may injure him today.

Should this issue get any legs whatsoever, Kerry's "war hero" status will be badly damaged.