So far, the Kerry apologists in the big media have completely ignored the fact Kerry lied about releasing his service records and so far, he still refuses to do so. This is a Boston Globe story from back in April of 2004.

Kerry refuses to release more records

WASHINGTON -- The day after John F. Kerry said he would make all of his military records available for inspection at his campaign headquarters, a spokesman said the senator would not release any new documents, leaving undisclosed many of Kerry's evaluations by his Navy commanding officers, some medical records, and possibly other material.

Kerry, in an interview Sunday on NBC's "Meet The Press," was asked whether he would follow President Bush's example and release all of his military records. "I have," Kerry said. "I've shown them -- they're available for you to come and look at." He added that "people can come and see them at headquarters."

But when a reporter showed up yesterday morning to review the documents, the campaign staff declined, saying all requests must go through the press spokesman, Michael Meehan. Late yesterday, Meehan said the only records available would be those already released to this newspaper.

"He is releasing all military records he has released to The Boston Globe," Meehan said in a telephone interview.

After the Globe story, the rest of the media ignored the fact Kerry has refused to release his service records. This is an issue of course because Kerry himself called for Bush to release his service records during the AWOL flap.

When Terry Mcauliffe, the Chairman of the Democratic National Committee, went on CNN and accused Bush of being AWOL during the Vietnam era, the media went on a 30 day feeding frenzy demanding Bush turn over his military records. Mcauliffe based his allegations on the fact that a single man, (who BTW has Alzheimer's) did not remember Bush from 30+ years ago. Nowhere during that time did the media say that maybe -just maybe- the head of the DNC's accusations might be politically motivated. (gasp)

Now Kerry is facing his own records flap. In contradistinction to Bush's accusers, 250 soldiers (mostly officers) who served with Kerry have called Kerry "Unfit" to serve as commander in chief. Suddenly the media is up in arms -not demanding to see Kerry's records- but accusing all 250 veterans of being politically motivated. (So much for that whole unbiased media myth)

The media's urge to protect John Kerry will not serve him well in the long run.

The drum beat has finally started for Kerry to release his service records. It is faint but it is audible. Columnist Lee Cearnal, of the Houston Chronicle, took his media colleagues to task today for not calling for Kerry's records.

Where's my colleagues' interest in Kerry's war records?
Even when he's caught in a lie, media aren't scrutinizing him same way they did Bush

The same news media that demanded George W. Bush release his National Guard records — and went over them with a microscope — have shown an appalling lack of interest in John Kerry's military service. And as it turns out, there are far more legitimate questions about the latter than the former.

Kerry has made his four months and 11 days in Vietnam the central theme of his presidential campaign. This is entirely understandable given his 20 years as the Senate's leading dove. He needs the cover that Vietnam can give him.

Just last week, one of his more fatuous claims came a cropper. Beginning in 1979, with an op-ed for the Boston Herald, Kerry has claimed repeatedly that he spent Christmas Eve of 1968 on a secret — and illegal — mission in Cambodia aboard his swift boat. [...]

As to the truth of this tale, there is only Kerry's word, which the press seems quite willing to take, to the extent of not reporting on the controversy at all . It is not a trivial matter. Kerry has pimped the story repeatedly in an effort to paint himself as a stand-up eyewitness to events that were both illegal and, in his view, immoral.

And that's not the only issue that reporters are curiously incurious about. At least one of Kerry's Purple Hearts has been challenged by his unit's medical officer, who notes that the wound was barely visible and was treated with a Band-Aid. Some questions should also be asked about his Silver Star: Should shooting a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back — as justifiable as it was as an act of war — be worthy of the nation's third-highest award for courage?

To those of you who say such questions are unseemly, consider that John Kerry's principal claim on the presidency is that he served four months and 11 days in Vietnam. OK, fine. Let's examine the records — all the records, which, unlike Bush and contrary to popular perception, Kerry has not released — and have a debate. We would be if it were George W. Bush. The media would see to it.

Kerry is digging himself a hole. The longer he goes without releasing his records, the less he is going to want to release them. All told, there is a 0.00% chance he can get thru the whole campaign without releasing his records. There are too many "alternative news" sources willing to ask the questions. Knowing this, he would be far better served releasing them now rather than making it look like he was hiding something. Stonewalling will serve no purpose here. If there is anything damaging in the record, better to get it out sooner rather than later. If there is nothing damaging, creating a controversy over it will only make him look odd to an electorate that already largely views him as odd.

The worst case scenario for Kerry is that there is something damning in there and he stonewalls the media for 30 days before he releases them in mid-October.

If I were a Kerry advisor, I'd tell him to release them the week of the Republican convention. If there is anything damaging, release them the first day of the convention, if there is nothing damaging, release them the day AFTER the convention.

Of course Kerry has not proven himself to be a very good campaigner.

The big media may think they they are doing Kerry a favor by not asking for his records. They are wrong. Giving him a pass this long will only embolden him to do something stupid.