And though neither
knew it at the time – they
were also united in the most honorable way imaginable. Both
of these young men were held in such high regard by an entire
generation and were so articulate in their expression of
hope for a peaceful world to emerge from the disaster of
the Vietnam war – that they instilled jealousy, fear and
hatred in the most powerful man in the world – the soon-to-be-disgraced
President of the United States – Richard Nixon.
As was discovered many years later after Freedom Of Information
searches – Richard
Nixon was behind the first attempts to destroy John Kerry – and the similar attempts
to destroy John Lennon's personal happiness by attempting to deport him for political
reasons.
RICHARD NIXON TRIES TO DESTROY JOHN KERRY
After
four years in the US Navy – including two tours of duty for which he volunteered
in Vietnam – John Kerry had returned to his native America as a bona fide war
hero – decorated five times for his heroism. Armed with the moral authority of
his dedicated service to his nation – he then joined together with thousands
of other Vietnam veterans to sound a warning about the terrible disaster of the
war. His bravery in speaking out won him the admiration of all but the most diehard
partisans.
It also won him the enmity and fear of Richard Nixon who discussed his anxiety
about John Kerry's burgeoning popularity with his Chief Counsel Chuck Colson
and his Chief of Staff Bob Haldeman (both subsequently jailed as felons.) Together
they hatched the plot (captured on Nixon audio recordings secured after the Watergate
scandal) of unleashing a slavishly pro-Nixon, pro-war, ex-Navy-man named John
O'Neill - who never even served with Kerry - as a “terminator” to go out and
challenge Kerry on TV and radio shows. O'Neill did exactly as his masters instructed
him and participated in a series of public confrontations with John Kerry including
their legendary 1971 debate on the ”Dick Cavett Show.”
Most impartial observers concurred with Richard Nixon's private assessment of
how effective John Kerry was as a speaker for his cause – and it was widely regarded
that John Kerry's calm reasoning defeated John O'Neill's blind faith in what
he'd been told by Richard Nixon.
By August 1974, Richard Nixon had been totally exposed for his treachery to the
American people, his flagrant contempt for the American constitution and his
countless criminal acts. Facing certain impeachment and removal from office – Nixon
resigned.
President Ford's desire to spare the nation more of the suffering that Nixon's
treachery had already imposed on America led to him subsequently granting Nixon
a blanket pardon for all his criminal acts – without which Nixon would undoubtedly
have been convicted and imprisoned. Many of his other cronies – including Bob
Haldeman and Chuck Colson – who conspired with Nixon to have John O'Neill destroy
John Kerry – were convicted of felony crimes and went to jail
33 years later – oblivious to the fact that the men who set him on his mission
to destroy John Kerry had been utterly discredited for dishonoring the American
constitution – John O'Neill emerged out of the gutter again and made himself
leader of the self-styled “Swift Boat Veterans For Truth” (sic – very sick) whose
charges against Kerry have all been totally discredited by US Naval records and
all impartial observers – and have been thoroughly condemned by Senator John
McCain as dishonorable.
Richard Nixon may be dead – but the attack dog he programmed in 1971 to try and
destroy John Kerry is still spewing lies. It pays to remember that John O'Neill
is just His (criminal) Master's Voice…
RICHARD NIXON TRIES TO DESTROY JOHN LENNON
After thirteen years in the Quarrymen and its successor group the Beatles – John
Lennon had become one of the most-admired artists of the 20th century. By 1971 – he
was certainly among the most popular and best-known musicians in the world. And
he had also started to use his worldwide popularity for good causes.
Just as John Kerry selflessly used his war hero status to alert Americans to
the travesties of the Vietnam War – so John Lennon used his popularity as an
opportunity to become a tireless advocate for peace.
In 1971, Lennon recorded his follow-up to the ground-breaking "Plastic Ono Band" album
- the powerful "Imagine" album. In August 1971, shortly before the album's October
release - Lennon decamped from his native England and moved to New York. He wanted
to be part of the burgeoning counter-culture in America – and also wanted to
help in the growing anti-war movement.
The "Imagine" album - and the single - immediately topped the charts and solidified
Lennon's position as the world's most influential rock star - particularly in
America.
Lennon was at the height of his political involvement at this time - railing
against the war in Vietnam and many other injustices. Within weeks of arriving
in the US he was meeting with Jerry Rubin and other members of the New Left.
America had just lowered the voting age to 18 - and the upcoming 1972 presidential
election would be the first opportunity for America's under-21's to vote.
Lennon expressed interest in partaking in fund-raising, voter-registration, anti-war
rallies and concerts - which would take place in many of the 1972 primary states.
With the full protection of the First Amendment (which protects citizens and
non-citizens alike) - Lennon's intended actions were completely legal.
But Republicans who cherished their beloved President - Richard Nixon - were
worried. The popularity of John Lennon could help galvanize the anti-war movement
and result in a massive vote against Nixon. After all, Lennon's anthem "Give
Peace A Chance" had been sung by over half a million demonstrators at the famous
November 1969 anti-war rally in Washington.
On February 4, 1972, a secret memo (now revealed under the Freedom Of information
Act) was sent to Richard Nixon by none other than the racist Senator Strom Thurmond
(then a youngster of just 70.) In the memo he railed about Lennon and the danger
he could cause the President's 1972 re-election campaign. Fortunately, Thurmond
(writing as a member of the Senate Judiciary committee) had a solution in mind. "If
Lennon's visa is terminated it would be a strategy (sic) counter-measure." Though
he noted that "caution must be taken with regard to the possible alienation of
the so-called 18-year old vote if Lennon is expelled from the country."
This memo arrived in the Nixon White House shortly after the notorious 1971 John
Dean memo in which he proposed "We can use the available political machinery
to screw our political enemies."
Nixon followed Dean's advice to the letter. Nixon sicked J. Edgar Hoover and
the FBI on to John Lennon – who then endured a vicious 4-year campaign of FBI
surveillance and INS harassment.
Full details of the illicit, politically-motivated persecution of John Lennon
by Richard Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover are exposed in Professor Jon Weiner's excellent
book “Gimme Some Truth” - which uses the FBI's own secret files (secured under
the Freedom of Information Act) to expose the travesty of justice unleashed by
Richard Nixon.
(In 1975 the INS chief counsel on the case resigned his position - telling Rolling
Stone magazine that the US government was being more vigorous in its attempts
to deport John Lennon than it was in its attempts to expel Nazi war criminals
living in the US.)
The passage of time revealed the true nature of Richard Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover…
In his prescient 1971 song “Gimme Some Truth” – John Lennon sang:
“No short-haired, yellow-bellied, son of Tricky-Dicky's gonna soft-soap me with
just a pocketful of hope…”
Voters in November 2004 take note…. 
