John Kerry and his stooges are accusing Republicans of attacking his war record. One fine stooge is E.J. Dionne of The Washington Post. How dare Republicans, like Bush and Cheney, attack this hero's war record.

In truth, they aren't. They're attacking his anti-war record and his inability to tell the truth, as even Dionne demonstrates.

The decorated combat veteran was transformed from a hero to "Hanoi John," in the phrase of Rep. Sam Johnson, a Texas Republican. Johnson deserves our gratitude for his seven years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam. But his agenda last week had election-year politics stamped all over it. Johnson declared that in speaking out against the war, Kerry showed "his true colors, and they are not red, white and blue." Kerry, Johnson said, was engaged in "nothing short of aiding and abetting the enemy."

Show me one word of criticism of Kerry's combat record in that. Apparently, the left has suddenly adopted the view that war heroes are above criticism on any front. I don't recall Bob Dole or George Bush Sr. receiving any such deference.