Maybe inflated their seriousness, but he wouldn't have been the only one by a long shot. I've seen Purple Hearts awarded for some silly stuff.

The issue is that Kerry is trying to deflect a pathetic defense record in the Senate by basing most of his campaign on a period of his life that has a lot of questions attached to it. The questions are worth checking out. Screaming and calling his accusers names does not get that done.

His actions after the war are a matter of open record, and many veterans have already judged him on those.

The media examined Bush's National Guard record to the subatomic level for months, and whatever else you say about him, Bush has not been basing his entire campaign on his experience as a fighter pilot.