Release of records in progress

The senator had said his military records were available when they weren't yet.
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
WASHINGTON -- Sen. John Kerry's presidential campaign promised to release his Vietnam-era service records but struggled to make the documents public.
Spokesman Michael Meehan said campaign officials were scanning the documents page by page and had hoped to begin posting them on the Kerry Web site late Tuesday night. He said all the material should be available by the end of today.
Republican officials, who have made Kerry's forthrightness an issue in the campaign, slammed the Massachusetts senator for telling "Meet the Press" host Tim Russert on Sunday that his military records were available at his campaign headquarters when they were not.
"If he did not intend to release all his officer evaluations, records of attendance including reserve duty attendance, medical records and all other military records held by him or the government, he should not have pledged to do so," said Ed Gillespie, chairman of the Republican National Committee. "He and his campaign should stop the word games and keep the pledge he made on national television."
Campaigning in Florida, the Massachusetts senator, who served two tours of duty in Vietnam during his service in the Navy from 1966 to 1970, steered clear of the flap, instead criticizing the Bush administration's handling of the environment using Tampa Bay in Florida as a backdrop.
Reporter's request
During his interview with Russert, Kerry insisted that his records were available.
"I want people to come and see them at the headquarters and take a look at them," Kerry told Russert.
But when a Boston Globe reporter did just that Monday, he was turned away. By Tuesday, campaign officials reversed course.
Spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said the campaign was simply not prepared to put the records on its Web site so soon.
The campaign requested a copy of Kerry's complete Navy record and received more than 100 pages last week, she said. Other medical records were being examined, she said, and would be released as soon as they were reconciled with Kerry's own records.
Cutter said the campaign is pleased to release the records because they show the "courage and valor" of a 27-year-old fighting in the war.
Throughout his campaign, Kerry has relied on many of the veterans he served with in Vietnam to validate his bravery and humanity, as well as to confirm his knowledge of military matters.
During the Iowa caucuses, fellow veteran Jim Rassmann dramatically told of the day that a wounded Kerry turned back his swift boat, fished him out of the water and saved his life. The pair had not seen each other since 1969.
The incident, which occurred under heavy fire, earned Kerry the Bronze Star with a combat V for valor.