Now We Know What John Kerry Was Hiding

Everyone assumed that John Kerry was hiding something in his military records and most of the speculation centered on his discharge status. Given Kerry’s anti-war activities it wasn’t a stretch to imagine that some CO pushed through the paperwork to end his Reserve stint.

A few weeks ago we reported that John Kerry had signed his SF-180. He authorized release of his file to the Boston Globe, who poured over it. On the military front there was no new information. The Globe doesn’t report on his separation status documents, leading the reader to infer that Kerry’s discharge was, as previously reported, honorable.

The real revelation in his military file is his college transcript.

…[Kerry] got a cumulative 76 for his four years, according to a transcript that Kerry sent to the Navy when he was applying for officer training school. He received four D’s in his freshman year out of 10 courses, but improved his average in later years.

The grade transcript, which Kerry has always declined to release, was included in his Navy record. During the campaign the Globe sought Kerry’s naval records, but he refused to waive privacy restrictions for the full file. Late last month, Kerry gave the Navy permission to send the documents to the Globe.

The transcript shows that Kerry’s freshman-year average was 71. He scored a 61 in geology, a 63 and 68 in two history classes, and a 69 in political science. His top score was a 79, in another political science course. Another of his strongest efforts, a 77, came in French class.

Under Yale’s grading system in effect at the time, grades between 90 and 100 equaled an A, 80-89 a B, 70-79 a C, 60 to 69 a D, and anything below that was a failing grade. In addition to Kerry’s four D’s in his freshman year, he received one D in his sophomore year. He did not fail any courses.Evidently the erudite persona Kerry has worked tirelessly over the years to create wouldn’t allow him to acknowledge his own failures. He paid a hefty price for his stubbornness – the Presidency.

Update: Jay Tea addresses the peculiar fact that only the Globe has seen the record. and Decision ’08 asks, “Is John Kerry the Stupidest Politician Alive?” You can probably guess the answer to that question…

Update 2: This story was featured on MSNBC’s Connected Coast to Coast show this afternoon. The Political Teen has the video.

What's in a word?
And just what is the Boston Globe not telling us?

13 Comments

  1. bullwinkle June 7, 2005
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