Kerry's Quagmire.(ISSUES & INSIGHTS)(EDITORIALS)(Editorial)

Election: Set aside for a moment accusations and denials over John Kerry's war record. What does the Swift Boat controversy say about his political judgment?

Specifically, how politically wise is it to make a big deal about your Vietnam service when you know hundreds of highly motivated fellow veterans are prepared to attack you on that very issue?

There's no question the Democratic presidential nominee has made his Vietnam service a central part of his campaign. In his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, Kerry said he learned many lessons while patrolling the Mekong Delta.

One thing he clearly didn't learn is that when people are shooting at you -- duck.

While some argue Kerry is showing courage, the kind he exhibited in wartime, we see it as more a mix of arrogance and foolishness.

By focusing on Vietnam, Kerry knew he was asking for trouble. According to the book "Unfit for Command," Kerry called retired Rear Adm. Roy Hoffmann in March. Hoffmann organized Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group attacking Kerry's war record.

Kerry told Hoffmann: "If you will back off and drop your efforts, I will ensure that my biography, "Tour of Duty,' which I know is unfair to you, will be changed to make it accurate in a revised edition."