So what is your point about "an interesting facet of politics and human psychology" ? While it may be true that we as human beings look for what we want to see, we do so quite willfully, as on some level we "know" what is fair and what is true. But to go with what we really do know to be true requires us to surrender what we want to be true and almost nobody will do that, such is the pull of what we want. To do so takes real moral courage, the kind of which Bush's god was famous. The real argument in this case isn't really about the medals, but about who is telling the truth and that goes directly to your interest of looking at the candidates performance in the last 10 years. And on this point, I think it is clear that those disparaging Kerry's service are being disingenuous as all of the documentary evidence supports Kerry's version of events and the Swift Boat Veterans have been discredited on many levels. But more important is Bush's denial of having had anything to do with these folks and the "sliming" of Kerry for political reasons. It so fits the pattern of all the campaigns Bush has been in and all of the connections of the SBV with his Texas friends that it is one of the things that we all "know " to be true, Bush's responsibility for these attacks. And that gets to the issue that is most important to voters in this election in these particular times, who has more courage, both physical and moral. I think any honest observer knows what is true on that score, and if you think the answer is Bush, I suggest you be more honest with yourself, first.