Swift Boat Veterans and media bias

Deborah Orin has a good article in today's New York Post on the Christmas in Cambodia story. Here is her closing paragraphs:

Their online dialogue is punctuated with questions about why the "mainstream media" have been mostly ignoring this story — and why the 13 pro-Kerry vets are automatically assumed to have more credibility than 264 anti-Kerry vets. Just imagine the coverage if 264 vets who served with Bush in the Texas Air National Guard made similar charges. For those bloggers, this story has become a test of the mainstream media's credibility — and its liberal anti-Bush bias.

Now I know the blogosphere is beating to death the media bias thing, and I doubt that I have anything of substance to add, but it is disturbing. The Bush AWOL story was based pretty much on the memory of one guy, who did not remember Bush being in Alabama. The Swift Boat Vets in contrast have many witnesses who claim first-hand knowledge. Equally important is that President Bush as acknowledged that he wasn't the greatest example when he was younger. His story's central theme is someone who found God and changed his life. Kerry, in contrast, claims that he is still the person he was then. Both his heroism in Vietnam and his anti-war activities after are integral parts of his political persona. To me, that means that Vietnam era events of Kerry's life have more signifigance than Vietnam era events of Bush's life.