John Swift

Last Sunday, the Los Angeles Times reported that John Kerry was readying a response to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the group who's attack ads against his presidential campaign were so vicious and damaging that "swift boat" is now a verb. Kerry did nothing at the time, but years later is rising to defend himself.

One of the groups financiers, a Texas oilman aptly named T. Boone Pickens, recently offered a million dollars to anyone who can disprove a single allegation of the group.

"I welcome the opportunity to prove that you are a man of your word and that the so-called 'Swift Boat Veterans for Truth' lied," Kerry wrote to Pickens. "While I am prepared to show they lied on allegation after allegation, you have generously offered to pay one million dollars for just one thing that can be proven false. I am prepared to prove the lie beyond any reasonable doubt."

If only Kerry would have responded this strongly the day after their first ad appeared he may be in the White House. Which has higher stakes: A million dollar challenge from T. Boone or the Presidency of the United States?