5, 2004 letter to Judicial Watch, Secretary England deferred to the Navy Inspector General's authority as the investigating officer, and declined to initiate a separate review. On October 12, 2004, Judicial Watch released a press release critical of the Navy's decision that no further investigation or review would take place. "Swiftboating" Since the 2004 election, the term "swiftboating" (or "swift boating") has become a common expression for a campaign attacking opponents by questioning their credibility and patriotism in a dishonest manner. The term is most often used with the pejorative meaning of a smear campaign. See also Swift Boat challenge George W. Bush military service controversy Further reading George N. Dionisopoulos (2009) Incident on the Bay Hap River and the Guns of August: The “Swift Boat Drama” and Counter-Narrative in the 2004 Election, Communication Quarterly, 57:4, 487-511. G. Mitchell Reyes. 2006. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, the Politics of Realism, and the Manipulation of Vietnam Remembrance in the 2004 Presidential Election. Rhetoric & Public Affairs 9:4, 571-600. References External links "Military Records of Lieutenant (Junior Grade) John F. Kerry for U.S. Navy Military Service During The Vietnam War, 1968–1969" Findlaw, links to many documents released by Kerry campaign military service controversy 2004 United States presidential election Military controversies