Swiffie is fondly remembered for his roles in the childrens' books "Swiffie's Upriver Chopper Drop," "Swiffie Meets Bob Hope," and the holiday classic "The Bestest Tet Ever." After the war, he generally steered clear of politics, famously saying to Dick Cavett in a 1974 interview, "if you lean too far left or right, you're bound to capsize."

GOP Slimesters Derrick the Rig and Karl the Pig

However, the 39-year-old inboard feels compelled to break his silence and speak up for his captain. "This is a concerted smear campaign," he says, referring to accusations from the Democrats that the infamous SwiftVet ads were orchestrated by GOP Political Advisor Karl the Pig, and funded by high-profile Bush fundraiser, Derrick the Rig.

"Sometimes you have to say 'I think I can' when faced with adversity," said Swiffie. "I didn't back down when Tonkin Tugboat challenged me to a race up the Mekong, and dammit, I'm going to speak my mind now."

No Republicans were willing to comment on the boat's entry into the political firestorm. When asked about the president's reluctance to disavow the SwiftVet ad, Pedro the Texas F-16 only said, "Never met the man."