Last week, Dallas oilman T. Boone Pickens was in Washington, serving as chairman of a 40th anniversary shindig for The American Spectator. On November 6, Pickens apparently said he'd give $1 million to anyone who could disprove a single one of the allegations made by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth concerning Sen. John Kerry's military career.

To which Kerry says in a letter sent to Pickens' local address and released to the Associated Press today, Yeah, I can do that -- happy to. And he'd like Pickens to make out the check to the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Writes Kerry, "I would be more than happy to travel to Dallas to meet with you in a mutually agreed upon public forum, or would invite you to join me in Massachusetts for a public dialogue and then together we could visit the Paralyzed Veterans of America in Norwood and see firsthand how we can put your money to good work for our veterans." It is on. Little late ... --Robert Wilonsky

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