swiftboat

Etymology

 * Possibly,, or possibly based on an acronym for Shallow Water Inshore Fast Tactical Craft.

The use as a political term derives from a smear campaign against John Kerry when Texas tycoon Robert J. Perry hired several Navy swiftboat veterans to form the group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, which questioned the legitimacy of Kerry's status as a war hero.

Noun

 * 1) A type of gunboat used by the United States military on inland waterways.
 * 2)  A smear campaign based on specious claims.
 * 1)  A smear campaign based on specious claims.
 * 1)  A smear campaign based on specious claims.
 * 1)  A smear campaign based on specious claims.
 * 1)  A smear campaign based on specious claims.

Verb

 * 1)  To attack a politician with specious claims.
 * 2)  To smear; to attack someone or something's reputation using slander, misrepresentation, or false accusations.
 * 1)  To smear; to attack someone or something's reputation using slander, misrepresentation, or false accusations.

Usage notes

 * As the term's non-political origin is still widely recognized, some refrain from using it as a verb in a political context out of respect for veterans not associated with the political group.