What MEM is saying is this:

Murtha and Kerry's opinions count...because they are vets.

So you would think that any vet's opinion would count equally under that logic.

However,MEM seems to be saying, as soon as one of those vets disagrees with Murtha, Kerry or any other anti-war vet, that vet's opinion is a "smear" and doesnt count.

In other words, the opinions that count are the ones that agree with the democratic leadership.