Go with the Snopes version.

I saw the debate between John Kerry and John O'Neill on the Dick Cavett show back in 1971 and I saw a rebroadcast of it just recently. The young John Kerry was eloquent and articulate, he spoke of specific incidents, and he had facts and figures to back up what he said. John O'Neill was not stupid, but he was a fount of T-shirt messages and bumper-stickers. The debate with Kerry allowed O'Neill to demonstrate what a flag-waving Super-Patriot ass he was. And apparently still is. O'Neill has held that grudge for thirty-three years, and now he's taking this opportunity to take pot-shots at Kerry. Like a Chihuahua yapping at a lion.

This sort of crapola was to be expected.

Don Firth