Blowback (or "blow back")

[Bapopik at AOL.COM]

"Blowback" is being used to describe the Kerry response to the Swift Boat 
Veterans.
  
OED has "blowback" in the literal sense. HDAS has it meaning to return, or 
kick back.
  
But here it's used in a mud-slinging context that I really don't see defined 
by OED and HDAS.
  
I mentioned "blowback" here in October 2001, but its use today (about Vietnam 
charges) means we could be seeing much more of it.
  
    
(OED)
 blow-back, the act or process of blowing back; spec. (a) the back-pressure 
in a boiler or internal-combustion engine; (b) in fire-arms (cf. BLOW v.1 24e);
  
1883 J. D. FULTON Sam Hobart 224 The flames originated from the ‘*blow back’ 
on the engine. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 13 July 7/2 Foul barrels were the cause of 
ineffectual shots and ‘blow-back’ caps. 1905 Kynoch Jrnl. Jan.-Mar. 10 The 
cracks..will at once develop into fissures when the cartridge is fired, cause ‘
blow-backs’, and seriously reduce the velocity of the projectile. 1929 Evening 
News 18 Nov. 14/3 He received his injuries as the result of a blow-back in one 
of the boilers when pulverised fuel was being lit. 1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 
98/2 Blow back, the return, at low speeds, of some of the induced mixture 
through the carburettor of a petrol-engine; due to late closing of the inlet 
valve during compression.
    
  
(GOOGLE NEWS) ("blowback")
Kerry campaign attacks President over 'war honour he did not earn'
Telegraph.co.uk, UK - 43 minutes ago
Supporters of Senator John Kerry yesterday warned of "blowback" against 
President George W Bush for the political "attack ads" by the Swift Boat Veterans 
for ... 
NOT SO SWIFT LA City Beat
    
Being Pro-War Is Not Necessarily Patriotic
Collective Bellaciao, France - Aug 25, 2004
... And blowback from foreign meddling-for example, the September 11 
terrorist attacks-has demonstrated that the dangers of such a policy have increased 
...
  
The American Blowback
American Daily, OH - Aug 6, 2004
... I call this phenomenon "American Blowback." That would be a paraphrase of 
the firestorm of Anti-Americanism that would be unleashed on us if we dared 
defend ... 

Watergate Blowback
Reason Online - Aug 12, 2004
In November 1974, a reform-hungry Capitol Hill gave the newly sworn-in 
President Gerald Ford one of his first real challenges. Congress ... 

As crimebuster, racial healer, Bratton struggles to reform LAPD
San Diego Union Tribune, CA - 7 hours ago
... Despite blowback from the officers union, he quickly decided to eliminate 
the heavy metal flashlights like the one used in the June 23 beating. ... 

Gregoire's all-white college sorority erupts as campaign fodder
kgw.com (subscription), OR - 3 hours ago
... By the end of the day, Sims' campaign manager, Tim Hatley, was worried 
about "blowback," or damage to the campaign, if people felt Sims indeed was 
behind a ... 

Martyrdom or Victory for Muqtada
Axis of Logic, United States - Aug 25, 2004
... Chalmers Johnson, the author of Blowback and The Sorrows of Empire, would 
qualify the whole process as - what else - blowback: if Bremer and the CPA 
had not ... 
 
Taking blame not Giambra's strong point
Buffalo News, NY - Aug 27, 2004
... Last year, Giambra made a remark associating black kids with bad 
behavior. Instead of backing off when the blowback began, Giambra dug in. ... 

Rebuilding America: Foreign Policy
Future of Freedom Foundation, United States - Aug 25, 2004
... Another fine book by Chalmers Johnson, Blowback: The Costs and 
Consequences of American Empire, which was written just before the September 11 attacks, 
sets ... 

Being Pro-War Is Not Necessarily Patriotic
Media Monitors Network - Aug 24, 2004
... States quietly abandoned its interventionist foreign policy, it would 
greatly reduce the worldwide anti-US hatred and the resultant blowback terrorist 
attacks ... 



  
(GOOGLE NEWS) ("blow back")  
Almost Famous
Slate - Aug 27, 2004
... Worse, if one of these characters does something embarrassing, or 
illegal, or both—and come on, it's not entirely unlikely—it will blow back on the 
nominee ... 

WASHINGTON, Aug. 24 /US Newswire/ -- Following is a fact sheet ...
U.S. Newswire (press release), DC - Aug 24, 2004
... to disavow it. Bush should. Mud is adhesive, all right, but those who 
launch smears must beware the blow-back. Anyone who stands ...