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Dems fret over Kerry's 'Clintonian' response
WorldNet Daily ^
| Feb 13 2004
Posted on 02/13/2004 6:38:53 PM PST by new cruelty
Top Republican and Democrat strategists are curious about Sen. John Kerry's choice of words to radio mega-host Don Imus concerning rumors burning up the Internet and newsrooms about a possible extramarital affair with a young woman.
Painfully similar to former President Bill Clinton's careful parsing of words, Kerry told Imus in a morning interview yesterday the following when asked about an item first revealed in print by Internet guru Matt Drudge:
"Well, there is nothing to report," Kerry told Imus. "So there is nothing to talk about. I'm not worried about it. No."
The failure to issue a flat-out denial that he had an extramarital affair or relationship "is very Clintonian," a top Democratic aide told Insight Online. "It's worrying."
A senior White House aide declined to speak directly on the issue but when pressed, smiled and said: "It was an interesting choice of words."
News organizations have not been able to get responses from Kerry or his campaign on what the senator actually meant with the three-part response to Imus.
Democratic strategists in Washington are worried in private because Kerry lately has been fairly black and white in his answers on important issues. "Why didn't he just say the rumors are false?"
Clinton, when confronted with rumors about Monica Lewinsky, told reporters early on in the scandal that "I've had no sexual relations with that woman. Miss Lewinsky."
The use of a term of art, sexual relations, was subsequently revealed to be a coy way to deflect questions swirling around the former president.
In fact, Clinton had engaged in sexual contact of another nature with the former White House intern as was subsequently revealed.
"Kerry needs to come clean and be absolutely clear about this rumor and other ones now starting to surface," a Senate source close to Kerry told Insight Online. "We need to know flat out if he's [fooled] around with women besides his wife."
Democrats still feel the sting of Clinton's sexual escapade and lying about it and worry that failure to fully dispel rumors involving Kerry will open old wounds and let out steam from the front runner for the party thus far.
"People's memories are not that short to forget the national embarassment Clinton caused and compounded with lies," a top GOP strategist said. "We don't want to touch this one with a ten foot pole but it'll be interesting to see if the press pursues this further."
Thus far, however, Kerry's carefully worded response seems to have quelled immediate press questions about the rumored affair though parents of the former intern have stated they think Kerry's character is less than desirable.
"This is a touchy subject because of Bill Clinton and it needs to be killed right away," the Senate source close to Kerry said. "His answers on the Imus show were less than forthcoming."
Meanwhile, reports that several news organizations are pursuing the alleged fling, and other sexual relations outside of his two marriages are being pursued.
TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2004; bimboeruption; charlatan; denial; fraud; hypocrisy; imus; kerry; liar; longface; mediablackout
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To: new cruelty
Kerry is just waiting to see what evidence comes out, and to see what the gal will say. That is a bad strategy, if it turns out the gal turns on him, or there is evidence, in fact a near disastrous one. But if neither happens, then he is better off stonewalling than coming clean, assuming there was an untoward relationship. His non denial deflection suggests that they probably was one though. Oh, the tangled webs we weave, intending to deceive.
41
posted on
02/13/2004 7:44:35 PM PST
by
Torie
To: Capt. Tom
That's good, but you gotta get "working families" in there somehow. I'm sure all of this hurts them, too.
42
posted on
02/13/2004 7:44:58 PM PST
by
randog
(Everything works great 'til the current flows.)
To: perfect stranger
Aaron and CNN were made for each other. Brown is the Hans Blix of CNN: Hear no evil about Dems, see no evil about Dems, speak no evil about Dems.
43
posted on
02/13/2004 7:46:58 PM PST
by
mewzilla
To: new cruelty; Feckless
The media is keeping this well under wraps. I made it a point to ask everyone I ran into today about the Kerry story. Not a single person had heard the story. If I didn't live here on the net with you folks, I would have missed it in the lamestream press.
Obviously something odd has happened in that the girls parents have called Kerry a "sleazebag". I would imagine the young woman, if cornered, will deny it. Who would want the Democrat "sluts and nuts" crew to come after them???
44
posted on
02/13/2004 7:47:05 PM PST
by
Lawgvr1955
(Sic Semper Tyrannus)
To: Lawgvr1955
Cheer up. Kerry twisting, twisting, slowly in the wind is grand. There is no reason to rush things. None at all. In the end, it will all come out, one way or the other.
45
posted on
02/13/2004 7:50:06 PM PST
by
Torie
To: mewzilla
46
posted on
02/13/2004 7:50:56 PM PST
by
perfect stranger
("Don't shoot – I'm Che! I'm worth more to you alive than dead!" Che Guevara October 1967)
To: new cruelty
The failure to issue a flat-out denial that he had an extramarital affair or relationship "is very Clintonian," The failure to do so? On the contrary, the Clintonian thing to do would be to issue a flat-out denial while wagging ones finger (and the dog): "I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky."
47
posted on
02/13/2004 7:53:44 PM PST
by
Mr. Mojo
To: Lawgvr1955
I've asked a bunch of people about it too. Most haven't heard a word.
They think this is some kind of super inside information I'm giving them...when actually, I'm just a FReeper!
;-)
48
posted on
02/13/2004 7:55:37 PM PST
by
EternalVigilance
(An income tax is like a cowpie...Flatten it, and it's still a cowpie...)
To: Mr. Mojo
From the article:
...though parents of the former intern have stated they think Kerry's character is less than desirable.
Disgusting way to translate 'sleazebag'.
49
posted on
02/13/2004 7:57:32 PM PST
by
EternalVigilance
(An income tax is like a cowpie...Flatten it, and it's still a cowpie...)
To: EternalVigilance
Rest assured the translation would've been deadly accurate had this story been about a Pubbie.
50
posted on
02/13/2004 8:01:04 PM PST
by
Mr. Mojo
To: Swanks
At first, Dick Morris' prediction seemed fantastic; now it is looking much more credible.
51
posted on
02/13/2004 8:01:24 PM PST
by
AmericanVictory
(Should we be more like them, or they like us?)
To: new cruelty
choice of words to radio mega-host Don Imus concerning
Mega-Host???... I truly doubt that
52
posted on
02/13/2004 8:01:48 PM PST
by
GeronL
(www.ArmorforCongress.com ............... Support a FReeper for Congress)
To: randog
That's good, but you gotta get "working families" in there somehow. I'm sure all of this hurts them, too.Yes, you would expect a better response if Kerry was in the clear. Time makes all things clear. - Tom
53
posted on
02/13/2004 8:02:33 PM PST
by
Capt. Tom
(Don't confuse the Bushies with the dumb republicans. - Capt. Tom)
To: Mr. Mojo
Yeah, the sleazebags...
54
posted on
02/13/2004 8:04:38 PM PST
by
EternalVigilance
(An income tax is like a cowpie...Flatten it, and it's still a cowpie...)
To: dead; new cruelty
Imus wasn't exactly on Kerry's Christmas card mailing list back in 1996 after the Whitehouse Correspondent's Dinner.(Some of the greatest television I have every seen by the way).While he was busy "burning" Clinton, et.al in their very presence, he did thrust a barb at Kerry, comparing him to O.J. Simpson.
Imus: But back to Senator Kerry. I also now recognize that it was irresponsible to suggest that he was a suspect in his own wife's unfortunate mugging. If the authorities thought it made sense that a senator from Massachusetts would be in Puerto Rico on a fund raising mission during the time of family crisis, it should have made sense to me as well. However, when I initially thought about it, it seemed only slightly more plausible than chipping golf balls at ten o'clock at night. But the senator and I are past that and in fact it has drawn us closer.
55
posted on
02/13/2004 8:08:43 PM PST
by
Lawgvr1955
(Sic Semper Tyrannus)
To: EternalVigilance
They think this is some kind of super inside information I'm giving them...when actually, I'm just a FReeper!Because the press isn't giving it any play I would say your friends are correct to consider what you tell them as "insider information".
56
posted on
02/13/2004 8:12:34 PM PST
by
Lawgvr1955
(Sic Semper Tyrannus)
To: Torie
In the end, it will all come out, one way or the other.I do not share your "faith" in the journalism profession. Apparently this story is not new, has been shopped around by Chris Lehane and is supposedly the worst kept secret in Washington. Yet it is news to us in fly over country.
57
posted on
02/13/2004 8:16:57 PM PST
by
Lawgvr1955
(Sic Semper Tyrannus)
To: camas
You got it !!
58
posted on
02/13/2004 8:17:16 PM PST
by
glf
To: Lawgvr1955
I think it's funny that LeHane can't get his lackeys in the press to go with his story. Looks like they've turned on him.
To: dead
I've never understood why that blowhard is popular.
60
posted on
02/13/2004 8:22:48 PM PST
by
maro
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