Kerry Urges (President) Bush to Be Bold, Honest on Iraq

Yahoo! News ^ | 4/8/04 | Patricia Wilson - Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

MILWAUKEE (Reuters) -

Democratic challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) called on Thursday for humility and common sense on Iraq (news - web sites) and urged President Bush (news - web sites) to make a bold and honest appeal for help to end the chaos.

Fierce fighting not seen since the fall of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) a year ago has raged in Iraq over the past week, as U.S. forces battle both Sunni and Shi'ite militants. At least three dozen American soldiers have been killed since last weekend.

Kerry, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war, told a town hall meeting in Milwaukee on his economic agenda that he had just seen powerful television images of bloodied American Marines in Iraq scrambling out of their ruined tank.

"It would be inappropriate for me to come here and not say something about what is happening in Iraq and what it means to all of us," he said. "We come here first and foremost to say to our troops how proud we are of them ... even as they carry out a difficult task and a difficult policy."

"I hope common sense and humility will begin to emerge in the approach of our nation and our policy, so we do not see month after month of these images."

The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, who is trying to walk a fine line between supporting U.S. troops and criticizing Bush, said Americans had a right to know why the United States was fighting a war virtually alone, bearing both the casualties and the costs.

Kerry also took a shot at Bush, who is at his Texas ranch, for being out of touch. He said the U.S. president's role was to maximize the ability to succeed and to minimize the cost to the American people both financially and in lives.

On Wednesday, Kerry called the situation in Iraq one of the greatest failures of diplomacy and judgment he had ever seen.

"So, once again I say that we ought to be engaged in a bold, clear, startlingly honest appeal to the world to see their interests and we should be engaged in the diplomacy that is required to share...the decision-making and the responsibility," he said.

The Massachusetts senator, who has suggested that Bush's choice of June 30 to hand over power to Iraqis was politically motivated by the Nov. 2 election, challenged the president to explain "who are we turning power over to on 30th of June? What will we be protecting on the 30th of June?"

Democrats and even a few of Bush's Republican allies have called for the date to be pushed back. Kerry said the measure ought to be stability in Iraq.

Kerry, who has vowed to work through the United Nations (news - web sites) to stabilize and reconstruct Iraq, also urged Arabs and Europeans to recognize their own interests in the region.

"There's no Arab country that's advanced by a failed Iraq," he said. "No European country is made safer by a failed Iraq, yet those countries are distinctly absent from the risk bearing."

Kerry, who recently took some political heat for spending a week vacationing in Idaho and four days off the campaign trail recuperating from shoulder surgery, turned the tables on Bush.

"I noticed President Bush is taking some days off down in Crawford, Texas," Kerry said. "I'm told when he takes days off that he totally relaxes. He doesn't watch television. He doesn't read the newspapers. He doesn't make long-term plans. He doesn't worry about the economy."

"I thought about that for a moment and I said sounds to me like it's just like life in Washington."

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic Presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) (D-Mass.) speaks at a town hall meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin April 8, 2004. Kerry called for humility and common sense on Iraq (news - web sites) and urged President W. Bush to make a bold and honest appeal for help to end the chaos. (Allen Fredrickson/Reuters)

[counterpunch]

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[Pukin Dog]

This from a jerk who cant be bold and honest about Botox.

[AfghanIraqVeteran]

Kerry's a freakin' idiot. He's got some balls saying such a thing!...Mr. I voted for it before I voted against it!
Yeah. You show everyone how to take a stand on an issue Mr. Kerry. Freakin' Fish.

[NormsRevenge]

No Effin Flags anywhere to be seen.

A banner w/ "A Stronger America" at a rally for a guy who undercut military weapons programs for our troops.

Oh, I guess he voted against them before he voted them.

[gramho12]

I thought Clinton was bad, but Kerry beats him on the Barf-o-meter. I absolutely abhor this elitist phony.

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic presidential candidate, Senator John Kerry (news - web sites) (D-MA), talks during a town hall meeting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin April 8, 2004. Kerry called Thursday for humility and common sense on Iraq (news - web sites) and urged U.S. President George W. Bush (news - web sites) to make a bold and honest appeal for help to end the chaos. REUTERS/Allen Fredrickson US ELECTION

[wagglebee]

Kerry, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war, told a town hall meeting in Milwaukee on his economic agenda that he had just seen powerful television images of bloodied American Marines in Iraq scrambling out of their ruined tank. Gag.

Bush needs to remind the Iraqi insurgents what the MOAB bomb is. And maybe John F'ing Kerry can explain how you can get 3 Purple Hearts in 3 months, maybe it was gigolo duty with the locals.

[Shermy]

"So, once again I say that we ought to be engaged in a bold, clear, startlingly honest appeal to the world to see their interests and we should be engaged in the diplomacy that is required to share...the decision-making and the responsibility," he said.

Kerry's no dummy. He knows the "world", ie, France in Germany, is interested in money and oil rights. That's his kind of diplomacy - bribe France.

[antivenom]

Kerry's WHOLE career is based upon attacking other people's

• Ideas
• Convictions
• Decisions
• Honesty
• Morality
• Voting record
• Lifestyle
• add to the list...

Quite simply Kerry has never had a conviction (moral or spiritual) or a creative idea, he has nothing fresh to offer...he thinks his role in life is to tear others down...he is a leech that rides a host until he zaps the host of all that it has to offer...

[tbpiper]

Kerry called on Thursday for humility and common sense on Iraq (news - web sites) and urged President Bush (news - web sites) to make a bold and honest appeal for help to end the chaos.

This is what a president Kerry would do, make 'bold and honest' appeal for help. To whom, for cryin' out loud, the UN? the french? Katie Couric?

[MNJohnnie]

"So, once again I say that we ought to be engaged in a bold, clear, startlingly honest appeal to the world to see their interests and we should be engaged in the diplomacy that is required to share...the decision-making and the responsibility," he said.

Wonder why Sen Kerry does come out and say what he REALLY means by this statement.

Translation from Kerry Speak

"Hey Bush Man, Bail on Iraq. Turn it over to the UN. They did such a bang up job in Kosovo and with the Oil for Food Program, let them deal with this."

For someone who is always whining about "Bush's arrogant foreign policy" Kerry's daily sneers at the 60 nations with people on the ground in Iraq seem out of touch with reality.

[b4its2late]

Honest? He wants honest?

What an a-hole.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

The Ukrainians, the Brits, the Italians, the Poles, the Aussies and the Spaniards have been involved in the fighting and the dying.
Or as Kerry calls them- "The Window Washer Countries. "

Kerry believes that if only his beloved French were involved,the terrorists would lie down and make nice.

Senator Spring Break should stick to what he knows best- conning rich old ladies and tanning booths.

[fiftymegaton]

"I hope common sense and humility will begin to emerge in the approach of our nation and our policy, so we do not see month after month of these images." John Kerry would instead like to see these kinds of images month after month.(hope the pic works)

[sport]

I doubt kerry knows the meaning of bold.

I know for a fact that he does not the meaning of honest.

This is for john kerry's eyes only: President Bush has always been and always be bold and honest.

[fiftymegaton]

[CasearianDaoist]

What I do not get about this pitch is just who is he selling it too? I do not see this multilateral business as an issue for anyone but that hard loony left in the party and the establishment center leftists of the CFR sort. Those should all be on board now. Why preach to the choir in a week like this? Most American have come to loathe the Euros, even "moderate" Dems I meet in NYC. I see no broader constituency for this line outside of the usual suspects.

And the situation in Iraq at the moment could end up to be a big win for Bush if this really turns out to be the last stand of the opposition - a decisive and defining stand here could control the entire shape of the war in Iraq and the larger WOT. Add to that the fact that our allies are in the mix over there and the whole posture seems bizarre.

Why go out on a limb? Why preach to the converted? Why appeal to the EU?

Am I missing something here?

[Blzbba]

"I thought Clinton was bad, but Kerry beats him on the Barf-o-meter. I absolutely abhor this elitist phony."


Hmmm...Kerry hasn't screwed up this country enough to warrant the disgust that Clinton deserves, but I respect your opinion.

However, (because I totally agree and like your 'elitist phony' comment), do you think Kerry is worse than elitist phony (lying, hypocrite) GORE?

I'm thinking solely in terms of who's the bigger total phony hypocrite POS. For me, it's Al Gore.