Kerry Says (President) Bush's 'Home Base' Is Terror Issue

Yahoo! News ^ | 4/15/04 | John Whitesides - Reuters

[NormsRevenge]

NEW YORK (Reuters) -

Democratic White House challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) accused President Bush (news - web sites) on Thursday of manipulating fears about security and terror for political gain and said he would launch a new ad blitz to introduce himself to voters.

At a morning fund-raiser for the Democratic National Committee (news - web sites), Kerry said "on a fair playing field in this race we're going to win" and Republicans were in trouble if he raised enough money to counter ads defining him as a waffling, tax-and-spend liberal.

Kerry, who is running even with or leading Bush in most polls seven months before the November election, said the president wanted to turn the political debate to issues of terror and security in hopes of gaining political advantage.

"Home base for George Bush, as we saw to the nth degree in the press conference, is terror. Ask him a question, he's going to terror," Kerry said, referring to Bush's prime-time news conference on Tuesday.

"Everything he did in Iraq (news - web sites) he's going to try to persuade people has to do with terror even though everybody here knows it had nothing whatsoever to do with al Qaeda and everything to do with an agenda that they had preset," he told the breakfast crowd at New York's "21" restaurant.

"Part of my task obviously is to convince America -- we don't have to beat him on it -- but we have to convince America of my ability to be able to manage that as effectively or more effectively if possible, and I think we can," the Massachusetts senator said.

Kerry, who has been the target of tens of millions of dollars of negative ads from Bush, said he planned to launch a "positive, affirmative advertising campaign" in the next few days to introduce himself to voters.

"A lot of people still don't know who I am," he said. "The level of communication we still need to undertake here is enormous."

The Bush campaign launched a new ad on Thursday attacking Kerry's voting record on funding for the war in Iraq. "John Kerry: Wrong on defense," the ad concludes.

SEES "SILVER LINING"

Kerry said the "silver lining" in the campaign of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean (news - web sites) was that Dean's decision to reject public financing and its accompanying spending limits forced Kerry to do the same to keep up.

That decision freed him to raise and spend the money necessary to introduce himself to voters and fight back against Republican attacks, he said.

"What the Republicans were counting on was a nominee they could easily define and be alone in the marketplace," he said.

"If we fight on a fair playing field in this race we're going to win. They know that all things being equal they're in trouble."

Kerry, in the midst of a 20-city fund-raising tour to try to erase some of Bush's financial advantage, pulled in $6.5 million on Wednesday night in New York and $2.4 million for the DNC at the breakfast.

Kerry planned to meet later in Washington with Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the archbishop of Washington who heads a panel studying how to handle politicians with views that diverge from Catholic doctrine.

As the first Catholic at the top of a major party ticket since John F. Kennedy in 1960, Kerry's support for abortion rights has led some in the church hierarchy to say they would deny him Communion.

Archbishop Raymond Burke of St. Louis advised Kerry not to "present himself for Communion" at any church in the city. A few other bishops have issued similar warnings, but Kerry has taken Communion at several Catholic churches in recent weeks including one in Boston on Easter.

McCarrick has said Kerry should follow church teachings but he would not want to use Communion as part of any sanctions on a politician.

[Semper Paratus]

Kerry tried tacking to the economy but didn't pick any wind up there so is now tacking over to the WOT in the hope of finding a breeze, then back to the economy then--.

[TomGuy]

a new ad blitz to introduce himself to voters

Does this mean he is re-inventing himself? How many times did Al Gore try that?

All said, Kerry is still a flipflopper who would give our sovereignty over to the UN and our national security to NATO.

[dirtboy]

Democratic White House challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) accused President Bush (news - web sites) on Thursday of manipulating fears about security and terror for political gain

Yep, and making factual refutations of Dem smears is "unleashing Republican attack dogs." Lucky for us, Kerry and his minions don't realize yet how stupid he sounds.

[miloklancy]

Which John Kerry, will the defacto presidential nominee for the Dems, introduce us to? Kerry's biggest challenge is to explain his waffling record in the Senate.

[Mo1]

"Everything he did in Iraq (news - web sites) he's going to try to persuade people has to do with terror even though everybody here knows it had nothing whatsoever to do with al Qaeda and everything to do with an agenda that they had preset," he told the breakfast crowd at New York's "21" restaurant.

Gee John .. are your worried that the connection will be made???

[sarasota]

Introducing himself? Haven't we heard enough of his introductions already? All this means is that he's finally getting the message that he's become irrelevant. Just like the party he represents.

[SkyPilot]

"Everything he did in Iraq (news - web sites) he's going to try to persuade people has to do with terror even though everybody here knows it had nothing whatsoever to do with al Qaeda

and everything to do with....errr.....I mean, they told me, "You've got to win this! You've got to beat this guy. We need a new policy!"

[thoughtomator]

"A lot of people still don't know who I am," he [Kerry] said. "The level of communication we still need to undertake here is enormous."

The level of BS he will need to undertake, he means.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" Everything he did in Iraq he's going to try to persuade people has to do with terror even though everybody here knows it had nothing whatsoever to do with al Qaeda and everything to do with an agenda that they had preset,"

When Kerry looks at sub humans dancing and celebrating around the charred bodies of US contractors....
Kerry sees good people. He doesn't see terrorists.

When Kerry saw Saturday's New York Times front page with the smiling Fallujan dancing and holding high the combat boots of a dead Marine....
Kerry didn't see a terrorist, he saw a shoe salesman.

When Kerry sees the pictures of US soldiers in their flag draped coffins....
He smiles. It's a photo op.And a fund raising opportunity.

Kerry does not think the Satan wannabes killing our troops are terrorists.
Kerry doesn't understand that each and every one of them would gladly take flying lessons.
Each and every one of them would gladly slit the throat of all Americans.

When Kerry does not acknowledge that our troops are dying at the hands of terrorists...
he is blaming our soldiers for their own deaths.

I am outraged that Kerry defends and relabels terrorists as patriots.
When will the RNC and President Bush publicly share my outrage ??

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Democratic White House challenger John Kerry ... said he would launch a new ad blitz to introduce himself to voters.

"You rang?"

[BlessedByLiberty]

Great Kerry campaign timing. OBL tape saying that Europe must pull out to get a terrorist truce and Kerry reminds Americans that he said terrorism is exaggerated.

[Bronco_Buster_FweetHyagh]

Everything he did in Iraq (news - web sites) he's going to try to persuade people has to do with terror even though everybody here knows it had nothing whatsoever to do with al Qaeda

Who said that terrorism was limited to Al Qaeda?

[Badeye]

"A lot of people still don't know who I am," he (Kerry) said."

This is one of those quotes that will go down in history along with "The Titanic is unsinkable!" "Peace in our time" and of course "I did not sleep with that woman.......Ms Lewinsky".

Senator Kerry, you've held office for two decades, you've cast thousands of votes. You held positions on the wrong side of every major issue for the past twenty years.

We KNOW EXACTLY Who, or more accurately, WHAT YOU ARE.

Unacceptable in the best of times, unbelievably unqualified in times such as these.

[Smartass]

[AmericanMade1776]

John Kerry has to be one of the worst campaigners I have ever seen, to continue to use the fight on Terrorism as a partisan issue.

John Kerry Probably did not put too much time or thought into his remarks, and is really thinking about his vacation in a few weeks in Colorado.

[ladyinred]

Democratic White House challenger John Kerry (news - web sites) accused President Bush (news - web sites) on Thursday of manipulating fears about security and terror for political gain

What an idiot! Of course security is a concern for all of us, no one has to manipulate us. If anyone is trying to use the war for political gain, it is his own party.

[Cobra64]

"and said he would launch a new ad blitz to introduce himself to voters....A lot of people still don't know who I am," he said.

Why's that, you moron? Series, this guy is so out of touch it's beyond belief.

[ApesForEvolution]

No comment...

[MEGoody]

"on a fair playing field in this race we're going to win"

A fair playing field?

Does this mean the Dems 'shadow groups' (e.g. MoveOn.org) are not going to air any more dishonest advertisements?

Does this mean no more dead people will be voting for Dem candidates?

Does this mean actually counting all the votes, and not just votes in selected counties in ways pre-determined to favor the Dem candidates?

Does this mean no more whining in an attempt to keep polls open later in heavily Democratic districts?

That would be refreshing, indeed. I hope Kerry does everything he can to rid this campaign of the Dems unfair tactics.