[mwl1]

I have a slightly different take on all of this -- the Kerry goal of this latest flap is to retreat to the "He's attacking my patriotim" lie to blunt the attacks of the new Bush commercials on weapons and defense.

[BlessedByLiberty]

That would work if he had the finesse to pull it off. That's the problem with JFK-wannabe, he lacks, charisma, charm and finesse. He does not have the ability to lie like Clinton and he certainly does not have the honesty or everyman appeal of President Bush.

Gore is an empty suit. Kerry comes across as someone who is a stand-in in his own life; no conviction, no trait that comes across as personable. His is a wannabe persona: wannabe JFK, wannabe rich (marries to achieve it), wannabe intellectual, wannabe hipster manifests itself in many ways with him: antiwar, environmentalist, abortion rights, all of the trendy cool causes. No matter what he champions,he still comes across as a pretentious overgrown wannabe.