The Boston Fog Report: Kerry is Foragainst Preemptive Action Against Threats to America

George W. Bush ^ | July 17, 2004

[RWR8189]

The Boston Fog Report
An ongoing examination of John Kerry’s “nuances and shades of gray in both foreign and domestic policy.” (Editorial, “A Primary Endorsement,” The New York Times, 2/26/04)

for·a·gainst adverb.

1. To be both for and against something at the same time: e.g. “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it.” (Glen Johnson, “Kerry Blasts Bush On Protecting Troops,” The Boston Globe, 3/17/04)

"We welcome John Kerry's newfound support of the Bush Doctrine, a measure designed to protect Americans from threats abroad by confronting dangerous terrorists where they live and train before they attack the United States. We expect John Kerry to continue to move toward President Bush's policies and priorities as he undergoes an extreme makeover of his out of the mainstream positions just in time for the Democratic convention."

-Steve Schmidt, Bush-Cheney '04 Spokesman

KERRY IS FORAGAINST PREEMPTIVE ACTION AGAINST THREATS TO AMERICA

Kerry Announces His Support For Preemption

Kerry Says He Would Launch Preemptive Strikes Against Terrorists. "Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said Friday he would be willing to launch a pre-emptive strike against terrorists if he had adequate intelligence of a threat. Kerry offered some support for one of the most controversial aspects of President Bush's national security policy, even as he criticized the president for not reforming intelligence agencies after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 'Am I prepared as president to go get them before they get us if we locate them and have the sufficient intelligence? You bet I am,' he said at a news conference at his Washington headquarters." (Ken Guggenheim, "Kerry Offers Support For Pre-Emptive Strikes Against Terrorists," The Associated Press, 7/16/04)

But Kerry Has Criticized Preemption Throughout The Campaign

In 2003 Boston Globe Guest Commentary, Kerry Denounced "The Threat Of Military Preemption Against Terrorist Organizations." "It is troubling that this administration's approach to the menace of loose nuclear materials is long on rhetoric but short on execution. It relies unwisely on the threat of military preemption against terrorist organizations, which can be defeated if they are found but will not be deterred by our military might." (John Kerry, Op-Ed, "Moscow Treaty Is Full Of Holes, The Boston Globe, 3/5/03)

Kerry Said Preemptive Doctrine Invites Other Countries To Do Opposite Of What We "Want Them To Do." "[A]s long as this administration leaves a preemptive doctrine on the table, as long as our administration is proceeding down the road to develop nuclear bunker-busting weapons, and as long as we remain a country that will conduct a preemptive war, we're inviting people to do the very thing that we don't want them to do." (Sen. John Kerry, CNN's Democrat Candidate Debate, 10/9/03)

Kerry Criticizes President Bush's "Doctrine Of Preemption." GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: "(Off Camera) ... you would have your own doctrine of preemption, then?" SENATOR JOHN KERRY: "George, every president from the beginning, uh, of time, has had a sufficient doctrine of preemption. Throughout the Cold War, the entire first strike doctrine was based on a doctrine of preemption. But that's very different from the Bush doctrine of preemption. I don't subscribe to the George Bush doctrine as he has described it, which is very different. It's a preemptive war for the purpose of removing, simply removing the dictator." (ABC's "This Week," 2/22/04)

Kerry Criticizes "Unilateral Pre-Emption," Pledges To Fight Terrorism "Through Stronger Intelligence-Gathering, Law Enforcement, And International Alliances." "He outlined his own plan to combat terrorism through stronger intelligence-gathering, law enforcement and international alliances. 'I do not fault George Bush for doing too much in the war on terror; I believe he's done too little,' said the senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. 'Where he's acted, his doctrine of unilateral pre-emption has driven away our allies and cost us the support of other nations.'" (Elizabeth Benjamin, "For Democrats, A One-Two Punch," The [Albany] Times-Union, 2/28/04)

Kerry Said Bush "Has Taken America Off On A Road Of Unilateralism And Ideological Pre-Emption." (David M. Halbfinger, "Kerry Says Dean Lacks Presidential Traits," The New York Times, 12/17/03)

Edwards: "I Would Scrap The Preemption Doctrine." SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS: "I would scrap the preemption doctrine. We don't need a preemption doctrine. I never believed we needed a preemption doctrine. The president of the United States can do whatever needs to be done to keep the American people safe." (ABC's "This Week," 2/22/04)

[jveritas]

Let us see all this Kerry contradictory statements (flip flops) in TV ads. It will be very powerful and will further destroy Kerry and further convince people that he is a flip floper who is not fit to be President.

[illiac]

if he had adequate intelligence of a threat.....

That is an oxymoron if I ever heard one.....

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Just drop the last three words off of your first sentence and you have the entire matter in a nutshell.

[illiac]

Didn't want to get caught taking this phrase out of content....But, you are absolutely right.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

KERRYTHINK:
To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold, simultaneously, two opinions which canceled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again; and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself. That was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word "Kerrythink," involved the use of Kerrythink.

[George W. Bush]

This might be a real winner. As a single word, it is a little catchy and a little sharp. It summarizes in three syllables a constant theme of the Bush campaign to date: Kerry flip-flops and wants to have it both ways.

Sometimes, you really need a short slogan or phrase that sums up your entire attack on your opponent. The shorter, the better.

"Foragainst" is clever phrase work from Team Bush. The real test will be if they can do some TV ads with it, say, along the lines of a quick SNL skit, to make people laugh at Kerry, to make them associate Kerry with foragainstism.

[CedarDave]

Great description and definition! Bookmarked and saved. Adapted from George Orwell or your own (just want to give credit if due)?!

[jennyp]

Kerry Says He Would Launch Preemptive Strikes Against Terrorists.

Um, er, why was it that Democrats wanted to elect Anybody But Bush again?

[CedarDave]

Agree -- what a setup for a Pubbie ad -- it will simultaneously let undecided voters know who is the real leader (Bush on a steady, goal-oriented course beginning after 9/11; Kerry the flip-flopper) and alienate some of Kerry's hard-core anti-war supporters ("JFnK is just the same as Bush, a warmonger; I'm going to sit this election out or vote for Ralph").

[cripplecreek]

We're going to need to change the dictionaries.

First Bill clinton redefined what sex is then left us with an indefinate definition of what "is" is.

Then Michael Moore comes along and redefines the word documentary.

Now comes John Kerry and this foraginst crap.

[cripplecreek]

You could come up with a whole "contradictionary


beforafter

undertop

preemptive defense

[NormsRevenge]

Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Senator John Kerry (news - web sites) (D-MA) (R) kite surfs with Nevin Sawyer off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts July 17, 2004. Kerry is spending the weekend on the small island of Nantucket, off the coast of Massachusetts. REUTERS/Brian Snyder US ELECTION

[CedarDave]

It must be nice having lots of money to "recreate" like this every weekend. US taxpayers paying for some of this no doubt (for sure security and Secret Service protection).

[EGPWS]

John Kerry is the epitome of an adverb.

[Chode]

Johnny Foragainst Kerry

[RWR8189]

They've been using "foragainst" in releases as far back as April, and you can see them all at keyword BOSTONFOG, unfortunately it doesn't look like its going any further than these internet releases.

[Fedora]

Kerry's theme song should be President Groucho Marx's song in Horsefeathers:

I don't know what they have to say

It makes no difference anyway

Whatever it is, I'm against it

No matter what it is or who commenced it

I'm against it. . .

[JediForce]

This is not making it in the media. I have not even seen it on Drudge. This will make the Peacenazis crazy.

[MissyMa]

I can't wait until the debates. President Bush is going to pummel him and the whole nation will see how he twists his words and flip-flops.