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I had that reaction also.
But what did Nixon actually do compared to Kerry's use of the legal system to squelch/ intimidate his opposition?
Posted on 08/22/2004 9:09:58 PM PDT by igoramus987
Kerry Showing Signs of Meltdown?
The Kerry campaign closed out last week in full flail. And according to one source close to the campaign, the candidate is really starting to feel the heat. With looming questions about the integrity of his service in Vietnam dominating the narrative of the 2004 campaign, Democrat nominee John Kerry is in full battle mode against the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. In addition to the highly orchestrated smear campaign against the vets being run out of the Democrat National Committee, the Kerry campaign and the DNC has also produced a blizzard of legal threats toward television stations who are running the Swiftees television commercials, bookstores that carry their best-selling book Unfit for Command and against the Bush campaign and the Swiftees themselves for what the Kerry campaign insist is an illegal, coordinated attack against America’s most liberal Senator.
But for all the legal harassment and public scorn dumped on the Swiftees, it is Kerry himself who is nervous about the outcome of this increasingly nasty dispute. And it’s starting to show behind the scenes.
A source close to the Kerry campaign and the Democrat National Committee told crushkerry.com that John Kerry spent the better part of last week fighting with his political and legal advisors about how best to handle the Swiftees. His key political advisors did not want to confront the controversy head on, as Kerry has, for fear that it would draw further attention to charges of lies, fabrication and war crimes.
“There were several conference calls and a couple of meetings. Everyone was screaming. I would consider it the low point of the campaign,” our source told us. “By taking the Vets on, John Kerry thinks he’s demonstrating bravery. But it’s a horrible mistake, politically.”
Kerry also battled with his lawyers all week, insisting they distribute threatening letters to bookstores. According to our source, the Kerry legal team thought this, too, would be a mistake with a big risk of backfire.
“Look, bookstores aren’t going to stop selling this book because John Kerry wants them to,” our source told us. “From what I understand, John Kerry made the lawyers send these letters out. Kerry ordered it personally! I mean, we just look desperate.”
Our source also told us that several political advisors argued strenuously against threatening the bookstores and television stations, again fearing they would simply draw attention to the charges.
When asked if they expected anything to come out of the Kerry campaign’s complaint to the FEC against the Bush campaign and the Swiftees, our source was not optimistic. “Those complaints are pretty much pro forma. The Bush people have filed dozens of complaints against us and the 527’s.” our source stated.
When asked if they thought the campaign had overreacted and mismanaged the issue, our source said yes.
“The original plan was to let the press handle it [the controversy, on behalf of the Kerry campaign],” our source told us. “But John Kerry has gone off the deep end. He wants to personally discredit these guys. I don’t know if what they’re saying about him is true, but they have touched a big nerve with him. There is a lot of bad blood there.”
Dole is the finest knife artist on either side of the aisle. You can read the transcript at:
http://www.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0408/22/le.00.html
I should have guessed. There are always folks in any large organization that have grievances for whatever reason. If satisfaction isn't coming, time maybe for some payback...
"Yes, and they have also been a lot more effective with that $300,000 than the Bush Campaign people have with the $200,000,000 they spent. Too bad the law does not allow the Swifties to take over RNC and Bush headquarters."
Most of Bush's money is going into the ground war--organizing on a precinct by precinct level all across the country. Kerry has var outspent Bush in the air wars.
"he looks like a ferret and he snarls his nose"-----
Geez, that sounds like a pretty accurate description
of just about ALL Dem "strategists" both male AND female that we've all been looking at on TV for about 12 years now.
That could be former Clinton White House chief of staff John Podesta. He was on abc This Week with Stephanopoulos.
My bad. Didn't catch that one.
They sound like 2 peas in the same pod though. Hurley looks an awful lot like a feret, but uglier
Almost 35 years later and he's still got that "deer in the headlights" look on his face whenever he gets heckled by those demanding that he fess up to the truth. How dare the unwashed pions question his pedigree or stand in the way of his ambition!
"The Kerry campaign closed out last week in full flail."
LOL, full flail, that's an excellent turn of phrase.
I hope the inside dope in this article is legit. It certainly sounds plausible. I can't imagine ANY lawyer who would volunteer to send such silly letters as they sent out. If the book is libelous, file a complaint. Don't know what state you'd file it in, but I imagine in this case you could pick and chose. If it's not actionable, forget it, IGNORE IT, really by responding Kerry only legitimizes the Swift Vets.
The man is certainly too thin skinned and hot headed to be president, that is what he is now showing the public.
sKerry knows he has to go on the offensive, because once the book gets widely distributed there'll be a nation-wide cry for journalistic investigation--at a minimum. sKerry knows that the records don't support his stories. He's toast.
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I had that reaction also.
But what did Nixon actually do compared to Kerry's use of the legal system to squelch/ intimidate his opposition?
Great point. Kerry's greatest campaigning challenge has been the primary. Dean imploded. No one except Madonna trusted Clark. And even Dems were sick of the rest. Kerry appeared 'fresh' because people couldn't pin him down to a record. Now that Kerry's the last man standing, the trumps are starting to fall.
More like a Kiss Of Death Syndrome. And the Clintons are making sure the Democratic establishment keeps its distance. They're cutting their losses. Their actions speak louder than words and Democratic Party big-wigs are not exactly stepping forward to clean up Kerry's self-inflicted mess for him.
You're right. We can't rest yet. GHW Bush lost to Clinton under two handicaps: Perot and "Read My Lips." Neither is in play this time.
I think Bush still needs an energizing convention and just a few salient points about why Dems and Independents should come out for him. I think Bush has done plenty that liberals have to credit him for. He'll probably bring out those things (Education, Medicare/Medicaid/Whateveraid) and then allude to Kerry's absences in the Senate. If the contrast is stark enough, you'll be able to hear the rumble as folks vote with their feet.</p>
Dean is stumping for Kerry. He was in Houston today trying to stir things up at a rally.
There's a couple of threads about it. He was on CNN with Wolfie .. If you search for Bob's name, you should find them.
He said he was surprised Kerry had 3 PH without losing any blood. He said John should apologize to the veterans for all the horrible things he said about them before Congress. He said Kerry's senate career was a little THIN .. and Bob then said that Kerry was using his war record to cover for the senate career [paraphrased].
Then Bob nailed Harkin .. because Wolfie said something about Harkin calling Cheney a coward, and Bob said Harkin was "hiding out" in Japan and telling people he was in Vietnam. Wolfie was stunned - to say the least.
Looks like the gloves have come off. These dems should have known better than to have brought Bob Dole into the fight.
During the entire time Devine was speaking, I had an incredible urge to reach through the tv and slap him across the face.
He just has that smart aleck look about him. The kind of person who takes great pleasure in lying to someone's face.
Every word is said with a sneer.
I don't know which one Hurley is. I'll have to keep an eye out for that one!
Even if the worst happens, nobody will deny that the SwiftVet's dollars were the best 527 money ever spent on ads. I'm sure the ads will become textbook examples for years: Tell the truth. Keep it simple. Get it out!
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