Posted on 09/20/2004 10:23:53 AM PDT by luknskill
US Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry has made his most outspoken attack on President Bush over the conflict in Iraq. In a speech setting out his plans for Iraq's future, he accused Mr Bush of "colossal failures of judgement".
With six weeks to go until the US poll, Mr Kerry seems to have shifted his campaign focus away from the economy.
It is a bold and maybe reckless move to turn Mr Kerry into the anti-war candidate, correspondents say.
Six weeks before the presidential election, the Kerry team appear to have made a strategic decision to up the ante over Iraq, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington.
Previously, the senator had been vague about whether or not he thought overthrowing Saddam Hussein was the right thing to do, but on Monday he was much clearer - he would not have invaded, our correspondent says.
'Chaos'
Iraq was a profound diversion from that war and the battle against our greatest enemy, Osama Bin Laden and the terrorists
John Kerry Mr Kerry said the president's decision to go to war against Iraq had distracted from a greater threat to the US - more terrorist attacks - and created a crisis which could lead to an unending war.
"Iraq was a profound diversion from that war and the battle against our greatest enemy, Osama Bin Laden and the terrorists," he said in his speech delivered at New York University.
"Invading Iraq has created a crisis of historic proportions and, if we do not change course, there is the prospect of a war with no end in sight.
"Saddam Hussein was a brutal dictator who deserves his own special place in hell. That was not a reason to go to war. We have traded a dictator for a chaos that has left America less secure."
He also reminded his audience that more than 1,000 Americans had now died since the start of the war.
He offered his own four-point plan for handling the conflict:
Get more help from other nations
Provide better training for Iraqi security forces
Provide benefits to the Iraqi people
Ensure democratic elections can be held next year as promised. These measures could mean US troops coming home over the next four years, beginning next summer.
The Bush campaign has accused Mr Kerry of inconsistency on Iraq and said a change in the middle of the war was not what the nation needed.
I could give him a better strategy than any he has tried. But he would still lose. Because, "If you paint a horse's butt green, it is still a horse's butt!"
LOL...it could hit 20 now if I tried hard enough.
Hey, if you're tryin your dyin...lol
Senator, I'd say go to Hell but I think you're already on your way there.
You honestly think our troops will fight for you? LOL!! You have trashed them today the way you did the troops of yesterday! Who's going to fight for you? Your cowardly anti-war group? No, they'll insist you draft the Republicans and spill their blood because the Leftists don't give a damn about anyone but themselves.
You think France will give you troops? They just told you otherwise. So where are the troops coming from? Iran perhaps? They would willingly enter Iraq for you.
You think Osama will hide in his rat hole when you're elected? You really believe he is intimidated by you? Fool.
I will say I will be thrilled if this is the campaign you run at the end. I want a referendem on your anti-war group. I want the American people to finally stand up and say what they believe. If they believe American troops should be treated as war criminals and we should surrender with a white flag, SAY it. If Americans believe our troops are heros and our country is a force for good, then I expect every one of those votes to be stamped G.W.
America, TIME to stop flip flopping yourself and take a stand.
"What were you thinking?"
I wish I knew. The BIG problem is your comment of his indictment. No Republican (in Office) has the guts to do it. I think we are very close to another revolution in this country. The first was for less than what we are witnessing today. Right?
I don't disagree with any of it. Don't look to me to fire the first shot in that war though...
I disagree, a good laugh is just what Monday morning needs. Speaking of laughs, you know how the dems were frothing at the mouth over the Bush guard documents? Then when the docs were exposed as fraud, they continued to claim they were real and only the RW smear machine would call them fakes. Now that even CBS has admitted the fraud, the dems suddenly say "can't we just move along and forget this tired old story and get back to the real issues?". Hah! And get this...the author of the memos? Why, Karl Rove of course. Or "KKKRove" in demspeak. I swear they have all lost their minds.
What is it? (Thanks)
I think this will help shore up the democrat base and possibly win over some of those who can't make up their minds about whether Iraq is a good or bad war.
But is it enough? I was shocked at how well Gore did last time, considering his liberalism, but on the other hand he should have won election by a landslide considering CLinton's popularity.
I think this is the ONLY position Kerry can take that could possibly win him the presidency. I just don't think that it being the best possible position makes it a WINNING position.
Watch carefully--the full-court press by the media starts today...to forget this story. Why? because Kerry's speech today is going to be seen as a new beginning for the campaign. By the end of the week, the CBS story will be GONE. Starting tonight we will see pundits praising the Kerry speech to the skies.
It's a convincing speech to those who are skeptical of the war. Dan Rather and his pals will use clips from it and in the coming days say "Fresh from his stunning speech, Senator Kerry hit the campaign trail with renewed energy..."
The weekend pundits will call this the REAL start of the campaign, and say Kerry won the week. Bush's polling numbers will calm down, and this will be seen as evidence that Kerry has momentum.
I could be wrong; people may have already made up their minds not to support Kerry. But that won't stop the MSM, Joe Kline, Jonathan Alter, etc. from praising this to the heavens.
Watch for Chrissy to devote a whole hour to this speech tonight, or at least praise it constantly for the next week.
"Don't look to me to fire the first shot in that war though..."
No, but are you wiling to fire some at a later time?
DON'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION HERE!
Can Kerry be any more pathetically moronic and worthless a candidate? The more he talks like this,the larger the landslide FOR President Bush is going to be.Nobody,with more than 3 working brain cells,is going to fall for this utter garbage.
1972 all over again. He was a lying traitor then and he's a lying traitor now.....with more years of experience.
He must demand the full retreat of all troops INSTANTLY.
A democrat openly admitting that Teraazah is a liability.
Myself....had percieved some months back that Laura Bush would connect well with voters....enhance the image of purpose,confidence and clarity.
The dem articler noted that Hillary had trouble....until she dropped the Rodam ident,
and....Teraazah keeping the *Heinz designate has not gone unnoticed.....that it margins speculation as to commitment.
Laura Bush and Karen Hughes have put John Kerry down on the mat a few times too in this election : )
Interesting observation. :-)
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