Kerry questioned on draft comment

Boston Globe ^ | October 16, 2004 | Patrick Healy and Anne E. Kornblut

[Cincinatus' Wife]

MILWAUKEE -- Campaigning in crucial battleground states, John F. Kerry yesterday sought to keep voters focused on the lackluster economy, while aides were busy explaining his assertion that President Bush may revive the draft if reelected and defending the senator's comment on gays in the last presidential debate.

Kerry caught even some of his advisers off guard late Thursday night by questioning Bush's word that he would maintain an ''all-volunteer army" in a meeting with the Des Moines Register's editorial board, arguing that Bush will soon run short of US forces to patrol Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

''With George Bush, the plan for Iraq is more of the same and the great potential of the draft," Kerry said to the Iowa journalists, who are preparing to make their coveted presidential endorsement next Sunday. ''Because if we go it alone, I don't know how you do it with the current overextension" of the military.

After a week of concerted focus on his domestic goals, the Democratic camp found itself grappling with the fallout from remarks by a nominee who does not hew to the campaign script as closely as the incumbent does.

Hours after the Register reported the remark in yesterday's paper, Bush repeated his commitment to an all-volunteer military during a rally in Cedar Rapids yesterday. His advisers amped up the response, accusing Kerry of ''fear-mongering" to win votes -- an accusation Kerry regularly hurls at Bush over the war on terrorism.

Michael McCurry, a senior adviser to Kerry, found himself trying to tamp down the original comment, saying the Democrats had no evidence -- nor did Kerry mean to imply -- that Bush had a ''secret plan" for a draft.

[jbarkley]

I would love to see what the internal numbers are at the Kerry campaign. The further they get behind the loonier they get.

It's getting downright dangerous now.

[GeronL]

Kerry is a long-time supporter of Universal National Service... it would be more than a military draft BTW. Some reporter should ask him about UNS!!!

[Jet Jaguar]

They are slippin' hard.

[Stellar Dendrite]

DAMN, Kerry must be sooooo desperate!!

[Casloy]

Sounding a little panicy over in the Kerry campaign. Bringing up Cheney's gay daughter and now trying this cheap draft trick.

[BCrago66]

"The Bush partisans cheered wildly, even when the president heralded the unemployment rate in Iowa -- despite the fact that it rose to 4.5 percent from 4.4 percent in the summer months."

Oh, the humanity, to have to live in a state with a 4.5 unemployment rate. OK I remember now, the Boston Glode is owned by the NY Times.

[Southack]

A gaffe a day keeps the voters away, Senator Kerry.

[konaice]

The thing is, the people he plays to eat this stuff up.

One can only hope they are also so dumb they don't see the need to vote.

[Miss Behave]

That slimy Rice Butt is going for a TWO-FER. Not only is he trying to scare the low-riding pants the REST of the way off of the younger voters, he knows that the PARENTS of those 19-26 year olds will run screaming into the night as well with the threat of a draft. A TWO-FER with one fell, LYING, SLIMY, CONIVING, DESPICABLE, CONTEMPTABLE, DIGUSTING swoop.

HE IS SCUM'S SCUM, AND HE NEEDS TO BE CALLED SUCH ABOUT THIS.

[MJY1288]

Kerry also claimed that Bush raised taxes on small business people. ANOTHER LIE

[Casloy]

The thing is, the people he plays to eat this stuff up.

True, but those people are already going to vote for him. The undecided, for the most part don't like being manipulated with lies, and this is just the kind of thing that turns a lot of voters off. Furthermore, if his campaign starts to look like it is in panic mode with wild accusations a lot of Kerry voters will stay home. What is helping Bush is how comitted his support is to voting.

[conservative in nyc]

There's also skewed poll info. From the end of the article:

Al Gore won Iowa and Wisconsin by less than a quarter of a percentage point in 2000, and polls suggest that both states are now evenly split. An American Research Group poll of Iowa, taken from Oct. 10 to 12, gave Bush and Kerry each 47 percent, with 2 percent for third-party candidate Ralph Nader, who is on the ballot there. In Wisconsin, the most recent statewide poll gave Kerry a slight advantage in the state, 47 to 43 percent over Bush, with 2 percent again for Nader. That poll, taken by Market Shares Corp. for the Chicago Tribune/WGN-TV, was conducted Oct. 8 to 11, before the third debate.

[tiamat]

"Rice Butt"?

LOL!

[Miss Behave]

Heh heh.

Thanks. Forgot to add "Bony" in front of it.

[datura]

Someone needs to point out to those youg voters and their parents that if Kerry is elected, no one will be reenlisting in the military. Then there WILL be a draft. (Especially since no one will want to be in the UN's Army.)

I still want to see this new "Support Division" he's talking about. If you put that many REMFs in one place, nothing ever gets done.

[Darkwolf377]

"I would love to see what the internal numbers are at the Kerry campaign. The further they get behind the loonier they get."

Am I imagining things or are SOME (certainly not most) of the MSM turning on Kerry? One can't argue that the entire MSM is covering for Kerry anymore--the resurrection of the draft lie is being treated with barely disguised contempt by some MSM folk; the Mary Cheney thing did not come from the hard right; and if the Kerry military discharge story is picked up by at least a few papers...

I don't think I'm just being optimistic: Kerry's campaign feels stalled right now.

[Jack Deth]

Kerry is just so farkin' retarded!

He wants to raise two divisions and double the number of Special Operators?
From where?
With what?
All without raising taxes and/or re-instating the draft???

Which will be a government mandate Social Engineering Experiment turned into a Albanian Seven Layer Goat Rope!

He's going to have some explaining to do. When recruitment drops off to ZERO. Across the board. Should he gain the White House!

Jack.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Someone needs to point out to those youg voters and their parents that if Kerry is elected, no one will be reenlisting in the military. Then there WILL be a draft. (Especially since no one will want to be in the UN's Army.

Excellent point.

[libs_kma]

"True, but those people are already going to vote for him. The undecided, for the most part don't like being manipulated with lies, and this is just the kind of thing that turns a lot of voters off. Furthermore, if his campaign starts to look like it is in panic mode with wild accusations a lot of Kerry voters will stay home. What is helping Bush is how comitted his support is to voting."

You know, I as much as anyone can't stand all their lying bullsh!t. But I think your analysis puts it in the exact, right perspective. I'm sure Karl Rove is considering this too, as he has to decide when replying is a good or a bad move.