Posted on 11/01/2006 12:09:08 PM PST by Cementjungle
At Espresso Vivace on Capitol Hill, Sen. John Kerry inhaled a cupcake, and then set out to demonstrate why he isn't a cupcake.
The Democrats' 2004 presidential nominee has obviously brooded at a "lost summer" in which the Bush campaign landed body blows, labeled him weak on national defense, and manipulated a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth that demeaned Kerry's record in Vietnam.
Awarded the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts as a Navy lieutenant, Kerry had basked in accolades from old Navy buddies as he swept through the Iowa caucuses and New Hampshire primary.
When slimed, even by Republicans who never served, he remained curiously detached.
The Kerry witnessed on Capitol Hill yesterday was spoiling for a fight. It was as if Kerry were heeding the famous World War II command of Adm. Bull Halsey: "Attack, repeat, attack."
Counterpunch might be a better way to describe it. Late Monday, in California, Kerry stumbled while talking to students about Bush, his advisers, and the administration's "failed strategy" in Iraq.
"You know," Kerry told them, "education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't you get stuck in Iraq."
He meant to say that Bush was stuck in Iraq. Instead, the remark appeared to condescend toward the U.S. troops who have been fighting --- and, in increasing numbers, dying -- in a far-off land.
The White House seized on the remark yesterday. Bush called it "insulting" and "shameful" and said that Kerry "owes" the troops an apology.
But the diffident Kerry of two summers ago reacted like a South Boston brawler -- the same Kerry that used eight debates to come from behind and thrash Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld when the two faced off in a memorable 1996 Senate race.
He declared that Bush should do the apologizing, for invading Iraq on false pretenses, failing to provide troops with adequate armor, and left the U.S. "bogged down" in harm's way "as a result of arrogance and ignorance."
He made an acid reference to the five deferrments received by Dick Cheney during the Vietnam War. He talked about billions of dollars "wasted" in Iraq on no-bid contracts. And, referring to Bush, declared: "The president always sets up a straw man because he won't debate a real man."
The jury -- America's voters -- is still out. But 2006 may go down in America's political history as the year that Democrats stopped acting like wimps.
Kerry's response yesterday was immediate and from the gut. A pro-Democrat veterans group has run graphic TV spots showing the consequences of not providing troops with adequate body armor. The Democrats' Senate nominee in Virgina, author and Viet vet James Webb, has run a spot in which President Reagan praised his military service. Veterans are shown saluting a Democratic House nominee in Pennsylvania, a retired three-star admiral.
Espresso Vivace has the scene of more than one kind of wake-up on Tuesday.
My favorite line: The jury -- America's voters -- is still out. But 2006 may go down in America's political history as the year that Democrats stopped acting like wimps.
Good lord, man!
Where's the "Barf Altert" in the subject line......
Delusional, wishful thinking.
Well, at least there is one person who thinks John F. Kerry is handling this right.
If Lurch wants to look tough, he shouldn't be giving interviews at a place called Espresso Vivace.
Joel Connelly will now have to be posted as one of Lief's heros or 'people I like to meet'.
http://www.myspace.com/hippy100
Joe Connelly should send his timesheet straight to the DNC. Holy crap, does this person, or newspaper, still have any shred of credibility in terms of independence?
From the first sentence, I knew it was a kneepad job.
Hey joel, you've got some milk on your face.
Yep.
Focused like a flood light.
Bad writing, not to mention the message, by someone who drinks WAAAAYYYY too much coffee. I am sorry for anyone who has to read that paper every day.
Joel Connelly lives in an alternate universe.
Yep, he's fighting regarding our troops alright!
"At Espresso Vivace on Capitol Hill, Sen. John Kerry inhaled a cupcake, and then set out to demonstrate why he isn't a cupcake."
A cupcake? At "Espresso Vivace?" I can certainly understand why Jon Carry might be a tad defensive, lol.
And John Kerry was in Viet Nam burning villages and pillaging like Ghengis Khan and driving his boat into Cambodia at Christmas of 1968 on orders of President Nixon who wasn't even in office yet.
You, John Kerry, are a worthless smegma filled feckless crapweasel. Your own party, even the other Libs are running from you like you have the plague. It is one of the funniest events in political history. We hope you stay out there campaigning.......and running for Prez in '08.
Kerry/Obama-'08..bringing Liberalism home to you!!!!
he won't debate a real man - thats true, he debated AL Gore and YOU.
and connected with their inner Jerk
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