Kerry's blog touts the Whiz factor, but the facts tell a different story

Washington Post, JohnKerry.com ^ | 8/13/2003

[Political Numbers Guy]

We've all heard of Senateur John Le Kerry's little faux pas in Philly the other day:

If Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential aspirations melt like a dollop of Cheez Whiz in the sun, the trouble may well be traced to an incident in South Philadelphia on Monday.

There, the Massachusetts Democrat went to Pat's Steaks and ordered a cheesesteak -- with Swiss cheese. If that weren't bad enough, the candidate asked photographers not to take his picture while he ate the sandwich; shutters clicked anyway, and Kerry was caught nibbling daintily at his sandwich -- another serious faux pas.

"It will doom his candidacy in Philadelphia," predicted Craig LaBan, food critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, which broke the Sandwich Scandal. After all, Philly cheesesteaks come with Cheez Whiz, or occasionally American or provolone. But Swiss cheese? "In Philadelphia, that's an alternative lifestyle," LaBan explained.

Yet, Kerry's official blog left a much, much different impression yesterday, before Kerry was outed:

There's no way you can pass through Philly without sampling one of their famously cheez-whizzed cheesesteaks, and so the Senator dropped in on Pat's King of Steaks with some hungry workers on his way to the forum yesterday to do just that.

A commenter on the blog immediately noted this transparent hypocrisy:

And yet, the Senator found a way to do so. He asked for SWISS cheese! *gag* Were they all out of brie? Did he ask for some grey poupon? Or did his wife remind him to use Heinz ketchup? ;)

A pity Mrs. Heinz-Kerry, who votes in Pennsylvania but lives in Boston, couldn't correct her husband's erroneous ways.

[ChewedGum]

Cheese Whiz, or perhaps known by its scientific name, Cheese of Ipecac...

I'm dying here...positively dying!

Gum

[EllaMinnow]

Portrait of the atrist's mother:

[Bob]

Oh, we had the cheesesteak hoagies when I was a kid. They were the best.

OK, my confusion. I remember cheesesteaks and I remember hoagies. I may or may not have ever had a cheesesteak hoagie. But they keep calling this thing a cheesesteak rather than a cheesesteak hoagie.

Any hoagie pretty much has to have lettuce and tomatoes on it.

[Eva]

I think that cheesesteak hoagies have pretty much taken over, unless you order a pizza cheese steak and even then they sometimes put the pizza sauce on the cheesesteak hoagie.

[marlon]

I'm no Philadelphian but I have been no Pat's Steaks in Philly (it's a must do when visiting the city) and while I had never heard od Cheez Whiz on a steak sandwich before either it's pretty obvious that's THE way they make it there. Kerry is such an out-of-touch elitist with obvioulsly no street smarts not to have seen this. It would be like going to the soup nazi in NY and asking for a chef's salad!

[marlon]

Sorry that was supposed to read I have been TO Pat's! My bad.

[Benrand]

Whatever youdo, don't look at the ingredients on that scrapple package...

We vacation in Avalon NJ, have been since I was a tyke, and my Dad used to eat that all the time when we were down there. I thought it tasted pretty good. Still eat it, but the ingredients...scary.

My mout is waterin' for a pastrami and cheese from Primanti's with a cold Bud Light to wash it dahn wit'.

This looks abaht right. I'd love to see kerry come face to face with one of them..."uh, what am I supposed to do with this?"

[Eva]

I'm well aware of the ingredients in the scrapple, that's where it got its name, but when you grew up on the stuff, it just doesn't matter.

[Dane]

And what's with the lettuce and tomatoes?

Philly cheesesteaks as I remember them had beef, onions, green bell peppers and provalone (or sometimes Mozzarella). While I know it's been quite some time ago, that certainly doesn't look like any cheesesteak I've ever seen

Cheez-whiz seems to be new condiment.

Here is a guide to Cheesesteak ordering, and how would one say, "Swiss" at Geno's or Pat's? Seems that John F. Kerry thought he was in the Senate dining room or talking to his butler at his Beacon Hill home.

HOW TO ORDER A CHEESESTEAK IN PHILLY:

When in Philly, expect your order-taker to have the manners of "The Soup Nazi". Be prepared when you place your order. Cheesesteak shops are not known for their patience and customer service. Act like you know what you're ordering, and don't hesitate while making your choices. Know your order BEFORE you approach the counter, and try and keep special requests to a minimum (but still make sure you get what you want). Ordering a cheesesteak can be traumatic in some places. So make your decisions, and be assertive. Some guys can smell a tourist a mile away. Act like you've been there a million times, talk Philly sports, and say "Yo" a lot to try and blend in with the natives. If you are at Pat's or Geno's, and you want to try your steak with Cheez Whiz and onions, just say "Whiz, Wit"-- now that's the proper lingo!

www.bestcheesesteaks.com

[Dane]

I'd take a Pittsburgh's finest Primanti's cheesesteak over a Philly cheese anyday

Here you go. I wonder if John F. Kerry would ask for "swiss" in the Strip District of Pittsburgh.

CLICK LINK HERE

For all non-Pittsburghers, the Strip District, is called the "Strip District", because it is a strip of flat land in hilly Pittsburgh along the Allegheny River where wholsesale produce and industrial warehouses took root.

[At _War_With_Liberals]

"And what's with the lettuce and tomatoes?"

Kerry believes it is his duty to stay healthy and live as long as possible... for the benefit of the American people, of course.

[Benrand]

I know what I'd ask for, gabbagool.

He'd ask for some Grey Poupon...not Heinz.

[Peach]

Kerry is too girlie girlie to win a national election. He has loser spelled out on his forehead.

[Political Numbers Guy]

Another blogging update update from Operation Expanding Freepdom: Bringing Blogs into the FREEP-osphere!

By now, I'm sure you've probably read the piece today about Senateur Le Kerry and the Swiss-steak. But what hasn't been covered *at all* is that 24 hours before it came out, Kerry's official campaign blog went out of its way to imply that Kerry had partaken of the de rigeur steak wid Whiz. Here's the money quote:

There's no way you can pass through Philly without sampling one of their famously cheez-whizzed cheesesteaks, and so the Senator dropped in on Pat's King of Steaks with some hungry workers on his way to the forum yesterday to do just that.

Now, I don't vouch for the culinary quality of Cheez Whiz, but it is interesting -- highly interesting -- how Kerry's official blog is being used this early to so ham-handedly mislead. Kind of reminds you of Al Gore. I'm amazed no one has picked this up, with all the attention being showered on candidate blogs today.

FReep and link to the misleading Kerry blog at http://www.blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/000029.html

If you haven't already, blog the original article at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51517-2003Aug12.html

[185JHP]

Thanks.

[MeekOneGOP]

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