KERRY / BUSH PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES CANCELLED PENDING FORMAL APOLOGIES FROM KERRY CAMPAIGN (Proposal)

HughHewitt.com + Live Radio ^ | 3/10/03 | Hugh Hewitt

[Steven W.]

The difference between wrong and rotten: John Kerry crossed a line today. Working a line of supporters, one of whom encouraged him to "keep smiling," Kerry, obviously thinking the microphones were off, said "Don't worry man. We're going to keep pounding. We're just beginning to fight here. These guys, er, these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen." The tape aired on CNN, and I will be replaying it dozens of times on air for the country to hear this afternoon and evening.

Kerry obviously meant the president, the vice president, Karl Rove and the president's re-election campaign. Given the sweeping nature of the insult, throw in the entire White House staff, Rumsfeld and the Joint Chiefs, George Tenet, and Paul Bremer. Throw in everyone working to bring freedom to Afghanistan and Iraq, and demilitarization to Libya (successfully) and North Korea, Syria and Iran. It is a massive slander, and the tone of his voice brooks no doubt about his sincerity. Kerry really believes what he whispers in a moment he believes to be unrecorded. Kerry's sheep-dipped in paranoia.

Now the media needs to call him on it. What's the evidence for "crooked," for "lying?" What's he mean, and in detail. You don't get to walk away from such outrageous charges with a laugh and a wave. Kerry was a defender of Clinton, recall, a president demonstrated to be a liar and crooked. (Not just the impeachment, wither, but Marc Rich etc.) But Bush-Cheney are worse than Clinton in Kerry's world. The president let slip once in 2000 what he thought of New York Times' reporter Adam Clymer, and the world collapsed on him. Kerry's charge is so much more serious that it defies comparison.

You can disagree with Bush on any number of issues, including the decision to go to war in Iraq. But no one candidate of the opposition party has to my knowledge ever uttered such a hate-infused polemic against the sitting president. This outburst is one with the MoveOn.org crowd's Bush-as-Hitler ads. It is bizarre. It is disturbing. It is disqualifying. Imagine a rage filled Kerry in the White House. And you thought Nixon had his demons.

At a minimum I hope the president responds by ruling out any debates with this jerk --any debates, period-- until a full apology is issued by Kerry to a full bank of cameras, a detailed and complete apology that includes everyone about whom the public might now think a liar or corrupt because of this recklessness. Seriously, the Democrats need to rethink their choice. Kerry's way off the cliff, and we have just begun to glimpse the inner Kerry: A mean-spirited, arrogant, angst-riden elitist with nothing but contempt for President Bush and the Americans who support him. And he has now given every nut in America more fuel for their inner demons.

No doubt Terry McAuliffe will be blaming the president for the low tone of the campaign that has now seen Kerry brand the president as a corrupt liar, McAuliffe brand the president as AWOL, Gore scream out his charge that the president "betrayed" the country, Wes Clark challenge the president's patriotism, and Howard Dean speculate that Bush had warning of 9/11. Don't hold your breath for CNN to report on who drove the campaign into the ditch, but there's no mistaking the party diving for the bottom.

[gulfcoast6]

Didn't SayDamn think the same thing?

[finnman69]

Kerry is lower than Clinton.

[KantianBurke]

"Don't worry man. We're going to keep pounding. We're just beginning to fight here. These guys, er, these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen."

Eh. Floor speeches on the Senate floor are much more vitpterous. Besides maybe he was trying to imitate Bush's "major league A hole" bit.

[writer33]

As usual, Kerry is stepping in kimche. His compassion is beyond human comprehension. HA!

[NetValue]

Yes. And I am getting so tired of "black" white men like Draft-dodger Bill and Hanoi John.

[Steven W.]

Besides maybe he was trying to imitate Bush's "major league A hole" bit.

Hugh put it best:

The president let slip once in 2000 what he thought of New York Times' reporter Adam Clymer, and the world collapsed on him. Kerry's charge is so much more serious that it defies comparison

[cwb]

What's amazing about that is that you can find stories written by the media around this time as "they" were the ones making the connection between Saddam and OBL. Now. all of the sudden, they are doing all they can to discount and discredit that evidence. It's time the media industrial complex get the same scrutiny they so vigorously give to everyone else.

[deport]

Those darn mikes ........

[Weimdog]

The AP is using the Kerry spin by saying Kerry was reffering to the GOP in general and not the administration in particular -

WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) on Wednesday called for deeper tax cuts for the middle class than proposed by President Bush (news - web sites) and described his Republican critics as "the most crooked ... lying group I've ever seen."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040310/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_21

Yeah right.

[Triple Word Score]

Their choice of Kerry is a good thing for us. It makes the choice between the Republicans and the Rats crystal clear. Had they anointed Lieberman instead--a man capable of honesty about the threat of terrorism, if nothing else--then moderate voters would have a harder choice to make.

Imagine being a liberal right now. Nader? Kerry? What to do, what to do!? It's all so confuuuuuuuuuusing! Hahaha. Really, Bush can stand back and let them fight it out. He can actually do his job for the next eight months, and do spot-campaigning. He'd be smart to encourage some donors to spend on Nader instead. ;-)

I am glad the Dems are running the most liberal possible candidate. Yes, he's more liberal than Hillary and Teddy--his voting record proves it. This is black and white. We are not required to parse shades of gray here to try to figure out who is most conservative and strongest on the defense of our country. We don't have a Lieberman spoiling things by promising more fiscal restraint, pork-cutting, and no abortion-rights litmus test for judges. I bet Lieberman could have sucked off a number of FReeper votes with those campaign promises (easily broken!)

Those voters who are not firmly on one side of the fence (mostly one-issue voters) have six months to weigh the respective characters of the candidates and the relative risks each presents to us. Kerry's record will be out there.

Voters will decide which candidate will form the Supreme Court of their choice, and which will take the War on Terror the direction they think wisest. How stupid are Americans? We'll find out. I heard someone claiming that he'll be voting for Kerry because Kerry will make sure stem cells are available to fix his damaged knee. Now THAT'S STUPID!

So pray for President Bush to stay healthy.

[deport]

Kerry Meets Dean, Slams 'Crooked' Republicans

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Democratic White House candidate John Kerry slammed his Republican critics as "crooked" liars on Wednesday and met former rival Howard Dean to discuss working together to beat President Bush in November.

Kerry and Dean, bitter rivals in the Democratic primaries, met for an hour in Washington after Kerry returned from Illinois, where he criticized Bush's economic record and renewed his promise to repeal tax cuts for the wealthy and boost tax relief for the middle class.

Kerry told a worker in Chicago that he was ready to fight back against his Republican foes, adding in an exchange picked up by television and radio microphones that "these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen."

Spokesman David Wade said Kerry was referring to "the Republican attack machine" and not specifically to Bush or Vice President Dick Cheney, although he said Bush had "a pattern of standing by while other people ... do his dirty work for him."

[Steven W.]

That's the reason to call off the debates - AP can write up their own spin instead just like they just covered Kerry's lies.

[Steven W.]

they have no shame & just pick up the Kerry ball and run with it. by this evening they'll be publishing the smears as if they were fact.

[jocko12]

BUSH WAIT ON ANY DEBATE UNTIL THE DEMOCRATS GET A NOMNIEE.

[Robert Drobot]

Marxist hoof-in-mouth arrogant elitist. He deserves a swift kick in the ass. Politicians need to respect the public ear. They can not be permitted to release such slander no matter the venue. I don't care how many medals he's got. He's a punk.

Kerry MUST apologize to America for his excessive vindictive intended to create a 'tough guy' image - transparent as it is. He's an all mouth punk.

No amount of catsup will make his verbal crap acceptable. He's a scumbucket punk in a suit.

[F.J. Mitchell]

"Over the top." seems poorly descriptive of the Damnrats. The only time they ever rise above the slime at the bottom of the sewage system, is when the methane in the sewer explodes. Even then they barely clear the gutter and are flushed back into the sewer by the next rain shower.

[Steve_Seattle]

"Kerry is lower than Clinton."

It is noteworthy that three Dems who've been relatively silent on the "Bush lied about Iraq" theme are: Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Joe Lieberman. Of course, they have criticized Bush's handling of Iraq, but they haven't gone nearly as far as Dean, Gore, and Kerry. The Clinton's have actually been fairly responsible and even-handed on this issue.

[Steven W.]

The Clinton's have actually been fairly responsible and even-handed on this issue.

Don't confuse the facts - they are not being responsible and even-handed. they are merely avoiding looking like totally irresponsible fools. total self-interest involved here & Hitlery indicates herself more than willing to criticize Bush for anything.