Posted on 03/10/2004 3:14:26 PM PST by 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.
Most of us who have paid any attention whatsoever have had plenty of glimpses. Kerry's been sliming Bush left and right since day one, and if memory serves me right, he defended his own use of immature profanity to describe Bush's foreign policy.
Yeah, but you know what? Kerry is (along with Dean, Gore, and Kennedy) acting like a spoiled adolescent, letting it all come out in the form of slime attacks--and he truly believes that it will help him. The Clintons' self-restraint, however self-serving it may be, is commendable at least to the degree that they are conducting themselves properly.
Your assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to ping me occasionally and say something hopeful.
I think Norah O'Donell, NBC's Norah O'Donnel would say he lacks GRAVITAS.
"Chris, people are saying that they don't think that the governor has the necessary GRAVITAS..."
Hugh Hewitt keeps playing the comments over and over....Kerry really messed up and is realizing it.
The press is working OT to put this genie back in the bottle ......but tomorrow when this makes the NY POST....Wall Street Journal...and the blogs.....all hell breaks loose.
Maybe I am becomming to pessimistic but the Republicans, from W on down, just do not fight back hard and tough and judging from the way things have gone lately, I do not expect them to.
I would guess a couple talking heads from the RNC will come on and give lip service, the President and his staff will just ignore it as usual, and the Senate Republicans will cower in their ivory towers as they normally do.
Kerry has nothing to worry about. He could just about anything and the Republicans will just whimper away. Particularly the Senate Republicans. When is the last time you heard them come to the defense of the President? When the senile alcoholic (Teddy boy) said the war was concocted in Texas? Nope.
How about when virtually the entire Democratic party and the DNC (Terry McAwful) accused the President of being AWOL? Nope.
How about when the President was accused of knowing that 9/11 was going to happen (Howard "Crazy Boy" Dean) and did nothing about it? Nope.
How about the job loss illusion? Nope.
How about not giving our fighting men and women the proper combat materials (Ketchup Boy)? Nope.
How about accusing the President for joining the NG to avoid the "real military"? Nope and this one really disgusted me.
No fellow Freepers, the Senate Republicans are a bunch of lazy, fat, cowards who stay silent in the shadows and hope they are still in power next year. They disgust me.
Hugh is stunned.
You’re right. And what makes me sick is the majority of them have seats so safe the Dims could not get them out with TNT.
Same thing applies to the Senate and judicial appointments. They have the ability to approve Bush’s appointments but they are afraid of bad press.
I have a different take on this statement. I think he was talking about his (Kerry) campaign officials and the DNC. Of course, when he got caught saying it, he couldn't very well admit that, could he?
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