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.

[Dog]

You kidding us??

OK.....wait a second.....did Jennings give Kerry a pass?

[Lady Heron]

I think the debates are where we will see Bush wipe the floor with Kerry. Liberals are shown to look just weird when having to debate common sense. So no, do not drop out of the debates.

[Dog]

Mo what did Matthews have to say about this.......and what did the panel say on Brits show..

[BibChr]

So at bare minimum, reporters need to ask him, "Are George Bush and his administration the most crooked, lying people you've ever met?" — and pursue until he answers straight.

Dan

[plain talk]

These guys, er, these guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group of people I've ever seen

Do you think it's possible he was referring to his own campaign?

[Dog]

I heard the tape...the tone of his voice is vicious.

Just vicious.

[Mo1]

I didn't see Brits show

On Chrissy's show he had George Pataki on to respond to it and Pataki said it was the most outrageous thing he has heard. and Kerry should apologize for his comments.

He that he knows it's an election year and things get heated up but there was no need for comments like this against Bush and his entire administration

[Lady Heron]

This guy is dangerous freepers must help wake the republicans up !!!! because it's almost too late

No, it has not even started!:-)

[Danette]

Surprisingly, no Jennings didn't give Kerry a pass. He showed the clip and it was as clear as day. Jennings didn't comment after the clip. Just said before that Kerry was "caught" in an awkward situation.

[Dog]

Uh oh......if Petey didn't give him a pass......that is very bad news for Kerry.

[WarrenC]

By the time John Kerry has finished making an ass of himself, the Democrats will be looking wistfully at Howard Dean.

[WarrenC]

By the time John Kerry has finished making an ass of himself, the Democrats will be looking wistfully at Howard Dean.

[Tunehead54]

Good link - thanks - I haven't heard Hugh Hewitt before. Again, thanks. Bookmarked.

---

Hugh Hewitt

[WarrenC]

By the time John Kerry has finished making an ass of himself, the Democrats will be looking wistfully at Howard Dean.

[Voteamerica]

Matthews is supposed to be a Rat, but I think he knows the truth. He was very fair on this, and he almost always is. Every now and then he has to throw them a bone, but it is very clear where his heart lies.

[CFC__VRWC]

Let's all watch and see how they try to cover up Kerry's visceral vitriol, just like a cat in its cat box. It'll happen. The majority of the media will HELP him. It's happening right now.

My guess is that Kerry will come out swinging at the media, in particular Fox News. He'll borrow a page from Madeline Dimbulb, back when Mort Kondracke revealed that she said in all seriousness that the administration had Osama in hiding and was going to announce his capture right in time for the election. She and the media turned the story around and made it into one of Kondracke betraying her confidence, that her comments were meant to be off the record and that Kondracke was the real villain.

Kerry will probably lay low and see if his media friends can spike this story, but I don't think they can - too many mainstream media outlets are already covering it. So they'll revert to plan B, claim that Carl Cameron (Fox's reporter on the Kerry beat) tricked Kerry into thinking the mic was off, just so he could get a "Gotcha!" on tape to help Bush smear Kerry. Kill the messenger, distract the public from the actual comment, and make like the whole thing was just another dirty trick by the Bush campaign.

[BibChr]

Oh, yes. Contemptuous, acid.

That whole party hasn't recovered from Clinton, from what they lost in selling their soul for him. And they have no idea.

Dan

[bootless]

An opening for Hellary?

[BibChr]

And the shake-your-head funnny thing about it?

It's that Kerry delivered this acid slander in response to someone who'd said, "Keep smiling"!

Dan

[Max7]

I heard Dick Morris on O'Reilly about 1/2 hour ago or so say he still thinks Hillary will run as V.P. under Kerry. Said he thinks that if Kerry doesn't take Hillary on the ticket that the Clintons will be spending lots of energy stabbing him in the back, etc. Anyway, that's pretty much what he said. It should be interesting with all these little gaffes and nasty comments coming out. And just think - it's only March !