Kerry Looks to Pick Fight With Edwards (Let the Games Begin!!)

Washington Post ^ | 2/18/04

[areafiftyone]

DAYTON, Ohio - Democratic front-runner John Kerry had kind words Wednesday for longtime nemesis Howard Dean as he exited the race for the nomination but signaled a new phase of engagement with John Edwards.

Edwards came within six points of defeating Kerry in Tuesday's Wisconsin primary, the closest race that Kerry has faced since the Iowa caucuses. Dean finished a distant third, suffering a crushing 17th loss that forced him to quit.

While speaking with reporters Wednesday, Kerry dismissed key points of Edwards' campaign and questioned whether a candidate's background should be an issue.

Edwards often tells voters that he understands the pain of job loss because of his working-class Southern background, which contrasts with Kerry's upbringing in boarding school and Boston society. But Kerry said a person's roots should not be part of the debate.

"If where you come from was a qualification for being president, we'd have never had Franklin Roosevelt or John Kennedy," he said.

Edwards criticized Kerry for supporting the North American Free Trade Agreement while campaigning in Wisconsin, a state that has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs and where resentment of free trade runs high.

[areafiftyone]

A supporter at a United Auto Workers hall in Dayton called out to Kerry, "Mr. President!" But Kerry cautioned that was premature.

"I've got to win this nomination first, and I'm counting on Ohio," he said.

OH PUUUULEEEZE!!!

[george wythe]

The media are trying to create an artificial horse race to justify giving free airtime to Bush bashers, such as Kerry and Edwards.

[dc-zoo]

What a two-faced worthless bastard. That was a rotten trick last night also when he horned in on Edwards' speech to upstage him and steal his airtime.

[leprechaun9]

Kerry's upbringing in boarding school and Boston society. But Kerry said a person's roots should not be part of the debate.

"If where you come from was a qualification for being president, we'd have never had Franklin Roosevelt or John Kennedy,"

John Kennedy? His roots were not responsible for his ascension to the presidency! John Freakin' Kerry - you are a pot head (amongst other things)!

[areafiftyone]

Ahh but Kerry made a big mistake when he did that on national TV. Millions of people saw it and I was lurking on the liberal forums and THEY were not happy with that. So that is a good thing in a way because they are now seeing the Kerry that we have know all along.

[Williams]

Kerry is a nasty unlikeable and arrogant creep. Coming out to cut Edwards off the air is just a taste of it. It is extremely traditional to let your opponent concede graciously, and it takes a real SOB to make the decision to knock him off the air.

Also, are they reporting Kerry's comments on background with a straight face? Mr. "I spent two months in combat" is going to seriously challenge whether a person's life history means anything? He's actually saying it's meaningless that a person comes from humble origins?

Kerry will do and say anything. He is not a trustworthy individual.

[dc-zoo]

You're right. His bad manners could really backfire on him.

[gov_bean_ counter]

People looking for the beginning of Dean's decline point to his nastiness toward the older gentleman in a public forum.

[ScarTissue]

There are both losers. Clark is the only RAT that had a prayer of winning.

[mabelkitty]

This is Kucinich's state.
He's going to lose it.

[Paleo Conservative]

He'll even lose his on CD.

[FlyLow]

Also, are they reporting Kerry's comments on background with a straight face? Mr. "I spent two months in combat" is going to seriously challenge whether a person's life history means anything? He's actually saying it's meaningless that a person comes from humble origins?

---

Most Vietnam vets spent a year in combat...two months is all this asshole did? Sounds like an investigation is called for!

[Democratshavenobrains]

Hey Kerry. Back in Roosevelt's and JFK's days, New York and Massachusetts were a lot more mainstream.

[onyx]

Democrats are in deep trouble when the likes of Kerry and Edwards are the best they have to offer.

An empty suit trial lawyer and a rich-by-marriage arrogant creep.

[okie01]

"If where you come from was a qualification for being president, we'd have never had Franklin Roosevelt or John Kennedy," he said.

The elite liberal snob patronizes us.

His statement presumes the public's default position is "working class background". One of us, not one of him. Because John Kerry is different from you and me, you know.

He then presumes to remind us that some of our most admired leaders can come from the wealthy class. His class. And we, who are ignorant and uneducated, wouldn't necessarily know that. So, he has to tell us.

What an arrogant pr*ck.

If he hadn't such an "upper crust" attitude, wasn't so compelled to reinforce the notion of his own superiority, the issue would've been so much easier to address.

Kerry's gonna be such an easy mark. I just hope Edwards doesn't disembowel him first.

[Constitution Day]

Indexing to Edwards Watch...

[Kenny Bunk]

The elite liberal snob patronizes us.

Okie, ya got that all wrong. Kerry loves us. He is only doing this arduous run for the Presidency because he is driven by that love to serve and protect us. Instead of criticizing this selfless war hero, who shed blood for us just like that ethnic-lookin' guy in that controversial Mel Gibson film, we should thank our lucky stars that Kerry hath been placed above us to justly rule us, unruly fashion-disasters though we may be.

I am frankly shocked that you ignore this crucial aspect of the man's character. Promise me you will at least think about it the next time you are putting Heinz Ketchup, or other condiment (there are 57, you know) on one of the unfashionable and unhealthy food items we of the lower orders have been forced to consume in our wretched hovels by the Bush Family tyrant, who as you know has led many of the proletariat to their deaths in Iraq for the sake of oil, after misleading congress, and stealing the Florida electors.

PS: Pardon the run-on sentence, but as you know, the Republicans have slashed education spending and cut back on the student nutrition programs to put more steaks on country-club buffet tables which has caused me to develop ADD from poor nutrition and breathing polluted air. I'll see you at the polls (I'll be at several) where I trust you will do the right thing when the time comes to rid America of this Bush Tyrant and install our rightful President Kerry, who looks a lot like a Kennedy.

[okie01]

"Okie, ya got that all wrong. Kerry loves us. He is only doing this arduous run for the Presidency because he is driven by that love to serve and protect us."

He is going to be an easy mark, isn't he?

With a campaign based solely on perceived "electability", one wonders how quickly will the air escape his balloon after the first disappointing poll result.

[Kenny Bunk]

He is going to be an easy mark, isn't he?

Jeez, I hope so, Okie. But we are playing on a team coached by Karl Rove, who possesses the unique talent of being able to screw up a free lunch.