Posted on 06/07/2004 4:46:38 PM PDT by txradioguy
Sen. John Kerry's former presidential campaign manager said Monday that he'd been "dreading" the prospect of Ronald Reagan's death because it was likely to give President Bush a major political boost.
"I've been dreading this every election year for three cycles," said Jim Jordan, who resigned from the Kerry campaign last year, in comments to the New York Times. "Bush has totally attached himself to Ronald Reagan. He's going to turn Reagan into his own verifier."
Kerry campaign aides said they hoped the political impact of Reagan's death would fade by the summer, but top Republicans believe that many Americans will view Bush as the Republican icon's rightful political heir.
"The parallels are there. I don't know how you miss them," Republican National Committee chief Ed Gillespie told the Times, an apparent reference to the fact that the hallmarks of both the Bush and Reagan presidencies have been strengthening national defense and cutting taxes.
Another problem for the Kerry campaign: Kerry himself was a staunch Reagan critic who worked hard at undermining the 40th president's anti-communist initiatives.
As an early backer of the nuclear freeze movement, Kerry made common cause with European leftists who denounced Reagan as a reckless cowboy for countering Soviet SS-20 missile emplacements in Eastern Europe with U.S. Pershing IIs.
More dramatically, Kerry made a highly publicized trip to Nicaragua in 1985 to offer support for Soviet-backed Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega. A photo documenting the episode shows Kerry shaking the hand of Ortega, who flew off to Moscow the next week to cement military ties with the Politboro.
Kerry even criticized Reagan for being too aggressive in the war on terrorism, blasting him for bombing Libyan dictator Col. Gadhafi's presidential compound in 1986 after Gadhafi had been linked to an attack on a Berlin disco frequented by U.S. troops.
In a 1986 letter unearthed by radio host Sean Hannity for his recent book, "Deliver Us from Evil," Kerry wrote:
"It is obvious that our response was not proportional to the disco bombing and even violated the Administration's own guidelines to hit clearly defined terrorist targets, thereby minimizing the risk to innocent civilians."
Kerry added that it was a "mistake" for Reagan to have targeted the "head of state of another country - no matter how repugnant we find the leader."
"We are not going to solve the problem of terrorism with this kind of retaliation," he concluded.
>>"Bush has totally attached himself to Ronald Reagan<<
Well DUH! He's a Republican, isn't he?
Note who it is that is "politicizing" Pres. Reagan's death.
Well, then, Kerry should attach himself to his political mentor -- Ho Chi Minh.
You are right on. The democrats just could not wait.
"Note who it is that is "politicizing" Pres. Reagan's death."
It's a typical play right from the RAT playbook.
Do something yourself then accuse the other person of doing it to dstract people from your own guilt. (see also: "Politics of Personal Destruction")
Or Daniel Ortega, eh? LOL!
What a dunce!
Proud to be American.
I'm a rad Republican,proud to be American
Ronnie Reagan he's our man , if he can't do it no one can.
America rules
-Murphy's law
"Kerry added that it was a "mistake" for Reagan to have targeted the "head of state of another country - no matter how repugnant we find the leader."
"We are not going to solve the problem of terrorism with this kind of retaliation," he concluded."
Substitute "Bush" for "Reagan" and Kerry clearly shows a nearly 20 year legacy of appeasing terrorist dictators.
"Bush has totally attached himself to Ronald Reagan. He's going to turn Reagan into his own verifier."
One could easily attach oneself to someone much worse. The choice of a good exemplar is to be approved and applauded.
You know, Kerry probably can't decide who his political mentor is, just like he can't decide what his position is on the important issues of our time.
My Latin teacher simply could not wait to make a crack against Reagan. In the movie "I Claudius," Claudius day dreams. My teacher then says that it is the same way Reagan fell asleep during meetings. Even some of the left leaning, ok bleeding hearts, had to tell him it wasn't right to make a crack just after he died.
Naw, Ketchup Boy is letting his underlings do the subtle Reagan bashing, while he "stays ahead of the fray."
Kerry is getting desperate. In his latest commericial he's practically screaming about health care and how this country is "going in the wrong direction."
Good point. Hadn't thought about it that way.
In honor of Ronaldus magnus I was trying to give him the benefit of the doubt.
I should have known better.
"Bush has totally attached himself to Ronald Reagan. He's going to turn Reagan into his own verifier."
He says this, because it's what a rat would do.
Just look at J F'n K.
The RATS expect us to act that way because they themselves act that way and think most people think like they do. Right?
democRATS wrong about America and It's People for 24 years!
People on the left, like your Latin teacher, adhere to a political viewpoint that has been bankrupt of vitality and validity for over 30 years. Nothing has replaced New Deal liberalism (aka, socialism), when it died as a viable political philosophy in this country in the late 1960s. So, instead of confronting those they disagree with by appealing to reason and the lessons of history, they resort to scorn. Scorn is the last refuge of the politically and intellectually bankrupt.
Figuratively, kicking Ronald Reagan to the curb.
Apparently, your Latin teacher is too dense to understand the lesson of I Claudius, which is:
Never underestimate your opponent.
Reagan knew this. Bush knows this. The left, including your teacher, do not know this. And we will use it to our advantage in November.
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