Posted on 08/25/2004 2:39:01 AM PDT by kattracks
Everybody knows President Bush is a bass fisherman. But the President has spent most of August reeling in a more exotic specimen: the Giant New England Slack-Jaw.Years from now, when tales of the catch are told around GOP campfires, small boys will marvel at how the supposedly intelligent Kerryfish swallowed Bush's bait, hook, line and sinker.
Slack-jaw season started in January, when John Kerry won the Iowa caucuses with help from a band of Vietnam character witnesses. At the time, Bush realized three simple truths:
1) Kerry would be his Democratic opponent. 2) The theme of Kerry's campaign would be his heroic military service. 3) Kerry would fund his campaign largely with so-called 527 soft money put up by anti-Bush billionaires who until then had been flirting with Howard Dean.
On May 4, a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth held a press conference in Washington, denouncing Kerry. It is possible Bush was taken by surprise by this. It is also possible the moon's made of blue cheese.
Still, it is highly doubtful that Bush put the Swifties up to their attack. He didn't need to. They obviously hate Kerry's guts. All the President had to do was sit quietly and watch. Patience is the fisherman's friend.
Some of the Swiftie charges against Kerry's war record are highly debatable. Others - that Kerry invented a "life-changing" experience in Cambodia or that he slandered U.S. troops when he came home from the war - are matters of public record.
Either way, one thing is indisputable: The allegations have done Kerry a great deal of harm.
It took him a surprisingly long time to realize that. When he did, he tried to get off the hook in awkward ways - dispatching lawyers to scare TV stations into censoring Swiftie ads, pressuring bookstores to ban the Swiftie bible, "Unfit to Command," even appealing to the toothless Federal Election Commission to make his erstwhile comrades-in-arms shut up. But to no avail.
Finally Kerry demanded that Bush himself step in and silence the Swifties. It was a moment Bush had been waiting for.
On Monday, down in Crawford, Tex., Dubya hitched up his jeans, sauntered out to a press conference and allowed as to how he'd be glad to help his worthy opponent. But, just to be fair, he said, let's shut down the negative campaigning by all 527 groups. Goodbye, Swifties. So long, MoveOn. Just say the word, Sen. Kerry, and we'll take all the nasty dollars out of politics.
But Kerry hasn't said that word. He probably can't. His entire campaign finance structure is predicated on 527 money. Of the top 10 soft donors, nine are Kerry supporters. Combined, they have already raised more than $100 million for the Democrats. The Swifties, by contrast, have raised much less than 1% of that. For Bush, soft money is just a dab of Texas perfume; for Kerry, it's oxygen.
So, the President comes off as the champion of upright McCain-Feingold reform, while Kerry is stuck with George Soros & Co. If the senator cuts off his billionaire backers, he suffocates. If he sticks with Soros, et al., he's stuck with the Swifties, too. That's a hook Kerry can wriggle on until Nov. 2. Then Bush will throw him back.
The 43rd President is often said by his critics to be a dunce. Maybe. But in politics, as in fishing, you don't have to be a genius. You just have to be smarter than the fish.
Originally published on August 25, 2004
In other words Chamberlain was a kiss-ass coward who was afraid to confront the gathering storm that was Hitler.
Looks like kerry is stuck in a very bad situation ping. This is one issue that will take its toll on the john/john ticket. They can't have it their way, without hurting the campaign.
Also wonder if Soros & Co. have read it??
Ow!!
Ah, yes, the Munster-fish.
Oh, the voters will undoubtedly hear about it.
That little nugget about "9 out of 10 top soft money donors are Kerry supporters" is probably going to find itself in one of the splendid "Kerry says ... Kerry does" ads. (See his position on campaign finance reform.)
The Swifies are not the only group that is standing up and fighting John Kerry.
We at catholicsagainstkerry.com are putting up radio spots that will explain the threat to Catholic values that Kerry really is.
We need your help.
Please come to our site and please donate to this radio project. You can be part of history by doing this.
Even a small donation will help.
Thank you
Heh
"So, the President comes off as the champion of upright McCain-Feingold reform, while Kerry is stuck with George Soros & Co. If the senator cuts off his billionaire backers, he suffocates. If he sticks with Soros, et al., he's stuck with the Swifties, too. That's a hook Kerry can wriggle on until Nov. 2. Then Bush will throw him back. "
Nails it. And you know the President will say something about the 527's at the Convention in prime time, saying we should stop them all.
The contrast between that and Kerry's position, which seems to be ban pro Bush 527's, won't be lost on average Americans.
"...Kerry looks worn down."
Dubya looks great. I bet he sleeps well at night.
Excellent!!!
Ping for a good article.
Thanks for the ping! Good article.
A good Bass fisherman always waits patiently... for the fish to be caught HOOK, LINE, and SINKER
:o)
Uurah
Nice sticker (the one in the bottom right corner) :)
Oh, Mr. Bond, I simply MUST remember that! What a neat party trick! That's work around the water cooler, too!
Just gotta remember my lines, that's all...
Except this piece of shrapnel..that flew out of Chavets mouth.
"The 43rd President is often said by his critics to be a dunce. Maybe."
Huh?
CA....
Exactly, Heck, Garry Trudeau didn't like Kerry back then, as his Doonesbury comic strips from the time show him to view Kerry as an arrogant jerk.
I have said this about GWB more then once, "He has been to lucky to be lucky." Just because we Texans talk slow and butcher the english language like a yearling calf it does not mean we think slow.
Thanks for the ping :)
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