One Thousand Points of Fright...
Posted on 10/20/2004 6:50:38 PM PDT by NCjim
Senator John Kerry's wife reinforced her reputation as a political loose cannon yesterday when she said President George W Bush's wife, Laura, had never had a real job.
Teresa Heinz Kerry appeared not only to make the politically hazardous move of disdaining the role of a stay-at-home mother, but also to forget that Mrs Bush was a teacher and librarian.
Her unguarded remark in the USA Today newspaper risks infuriating suburban housewives, the "swing" constituency her husband has spent the past fortnight wooing from Mr Bush.
Asked how she would be different from Mrs Bush, she said: "I don't know that she's ever had a real job. Her experience and validation come from important things, but different things."
To make the slightest of side swipes at Mrs Bush is hugely risky as she is wildly popular in America, with her appeal spanning party lines. Karen Hughes, Mr Bush's image maker, said: "Teaching is a real job. Working as a librarian is a real job. Staying at home and rearing a family is a real job."
In a statement last night Mrs Heinz Kerry said she honoured and appreciated Mrs Bush's service as First Lady and was "sincerely sorry" she had not remembered her "important work in the past".
Mrs Heinz Kerry is one of the wealthiest women in America. Her first husband, who died in a plane crash more than a decade ago, was the Republican senator John Heinz, the heir to the beans fortune.
She has long been known for her outspoken ways, to the delight of the grassroots, but to the dismay of the party machine.
With polls flickering back and forth yesterday, President George W Bush and Senator John Kerry rampaged across the same small patch of the heartland yesterday, seemingly trying to outdo each other in alarming voters.
Taking advantage of the sudden onset of wintry weather and a rash of colds, the Democrat seized on the shortage of flu vaccines to accuse Mr Bush of failing to protect the electorate from either war or disease.
"If you can't get flu vaccines to Americans, how are you going to protect them against bio-terrorism?" Mr Kerry asked in an interview with National Public Radio.
Mr Bush accused Mr Kerry of "old-style scare tactics".
But the most chilling sound-bite was from Vice-President Dick Cheney, who warned a rally in Ohio, the "Ground Zero" of the election, that terrorists could bomb an American town with a nuclear device, and suggested that Mr Kerry was not the man to counter such an attack.
The Democrats accused him of waging the politics of fear before promptly unleashing their advertisements and attacks which suggested that Mr Bush's leadership has made America more vulnerable, not safer.
In Iowa, a state Mr Bush narrowly lost in 2000, Mr Kerry made a direct appeal to the emotions of America's women, a normally reliable Democrat constituency which he has had difficulties wooing in the face of Mr Bush's emotive campaigning style and fears over terrorism.
"No American mother should have to lie awake at night worrying whether her children will be safe at school the next day," he said.
Simultaneously Mr Bush was addressing a rally 80 miles away, in Iowa, where polls show the candidates neck-and-neck at 47 per cent.
In the American media there was a unanimous conclusion about the spate of scaremongering: Halloween has come 10 days early.
John - a piece of advice...muzzles come in all sizes and colors.... geeez...
Funny you should say that, she did say she wanted to be a dog.
I love the way they phrase things. Kerry has spent a fortnight wooing housewives and Mrs. Heinz is the heiress of the beans fortune.
We only have to listen to these people for 2 more weeks. As hard as it is to listen to, I honestly think we benefit every time they open their mouths. Two more weeks.
OK, they just announced this is the top story on the local ABC news in New York City during The Bachelor commercial break which millions of women are watching.
This will hurt.
One Thousand Points of Fright...
No wonder farts are always coming out of her mouth.
Wasn't she the maid, or nurse, or something like that before marrying up?
Oh yeah. THERE'S a real job.
That is really good news.
It'll be the lead story, huh?
I honestly can't believe USA Today printed the remark...I would think they would protect her.
She was a translator for the UN.
When I heard Sean Hannity talk about Mrs. sKerry's disdainful remarks towards Laura Bush, the first word that came to mind was 'Skank.' These bozos will stop at nothing.
-Regards, T.
In this statement you will find the core of the explanation for why Terayza took a swipe at Laura. It has nothing to do with political calculation, Terayza is really not up to that.
It was jealousy, pure and simple. Childish jealousy.
Let's just suppose that Laura Bush never had a "real" (paying) job ... if Tuh-ray-zuh ever found herself as The First Lady, she'd find out what a REAL JOB it is!
My dear wife, who ever so much smarter than me, observed that there are those that get ahead with hard work and good thoughts and those who just spread their legs for riches.
Out First lady falls into the first category.
Oh yeah! If you didn't work for the U.N., you didn't have a "real job."
I see that this story is up on the Drudge report. Hopefulliy MSM will pick it up and carry it for a few days.
Yes, the only bit of news they announced during the news blip. Too late for an apology, which she would not mean anyway.
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