GOP ready to pounce on vulnerable pol [Kerry D-MA]

bostonherald.com ^ | January 25, 2007 | Dave Wedge

[cloud8]

Bay State Republicans are circling like vultures around a politically weakened John Kerry, vowing to field a strong challenger that may be able to capitalize on his fractured image and snatch his coveted U.S. Senate seat.

One potential GOP challenger, state Sen. Scott Brown, said last night that he "would consider" a run against Kerry in 2008 and that the senator is ripe for the picking.

"I think he'll get a challenge this time. I don't think he'll get a free ride," Brown (R-Wrentham) said. "His handling of himself during this Iraq situation has been outrageous. He needs to be held accountable. Whether I’m the guy to do it or someone else, I think people are tired of his poor representation."

Wounded by bad press over his "botched" Iraq joke and rock-bottom poll numbers, Kerry opted not to make a run for the Oval Office in 2008, telling his colleagues on the Senate floor yesterday, "This isn't the time for me to mount a presidential campaign."

[MinnesotaLibertarian]

Don't you love these people who have never been to our states but feel free to trash them anyway? I get it all the time with Minnesota. Just because it's a "blue" state and in the North, that tells them all they need to know about it. After all, anyone who lives there must be crazy, right? Never mind that we might have good reasons for staying - family connections, high-paying jobs, an appreciation of winter (how am I supposed to go ice fishing in the South?), etc.

I'll Mr. Retired Army would be shocked to know that Massachusetts is actually a fairly low-tax state. How did that happen? 16 years of Republican governors, perhaps? But no Republican can be elected in Massachusetts, right? And if so, they'd be some RINO who would never cut taxes, right?

I understand completely where you're coming from. It's a pet peeve of mine, which is why I find myself defending your state despite having no connection to it.

[MadIvan]

One possibility is for Carla Howell to run again, and give her the Republican endorsement. As I recall, she's made Democrats uncomfortable in the past.

Regards, Ivan

[Hemingway's Ghost]

One possibility is for Carla Howell to run again, and give her the Republican endorsement. As I recall, she's made Democrats uncomfortable in the past.

That's a capital idea, MI.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Yup: likewise, I find it amusing when people who know nothing about my state, or have no connection to it, post like they're experts on it.

[MadIvan]

If that happens, you must YouTube any Howell / Kerry debate. I'd like to see the Gigolo reduced to a jibbering wreck.

Regards, Ivan

[MadIvan]

Carla Howell

Carla A. Howell (b. 1955) is President of the Center for Small Government. In 2002, she sponsored a ballot measure to end the income tax in Massachusetts. It was the boldest tax cut proposal ever placed on the ballot in United States history, yet it almost won with 45.3% of the vote in a state which has historically been in favor of governmental solutions. She was the Massachusetts Libertarian Party candidate in the race for U.S. Senate in 2000 won by Ted Kennedy and for Governor in 2002 in the race won by Mitt Romney. She received 11.9% of the vote (a total of 308,860 votes) in the U.S. Senate race, only 1% behind the Republican, making Howell's the most successful third party Senate race in America in 2000, according to Campaigns and Elections magazine. In 2004, Howell declined to run for President of the United States. In 2001, she released her spoof tax song which she composed and sang called How Could I Live Without Filing Taxes

Regards, Ivan

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Bay State Republicans are circling like vultures around a politically weakened John Kerry, vowing to field a strong challenger that may be able to capitalize on his fractured image and snatch his coveted U.S. Senate seat.

ROFL - Kerry, Kennedy, Franks yea a Republican has a real chance in a Presidential election year.

[HostileTerritory]

Right... he has the principles, the profile, the family, the right geography, and the appearance to be a solid candidate. So many of our candidates have seem like desperation plays lately. It would be nice to have a candidate who people take seriously because of who he is and what he can do, not just because they have to pretend that this is a two-party state.

[surrey]

How about Barbara Anderson?

[CharlesWayneCT]

I wish Romney would abandon the presidential run and take out Kerry instead.

[Leisler]

What Massachusetts calls a Republican, the nation understands it as a Democrat. What is called a Democrat, the world knows them as Communist.

[Leisler]

Too late. He’s burnt everyone here. It’s up or out of politics for Mitt.

[Leisler]

I’d love it.

[Leisler]

...east supply a blindfold and a cigarette.

Cigaretts are verboten in ze People's Republik. Also guns. Blindfolds? Ya, we got burkas.

[Leisler]

Christy Mihos

[doosee]

What is this world coming to? If John Francois Kerry were to lose, he cant even exile himself to France anymore. Venezuela maybe...........

[hinckley buzzard]

Your opinion plus two bucks will buy me a medium, cream only, at Dunkin's,

LOL! You can always tell someone from out East.

Even if you can't tell 'em much.

[Jim Noble]

Howsabout we go after some RINOS!

Yeah, see if you can get the Republican Senate caucus below 40!

That'll help!

In the whole Northeast, except NH to some degree, al of the "RINOs" have already been gotten rid of. Now they're Democrats.

Keep it up. We've lost the Senate, we've lost the House.

Let's see if we can lose the White House, too, and get six or seven more leftist radicals on the Supreme Court!

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

A lot of politics is personality. People vote party, but they also vote for personalities, which is why we’ve had Republicans for twenty years prior to Deval “Chauncy” Patrick. The Democrats kept running repulsive tired hacks, opening the door for a relatively conservative Republican like Mitt Romney.

If anyone fits the description of tired old hack, it’s Jean Francois Carré.

[napscoordinator]

Well this was brought up 11 months ago. Any updates? Is Kerry getting a free ride again? I know it will be a hard road for the Republican but worth a shot that is for sure.