Kerry an easy target for right

Toronto Sun ^ | Feb. 3, 2004 | PETER WORTHINGTON

[rickmichaels]

As seven U.S. states hold primaries today, the Republicans seem finally to be surging into life and sniping at various contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Senator John Kerry, who could well be a prohibitive choice by tonight if things go well for him -- especially in South Carolina, where the military and black vote is crucial -- is a growing target for conservatives who have lifted the sights from little Howard Dean to big John Kerry.

Stephen Moore, president of the conservative Club for Growth, is quoted in the Wall Street Journal saying that he hopes to come up with as fitting a definition of Kerry as the Club for Growth came up with for the Dean campaign when it was considered unbeatable -- it called it "a sushi-eating, Volvo driving, left-wing freak show."

Tentatively, Kerry is described as a "tax-loving, big government spender," which he may well be, but they need something catchier than that.

The Wall Street Journal wonders if Kerry was "brainwashed" the way one-time Republican presidential hopeful George Romney claimed U.S. generals brainwashed him about the war while on a tour of Vietnam in 1965.

Perhaps the "brainwashing" analogy was meant facetiously, but in 1968 it effectively made Romney a joke and ended his bid to be the Republicans' choice for president at a time when he was the leading contender. How else to explain Kerry's peculiar and varying stands?

Unused brain?

As one conservative ideologue quipped: "When I die I hope to come back as John Kerry, because his brain hasn't been used."

In 1991, Kerry opposed Daddy Bush's war against Saddam Hussein, but fully supported Junior's 2003 war -- until Howard Dean's anti-war stance seemed popular, at which time Kerry became anti-war too.

Washington Post columnist David Broder recently wrote that it would be awkward for Kerry to explain to voters that "your 'no' (in 1991) didn't mean no, and your 'yes' (in 2002) didn't mean yes."

Kerry says he was "misled" by President George W. Bush on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) -- but that's unfair because so was everyone else.

France's Jacques Chirac, Russia's Vladimir Putin and America's Bill Clinton, Al Gore and every intelligence agency in the western world believed Saddam had such weapons. Kerry, as a longtime member of the Senate foreign relations committee with access to much of the CIA's intelligence data, knows better than to blame Bush for "repeatedly misleading" him.

The fact that no WMDs have been discovered (or are still hidden, or have been destroyed or shipped to Syria) is irrelevant in the war against Saddam and terror.

War justified

There's a legitimate concern about the effectiveness of intelligence agencies. Bush says he favours a review of intelligence agencies. Everyone should endorse that.

Even David Kay, who failed in his assignment to find such weapons in Iraq, has testified that there were abundant reasons to get rid of Saddam, and that the war was justified. While that doesn't explain the failure of intelligence, it does get Bush off the hook.

Part of the "new" conservative campaign against Kerry will likely stress his penchant for leaping on and off bandwagons and for changing his tune.

The respected New Republic magazine recently ran two letters that Kerry wrote to the same constituent -- one letter seeming to support the 1991 war against Saddam, the other letter opposing it.

Some might say that's having your cake and eating it too; others might say it's trying to be all things to all people, or saying what he thinks people want to hear.

Whatever it is, it's not leadership -- but indicates if he were Canadian, he'd be ideally qualified to be a Liberal MP.

[bobjam]

We'd gladly send him to Canada...

[rickmichaels]

No f'ing way. We have enough lefty loons up here as it is.

[Eva]

This is shocking, coming from the Toronto Sun.

[SAJ]

Aw, what's one more loony more or less? You can always hide him in Chretien's riding -- noone would ever even notice. (G!)

[headsonpikes]

...if he were Canadian, he'd be ideally qualified to be a Liberal MP.

Even a Liberal cabinet minister!

But not a Liberal PM - even Canadians demand more personality from their leaders than the Herman Munsteresque Kerry seems to possess.

[dawn53]

Kerry says he was "misled" by President George W. Bush on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction

I get the biggest kick out of this argument. Like he didn't see the intelligence himself, and as a Senator for all these years can still be "misled" by another politician.

Not quite the excuse I'd be making if I wanted to be President.

Just what this country needs a President that is easily misled.

His campaign slogan can be:

Kerry: Misled, and proud of it!

[The South Texan]

Sure he is an easy target if the stars and planets line up right. Several things have happen.

1) The US media will not do the GOP's work for them like they do the Democrats work. By this , they will allow the Democrats to make charges filled with hyperbole and lies and will not allow the GOP to rebuke. But when the GOP makes a charge, they will allow the Democrats to rebuke them , but the media will also rebuke them by doing "investigative" reports that will allow them to come to the conclusion that Kerry did nothing wrong and then label the GOP as dirty tricksters. IT WORKED IN 1992 WITH BILL CLINTON!!!

2) The GOP has go full throttle and not apologize for anything. They are going to have to be tactically smart and so far this year they are 0 for 10.

[Doc Savage]

Please keep in mind that if Kerry wins, Hillary is toast. Since the US constitution states that Hitlery cannot be made into toast, look for the Clintons to MAKE SURE Kerry's candidacy is DOA,.................or that Kerry is DOA!

[RippleFire]

bump

[Cubs Fan]

Bush should win--

Incumbants usually lose only if they are deemed to have failed somehow (usually a bad economy)

Bush is the only proven trustworthy entity in the war on terrorism, and the economy is good and jobs will probably follow.

Two things that could hurt him however--

1) The new tone-- is stOOpid. In politics if you don't fight back you let your enemy (and the media) define you.

2) Stop being such a liberal-- one of the reasons Reagan beat Mondale is becuase his base of support was passionate about re-electing him. If Bush keeps up this liberal pandering many in the base will stay home.

[pabianice]

Perhaps someone will now post the long hidden Navy after action report on Kerry's heroics, in which he reportedly came so unglued under fire he ran his boat aground by accident and then had to fight his way out. Or so I've heard...

[Ancesthntr]

On Kerry's war record, including the running aground incident:

http://www.vietnamveteransagainstjohnkerry.com/

On Kerry's record on defense matters (REALLY lousy):

http://www.washingtontimes.com/functions/print.php?StoryID=20040127-084854-4468r

[Rummyfan]

Kerry says he was "misled" by President George W. Bush on Saddam's weapons of mass destruction (WMDs)

By this admission Kerry shows himself to be unqualified as a Senator, never mind President. What a dumba**!

[Mr. Jeeves]

While that doesn't explain the failure of intelligence, it does get Bush off the hook.

Nope. The only thing the will get Bush off the hook is the Democrats coming to the conclusion that they are doing themselves more harm than good by continuing to repeat the allegations.

Unfortunately, they are slow learners.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.


'JOHN KERRY = Enemy of Vietnam Vets'


http://www.TheAlamoFILM.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1320

.

[corlorde]

As opposed to a "new entitlement creating, big government spender."

[MattAMiller]

Hit him again and again with his comments about scaleing back the War on Terror. Then hit him some more. Then hit him after that. Mostly ignore his "I was Vietnam" argument while suggesting he's trying to stifle debate on foreign policy issues.

[Fenris6]

As for Vietnam - ask Kerry how fair it is that *he* got medals whiles others went unnoticed. Seen hordes of enlisted do very herioc things, but if you're not an officer and no one is around to report you - too bad.

In Desert Storm, we saw officers being shuttled back & forth into the FEBA so they could claim a Combat Action Ribbon. What a farce.

Kerry's war "record" only indicates he was good at kissing up.

[Fenris6]

As for Vietnam - ask Kerry how fair it is that *he* got medals whiles others went unnoticed. Seen hordes of enlisted do very herioc things, but if you're not an officer and no one is around to report you - too bad.

In Desert Storm, we saw officers being shuttled back & forth into the FEBA so they could claim a Combat Action Ribbon. What a farce.

Kerry's war "record" only indicates he was good at kissing up.