He Started It

CNN ^ | Mar 12,2004 | John Mercurio

[tirednvirginia]

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Negative ads pour onto TV screens and radio airwaves in 18 battleground states this weekend. But the debate over who picked the fight, John Kerry or President Bush, spreads from coast to coast.

The bottom line: Kerry picked the fight, with an ad he first aired September 3, 2003. But you wouldn't know that from listening last night to the Kerry camp and its Democratic allies, who are fast proving how quickly they'll respond to anything Bush's campaign throws their way.

[tirednvirginia]

Even CNN has noticed.

[Samwise]

When the Democrats attack, it's campaigning.

When the Republicans campaign, it's attacking.

It's a doublespeak kind of thing.

[Duckdog]

Well, when you talk about people lying the dems are the experts!

[prion]

Wow! Something right-leaning on CNN! Is Mercurio always like that?

[kevao]

When the Democrats attack, it's campaigning.

Why you lying, crooked, Republican attack dog, how dare you question Senator Kerry's patriotism? ;-)

[Samwise]

Republican Attack Dogs for Bush!

[Paradox]

Something right-leaning on CNN! Is Mercurio always like that?

Well, in this case, it happens to be the truth, so maybe he had no choice? I dont know if he leans Right, but I give Mercurio credit for telling it like it is.

[EllaMinnow]

Apparently the Democrats' argument goes something like this: Sure, Kerry ran those ads. But that was waaaay back in the Democratic primary, so those ads were only intended to appeal to Democratic primary voters. If Republicans or independents happened to view the ads and take away a negative impression of Bush, well, we can't control that. Now, we're in the general-election campaign. It's a whole new ball game. The clock starts over.

Please. No clocks, no ball games. Kerry ran the first negative ads of the '04 presidential campaign. Period.

Mercurio gets it.

[mitchbert]

LOL! Vicious, just vicious!

[cwb]

The Democrats and their media lapdogs have been presenting Kerry as a victim of Bush's negative ads for weeks, now. What the media doesn't say is that the entire Democratic primary was a charade...as it was used exclusively to bash Bush for weeks on-end, essentially giving the DNC free air-time.

I don't know if this was by design, but these Democrats hardly went after each other as they each launched tirades against the incumbent president on a daily basis. The media likes to present Bush's ads as the "first" attack ads of the campaign season, while they ignore these primary ads that both Kerry and Dean ran attacking Bush. What's funny is that Bush hasn't even laid into Kerry with the same vigor that Dean did...and he's already whining.

[cyncooper]

But the debate over who picked the fight, John Kerry or President Bush, spreads from coast to coast.

"Debate"? You'd have to be an idiot not to see Kerry and the dems have been attacking President Bush for months. Then when the first ads by Bush are released they had to search high and low for what to criticize and came up with the fleeting 9/11 visuals. They knew that footage would be used eventually, so I'm sure they had their ducks in a row on trotting out the Bush bashers.

Then this latest wave, and people like Chris Jansing exclaiming over how NEVER EVER EVER has a sitting president named an opponent so SOON, as if she has not heard one unkind word from the Kerry camp directed Bush's way. I wanted to slap her this morning (and there are days she can be OK, but today she was being a fool).

Yes, it appears Mercurio does get it and I'm pleased he's pointing out the plain state of the record.

[DoctorMichael]

Let's just face it: Democrats Suck!

[dead]

Two days on John Kerry's e-mail list, and I've already received two fundraising requests "From the desk of John Kerry", with both whining about the evil "Republican attack machine". Shockingly, only one of the two alluded to his service in Vietnam:

3/10 - A Message from John Kerry: We're United

Before us stretch long months of effort and challenge. We have no illusions about the Republican attack machine and what our opponents will try to do. But in this campaign, I've been reminded of something I first learned as a young man on a Navy boat on the other side of the world…

3/11 – My Meeting with Howard Dean:

Winning this election will be a challenge like no other. If the past few weeks are any indication, the Republican attack machine will pull out every trick in the book to distract from the issues at stake.

[cyncooper]

I did go read the whole article. Very good.

[rintense]

CNN posted this?!?!?!? I'm am truly shocked.

[arichtaxpayer]

[Darlin']

"Please. No clocks, no ball games. Kerry ran the first negative ads of the '04 presidential campaign. Period"

My eyes must be lying to me... Surely, this Mercurio person isn't a real CNN reporter.