Bush campaign is abusing Bin Laden tapes

[AnIndependentTexan]

LoZoccolo posted this link in another thread.

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/...0_24.php#003851

The Bush campaign is trying to use the OBL tape to slap the Kerry campaign around, knock them off their stride, and argue that for Kerry now even to mention anything about the president's failure to bag bin Laden is the height of shamefullness.

The president's communications director even told reporters that the only acceptable thing would be for John Kerry to observe a twelve or more hour moratorium on attacks on the president, even though the president should be allowed to continue attacking John Kerry.

That is what they're playing for. (That's also the reason the Bush campaign didn't allow the Kerry campaign to be briefed on the soon-to-be-released tape until late in the day. The president knew about it early in the morning.)

If the Kerry campaign falls for this it would be the height of foolishness. In itself the bin Laden video is not a matter of controversy. What the president's campaign is trying to do is either goad the Kerry campaign into three days of passivity in the run-up to the election or fuss up a debate about the supposed outrageousness of Kerry's faulting the president for allowing bin Laden to remain at large. The Kerry folks should not play into that trap. The answer is to keep to the game-plan and remain on the offensive.

The foreign policy focus of the Kerry campaign has long been the president's failure to maintain the focus on al Qaida, as evidenced by his failure to capture bin Laden and dismantle his network. To abandon that message now would be insanity.

[bettyellen]

1. WE WON'T FALL FOR IT, WE WON'T SHUT UP FOR FIVE MINUTES!! WHY SHLD WE???

[mazzarro]

2. This is the time for K-E campaign to resurrect chimp's* comment

that he is not worried about the whereabout of OBL and hammer to the voters that chimp* has been exceptionally incompetent in meeting the challenge posed by Al-Qaida and OBL head-on.

[PretzelWarrior]

3. I admit I'm no politician. THese guys know what they are doing better

than I ever will. But what I do know is that with this short amount of time left...all Kerry needs to do is put the same message of strength, hope, and consistently propping up his own plan and the idea American people will work hard and work smart and get out of this horrible period we are in.

We need to see him going to rally after rally in the swing states. WE NEED TO FIGHT. WE NEED TO WORK. I don't live in a true swing state, but I can reach those who do. I can urge you who are in those areas to go ahead and take one more step than you thought you would. Bring donuts to people in line tomorrow in early voting. Call some people tomorrow, SUnday, or Monday or Tuesday.

We really do have it in the power to FORCE Bush out of office from sheer will of people's effort. We are soooo close. We just need to want it more.

We need to remember how these deplorable people smeared an honored hero, John Kerry and Max Cleland. We need to remember they are even right now trying to KEEP people from voting rather than encourage their people to vote.

We really, really need to imagine the corporations getting more powerful, crushing the regular workers and poor with even less conscience and restraint. We need to imagine the fish dying and forests disappearing. We need to remember the courts adding reactionary right wingers who will take away abortion rights, affirmative action, and other civil rights.

This evil, evil small man needs to be sent back home with force. We MUST not tell the world we as a nation support this pathetic excuse for a leader as the guy who will lead the most powerful nation for the next four years.

[Birthmark]

4. What's shameful...

...is that bin-Laden is able to make such tapes, rather than being dead or imprisoned. That is a direct result of Bush's actions.

[coloradodem2005]

5. If I were Kerry...

... I would say, that the Bush people want me to be quiet while they continue attacking. Why? If they want me to be quiet, then they should do so. Otherwise, no deal. THough, I am no expert, so I could be way off.