Boston Globe article on Kerry's speech

[whometense]

by Rick Klein ended with these very perceptive words:

...While the possibility of a second Kerry presidential run is dismissed by many Democrats, a series of actions by the senator have helped shape the early phases of the 2008 presidential field.

The filibuster Kerry led of Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. forced other Senate Democrats to take a firm stand and has since been an object of discussion in races around the country.

While the timetable for Iraq troop withdrawal he offered failed in a lopsided Senate vote, that, too, has emerged as a marking point for Democrats nationwide, and has helped crystallize Democratic opposition to the war.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/09/10/us_rendered_less_safe_from_terrorism_kerry_says/

And a lovely picture too:



Senator John F. Kerry interacted with the crowd after his speech on national security yesterday at Faneuil Hall in Boston. (Wendy Maeda/ Globe Staff)

And congrats, Tay, on the Globe endorsement of Patrick!

[ProSense]

1. Excellent!

The article lays everything out, and fabulous photo!

[whometense]

2. Herald article

http://news.bostonherald.com/localPolitics/view.bg?articleid=156773



Sen. John Kerry delivers a speech on national security yesterday at Fanueil Hall. (Staff photo by Renee DeKona)

Pretty factual article, pointing to Kerry's Saturday Herald op-ed.

This is something we might need to keep an eye on:

Kerry’s speech comes a day after the Republican National Committee launched a Web site (www.demfacts.com) that the group says “highlights Democrat leaders’ hypocrisy by juxtaposing their prewar intelligence statements to their current attacks,” according to the site.

[whometense]

3. so...

Note which dems are the top GOP targets over on http://www.demfacts.com/:



Here's their page on Kerry. http://www.gop.com/News/Read.aspx?ID=6544

[karynnj]

7. That is interesting - apparently they aren't threatened by

many potential 2008 candidates.

The articles seem like they hired Rush Limbaugh - they are beyond dishonest. (Not to mention George Will said Kerry was right!!!!)

[karynnj]

5. We should watch it - especially as we are likely to see it replicated

everywhere. We're lucky Kerry summarized everything when he responded after Veteran's Day last year.

The fact that the Intelligence committee put out what was already known and pretended it was phase 2 hurts. I really don't understand why so many Democrats aren't complaining. Not having it makes it easier for Republicans to equate the Democrats - repeating information Bush gave them as why they were concerned - with Bush/Cheney et al who KNEW they were using the reason because it worked. Tony Snow repeated that the Democrats saw the same information. (Oddly, I though Kerry and others disputed this quite well about a year ago.)

[wisteria]

9. They did deny that,but it needs to be challenged again or it will

keep coming up. Honest to gosh, things have to be repeated until you can't stand it any longer for information to sink in.I don't care about the Repub paid pundits, but the reasonable American public needs to know the truth.

[fedupinBushcountry]

15. You know the clip they played yesterday on CNN

well if I'm not mistaken they took it right off from this site, the SOBs. Watch the THEN video it is the second part.

http://www.gop.com/demfacts/ThenNow.aspx

[ProSense]

16. The problem is that's not reality

The reality now is Bush lied about what he presented then. So the GOP leaps over the most important fact:

Then: Bush falsifies evidence
Now: Democrats rebuke Bush for falsifying evidence.

Next: Investigation!

[fedupinBushcountry]

17. I know that ProSense

I was just pointing out how the MSM went directly to this site for their talking points,or were they directed to this site to get their talking points. JK responded well and pointed out that Wolfie should of played the rest of it.

[ProSense]

19. I know, and agree!

The media is well versed in GOP talking points, it's really hard to distinguish one from the other: GOP from media.

I saw a clip of the CNN segment with JK, it was excellent, especially his smack down of Cheney and Frist.

[TayTay]

4. Exactly, John Kerry has set a lot of the agenda

He took up the Alito filibuster because he had promised the voters of Massachusetts that he would filibuster a Supreme Court nominee who didn't support Roe v Wade. Remember how unhappy a lot of Democrats were with that? Kerry was trying to tell them that you can't 'triangulate' around your own positions. You have to take the RWers on and vote and act what you believe, not just as the pollsters tell you people want you to behave.

Same thing with the withdrawal proposal. Harry Reid, for one, wasn't very happy with that. That proposal was co-sponsored with Sen. Feingold, but the media called it John Kerry's proposal. (Ned Lamont wasn't asked if he agreed with Sen. Feingold, he was asked if he agreed with Sen. Kerry.)

Sen. Kerry is setting some of the terms of the debate so far. There is something to be said for someone who learned something from the last race, understands that you have to talk about what you believe in a way that is authentic to you and who is willing t do what it takes to advance the arguments. (Ahm, I still think that's called leadership, but I'm so old-fashioned.)

[whometense]

6. Yeah, that's pretty old-fashioned of you.

Actually, of me too, but what do I know??

I was kind of shocked to see the Globe acknowledge this little-mentioned fact. And heartened by it - but on guard against getting my hopes up. We are too well aware of their track record to get suckered in after one little article.

[karynnj]

8. I guess I'm equally old fashioned

It could also be noted that the "front runner" is leading only on running away from controversy - which means not fighting Bush on anything.)

In addition to the two issues the Globe mentioned, the Democrats would be crazy not to take much of Kerry's Homeland Defense as well. (On the drive back to NJ, there was a Dean quote that the US needed to be stronger in Afghanistan - that Iraq was a diversion. They were reportly comments he made on Fox.) Kerry was the first I have heard actually question Bush's trying to hide Afghanistan under the rug.

[wisteria]

10. Well, I must be old fashioned too, because I call it leadership. n/t

[ProSense]

11. Old fashion with an adjective

or three:

Effective leadership! Exemplary leadership! Visionary leadership!

[whometense]

12. Just finished listening to Russert's

interview with Cheney on today's MTP. There's a pocast up. Cheney's the whole show.

I should know better than to do this to myself right before bedtime. It was chilling. That man will say anything. Anything. He is the most cynical, evil bastard it's ever been my misfortune to have to listen to. Russert was very tough on him - I have to admit it. He was like a bulldog, but of course he got Cheney to admit nothing. He nailed him pretty well with recorded soundbites, but Cheney just kept on lying.

He has a tell, though - before the biggest and most egergious lies he drops his voice till it's extremely quiet - so quiet you have to strain to hear him.

Now I need a pound of antacids. And have they made a memory-erasing pill yet? I'd like one of those too. That quiet voice - it gives me the shivers.

And I kept wondering how many out there can listen to the bastard lie and think, wow, that guy has some credibility.

Kerry makes me feel like we can do everything we need to do - he makes me feel like things don't have to be this way. Of course they try to diminish him with everything they have. He is the antidote to everything this administration stands for.

[ProSense]

14. Exactly!

Cheney is pure evil, he lies with ease! He is a soulless bastard!


Kerry gave him a smack down on CNN today. It was beautiful!

[Blaukraut]

13. Setting the agenda already puts him ahead of the rest

So far he has been the only contender willing to stick his neck out instead of playing it safe. The others would rather play it safe so the GOP has nothing to throw at them later on. (so they think). I prefer leadership like John Kerry's.

[karynnj]

18. What the others don't seem to recognize

is that "playing it safe' is also something that can be thrown at them.

[wisteria]

20. Good point! n/t