Last week Kerry attacked Cheney and his staffers leaked that Kerry would continue to attack Cheney to this week inhibit the vice president's effectiveness as Bush's attack messenger. This strategy, at least thus far, has been an utter failure.
Whatever else you may say about him, Cheney is no fool. Monday, he stepped up his criticism of Senator Kerry with some of the most hard hitting and solid attacks on Kerry's fitness for president I have heard to date. I'm going to give some highlights about the parts on Kerry, but this was part of a broader speech on national security. If you have time, read the entire speech.
Senator Kerry's record on national security raises some important questions all by itself. To give you some history, let's begin with the matter of how Iraq and Saddam Hussein would have been dealt with. Senator Kerry was in the minority of senators who voted against the Persian Gulf War in 1991, in which we liberated Kuwait after a brutal invasion and occupation. And at the time, the Senator expressed the view that our international coalition consisted of "shadowy battlefield allies who barely carry a burden." Yet last year, as we prepared to liberate Iraq, he recalled the Persian Gulf coalition a little differently. He said then it was a, quote, "strong coalition." Just eight days ago, Senator Kerry said former President George Bush had done, quote, "a brilliant job" of building the alliance. Having served as Secretary of Defense under former President Bush, I appreciate Senator Kerry's comment. But I find it odd that Senator Kerry is now commending an alliance he didn't want to build for a purpose he didn't support.Ouch! While Cheney is obviously very partisan, these are substantial objections against a potential president. And that was just the beginning of Kerry's week.When Senator Kerry speaks about the direction of the war on terror, he often returns to a single theme -- the need for international cooperation. He has vowed to usher in a golden age of American diplomacy. He is fond of mentioning that some countries did not support America's actions in Iraq. Yet to the many nations that have joined our coalition, Senator Kerry offers only condescension. More than 30 nations have contributed and sacrificed for the freedom of the Iraqi people, including Great Britain, Australia, Italy, Poland, South Korea, and Japan. Senator Kerry calls these countries, quote, "window dressing." They are, in his words, "a coalition of the coerced and the bribed."
I am aware of no other instance in which a presumptive nominee for President of the United States has spoken with such disdain of active, fighting allies of the United States in a time of war. Senator Kerry's contempt for our good allies is ungrateful to nations that have withstood danger, hardship, and insult for standing with America in the cause of freedom.
In his years in Washington, Senator Kerry has been one vote of a hundred in the United States Senate -- and fortunately on matters of national security, he was usually in the minority.
On Tuesday, Medalgate continued to rear its ugly mole-like head. In many respects, this story is a molehill being raised into a mountain, but Kerry is doing the racing. By lying to ABC, he's motivated the network to dig deeper and embarrass Kerry. If Kerry would just apologize for his remote past and discuss what he would do today, he'd be much better off (and I for one would be thankful to hear about his current policies). However, Kerry keeps digging, changing his story, and then having to spend time dealing with his own mess.
These events come just days after the Vatican (finally) reiterated their firm pro-life position. Cardinal Francis Arinze avoided mentioning Senator Kerry by name, but when asked about "unambiguously pro-abortion" Catholic politicians, Arinze said such officials are "not fit" to receive communion. This news is quite troublesome for the very pro-abortion Kerry who hopes to be the second Catholic president of the United States. In 2000, 52% of Catholic voters picked Gore, 45% picked Bush, and 2% picked Nader. I would expect most Catholics vote on the issues, but it is reasonable to expect that a Catholic Democrat would expect to do at least as well with Catholic voters as Al Gore and presumably better. However, if the Vatican clearly shows Kerry to be a "bad" Catholic, this cannot help. This news won't destroy Kerry's chances amongst Catholic voters (31% of American Catholics are pro-choice despite the clear teachings of their church on the subject), but it certainly will not help him gain ground.
And then, the Village Voice, a paper who proudly shouts its liberalism, hopes it is not too late to dump Kerry.
All this makes my week look pretty good in comparison.
Drew --
If THIS election is holding your interest, just wait until 2008 -- C. Rice versus H. Clinton (We can only hope).
Kerry is a mole! An ugly weird little animal! Yes! You've seen the light.
No, really. Medalgate is NOT a molehill. True, its only a little incident, but its a little incident that shows Kerry's true nature. What kind of man would mock other soldiers by destroying his own medals, holding them valueless in his heart? Perhaps an embittered man, full of passion and fury. THAT could be excused.
But, THAT wasn't Kerry. His behavior was just creepy. Ick.
Think we can get that Constitutional Amendment, currently before Congress, passed by 2008? The one about letting people run for President if they have been a naturalized citizen for 20 or more years?
My governor happens to have been naturalized a US citizen 21 years ago and I hear he is _very_ interested in running for the White House.
I can see the bumper stickers in the Schwarzenneger vs Hillary race.
Terminate Her!
Kerry isn't supposed to win. Were he to win, how could Hillary Clinton run in 2008?
Vincent Foster might have a few ideas.
Medalgate is NOT a molehill.
If you mean Kerry's actions in the Vietnam era; yes his actions were contemptible and showed poor judgment to put it charitably. However, I like to believe people can change with time. Thus, Kerry's Senate voting record and his stated policies (or policy of the week) are much more relevant to me than his poor judgment in the seventies. However, Kerry's continued lying about his earlier actions do not say much about his character.
Think we can get that Constitutional Amendment, currently before Congress, passed by 2008? The one about letting people run for President if they have been a naturalized citizen for 20 or more years?
*Gazes at Drew suspiciously* How many times have you seen The Americans are Coming or Demolition Man?
The first I had ever heard of Arnie, back when he had only first arrived in the US, before even all those Mr. Universe titles, was that he came to the US to leverage his body building into a movie career to make himself famous enough to become Governor of California. Seriously! That was always his stated goal: Governor of California.
In the famous Barbra Walters interview she asked him "Why, as a young man in Austria, was your ulitmate goal to be governor of California."
His answer was "Your Constitution says I can't be President of the United States."
This may be the only time that Arnie ever underestimated himself.
If you haven't ever seen the Barbara Walters interview try to get a copy. Actually "Pumping Iron" is a pretty good look at the Schwarzenegger personality once it has its mind set on something.
I do not agree with all Arnie stands for as a politician. Here in Cahleefohneeya he is often described as "the official head of the Republican wing of the Democratic party." But I would not ever bet against his achieving something he decided he wanted. Focused drive personified. (Ask the Cahleefohneeya State Legislature).
"Pumping Iron" - ah yes, a movie in which a young man compares the rush he gets from body-building to that of physical orgasm.
And that young man grows up to be governor of (where else) Californication!
Now Arnie as President, that does have a certain appeal. Can't you see him with a chain-gun in each hand, chomping on his cigar while he addresses the UN ;)
Based on his actions so far as governor, I can see him asking the Senate to pass a bill, having the Senate tell him they can just filibuster ("So there, Nyah Nyah Nyah") and having Arnie then pull from his desk drawer 50 letters, one from each state attorney general, saying each state has the signatures to put the issue on the ballot as a special election in the next 60 days.
His ability to short-circuit the usual "professional politician roadblocks" is impressive. That is part Arnie but in large part the setting of California political science
I have to right that piece on California politics, but in brief, we are going away from representative democracy and towards direct democracy.
AQ, AQ, AQ, AQ. You don't seem to understand. Kerry isn't supposed to win. Were he to win, how could Hillary Clinton run in 2008?
Actually things are going swimmingly. Dean was a problem. Dean was a nut case. Dean was such a nut case he not only thought he could replace Terry McCauliffe, he even said (out loud) that he was thinking of replacing Terry McAuliffe. Dean seemed to thinkk that winning the presidential nomination would let him run the Democratic party or something. You will note he was gone shortly after that.
Kerry will lose, but will still probably win some states (California maybe, maybe New York. Massachusetts probably). But he won't remove McAuliffe and he is under no illusion that he will be running the party before, during or after his run at the presidency.
That leaves everything set up about as well as can be managed (at this point, 4 1/2 years before the event) for the 2008 election.