I agree with John Webb.
I also believe that what Kerry said is quite likely true; however, he should have kept his mouth shut.
Of course people are gonna want to know "who" and of course, he can't say who, since those people still have to work with this admin at least until January. I don't blame him for touting it, but I'll bet he's regretting it. I can guess a few who may have said that. Any bets?
Kerry Wins in Ill., Defends Iraq Votes
Kerry Wins in Ill., Defends Iraq Votes
By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry promised to be a "veteran's veteran" Tuesday as the White House tried to sour his support among a key constituency by airing a commercial accusing him of rejecting funding for soldiers at war in Iraq.
Kerry warned an audience of veterans that President Bush has misled the country on everything from the war to the economy and had broken promises to veterans needing health care. From the Oval Office on Tuesday, Bush questioned Kerry's own truthfulness by calling for him to identify the world leaders Kerry has said would rather see him as president.
The Massachusetts Democrat later went to Charleston to accept his near-uncontested win in the Illinois primary, which his campaign says gives him the delegates needed to mathematically clinch the nomination. Kerry will claim that prize at the Democratic convention in Boston this summer.
He thanked Illinois voters "for helping us achieve our goal ?- a nomination marked by unity and not division."
"Together, in the months ahead, we will call on the best in Americans ?- and stand up for the best in America," Kerry told about several thousand cheering backers. "I say to you tonight: A new day is on the way."
The primary win was one bright spot during a series of tough days for Kerry. He came under a choreographed assault from Republicans from Bush on down after refusing to name the world leaders he says privately support his campaign. At the same time, Bush launched negative campaign ads that seek to define Kerry in harsh terms for the many voters to whom he is still unfamiliar. Both moves have made it difficult for Kerry to get his message out to voters.
In his first visit to West Virginia since becoming the presumptive nominee, Kerry tried to define himself as a war hero. The state, with 203,000 veterans, or 15.4 percent of its adult population, is home to more veterans per capita than all but Alaska, Montana, Nevada and Wyoming. Although solidly Democratic in past elections, West Virginia sided with Bush instead of Al Gore in 2000. Its five electoral votes would be essential in another close election.
"Nothing is more important than telling the American people the truth about the economy, health care, and war and peace," Kerry told veterans in Huntington. "This administration has yet to level with the American people."
In a nod to Mountain State geography, Kerry said, "On issue after issue, this president's misleading misstatements have produced a credibility gap as big as the New River Gorge."
Although Kerry has said he won't break confidences by naming any of the overseas leaders, Bush told reporters, "If you're going to make an accusation in the course of a presidential campaign, you ought to back it up with facts."
For the second day in a row, Vice President Dick Cheney criticized Kerry at a Republican fund-raiser. "We are the ones who get to determine the outcome of this election, not unnamed foreign leaders," Cheney told donors at a benefit for Rep. Bob Beauprez, R-Colo.
In a speech to be delivered Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in California, Cheney will try to draw a contrast between Kerry and Bush in national security terms. "The American people will have a clear choice in the election of 2004 ?- at least as clear as any since the election of 1984," Cheney says, according to an advance text of his speech.
Howard Dean, Kerry's former rival, said it was "silly" for the Bush administration to suggest Kerry reveal names, "given the proclivity of this administration to threaten those both home and abroad who are candid."
"If I were Senator Kerry I wouldn't name those names because this administration would clearly make their lives difficult," said Dean, a former governor of Vermont.
Joining Kerry in Huntington were seven members of swift boats he commanded in Vietnam, service that won him three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Star and a Silver Star. At the same time, the Bush campaign released a television ad accusing Kerry of being "wrong on defense" by not supporting bills that would have ensured troops had body armor and higher combat pay and given reservists and their families better health care.
"Few votes in Congress are as important as funding our troops at war. Though John Kerry voted in October of 2002 for military action in Iraq, he later voted against funding our soldiers," the ad says.
Kerry labeled the ad "another distortion," arguing that he would have supported funding for the troops if Bush had eased his tax cut to avoid exploding the deficit.
"I'm not going to worry about the misleading," Kerry said. "I'm going to keep pounding away at the truth. We're going to build an army of truth-tellers."
Bush campaign spokesman Steve Schmidt rejected Kerry's argument, charging Kerry with abandoning troops.
"While he falsely attacks the president over veteran's funding, John Kerry authorized our troops to liberate Iraq and then voted against funding for body armor, increased combat pay and health care to support them," Schmidt said.
By winning the Illinois primary, Kerry boosted his delegate total to at least 2,252, well past the 2,162 needed to secure the nomination at the Democratic convention in July.
Kerry was returning to Washington on Wednesday for a speech before flying to Ketchum, Idaho, to begin a five-day vacation.
As an avowed liberal, I am not entirely certain that these "revelations" either qualify as something newsworthy or shed Kerry in a better light. The fact remains that John Kerry claimed he had the support of several foriegn leaders, and then refused to name those leaders. Neither one of the articles changes this fact.
His reasons - namely that identifying his supporters would "betray confidences" - is a fairly plausible explanation. After all, those foriegn leaders have to deal with George Bush, and outrightly stating that they hope he does not get re-elected would certainly effect thier relationship. So, it is plausible that foriegn leaders have informed Kerry they support him, and that those divulgences were given in confidence.
Kerry was trying to draw attention to the way that Bush's policies have alientated us from the rest of the world:
John Kerry wrote:I stand by my statement. The point is not the leaders. What's important is that this administration's foreign policy is not making us as safe as we can be in the world."
In that respect, he is absolutely correct. It is a well known fact that Bush policies have divided the world against us. Pointing this out is a legitimate attack against the Bush administration.
Particularly amusing is the quote from White House Press Secretary Scott McLellan:
Quote:Either he is straightforward and states who they are, or the only conclusion one can draw is that he is making it up to attack the president.
No, that is not the only conclusion one can draw.
The fact that conservatives claim it is only demonstrates thier utter inability to think objectively. As outlined above, there is a plausible explanation for why Kerry hasn't divulged his supposed supporters. Sure, Kerry's refusal may be enough to convince conservatives that he is lying, but what of us with working nervous systems? How are we to decide?
In any case, whether or not a reporter misconstrued the word "more" for "foriegn" is utterly irrelevent.
I find it probable that Kerry is telling the truth. I find his explanation for not divulging his supporters to be reasonable. I also find the Bush Administrations argument that
his refusal to name sources indicates he is lying to be completely retarded. In any case, the larger issue at hand - and the one which is worthy of further examination - is how Bush's policies have affected our relationship with the world.
I guess I can go along with ILZ on this one. Plausible.
an accusation?
What accusation did Kerry make about gw?
Kerry needs to get his team together ASAP. The lies of Shrubco need to be stated to the American public over and over. Kerry also needs to start saying what he will do in simple short paragraphs for the simpleton, sheep of America.
It looks like that most people don't think that he made it up. Which is a good thing. It was a misguided move to draw attention to the fact that Bush's go it alone policies around the world do not work to bring about peaceful solutions to problems. At first I thought, "boy, I can't wait for this story to die down." But now I think the longer it goes on the sillier it will all seem.
I think the biggest worry that Kerry has got is Bush's add about the no vote on sending more money for Iraq. I doubt hardly any of that money has been spent on body armor in first place but still it looks bad.
revel wrote:...Bush's go it alone policies around the world...
Can you list a few of those for me? I'd like to look into them. Thanks.
scrat, his decision to go it alone with Iraq for starters. Admittedly others "nations of the willing" joined him after the fact, but he made the decision alone regardless of who was with him. Had we had more support from countries that do not need our support in order to support us in Iraq we wouldn't be stuck with the huge bill that was supposed to pay for itself.
His rejections of the ABM treaty, the Kyoto Protocol, etc...
And lets not forget the phrase so beloved of you rightards:
"You are either with us or you are a terrorist!"
revel wrote:scrat, his decision to go it alone with Iraq for starters. Admittedly others "nations of the willing" joined him after the fact, but he made the decision alone regardless of who was with him.
Revel - When you refer to taking action as part of a coalition of over 40 nations as "going it alone" you are attempting to use words to describe things they do not mean. "Alone" means "alone", not "without the blessing of the people
I wish he'd had".
Scrat, your bogus "coalition" argumet has been zapped on another thread (again). Do you really believe in this "coalition,: or is this another example of yourt effort to avoid contributing anything worthwhile to the discussion.
I am sure other foriegn leaders want Kerry to win. Leaders like Kim Jong-il, Kadhafi, Castro, Chirac, and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. I bet even some ex-leaders like Hussien and Jean-Bertrand Aristide would like kerry to win so they can get back to business as usual... I'd even bet Osama wants Kerry to win so he can relax for awhile before getting back to business...
cjhsa
cjhsa, your choice of "humor" illustrates your unfunny bad taste.
Ditto to McGentrix.
BBB
Hey, Bumble, they're entitled to their satire.
Lord knows there's thousands of pictures of the Pretzledent posted in these fora making an ass of himself.
But the fact is they are wrong about who 'tha terrists' support.
