May 2-3, 2004

QUOTABLES:

"We need to be honest with ourselves: Our candidate is not one who's good with a 30-second sound bite. He is very thoughtful and it takes him a while to say things."
Rep. Harold Ford Jr. of Tennessee, co-chairman of John Kerry's campaign.

“What Kerry fails to realize is this has nothing to do with politics -- this has to with Vietnam Veterans who served, who have a beef with John Kerry's service, both during and after the war," B.G. Burkett told CNSNews.com. [B.G. Burkett, author of the book Stolen Valor and a military researcher]

"They fill the ranks of the armed forces. Everyday somewhere they do brave and good things without notice. Their courage is usually seen only by their comrades, by those who long to be free and by the enemy. They are willing to give up their lives and when one is lost a whole world of hopes and possibilities is lost with them. This evening we think of the families who grieve and the families that wait on a loved one's safe return," President Bush said.

"Yes, we do have economic problems in Michigan," says Carolyn Jackson, a former chairwoman of the Dearborn/Dearborn Heights Republican Club. "But I really think people want stability and consistency, and in the end, I think the vote will go to Bush."

Paula Beauchamp, chairwoman of the Democratic Party in Cass County, Mich., says there's more passion among voters than in recent presidential races. "I sincerely believe it's too late for President Bush" because voters are fed up with "the secrecy, the deceit, the unfulfilled campaign promises,"

[Bush has spent] "60 million dollars to tear us down." He laid out a "specific strategy -- that in 90 days he would tear us down. Well, we're still standing. I don't care what Democrats are saying in Washington. This happens every four years," said communications director Stephanie Cutter.

 

JUST POLITICS

Kerry scores a perfect 10

When it comes to flipflopping Sen. John Kerry just took a 10 out of 10 in style, performance and substance.

Kerry now admits that weapons of mass destruction may still be found. Oh my, how does he reconcile such statements as: "George Bush sold us on going to war with Iraq based on the threat of weapons of mass destruction. But we still haven't found them."

He has frequently stated that, "We were misled about weapons of mass destruction." But this week in an interview with Chris Matthews, ABC’s “Hardball”, Kerry offered this statement regarding WMDs:

KERRY:  It appears, as they peel away the weapons of mass destruction issue—and we may yet find them, Chris.  Look, I want to make it clear.  Who knows if a month from now, three months from now, you find some weapons?  You may.

[read “Hardball” Kerry interview transcript]

Kerry: unfit for duty

Despite Bob Dole telling Fox News Sunday that the issue of Sen. John Kerry’s Vietnam medals is a non-starter, it seems that Kerry’s Vietnam days are going to follow him into his week of new biographical ads.

"We have 19 of 23 officers who served with [Kerry]. We have every commanding officer he ever had in Vietnam. They all signed a letter that says he is unfit to be commander-in-chief," said John O'Neill, a Vietnam veteran who served in the Navy as a PCF (Patrol Craft Fast) boat commander.

That is not all, "We are going to be presenting a letter that deals with Kerry's unfitness to be commander-in-chief that has been signed by hundreds of swift boat sailors, including most of those who served with Kerry," O'Neill said.

The letter is the result of a newly formed group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.

"The ranks of the people signing [the letter] range from admiral down to seaman, and they run across the entire spectrum of politics, specialties, and political feelings about the Vietnam War," O’Neill said.

This is bad for Kerry, who up till now has based his response to what he would do differently in Iraq on the fact that he served in Vietnam. There are many Vietnam veterans who are going to get their revenge on Kerry for his anti-Vietnam war actions. The revenge has nothing to do with the 1971 ‘assassinate senators’ meeting in Kansas City that Kerry conveniently forgot he attended. It has to do with his betrayal of Vietnam veterans on and off of the battlefield.

Buyers remorse

John Fund on the Wall Street Journal opinion page writes about the Democrat’s "buyer remorse" over Sen. John Kerry. He mentions that the most liberal institutions are calling for Kerry to not be the nominee:

Village Voice columnist James Ridgeway says prominent Democrats should "sit down with the rich and arrogant presumptive nominee and try to persuade him to take a hike" and withdraw.

Kerry’s faults seem to be well documented:

Complaints about Mr. Kerry extend beyond his staff. John Weaver, who was strategist for John McCain's 2000 presidential campaign before he became a Democrat, calls Mr. Kerry's TV skills "abysmal. . . . I don't know if it's a stream of consciousness or stream of unconsciousness." MSNBC's Chris Matthews, who has lavished airtime on Mr. Kerry, is nonetheless frustrated with his elliptical speech patterns. "There's no such thing as a trick question with Kerry, because he won't answer it," he sighs. "We'll be having conversations afterward, and it's hard to get to him even then."

The fact of the matter is liberal Democrats are stuck with extreme desire to defeat Bush and a candidate they don’t think can do the job:

Liberals know they are stuck with Mr. Kerry, but that's not preventing them from worrying about his tendency to appear to take both sides of an issue. The irony is that Mr. Kerry has wanted the White House so badly, and for so long, that he has become almost a caricature of an opportunistic, programmed candidate. The resulting image turns off many voters who sense that not much is motivating him beyond blind ambition. For example, many voters may not feel comfortable with Mr. Bush's religious impulses and motivations, but they highlight the image he conveys of a sincere, committed leader.

It is traditional for party activists to grumble about their prospective nominee between the time he wraps up the primaries and when he is actually nominated. But the doubts about Mr. Kerry go beyond campaign kvetching. At times, they seem to verge on quiet panic.

On the road again

President Bush climbs aboard a bus today to make a swing through the Midwest presidential race battleground states. President Bush goes to Michigan today. Tomorrow, President Bush tours Ohio before returning to Washington for a Wednesday meeting with the Prime Minister of Singapore and a Republican National Committee gala. Bush meets with the King of Jordan before finishing the week with another bus trip to Iowa and Wisconsin.

The Democratic National Committee responds with its own caravan -- the "Mission Not Accomplished" tour, which will focus on the economy and homeland security. Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley, the chairman of the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Homeland Security Task Force, will host a conference call this morning to discuss it.

Meanwhile, Dennis Kucinich is in Kentucky and we wonder why?

Buffett joins Kerry

Omaha billionaire Warren Buffett has joined the Kerry campaign. Buffett, worth an estimated 42.9 billion, has long been upset with Bush tax policy. He said that he will not have much contact with Kerry.

"I personally think our election will be a referendum on George W. Bush," Buffett said. "The Kerry campaign is much less important than how people feel about Bush."

Where are the Battleground States?

Sen. John Kerry’s campaign has expanded the number of battleground states from 17 to 19. His new ad that is a 60-sec. biographical spot is also airing in Louisiana and Colorado. President Clinton won Louisiana and narrowly lost Colorado in 1996. Bush previously won both states.

The Kerry ad covers the following:

The Kerry campaign is launching two new television ads that highlight John Kerry's lifetime of service and strength and his optimistic vision that together we can build a stronger America. The new ads – "Heart" and "Lifetime" – feature the people who know John Kerry best talking about the service and strength Kerry has displayed throughout a life that has included: earning the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and Three Purple Hearts; making decisions that saved his crewmates' lives in Vietnam; fighting for victims’ rights as a prosecutor; and serving America in the Senate as a strong voice for issues that make a difference in the lives of every day Americans.

 

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