Kerry Rolls
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| Sun, 07-18-2004 - 3:36pm |
Kerry couldn't say no
Hillary waffle was just part of a wimpy week
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/213256p-183572c.html
John Kerry is about to be crowned King of all Democrats and he's got at least a 50-50 shot at being the 44th President of the United States. Hillary Clinton is but one of 100 senators. Any clash between the two should thus be a mismatch - and it was. Kerry never stood a chance.
If you're scoring at home, that's Clinton 1, Kerry 0.
What's amazing about the spat over whether Hillary would get a primetime convention speech was how quickly Kerry retreated. No sooner had his aides insulted Clinton by saying, first, she hadn't asked for a role and second, the convention was about the "future" then they caved and asked her to speak. Begged would be more accurate.
Kerry's the king all right, but Clinton's the unchallenged Queen of Democrats - and the King better not forget it again.
Her supporters rejoiced at her triumph, but Republicans must be delighted, too, for the embarrassing incident reveals a weak spot in the Democratic nominee.
John Kerry is a man who can be rolled. Quickly and often.
His surrender to Clinton was one of three cases in just a week where Kerry took a stand, then immediately folded his cards when challenged. He's definitely not ready for the World Series of Poker.
The first case involved the July 8 Bush-bash at Radio City Music Hall. A day after he praised Whoopi Goldberg and others as representing the "heart and soul of America," Kerry wilted in the face of media and GOP heat. Suddenly, he found Goldberg's lewd act inappropriate.
And on the same day as the Hillary fold, Kerry backed away from some of his own TV ads when black officials called them "lackluster."
Only a week after touting the $2 million buy as the largest ever aimed at black voters, Kerry agreed to scrap the ads. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Kerry flubbed by not showing the ads to the caucus first. "It was corrected," Cummings said as Kerry agreed to the changes the caucus wanted.
Final score: Critics 3, Kerry 0.
None of these incidents is fatal at this early stage, and Dem partisans will even argue they show a nuanced thinker willing to listen and change his mind. Those traits, they say, go to the heart of why they prefer him to President Bush.
But it's also true that the three incidents play into the GOP attack machine theme that Kerry is a flip-flopper who can't be trusted. Even a top Dem stalwart conceded there are doubts about Kerry's "internal gyroscope."
Such doubts worry this Kerry supporter because of how he views the election landscape: A slim majority of Americans have turned against Bush, but Kerry has not yet captured all their votes, especially independents. To win, my Democratic sage says, Kerry must meet two tests:
"He must convince people that he has a strong foreign policy, and he must show middle class families that he cares about them and understands their problems."
He's right, but here's a third challenge. Kerry needs a Sister Souljah moment.
It was 12 years ago, just before his own crowning convention, that Bill Clinton demonstrated strength and independence by scolding the young black rap singer. She had defended Los Angeles riots by saying, "If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people."
Clinton not only said the comments reflected "hatred," he did so at Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition. Sister Souljah then called Clinton "racist," and Jackson was furious at him, too. But Clinton stood his ground, and the incident established his willingness to say no and risk offending a key party voting bloc.
Kerry has not yet taken such a risk. When he does, he'll be a stronger, more worthy candidate for the Oval Office.
Renee ~~~

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It is logical. If Kerry wins, she can't and won't run against an incumbent Democrat for the seat in 2008, and then it is logical for Edwards to then run for the seat in 2012. Even if Kerry loses in 2008 if he wins this year, Edwards will still have the upper hand as he would have been the sitting VP for 4 years.
If Edwards loses, the earliest that Hillary could run for President would be 2016, and by then, her aspirations will be pretty much gone as she will be 69 years old, and probably tired of politics, having been involved in the political arena for over 38 years.
Aparently Burger wasn't the only member of the Clinton administration who didn't take security procedures seriously:
<
“Even after bin Laden’s departure from the area, CIA officers hoped he might return, seeing the camp as a magnet that could draw him for as long as it was still set up. The military maintained readiness for another strike opportunity. On March 7, 1999, Clarke called a UAE official to express his concerns about possible associations between Emirati officials and bin Laden. Clarke later wrote in a memorandum of this conversation that the call had been approved at an interagency meeting and cleared with the CIA. When the former bin Laden unit chief found out about Clarke’s call, he questioned CIA officials, who denied having given such clearance. Imagery confirmed that less than a week after Clarke’s phone call the camp was hurriedly dismantled, and the site was deserted. CIA officers, including Deputy Director for Operations Pavitt, were irate. ‘Mike’ thought the dismantling of the camp erased a possible site for targeting bin Laden.” --
Renee ~~~
I forgot to mention the fact that Clinton gave Deutch a pardon....something that he is not around to do for Sandy Berger.
Edited 7/23/2004 3:02 pm ET ET by debateguy
"her aspirations will be pretty much gone as she will be 69 years old, and probably tired of politics, having been involved in the political arena for over 38 years."
How old was Reagan, were his aspirations gone? (His mind, yes, but his hopes and dreams?) Okay for HIM I suppose, because he was an idiot with a mentally debilitating disease and a white man, but no, no, 69, is too old for HIllary. President Regan was 69, thank you, and mentally incompetent. 38 years is too long for her for what reason? You doubt her abilities, but I promise you Hillary CLinton will be around for a long long time.
Besides, your formula leaves out one very important thing, it is based on nothing but assumption.
and that makes it garbage.
But to your note - Let's hope the countries you mention don't do anything anytime soon as our military is stretched too thin now.
As to Whitman, I agree she's appointed to support the President's agenda, but she owes some loyalty to those she's overseeing and to the mission of her particular area such as the EPA. I applaud that she refused to be used.
I hear Bush is now speaking to the Urban League so the NAACP thing is supposed mute. However, what kind of President only speaks to his supporters? Shouldn't he represent the whole United States?
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=574&ncid=721&e=2&u=/nm/20040721/wl_nm/israel_iran_nuclear_d
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