tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64245542011-07-14T14:28:23.867-07:00A skeptical blog examining John F. Kerry's candidacy for President in 2004. Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comBlogger841100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1107699186484431162005-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:002005-02-06T06:13:06.483-08:00

This is a lengthy interview with John Kerry, discussing some of the mistakes he made during his campaign and what he learned from the experience. One of the things that make me angriest about the 2004 campaign was the hypocritical and cynical way in which Republicans embraced the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth group. Perhaps the most visually disgusting memory of the GOP convention was the purple

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1096556491388591472004-09-30T08:00:00.000-07:002004-09-30T08:01:31.390-07:00

This blog hasnt been updated in some time, and my political posting takes place at UNMEDIA and Dean Nation anyway. So, for the time being, I'ved decided to shut this blog down.

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1087770818944617802004-06-20T15:33:00.000-07:002004-06-20T15:33:38.943-07:00

Nedra Pickler does it again - I actually found myself laughing out loud: Kerry is a rich man who promotes the Democratic ideal that government should do more to help the poor. He moves between both worlds, spending the past week traveling to downtrodden places like South-side Columbus, Ohio, and the affluent island playground of Nantucket. Not since President Kennedy have Democrats been

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1086873860030377562004-06-10T06:24:00.000-07:002004-06-10T06:24:20.030-07:00

President Bush's campaign staffers believe that pushing their own guy isn't a particularly good political strategy and that bashing Kerry or grasping on to Reagan nostalgia is far preferable? Now to a related point. I've got a number of notes from people (few of them Bush supporters in the first case, of course) who are outraged by the Bush campaign's unabashed exploitation of Reagan's passing

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1086478155834119782004-06-05T16:28:00.000-07:002004-06-05T16:29:15.836-07:00

"Ronald Reagan's love of country was infectious. Even when he was breaking Democrats' hearts, he did so with a smile and in the spirit of honest and open debate. Despite the disagreements, he lived by that noble ideal that at 5pm we weren't Democrats or Republicans, we were Americans and friends. President Reagan and Tip O'Neill fought hard and honorably on many issues, and sat down together to

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1085752147395163992004-05-28T06:49:00.000-07:002004-05-28T06:49:07.400-07:00

This is a great start:As president, on my first day in office, I will send a message to every man and woman in our armed forces: This commander-in-chief will ensure that you are the best-led, best-equipped and most respected fighting force in the world. You will be armed with the right weapons, schooled in the right skills, and fully prepared to win on the battlefield. But you will never be

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1083876540580574172004-05-06T13:49:00.000-07:002004-05-06T13:59:15.483-07:00

"When I was in the Navy, the captain of the boat was in charge and the captain always took responsibility," Kerry told teachers and students at Colton High School. "Today I have a message for the men and women of our Armed forces ... I will take responsibility for the bad as well as the good." [...] Kerry also accused Bush of being out of the loop on the Iraqi prisoner abuse. Bush expressed

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1083869231192298842004-05-06T11:47:00.000-07:002004-05-06T11:51:37.856-07:00

I hate disagreeing with Bill Scher of Liberal Oasis, but I think it would be suicidal to vote against the $25b request for Iraq and Afghanistan. First of all, the money is badly needed for body armor, etc. Second, the war in Afghanistan is underfunded as it is. Third, there's still a Homeland Defense Credibility gap to cross with swing undecided voters, and voting against this money gives all too

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1083524227968025892004-05-02T11:57:00.000-07:002004-05-02T13:45:53.890-07:00

US Presidents are limited to two four-year terms[1]. Elections held after the second term are really a referendum on the challenger, and in 2000 Gore ultimately failed (I've written before on why the 2000 election represented the highest ideal of our system of government). Elections held after the first term, however, are a referendum on the incumbent. A President who'se only claim to fitness

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1083332584635598552004-04-30T06:43:00.000-07:002004-04-30T06:47:22.826-07:00

Lest you forget reading this blog, I was one of the original supporters of Howard Dean. By oriiginal, I mean with no false modesty that I started blogging about his before his own campaign did. And the reasons for which I supported him - and still would prefer to have had him as our nominee against George W. Bush - remain. Fundamentally two things made him my choice: his impulsive frankness about

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1082578954505198232004-04-21T13:22:00.000-07:002004-04-22T13:05:01.780-07:00

The right-wing media is making hay of the Boston Globe's assertion (based on Kerry's former CO, who is a registered Republican now) that one of Kerry's three Purple Hearts was for a "minor wound". No word on whether they consider his Silver Star and Bronze Star with Combat V to be worthy of derision. The fact that George W. Bush escaped Vietnam by assignment to a Champagne unit at Ellignton

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1082127377172591092004-04-16T07:56:00.000-07:002004-04-16T08:00:15.843-07:00

Netscape founder Marc Andreessen is a whiny CEO: In the last two election cycles, Andreessen donated $350,000 to Democratic candidates, including a single $250,000 check to the Democratic National Committee during Al Gore's 2000 run for the White House. He even held a dinner at his home in Palo Alto, Calif., for John Kerry's Senate campaign in 2000. But for now, he is sitting this one out. "If

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1082039011707958112004-04-15T07:23:00.000-07:002004-04-15T07:27:29.403-07:00

The Washington Post has a must-read piece that reveals the Aug. 6th PDB, which preceded Bush's month-long Crawford vacaction, was just one in a series of warnings. By the time a CIA briefer gave President Bush the Aug. 6, 2001, President's Daily Brief headlined "Bin Ladin Determined To Strike in US," the president had seen a stream of alarming reports on al Qaeda's intentions. So had Vice

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1081866465215871002004-04-13T07:27:00.000-07:002004-04-13T07:31:40.106-07:00

George W. Bush's planned press announcement this evening will bump American Idol and 24. Did you know that over 24 million people voted to determine Clay vs Ruben? Compare that to the fact that approximately 7 million people voted for Kerry in the Democratic primaries. Generously assuming that this represents only 51% of the total vote, the most we can extrapolate is about 15 million people

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1081863165088117612004-04-13T06:32:00.000-07:002004-04-13T06:37:15.890-07:00

Glenn Reynolds argues that the Democrats don't have a plan for Iraq. Actually, they do - and Kerry's op-ed in the Washington Post today ties all the points together into a smart, focused argument. To be successful in Iraq, and in any war for that matter, our use of force must be tied to a political objective more complete than the ouster of a regime. To date, that has not happened in Iraq. It

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1081795135773223902004-04-12T11:38:00.000-07:002004-04-12T11:46:10.483-07:00

The GOP is winning the battle for "defining" Kerry. But there are some who rise to his defense - for example, this interesting profile on Kerry in the WaPo. It paints a picture of Kerry as a careful thinker who does not act until he sees it neccessary - and then, he makes swift decisions. I think it may beuseful in understanding his attitude towards the ongoing Iraq/PDB issues afflicting Bush.

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1081778151615535262004-04-12T06:55:00.000-07:002004-04-12T06:59:44.733-07:00

One of my concerns is that Kerry has not articulated his foreign policy vision in a concise way that clearly spells out the differences between him and Bush. It's not enough to simply state that Bush is wrong, Bush is unilateral, etc because this opens Kerry to the counter-charge that he would "allow UN veto over US security". Never underestimate teh distortion capabilities of the opponent.

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1081457003203016132004-04-08T13:43:00.000-07:002004-04-08T13:47:11.390-07:00

But a Kerry Administration will find that governing in the wake of the Bush Administration's mess will be the harder task by far. This article in the Prospect lays out some of the major challenges that Kerry will face, and comments on how this should influence both his campaign and his first 100 days' priorities: First, on the campaign trail, he should put forth a program and a governing

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1081173618763091622004-04-05T07:00:00.000-07:002004-04-05T07:04:24.060-07:00

My position on Kos: He said a dumb thing, then apologized. I think he deserves benefit of the doubt given his history. End of story. Kos most vocal critics are unwilling to grant him that benefit, but they do so from the cover of pseudonymity and thus are immune from being held accountable to the same standard. I, for one, welcome the implicit acknowledgement that the Left is held to a higher

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1080596033902678552004-03-29T13:33:00.000-08:002004-03-29T13:37:28.496-08:00

The main strategy of the Bush campaign is to "define" Kerry in the minds of voters. Interestingly, the same strategy was used by Howard Dean, such that there still is a deep reluctance to support Kerry among the further left of the Dean netroots. However, the Bush assault is far better funded and promises to be more devastating, given the incredible synergy between the Administration, the GOP,

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1080314197993920412004-03-26T07:16:00.000-08:002004-03-26T07:20:08.340-08:00

well, at least that's how the following would be interpreted by the GOP logic used against Kerry. WASHINGTON – John Kerry, promising to create 10 million jobs and keep them in America, said Friday he would cut corporate taxes by 5 percent and eliminate tax loopholes that push jobs overseas. [..] The plan would face a series of obstacles should the Massachusetts senator defeat President Bush in

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1080068206933992242004-03-23T10:56:00.000-08:002004-03-23T11:25:25.796-08:00

The full text of Kerry's speech outlining his approach to the War on Terror is on the official campaign website. But the central point is this: I do not fault George Bush for doing too much in the War on Terror; I believe he’s done too little. The revelations by Richard Clarke that the Administration ignored terror prior to 9-11, and fixated on Iraq after 9-11, have supported Kerry's claim. Of

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1080067410150294872004-03-23T10:43:00.000-08:002004-03-23T10:46:56.200-08:00

It's not just that some GOP senators are defending Kerry - it's also that many GOP members are criticizing Bush (who is demonstrably not a fiscal conservative). The sum of these effects is on the whole good for Kerry, if he can leverage it: Together, McCain, Hagel, Clarke and O'Neill, wittingly or not, are helping Kerry undercut Bush's chief reelection message: that America is safer with this

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1079983584451059412004-03-22T11:26:00.000-08:002004-03-22T11:29:49.420-08:00

Nebraska GOP Senator Chuck Hagel defended John Kerry on the issue of national security, on ABC's This Week. Via Liberal Oasis: No I don’t [agree Kerry is soft on defense]. And I tend to agree with John McCain on this, the facts just don’t measure the rhetoric. You can take a guy like John Kerry who’s been in the Senate for 19 years, and go through that voting record -- you can take it with

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1079968607799625212004-03-22T07:16:00.000-08:002004-03-22T07:20:12.670-08:00

Destined to enter the lexicon just like "I invented the Internet", the above statement by Kerry looks bad on paper, but has a simple explanation. The video that was appended to the Bush campaign ad truncates Kerry before he finishes explaining to the audience that he voted for the initial bill (S.1689), but co-sponsored an amendment with Senator Joe Biden (S.AMDT.1796) and several others that

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1079650938588808892004-03-18T15:02:00.000-08:002004-03-18T15:05:38.610-08:00

this is great, but why are the actual Democrats MIA? Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., said Thursday he did not believe Democratic candidate John Kerry, a friend and Senate colleague, was weak on defense or would compromise national security if elected president... "This kind of rhetoric, I think, is not helpful in educating and helping the American people make a choice," McCain said on "The Early

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1079439016242356312004-03-16T04:10:00.000-08:002004-03-16T04:13:32.826-08:00

Kos has the story - the AP writer who thought Kerry had said "foreign leaders" went back to review his interview tape and found that it was actually "more leaders".

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1079393976724125862004-03-15T15:39:00.000-08:002004-03-15T15:43:42.420-08:00

Slate catches Kerry in a real pandering lie, not a nuanced position: "I'm pretty tough on Castro, because I think he's running one of the last vestiges of a Stalinist secret police government in the world,'' Kerry told WPLG-ABC 10 reporter Michael Putney in an interview to be aired at 11:30 this morning. Then, reaching back eight years to one of the more significant efforts to toughen sanctions

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1079110353790624252004-03-12T08:52:00.000-08:002004-03-12T08:55:44.560-08:00

Bush is correct that Kerry on Sept. 29, 1995, proposed a five-year, $1.5 billion cut to the intelligence budget. But Bush appears to be wrong when he said the proposed Kerry cut -- about 1 percent of the overall intelligence budget for those years -- would have "gutted" intelligence. In fact, the Republican-led Congress that year approved legislation that resulted in $3.8 billion being cut over

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1079048639467602732004-03-11T15:43:00.000-08:002004-03-11T15:50:03.403-08:00

It's pretty much a given that Bush is going to lose the Arab vote - and pretty much the broader Muslim vote - in 2004. So the blatant stereotyping of Arabs as terrorists in Bush's new 100 Days attack ad against John Kerry probably seemed likea good idea at the time, especially since the non-Arabs who share offense at this (like me) are also not likely to be Bush voters come November. However,

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1078947359345684572004-03-10T11:35:00.000-08:002004-03-10T11:39:07.903-08:00

BUSH: I think the thing that discouraged me about the vice president was uttering those famous words, "no controlling legal authority." I felt like that there needed to be a better sense of responsibility of what was going on in the White House. I believe that -- I believe they've moved that sign, "The buck stops here," from the Oval Office desk to "The buck stops here" on the Lincoln Bedroom.

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1078855864498950182004-03-09T10:11:00.000-08:002004-03-10T07:56:18.700-08:00

My own efforts at this have been limited by the constraints of time, but professional blogger Matthew Yglesias writes an entire essay on the false claim against Kerry of being purely politically expedient. He has plenty of examples, but here's the main point: The Senator's only real sin of nuance, however, is to do what every other Senator -- and every member of every legislative body throughout

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1078785045423147182004-03-08T14:30:00.000-08:002004-03-10T11:38:29.170-08:00

Sometimes, ideas in politics come from so far out in, er, left field, that I'm completely blown away. Who would have thought that Tom Brokaw was a credible choice for Veep? well... after doing some cursory research into his biography, suddenly I think so too. Brokaw is retiring from his anchor position at NBC and at age 63 is still not too old to switch careers. Reading over the transcript of

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1078335018938695832004-03-03T09:30:00.000-08:002004-03-03T09:33:17.700-08:00

(Yes, still on pseudo-hiatus until after the nomination. Catch up on my latest at UNMEDIA or at Dean Nation) Ryan Lizza beats me to the punch - and does a better job than I would have anyway in laying out the rationales of 1. whether or not Kerry should announce the Veep pre-convention, and 2. what the traditional criteria are for picking a veep. I think Lizza does a solid and fair job of

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1078281198878172332004-03-02T18:33:00.000-08:002004-03-08T14:35:29.716-08:00

I just made my first contribution to John Kerry. It's clear he's our nominee. Let's work together to make sure that John Kerry is the next president of the united states. Let's have a rally together and show our fundraising power.

Editornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077896083497441782004-02-27T07:34:00.000-08:002004-02-27T07:38:47.670-08:00

I know I promised to be on hiatus, but this is important since it's so widely micharacterized by the GOP and Kerry's anti-veteran pro-war detractors. I'd also like to publicly salute Vietnam veteran and Kerry-skeptic Ed Chamberlain for his service to our nation. Thank you, sir. I am not here as John Kerry. I am here as one member of the group of 1,000 which is a small representation of a very

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077740888354253962004-02-25T12:28:00.000-08:002004-02-25T12:30:57.686-08:00

The purpose of this blog was to explore Kerry as a candidate, and I think I achieved that to my satisfaction. I think he's a good man, and the characterization of him from the left as a pandering unprincipled schemer simply doesn't hold water after a careful examination of his record. I also learned a great deal about his service and his biography, which is useful in combating the steady stream

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077563730133558592004-02-23T11:15:00.000-08:002004-02-23T11:20:21.340-08:00

His Purple Heart awards were for more than just skinned knees. See the link in the sidebar comparing his Vietnam years to George Bush's - and also don't miss this 7-part biographical piece from the Boston Globe. Hey if we are gonna talk about the man's accomplishments, we should be on the same page, right?

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077551967357338722004-02-23T07:59:00.000-08:002004-02-23T08:08:03.420-08:00

quote by Max Cleland, triple amputee Veteran : "For Saxby Chambliss, who got out of going to Vietnam because of a trick knee, to attack John Kerry as weak on the defense of our nation is like a mackerel in the moonlight that both shines and stinks." Cleland knows of what he speaks - Chambliss was the hit man against his own decorated service record in 2002. This morning the head of Bush's

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077397558835129132004-02-21T13:05:00.000-08:002004-02-21T13:08:43.013-08:00

Billmon has a detailed essay on the recent op-ed by James Webb, that explains just who Webb is and why his statements signal a true sea-change among the most ardent supporters of the American military. It's essential reading. And Billmon concludes that Webb, who during Vietnam reviled Kerry for his anti-war protest, may be sending a political feeler to Kerry now. You simply have to read Billmon's

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077313098048746272004-02-20T13:38:00.000-08:002004-02-20T13:41:00.590-08:00

In another development on the Democratic campaign trail, Sen. Bob Graham of Florida -- who dropped out of the race last year -- said he would accept the No. 2 spot on the ticket if it were offered. Following a speech Thursday at the Economic Club of Florida in Tallahassee, Graham, 67, said he would do what it takes to get a Democrat in the White House. "I want a Democrat to be elected president

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077290972188307092004-02-20T07:29:00.000-08:002004-02-20T07:32:14.360-08:00

Ryan Lizza analyses the latest Pew poll so that I don't have to: While opinions of Bush are now polarized equally between those who call him honest and those who call him a liar, Kerry's favorabilty rating is high (58%) and his unfavorable rating is low (28%). By far the most common word used to describe him by respondents was "honest." This is a big improvement for Democrats. At this point in

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077206376866318702004-02-19T07:59:00.000-08:002004-02-19T08:02:18.186-08:00

I'm frankly uncomfortable with Edwards' anti-NAFTA populism. Granted, the loss of manufacturing jobs is a serious problem, but what's the alternative? Forcibly requiring manufacturers to employ US-based labor? Higher prices on expensive consumer goods like automobiles? I evaluate NAFTA's success from the same perspective that Matthew mentioned, namely that the benefits are widespread and outweigh

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077139085841341802004-02-18T13:18:00.000-08:002004-02-18T13:20:45.746-08:00

Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts, who emerged as the Democrats' front-runner a month ago, said Dean "has done an extraordinary job of invigorating a whole group of people who were divorced from the political process," the Reuters news agency reported. Kerry added, "Whatever happens, it's impossible not to express general admiration and respect for the campaign he's put together and what he's

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077126261569304212004-02-18T09:44:00.000-08:002004-02-18T09:47:01.090-08:00

Ryan Lizza argues that Edwards needs to make an electability argument: In other words, the kind of Democrats who should have voted for a candidate like Edwards didn't. The reason? Electability. Kerry destroyed Edwards among the 48 percent of the electorate that said experience and the ability to beat Bush were their top priorities in a candidate. Voters that actually care more about the issues,

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1077117838607864602004-02-18T07:23:00.000-08:002004-02-18T08:55:50.013-08:00

I intend to vote for Howard Dean in the primary. This is why. And I will then support John Kerry against George W Bush. I do not want Edwards to face Bush, because I think Kerry brings more offensive capability to the table by virtue of his war record and his independence from federal matching funds. But Edwards must remain in the race. His presence keeps Kerry from malaise, from taking it for

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076951753372612162004-02-16T09:15:00.000-08:002004-02-16T11:39:12.966-08:00

Howard Dean, when front-runner, faced a withering barrage of fire. It came from the left (Sharpton and Kucinich), the center (the DLC), and the right (Lieberman). It came from his opponents, both respectable (Kerry and Gephardt) and much less so (Limbaugh, Hannity, the RNC). And he responded to the barrage by improving as a candidate. He never went off-message and became tougher and more focused

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076894057215436972004-02-15T17:14:00.000-08:002004-02-15T17:17:39.670-08:00

Diana has a great post on just who is entitled to hate John Kerry on Vietnam. Hint: honorable people holding a valid opinion (with which I disagree entirely), and who don't vote Democratic anyway. Who would have thought that the manifestation of Vietnam in the 2004 election would take the form of a photo-shopped Jane Fonda?

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076893465375901412004-02-15T17:04:00.000-08:002004-02-15T17:07:01.576-08:00

This story suggests that top aides, including Steven Grossman (national chairman of the DFA campaign), are pressuring Dean to drop out if he loses WI: Steve Grossman, national chairman of Dean's campaign, said the former Vermont governor would seek to convert his grass-roots network into a movement that helps expand the party and elect the Democratic nominee — "and, obviously, that looks likely

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076778583936743402004-02-14T09:09:00.000-08:002004-02-14T12:03:20.250-08:00

The Bush campaign sent out an email linking to a web-based video attack ad against Kerry, accusing him of being a tool for the special interests. This is a hilarious claim, as FactCheck.org demonstrates with ease: Looking only at individual lobbyists, Bush has reported getting four times more than Kerry in this presidential race. Looking at the other categories of "special interests" mentioned

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076776317747081212004-02-14T08:31:00.000-08:002004-02-14T08:35:26.826-08:00

This is an absolutely brilliant timeline detailing what John Kerry and George Bush were doing from 1966 - 1973. It is essential that this timeline is aired in television advertisement format during the anniversary of 9-11 in order to negate the impending War Leader Propaganda that Bush's political team will try to saturate the airwaves with during the anniversary. The election needs to be about

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076713305100519852004-02-13T15:01:00.000-08:002004-02-13T15:04:18.450-08:00

we have all heard of the old axiom "the ends justify the means." I evaluate it according to moral, not ethical, standards. For example, if the ends are valid, but the means are immoral, then I consider that route to the desired end invalid. However, if the means are simply unethical as opposed to immoral, then I would have to seriously evaluate whether the cost-benefit of achieving the ends at

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076702960287315692004-02-13T12:09:00.000-08:002004-02-13T12:11:53.373-08:00

Jim Henley praises Kerry for bringing attention to the culture of fear that the Bush Administration has attempted with no great subtlety to culture in the petri dish of social culture: ... as I've said over and over, what's despicable about the Bush Administration is that it wants us to wallow in perpetual, low-grade panic. That is what I can't forgive. Which brings us to Kerry. It was already

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076612179407486722004-02-12T10:56:00.000-08:002004-02-12T10:58:50.373-08:00

Simon over at John Kerry Sucks (but Vote For Him Anyway) picks up on Drudge's recycled-from-1998 supposed exclusive about A Democratic Presidential Candidate's Marital Infedility: The problem is that while I'd love for the press to pick up lots of other, substantive stories about Botox and run with them, so we might have a glimpse of issues during the primary, that just ain't gonna happen. This

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076523685685790122004-02-11T10:21:00.000-08:002004-02-12T07:47:43.716-08:00

excellent timing on this! it keeps the pressure on the White House while also keeping Kerry above the fray. Not that there aren't some Bush true Believers out there who think otherwse - Diana has been receiving some rather deluded email on that score.

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076518200665048542004-02-11T08:50:00.000-08:002004-02-12T07:49:24.640-08:00

explain it to me. UPDATE: Diana has more.

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076514381679188452004-02-11T07:46:00.000-08:002004-02-11T08:56:52.780-08:00

As Atrios notes, the following bald-faced lie about Kerry's Vietnam protests is rapidly making the rounds of the conservative media and blogsphere: A brave man in Vietnam, he returned home to appear before Congress and not merely denounce the war but damn his "band of brothers" as a gang of rapists, torturers and murderers led by officers happy to license them to commit war crimes with impunity.

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076346828824707802004-02-09T09:13:00.000-08:002004-02-09T09:16:16.153-08:00

yes. ANY of the current top 4 democratic candidates can beat Bush. Bush is vulnerable on every issue - domestic, foreign policy, economy, national security, you name it. His Meet the Press softball interview - taped on Saturday in the Oval Office - was so clueless that it was compared to Al Sharpton's answer about the federal reserve - by the conservatives over at The Corner! The way Bush will

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076345922549677832004-02-09T08:58:00.000-08:002004-02-09T09:01:10.030-08:00

This piece on Kerry in TNR argues that the "beholden to special interests" line on Kerry has at least one counterexample: And here is where the story, at least for Kerry, got interesting. One doesn't become the master of Washington without accumulating a few friends, and those friends now turned out in force to defend Clifford. Jackie Onassis, Ted Kennedy, and other Democratic bigwigs rushed to

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076343366689401662004-02-09T08:16:00.000-08:002004-02-09T08:19:07.263-08:00

I apologize to you both, TS and Dana. But I'm afraid that your angle on Kerry just doesn't fit with the direction I want to take this blog. The appeal of the Dean campaign has been its idealism and its ability to bring voters into the fold, to make people believe in the process again. The tone I see from the Anybody-But-Kerry crowd is just too disturbingly similar to the Naderite puritanism of

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076343023765970812004-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:002004-02-09T08:12:51.076-08:00

I do NOT neccessarily want Dean to quit the race if he loses Wisconsin. The reason is because Clark and Edwards are directly competing against each other to be the Southern anti-Kerry, but neither is immune to the steamroll effect of the voter ABB desperation than Dean has been thus far. Look at the upcoming races in TN and VA - polls show Kerry is leading in both states, and the Edwards and

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076341601878798022004-02-09T07:46:00.000-08:002004-02-09T07:49:08.793-08:00

by simply issuing a challenge to Bush to answer the following two questions: Can you give us the names of three National Guard Service colleagues who served with you between May 1972 and October 1973? If Saddam Hussein had an advanced nuclear weapons program, why didn't we invade Iraq before Afghanistan? In fact, why would we have to wait until 9/11?

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076306554092395232004-02-08T21:35:00.000-08:002004-02-08T22:05:00.890-08:00

Christopher Hitchens on Slate when asked to pick which of the Democrats he'd support: The only shard of wisdom I have acquired over the years is this: Personalities count for much more than issues. This might not be true in the few remaining countries that have programmatic and parliamentary contests based on competing political manifestos, but it is absolutely true of presidential elections in

TSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076275025274379952004-02-08T13:17:00.000-08:002004-02-08T13:19:31.436-08:00

Michael Kinsley's tongue-in-cheek article about how Democrats are shopping for a candidate deserves further scrutiny. I think that, for most Democrats, it's fairly accurate. What turns them off about Howard Dean is that people believe in him, and he believes in what he says. He is, on the issues, actually to the right of John Kerry. But he's straightforward, and this leads many to equate him

Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076191551098812542004-02-07T14:05:00.000-08:002004-02-07T14:08:16.013-08:00

Dana's morose post about the Atlanta meetup drew attention from some quarters, as supposed evidence of the deep malaise affecting Dean supporters. However, Atlanta is not exactly representative of the campaign strategy. I submit that the events in Madison are rather more representative. I also have to take some issue with Kaus's characterization of this blog as "We're not really going to end up

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076191081880305122004-02-07T13:58:00.000-08:002004-02-07T14:00:50.890-08:00

In the morning, [John Kerry] stood at Second Ebenezer Baptist Church in Detroit with more than 50 black clergymen behind him. There, before giving a standard stump speech, Mr. Kerry apologized for missing an N.A.A.C.P. candidates' forum on Thursday night that only the Rev. Al Sharpton attended. Mr. Kerry said he had to campaign instead in Maine, which holds its caucuses on Sunday, "to pay them

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076189411010787042004-02-07T13:30:00.000-08:002004-02-07T13:32:35.560-08:00

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Some voters in Saturday's Democratic presidential caucuses found that their caucus sites had been moved or were out of ballots. Michigan Democratic Party Executive Chairman Mark Brewer said some caucus sites had to be changed because building landlords decided at the last minute that the caucuses were a political event and they didn't want that in their building. "This

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076086862302034572004-02-06T09:01:00.000-08:002004-02-06T09:03:25.623-08:00

I share Noam Scheiber's admiration for Kerry's rhetorical trick last night on Fox News: I would defend the president's choice with respect to going into the Guard. I've never made any judgments about any choice somebody made about avoiding the draft, about going to Canada, going to jail, being a conscientious objector, going into the National Guard. Those are choices people make. As Scheiber

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076086321363091162004-02-06T08:52:00.000-08:002004-02-06T08:54:23.983-08:00

Looks like the blog is getting attention. I should clarify, for both my fellow bloggers and for anyone stumbling across the blog from elsewhere that it is NOT my intent to run an "anti-Kerry" blog here. This blog is intended to be a skeptical look at Kerry, true - but not one that is implacably opposed. Dana and TS have their own opinion which differs from mine, and that's fine. But for me it is

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076057738481283822004-02-06T00:35:00.000-08:002004-02-06T00:59:28.233-08:00

In the style of the Note, but without those pesky inside jokes: Detroit Free Press Editorial on Kerry's role in draining Michigan money for the Big Dig in Boston. AP investigation into donations made to Kerry right before the donators were appointed to positions of power by the Senator. Doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me, just Washington politics as usual, which may be why it's such a

TSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076017430611884432004-02-05T13:35:00.000-08:002004-02-05T13:46:44.936-08:00

Didn't think I'd post again so soon, but I ran across this link which was too good to ignore. It may be a bit overly caustic, but I think it provides anecdotal evidence for a lot of the Kerry qualities that turn me off so much about him. Elitist: Check Kerry lives in a mansion on Beacon Hill on which he has borrowed $6 million to finance his campaign. A fire hydrant that prevented him and

TSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076015276181455522004-02-05T12:41:00.000-08:002004-02-05T13:16:43.873-08:00

Hi everyone. I'm new to the blogosphere as a participant, but I'm a longtime blog enthusiast. Aziz kindly invited me to share my views on the cadaver, errr... John F. Kerry. To be fair, post botox, he looks more like a muppet than cadaver, his face may be lifted but it's not any more full of life. Anyway, I feel somewhat qualified to comment on the junior senator from Massachusetts because I

TSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076004992505859162004-02-05T10:16:00.000-08:002004-02-05T12:37:36.796-08:00

I admit that the simple fact that I've even begun a Kerry blog is a tacit recognition that Dean's chances of winning the nod are substantially diminished. But it isn't over until the people of Wisconsin speak their mind on Feb 17th - and Dean has done the responsible thing by drawing his line there. The route to the Dean nomination lies through Madison. Frankly, historical comparisons are

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1076004511539844752004-02-05T10:08:00.000-08:002004-02-05T12:40:01.856-08:00

The Kerry campaign, which includes several veterans of the Dukakis campaign, says it will not make the mistakes of 1988, when Mr. Dukakis was widely seen as too passive in the face of the attacks. "We welcome a debate with the likes of Ed Gillespie, Karl Rove and this White House about who's out of sync with Main Street America," said David Wade, a Kerry spokesman. "Their tired old G.O.P. attack

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075992763816087862004-02-05T06:52:00.000-08:002004-02-05T06:55:04.936-08:00

I won't post this on a Howard Dean blog. It's far too sad. I went to the Atlanta meet-up yesterday. It was at Manuel's Tavern, a politician's hang-out that was so full of Deaniacs some months ago the event had to be moved. This one was half-empty. It was a morgue. Some Superior Court judge made a pitch for our votes, saying nothing, as judges must. He was black. He was boring. He took all the

Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075992316189272252004-02-05T06:45:00.000-08:002004-02-05T06:48:20.466-08:00

In the 1960s, the GOP was where Democrats are now. They felt sure they had a case to make in 1962, but in the wake of the Cuban Missile Crisis they actually lost ground in Congress. They also lost in governorships. Richard Nixon famously said "you won't have Richard Nixon to kick around anymore." Out of that rubble came a leader of rare ideological vision. His name was Barry Goldwater. He told

Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-107591164438407232004-02-04T08:20:00.000-08:002004-02-04T08:23:04.653-08:00

When I'm working, it's as a business strategist. And while the "big story" in the world of business is the rise of the World Wide Web, there's another side that sheds light on what is happening today. I learned this doing a strategy report for Company A. Company A was a big company, a leader in its market, but it was being hammered by Company B. I found out why. While Company A did everything

Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075911005505037422004-02-04T08:10:00.000-08:002004-02-04T08:12:25.903-08:00

I've been looking for an analog in America's political history to John Kerry. They are all losers. But the man at right is the best of them, Thomas E. Dewey of New York. Dewey seemed like the perfect candidate to take the Democrats down. As with Kerry he fit a profile, incorruptible at a time when Republicans were still associated with the corruption of the 1920s. And while he claimed

Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075906971728982142004-02-04T07:02:00.000-08:002004-02-04T07:05:12.170-08:00

Jonathan Alter points out that Kerry is positioning himself strongly against Bush with regard to the AWOL/military issue. I have to admit that the line is compelling: When I asked Kerry why the Republicans wouldn't do to him what they had done to Cleland, he said that Cleland failed to fight back against attack ads, a mistake he wouldn't make. Cleland himself has learned his lesson and is now

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075862349183812472004-02-03T18:39:00.000-08:002004-02-03T18:57:36.200-08:00

Where do we go from here? This isn't where we intended to be We had it all you believed in me I believed in you Certainties disappear What do we do for our dream to survive? How do we keep all our passions alive As we used to do? Deep in my heart I'm concealing Things that I'm longing to say Scared to confess what I'm feeling Frightened you'll slip away You must love me I don't know the

Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075835648732823932004-02-03T11:14:00.000-08:002004-02-03T11:37:01.840-08:00

Let's be clear as to why the Democratic Establishment is backing John F. Kerry. Cowardice. It's not that they don't have ideals. They're just afraid of standing up for them. So Kerry is the perfect candidate, Bob Dole for the Vietnam Generation. One more mission, down in flames. Kerry's entire public career has been played on the defensive. He has profited mightily for being against, and has

Dananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075833074221212362004-02-03T10:31:00.000-08:002004-02-03T10:33:33.110-08:00

Matt points out something in Kerry's record worth admiring. True, he didn't support a ridiculous bill signed by a Democratic President that slammed the door on recognition civil unions, not just marriage, at the federal level. I don't think people should be rewarded for just doing their job, however. They should be rewarded for taking a real stand - an act of political courage. Kerryhad real

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075823790177262112004-02-03T07:56:00.000-08:002004-02-03T09:23:27.530-08:00

Kerry isn't as much a hypocrite as he is blind to the nature of politics, swimming in its main currents as he has done for so long. I am sure that Kerry actually believes his own rhetoric: “The new Bush budget is more of the same: record deficits, tax cuts for the wealthy and special interests, and cuts in areas that matter to families - such as health care and education. [...] “The Bush

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6424554.post-1075821005019368762004-02-03T07:10:00.000-08:002004-02-03T07:53:07.780-08:00

I support Howard Dean as the Democratic nominee for President in 2004. John Kerry is of interest to me because 1. he might turn out to be the nominee despite my ongoing best efforts, and 2. because his candidacy affects that of Howard Dean. I don't want to blog about Kerry - positive or negative - on a Dean blog because it's literally off-topic, though Kerry is relevant to the larger theme of

Aziz P.noreply@blogger.com