After the Race, John Kerry Climbs Back Up the Hill -WP

[Rose Siding]

John Kerry returned to his default job in the Senate yesterday. The man who had hoped to be president is upbeat and optimistic and thrilled to be back -- which we know because this is what he tells reporters who ask.

He turns up for a morning strategy meeting with his Democratic colleagues. He whispers something to Sen. Pat Leahy in the doorway of the Old Senate Chamber room. He hugs Sens. Joe Lieberman and Jon Corzine as the oak doors close behind him. This is how Kerry spends most of his back-to-work day: cloistered, avoiding any semblance of fuss.

It's been two weeks since Kerry lost to George W. Bush. "The votes have not all been counted in New Mexico and Ohio," says Kerry's campaign and Senate spokesman David Wade, who is waiting for Kerry outside the strategy meeting. "And if you believe some of what you read on the Internet. . . . "

Wade is referring to the litany of conspiracy theories about voting irregularities. He says this while rolling his eyes. Message: Kerry is back at work...........
..............
He goes to his office in the Russell Building and calls a "thank you" meeting for his 40 staffers, many of whom volunteered on his presidential campaign.

"You gave me your heart, your soul, and even your vacation time to try and change the country," Kerry tells them, "and I want you to be proud." They give him a two-minute standing ovation.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55424-2004Nov16.html

[knowbody0]

1. doo de doo doo de doo

[Maat]

3. Class act.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have him as president?

[graywarrior]

2. My favorite paragraph

"You gotta throw yourself into Senate issues and don't look back," says Sen John McCain, a friend of Kerry who supported Bush. McCain says he tried to call Kerry after the election, but Kerry didn't call back

[3days]

5. Hahaha hey Mccain hows your conscience?

[sunnybrook]

54. Conscience?

Let's get real here. McCain campaigned for chimpy because he has 2008 on his mind. Just politics as usual.

[kskiska]

6. Ha!

Maybe he didn't call back because of how John piled on, along with Bob Dole, when the Smear Boat Vets spewed their lies, and twisted his words on the Mary Cheney issue. Don't wait by the phone, McCain.

[liberalpragmatist]

9. To be fair, McCain didn't do the swift boat lies

He condemned those. To be totally fair, McCain didn't really ever totally criticize Kerry. But he did become a total Bush-whore.

[BlueStatesForever]

13. In effect he sided with Bush on the Swiftliars

Given that Bush trashed McCain's military service in 2000, the fact that McCain didn't tell Bush to Fvck off after the Swiftboat affair is just as bad as condoning it. Don't give this guy any credit Mr. Kerry. He isn't worth licking your boots.

[Leilani]

19. McCain continually defended Kerry

but that's OK, because the article says Kerry had plenty of time to talk to Trent Lott.

What a jerk.

Kerry & Edwards both mentioned McCain every chance they had. They used him, but Kerry couldn't call him back?

Guess what, guys, he hasn't gotten in touch with us, either!!!

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[The Night Owl]

22. Right. How dare Kerry be proud of his military service.

:eyes:

[Name removed]

23. Deleted message

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[The Night Owl]

26. So, I guess you're part of the "Kerry didn't bleed enough in Nam" crowd.

Let's see your medals, Anna.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

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[The Night Owl]

30. And what of Kerry's Silver Star?

Was Kerry's Silver Star also not earned?

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

33. Deleted message

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[The Night Owl]

37. Probably exaggerated?

Don't you think that someone who earns a Silver Star deserves to have the benefit of the doubt regarding that Silver Star? If you have some evidence that Kerry's Silver Star was exaggerated, let's hear it.

[LynnTheDem]

45. You've very very wrong.

And ignorant. As you're also self-admittedly biased you won't bother to check for the FACTS, but MANY veterans won more ribbons than 7 and in shorter periods than 4 mths.

Many others won as many or more and in shorter timeframes...and never got to wear them.

I dislike ignorance & hate, be it from rightwingnuts or otherwise. Especially when it concerns our veterans. Kerry included.

So does Dennis Kucinich. If you're a fan of his, & ever get to meet him, and if you want any respect from him, I'd keep your mouth tight shut about your hatred & ignorance towards veterans.

[Andromeda]

52. Oh sure,

The military always gives out medals JUST FOR THE HELL OF IT!

Thanks so much for sharing - NOT!

[Name removed]

32. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

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[The Night Owl]

38. The class and grace of Bob Dole?

Oh that's rich.

[Name removed]

39. Deleted message

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[NightOwwl]

43. Hi The Night Owl

Nice name :hi:

There's a Nite Owl hanging around here somewhere, too. Small world.

[The Night Owl]

59. The eerie thing is that we both have cats as our sig!

What are the odds?

:crazy:

:hi:

[NightOwwl]

40. And a tut-a-te-tut-tut to you too!

By the way, do you have any of those leftover purple heart band-aids they were giving out at the RNC? I'll bet you thought they were pretty cool! :eyes:

[Name removed]

42. Deleted message

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[LynnTheDem]

48. DOLE??? ROTFLMAO!!!

Now we all know exactly what this poster is, and a PROGRESSIVE it ain't. ;)

[Sleepless In NY]

49. Hey Anna ..why dont u spend "just" 4 months in Iraq

Or how about 4 days even? Anyone that goes into combat is risking their life, bush & cheney sure weren't in any hurry to do it. Hell they couldn't even show up in the states.

Ever hear of President Eisenhower? He was also a General, & used his military experience to get himself elected, it was his number one strength.

Sorry I just have to laugh...you're upset because John Kerry had the courage to go into combat and the integrity to speak up when he learned 1st hand that war was a tragic mistake? Go look up My Lai sometime. I think what occured there wil have you far more "upset" if you knew your facts.

Bob Dole?? Bob Dole blew himself up....then because he can't get it "up" he makes money off of viagra commericals & learing over Britney Spears in coke commericals. Real Class...Not! LOL!

What you "think" is irrelevent since the United States Navy investigated Kerry's service and medals and found them to be earned. Not to mention the men who served with Kerry, whose lives he saved, and who stood with him at the DNC convention, and though the entire campaign. Compare that to bush...no one even remembered "serving" with Mr. Grounded AWOL.

We needed Kucinich? For what? I'd get dizzy trying to keep up with his anti, then pro choice stands. Does that make him a liar? Think about it. And for all of Dennis's talk about health care, he never got a damn thing done about it in Ohio. Compare that to Howard Dean who got close to 98% of the population in Vermont covered.

You sound like you belong with the purple heart bandaid crew, wish all of you would enlist.

[jhain]

62. Thank You, Sleepless. n/t

[JI7]

53. good riddance freepfuck

[LynnTheDem]

47. Oh look! It's one of those PH bandaid brigaders; the ones who DENIGRATE

EVERY SOLDIER and EVERY VETERAN with their bullshit garbage.

[suigeneris]

41. Not much?

Here are a few facts for you to chew on. Kerry served four months. A tour was one year. In Vietnam 58,000 servicemen died. More died comparatively early in their tours. This is thought to be because they got better at surviving with experience. But stick to the four months, one-third of a full tour. At least 19,000 of those who died in Vietnam were killed in their first four months.
The actual figure is undoubtedly higher.

Kerry was in swiftboats. Casualty rates there were astounding. Look it up. Admiral Zumwalt gave the rate at 75% Others often say 86%.

John Kerry placed himself in mortal danger to serve this country. Your pissing on service that could have gotten him dead, like it did for 19,000 other Americans who died within the time he served his swiftboat tour makes me angry more than words can tell.

[CityDem]

29. McCain was all over the map

One day he would support Kerry's military service, the next day he was touting Buscho. I think the cancer has spread to his brain.

[Sleepless In NY]

44. Mc Cain defended Kerry? LOL!! What r u smoking?

How? Did he ask the swift boat liars to pull their ads? Did he tell bush he wouldn't show up at the RNC convention unless bush asked that the ads be pulled? I'll tell you what McCain did...Kerry had an ad showing McCain letting bush have it for criticizing his military record...McCain asked Kerry to take the ad off, which Kerry did. Too bad cause it showed bush for what he really was. Then after Kerry acted like a gentlemen, McCain turned around and bashed him at the RNC convention. Literally stabbed Kerry in the back. McCain did the same to Max Clelland when they were comparing him (a vet that lost 2 legs and an arm) to Bin Laden. McCain is a two faced bastard, if ever there was one.

[Catchawave]

57. They trashed his family too...

I'm no longer a McCain fan because he should have never forgiven BushCo for attacking his family. Watching him schmooze Bush during the campaign was painfully hypocritical.

[dhinojosa]

12. McCain may not be able to count on Kerry's support when....

...the Bush brother's hire someone to question McCain's integrity and honor in Vietnam. He will get fucked over again and he will have no one to help him.

[WCGreen]

17. "You know that McCain was in prison

for all them years.....

"We all know what "prisoners" do when they are away from their loved one's now don't we????? ;)

"Now don't get me wrong, I just love John McCain, but do you really think we can count on him to stand up against the Radical Homosexul agenda?

"He was in prison now for ALLLL those Lonely years.........


Paid for by the Bush Evil Empire.........

[Samurai_Writer]

60. They don't call prison...

"The Booty House" for nothing, you know. /sarcasm

[AnnaBergeson]

25. Why would he want it?

[AlCzervik]

18. I'm so glad he didn't call him back

sounds petty but i can't help, McCain is unworthy.

[Leilani]

20. McCain defended him

during the smears, which is more than lots of Dems did.

[Sleepless In NY]

50. Leilani McCain defended no one

McCain could have told bush he would refuse to appear at the RNC convention unless those ads were taken down. And when Kerry took down his ad showing McCain blasting bush for questioning his military service,McCain turned around & bashed him at the RNC convention. A total backstabber. McCain does whatever benefits him, and no one else. He's a big a bush whore as Rudy Guiliani and a two faced bastard.

[splat]

4. afflict the comfortable

It's been two weeks since Kerry lost to George W. Bush. "The votes have not all been counted in New Mexico and Ohio," says Kerry's campaign and Senate spokesman David Wade, who is waiting for Kerry outside the strategy meeting. "And if you believe some of what you read on the Internet. . . . "

Wade is referring to the litany of conspiracy theories about voting irregularities. He says this while rolling his eyes. Message: Kerry is back at work.

By Mark Leibovich
Washington Post Staff Writer

This guy goes down after the recounts.

Absence of evidence before the recount is not a conspiracy theory.

His job is to assume there are scoundrels afoot, not get invited to their parties.

[crispini]

7. Oh, great, he's back in his office.

Now we can email him and tell him to get a team of his lawyers the FUCK down to Florida and help out Bev Harris. I think I'll go do that now. I'm really pretty fucking tired of thinking of all that money sitting around in the GELAC fund and here we are scratching up nickles and dimes to go to Cobb for our Ohio recount.

[graywarrior]

8. Let me know if he "calls you back."

[Leilani]

34. LOL!!!!

EOM

[seriousstan]

11. What is the GELAC fund you are talking about?

Thanks

on edit...
I checked Kerry's website and found this...

Contributing to the Kerry-Edwards 2004 General Election Legal and Accounting Compliance Fund (GELAC) provides important support for our campaign. The Federal Election Commission has just granted our request to raise funds now to cover recount expenses. Your contribution to Kerry-Edwards 2004 GELAC will provide the resources to make sure we are prepared to win the post election day battles.
In addition to recount costs, GELAC helps pay for legal and accounting expenses incurred by the campaign. By paying for these expenses with GELAC funds, the campaign is able to spend more of its limited public funds on critical campaign expenses such as media, candidate travel and direct contact with voters.

...I understand your post now. How much money was left after the election and what legal requirements are he under to use this cash as he stated in his plea for the contributions?

Thanks again.

[dweller]

10. It would have been hell trying to clean up after the *moron

instead we'll have Hell to pay.


i don' t even want to read the story. it's been four fucking years with one President in exile. i don't believe i'll see another in my lifetime elected honestly. Godspeed John.

goodnite comrades.






.
dp

[solarspa]

14. I agree

Gospeed all good Americans. Lights out. See you on the other side of the phoenix.

[BlueStatesForever]

15. About the "rolling eyes" comment

If we find out Bush did indeed lose Ohio, who should we give the presidency to? The eye-roller?

I don't think so.

I want someone from the Democratic National Committee to come on this board tomorrow and tell me

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH RECOUNTING A SUSPICIOUS VOTE. Shoot, we've found major irregularities all over the place, many surrounding optical or e-voting machines. They are treating us, their supporters, like CRAP, IMHO.

During Kerry's campaign, I sometimes seriously wondered if he actually WANTED to be elected. I thought Patty Murray ran a way better campaign.

Now, I'm seriously wondering if they're all somehow in cahoots. Is Bush's election "win" some kind of Skull and Bones agreement?

I really don't like politicians. I don't trust any of them.

[Massachusetts]

55. Out of touch

The "elite", inside the beltway, Rethugs and Dem's alike, have been out of touch with the Middle class in this country well before the "Big Dog". We are in far deeper Doo Doo than most of us think.

IT WILL TAKE A MONUMENTAL EFFORT to turn this government back in the hands of the people (you and I).

Rome is burning.

[Catchawave]

58. Not only that....

The Dems raised alot of money from the "internets", we deserve more than an eyeroll..screw'em. Let's start another Party:party:

[The Zanti Regent]

16. F the WHORESHINGTON POST

All Nazi Propaganda all the time!

[GregD]

24. If Bev Harris wins in Florida

we may just turn his ass into President yet.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=2704906&mesg_id=2704906

[Leilani]

36. If Bev Harris wins in Florida

I think we should make HER President!

She seems to care a hell of a lot more about people's votes than Kerry's wise ass staff.

[Khephra]

28. Hey, Mr. David (Rolling-Eyes) Wade?

Either there are voting irregularities that prevented Kerry from winning or Kerry (and that includes you as a member of staff) got their asses kicked by Bush in a race that shouldn't have even been as close as it was.

Which one is it, Mr. Wade?

A little of Column A and a little of Column B, perhaps? I know that I'm sure that he sure as hell didn't get any help from people like you, Mr.Wade. Laugh at his supporters some more. Come on. We enjoy being thought of as crackpots by the staff of the politician we supported in the election. PLEASE. It makes us feel so much better.

:grr:

[DeepModem Mom]

56. Mr. Wade shows contempt for people who are working very hard...

on behalf of the country, as they worked hard to elect Kerry. This arrogant dismissal of supporters makes me boiling mad. None of these people get it. It's a game to them, politics as usual. It's they who are in denial about what is really happening to our country, and how endangered our democratic system is.

[Norquist Nemesis]

46. Just out of curiosity...which committees will Kerry be on?

:evilgrin:

[suigeneris]

51. Kerry came within 60,000 votes of the presidency.

Why kick him for that? By every account I've read he worked his ass off. Why kick him for that? He got chewed up in a campaign full of below-the-radar dirty trcks. Why kick him for that?

Kerry is a good Democrat and a pretty good liberal. You never get anybody who is everything you want. Losing to Rove doesn't make you a jackass, just another victim.

I'm for out Roveing Rove not beating up on Kerry.

[TheDonkey]

61. I'd vote for him again!

and next time if he would run the smearboats, flip flopping crap would be old news and ridiculous. Maybe he could actually talk about issues.

I would have supported Gore after 2000, but since he disappeared it was hard for him to get a good platform again. Democrats should not be so quick to discard losing politicians (especially those in tight races) when they have A LOT of experience, name recog, and assets left.