Kerry campaign's response to Bush's demand for tape of fundraising event

[Caution]

This is priceless folks. Kerry's campaign is growing teeth and they are starting to look more like fangs. The 2nd to last paragraph is my favorite but it is filled with some great stuff.


Mary Beth Cahill to Ken Mehlman: Release the Bush Records
Washington, DC – Kerry-Edwards campaign manager Mary Beth Cahill today sent the following letter to Bush Cheney ’04 Campaign Manager Ken Mehlman in response to a letter Mehlman sent yesterday:


July 13, 2004
Ken Mehlman
Campaign Manager
BUSH-CHENEY '04, Inc.

Dear Ken:

Over the past several months, allies of the President have questioned John Kerry’s patriotism while your staff has criticized his service in Vietnam. Republicans and their allies have gone so far as to launch attacks against his wife and your campaign has run $80 million in negative ads that have been called baseless, misleading and unfair by several independent observers.

Considering that the President has failed to even come close to keeping his promise to change the tone in Washington, we find your outrage over and paparazzi-like obsession with a fund-raising event to be misplaced. The fact is that the nation has a greater interest in seeing several documents made public relating to the President’s performance in office and personal veracity that the White House has steadfastly refused to release. As such, we will not consider your request until the Bush campaign and White House make public the documents/materials listed below:

● Military records: Any copies of the President’s military records that would actually prove he fulfilled the terms of his military service. For that matter, it would be comforting to the American people if the campaign or the White House could produce more than just a single person to verify that the President was in Alabama when said he was there. Many Americans find it odd that only one person out of an entire squadron can recall seeing Mr. Bush.

● Halliburton: All correspondence between the Defense Department and the White House regarding the no-bid contracts that have gone to the Vice-President’s former company. Some material has already been made public. Why not take a campaign issue off the table by making all of these materials public so the voters can see how Halliburton has benefited from Mr. Cheney serving as Vice-President?

● The Cheney Energy Task Force: For an Administration that claims to hate lawsuits, it’s ironic that the Bush White House is taking up the Courts’ time to keep the fact that Ken Lay and Enron wrote its energy policy in secret behind closed doors. Please release the documents so that the country can learn what lobbyists and special interests wrote the White House energy policy.

● Medicare Bill: Please release all White House correspondence between the pharmaceutical industry and the Administration regarding the Medicare Bill, which gave billions to some of the President’s biggest donors. In addition, please provide all written materials that directed the Medicare actuary to withhold information from Congress about the actual cost of the bill.

● Prison Abuse Documents: A few weeks ago, the White House released a selected number of documents regarding the White House’s involvement in laying the legal foundation for the interrogation methods that were used in Iraq. Please release the remaining documents.

We also wanted to wish you a happy anniversary. As we are sure you and the attorneys representing the President, Vice-President and other White House officials are aware, today marks one year since Administration sources leaked the identity of a covert CIA agent to Bob Novak in an effort to retaliate against a critic of the Administration.

In light of the fact that the Administration began gutting the laws protecting the nation’s forests yesterday, we hope you will accept the paper on which this letter is written as an anniversary gift. (The one year anniversary is known as the “paper anniversary.”)


Sincerely,

Mary Beth Cahill

Campaign Manager

[bif]

1. Beautiful. I love it!

Go get 'em!

[wishlist]

2. Great response- but no traction so far- ABC, NBC not explaining it well

Nora ODonnell on NBC this morning had coverage of the issue but it focused on Bush's side of issue and they showed a tiny glimpse of the Kerry response memo but the only excerpt they gave from the Kerry memo was to mention the accusation of Repubs 'paparrazi-like obsession' not the basic thrust of the memo about all of Bush's unreleased stuff. I was very disappointed. Maybe it will pick up some traction later today, tomorrow.

[shoelace414]

3. Helllllo Kerry

;-) :o :D :P B-) :hippie: :party: :toast: :bounce: :yourock: :headbang: :grouphug:

[xchrom]

4. bravo! encore!

we want more -- much, much more of this -- and more attacking -- let bushco defend it's miserable record!

[redqueen]

5. Since the press is ignoring this (unlike the RNC letter)

it's up to us to get it out there.

Call C-span, talk shows, write LTTE's and quote it!

[AlCzervik]

6. Excellent!

Once again * is trying to divert attention from the important issues. Very thin skinned he is, not a good qualtiy for a leader.

[Hubert Flottz]

7. "YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

*snicker*

I'm going to see President Kerry on Friday!

[goclark]

8. Letter needs media talking pts.

I loved it but it is far too long for tv clips.
Bush is saying..." Give me fund raiser clips."

Kerry is saying....(long letter full of gems in long sentences)


Shorter clips would be..

"Let's talk when you turn over your proof for AWOL,PLAME,etc,"

Of course the Media whores won't do this for JK but they would for Bush.

[peekaloo]

9. Sweet! Maybe Whoopi should send 'em a photo of her Bu$h!

[eissa]

10. Excellent!

Honestly, this is really what I have been looking for from our side -- some backbone! Rather than defend against baseless accusations, throw their crap right back at them! Good for Kerry! Never give in!

[chimpy the poopthrower]

11. Somebody should send this to BartCop

He said, "If our side had any brains... we would (have) answered their demand to release that tape by saying, 'We'll release that tape right after Cheney releases his Energy task Force notes.'"

http://www.bartcop.com/1353.htm

I love BartCop, and I agree with him that Dems often lack spine, but I think BartCop is sometimes too quick to accept the media spin on that point. How could anyone read this story:

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/krnewyork/20040710/lo_krnewyork/kerrybacksoffbushbash

...and interpret that as an apology by Kerry? The headline (Kerry backs off Bush bash) is grossly misleading but it seems to have done its job -- on BartCop anyway.

[Shopaholic]

12. Damn---we're really learning how to fight fire with fire!

I'm so proud! :bounce:

[Carolina]

13. oh, that was damn good

In my best Katie Couric imitation, let me say: Mary Beth Cahill ROCKS!