Bob Kerrey says Kerry should cave in case of recount battle

[Sliverofhope]

Hey! Bob Harris has his own blog now! Go visit!
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November 01, 2004

Bush ahead in one poll

Okay, sure, most every poll you can find has the race neck-and-neck, too close to call, insert your political cliche here...

...but 92% of Bill O'Reilly's viewers think Bush will win tomorrow.
posted by Tom Tomorrow at 08:11 PM | link


Speaking of unbelievable...

Bob Kerrey, on Larry King Live (via Tapped):

KERREY: Well, I hope Marc's right. I hope it doesn't happen but my guess is and I don't have any influence over John Kerry and the DNC. My advice to him would be not to litigate.

KING: Not to litigate?

KERREY: Not to litigate. I mean, look, you've got an exceptionally difficult period in the history of mankind. I disagree with Marc on why it's troubled times. I think it's part troubled because of the way the Iraq War has been conducted but it is a troubled time, a difficult time and not to have a president of the United States inaugurated and a peaceful transition one way or the other (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
…

But I would prefer that I mean if it's a close -- if it's close and there's an opportunity to litigate, I would say to John Kerry don't litigate. Let Bush be the president.


Translation: if the Republicans manage to sow enough doubt and confusion, then for the good of the country, step aside and let Bush have another term.

Lord. I've been hoping that Democrats are ready to fight hard, if tomorrow and the days following turn into some sort of repeat of 2000, so I really hope Bob Kerrey's opinion is not representative. I mean, can you imagine a Republican giving his party's candidate this advice? If there's any unpleasantness, just give up and let Kerry win. Sure.

www.thismodernworld.com

This may have already been posted, but this attitude cannot be allowed to stand!

[March of Time]

1. KICK THE FUCKER OUT!!!

ZELLOUTS MUST SUFFER!

[UdoKier]

24. UH... He's no longer a politician...

nt

[OldLeftieLawyer]

2. Bob Kerrey's tired and lost his good judgment

Or, as Cheney might say to Kerrey, go fuck yourself.

I hope, if that hideous situation arises (I don't believe it will), that Kerry fights until next July, if need be.

Take no prisoners. I'm sick of Democrats bending over. Never again.

[Borgnine]

3. There's only one way I'm spelling "Kerry" today.

And it sure as hell won't be with two e's.

[Robbie67]

4. This from a Democratic member of the 9/11 commission

Maybe Kerrey doesn't believe in democracy?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

20. He was also a member of the Committee for Iraqi Liberation..a subsidiary

of PNAC...sorry I can't get to the archives to prove

[RafterMan]

The real "translation"

"We're going to win at the ballot box and have decided to preempt Republican challenges by positioning ourselves as the unifying party."

No worries here.

[wellstone_democrat]

5. No. and I won't let the Senate deny voting rights again

This time I say we shame one Senator into standing by the Black Caucus. That shameful episode should drive all of us to the polls and to the streets if it is repeated.

[ugarte]

6. republicans will be the ones litigating

because Kerry will have the lead. So what is Bob Kerrey saying, don't show up in court? Unbelievable.

[RafterMan]

25. No

Kerrey is saying exactly what you're saying: Republicans will be the ones litigating. But his conclusion is to pre-position them as sore losers and the Dems as unifiers.

[yardwork]

45. Ok, that's a good way to look at it. I'll look at it that way!

[Cha]

7. Fuck bob kerrey...

does anyone remember asking him?

[harpo]

12. Yeah!

[Robbie67]

27. Jon Stewart talked to him last week

it's not as if he's not supporting Kerry

[NightOwwl]

38. Where did you hear this?

And briefly...why isn't he supporting Kerry?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

39. "it's not as if he's not supporting Kerry"

I.e., he IS supporting Kerry--and strongly.

[NightOwwl]

41. I misread, but I'd still like to know where he got his information. n/t

[A-Schwarzenegger]

43. That Kerrey is supporting Kerry?

[NightOwwl]

46. Never mind.

It's late and I think I should get some sleep. :boring: It's a new world tomorrow, and I want to be wide awake for it!

[Maiden England]

8. yeah right, how did that work in 2000 eh?

fuck off

(I try to not swear normally, but that deserved a Cheneyesque response)

[dave502d]

9. Kerry will fight. n/t

[madfloridian]

10. NO! That sounds like 2000. Shame on him.

Do not cave.

[Booster]

11. NEVER - NOT AGAIN EVER. STAND AND FIGHT.

If ANY Dem senator repeats what happened to Gore, then they should be contacted by each and every one of us numerous times. If they don't have the courage to fight, then get out of the government and start selling used cars, cause we don't need you.

[Scairp]

13. You might be judging him unfairly

I think he was setting up Racicot, and it seemed to work. (Incidentally, this was on last night). Larry tried to get Racicot to also say he would advise his candidate to not litigate, and Racicot wouldn't say it. He danced very fast, Larry put him on the spot at least 3 times, and he just wasn't going to renounce legal action in the event of ballot counting problems. What a little toad that guy is.

[Sliverofhope]

23. I don't mean to unfairly attack Kerrey

I just want it known that this idea is being floated, and we dems need to kill it quick.

[Scairp]

35. Of course, I don't know for sure

But he did seem to have a kind of shit-eating grin on his face, that he was trying to suppress, when the exchange with Racicot was going on. This was just speculation of my part.

[chimp chump]

37. you might peruse my post at the bottom of the thread n/t

[Scairp]

49. Yes, very good

And it may indeed be so. I found it highly amusing on Sunday when Larry King tried numerous times to get Racicot to answer yes or no to the question Bob Kerrey had already answered. He just wasn't going to answer it, and you certainly are correct as to why there was no way he would answer it. What a slime he is.

[fujiyama]

14. Shut Up Bob

At times he's great.

Other times he just plain sucks ass.

No stolen elections. I want a LEGITIMATE winner dammit.

[grace0418]

15. Bob Kerrey can suck my left one if he thinks

I'm going to give up without a fight. Even if Kerry doesn't want to take this on, WE DO and WE WILL.

[shelley806]

16. "Let * be President" ? Troubled times? B*= troubled times! War=B*

"But I would prefer that I mean if it's a close -- if it's close and there's an opportunity to litigate, I would say to John Kerry don't litigate. Let Bush be the president."

LITIGATE TO H AND BACK JK; WHO IS THIS OTHER K (KKK?)
F HIM

[Walt Starr]

17. Bob Kerrey has no fundamental understanding of how politics works

since the Busheviks STOLE THE 2000 ELECTION!!!!!!

[Confident]

51. That's pretty funny Walt - Bob Kerrey was a Dem US senator - he

doesn't understand how politics works but you do? - LOL

[Walt Starr]

57. Read the fucking post

I said "since the Busheviks STOLE THE 2000 ELECTION!!!!!!"

[Norquist Nemesis]

18. Well, Bob...it was BUSH that threw the first litigation in 2000

not Gore. So, if it's close, I'm expecting history to repeat because we've seen that Bush can learn from his mistakes.

So, in the words of the Boss...no surrender.

[Erika]

19. Let Bush Be the President?

We tried that in 2000 and he's just about destroyed this country and Kerrey thinks he deserves more time? The senile ass.

[Sara Beverley]

21. Just praised him an hour ago. Back to despising him!

the SOB! I can't believe he said that! In other words, if you are denied the vote accept it! The hell you say!! If Kerry doesn't fight for this he'll be sorry. If litigation is necessary, so be it! The country will survive.

Bush didn't do anything exceptional after 9/11...nothing another President would not have done and maybe better. I don't buy this crap that he was magnificant right after 9/11. WTF was anyone supposed to do? It wasn't Bush who kept the nation together, it was the nation that kept Bush together. It was Bush and his corporate buddies who went wacko! It was the PNAC crowd that acted in a frenzy and goaded Bush into this bastard war in Iraq. So bug off Bob, Kerrey. The nation can survive litigation of an election, we survived 3 1/2 years of a Bush regime.

[Technowitch]

22. Mr. Kerrey, please remove your head from your ass

This is how we got here, playing 'nice'. The opposition doesn't play nice. They play to win, even if it brings democracy down in flames.

This time we fight.

[milkyway]

26. Fuck you! He's positioning himself for '08. I just posted this is the

repug strategery, and a fucking DEM is using it before we even vote? This from a member of the Coverup Commission.

[shelley806]

28. NO MORE ILLEGITIMATE PRESIDENCIES; NO MORE SUPREME

COURT DECIDING THE PUBLIC WILL

GO TO HELL KERREY

[Syrinx]

29. NO RETREAT!!! NO SURRENDER!!!

Kerry means it!

[Zen Democrat]

30. Bob Kerrey stabbed Bill Clinton in the back every chance he had.

Starting with the day Clinton was sworn in in 1993. Kerrey wanted to be president and apparently never got over it that he flopped. But Kerrey always had his face in the camera and never missed an opportunity to slam Clinton. And I'm not talking about Monica. I'm talking about everything Clinton tried to do. He's the kind of Democrat that we don't need - the kind that gave us the "contract on America".

[Confident]

52. He went after Clinton when Clinton sold out trad Dem constituencies

in 1993 to please Bob Rubin - what's wrong with that

[shelley806]

31. Why if this was old news, did you decide to post it tonight?

Was it your intent to inflame and infuriate people? Because clearly there can be no other motive for this posting.

How any pretending democrat, who went through what the elction of 2000 cost us; after 9/11, the false war, and all of the evil that this administration represents....to say "Let B* have another term???

I'm sick to my stomach.

This evil pig who pretends to be Christian, and murders innocents but "protects the unborn and stemcells????

[oasis]

32. Not litigate? Forgedaboudit.

:thumbsdown:

[kath]

33. Fuck that shit!!

No surrender!

[Ima]

34. he can 'pound sand'

If we let it happen again like 2000......why bother having elections?

[chimp chump]

36. Kerrey was playing mind games with Racicot.

Kerrey promises to urge his candidate to step aside for the sake of the country rather than go to court. The country is relieved. "Oh, those reasonable Democrats." Softens 'em up a little.

Then Racicot does a medicine dance around the issue, tellingly refusing to answer the question. And a loaded question it is. Because if he says that he wouldn't urge his candidate to litigate, it means that Bush shouldn't have litigated in 2000 to win the WH. So under no circumstances could Racicot actually say he would urge Bush not to litigate because to do so would be tantamount to delegitimizing his own nominee!

So the last few moron independent voters come away thinking the sweet Democrats don't want to litigate but those Republicans are perfectly willing to sue their way into the W.H. AGAIN!

Bob Kerrey has a rather dry and sadistic wit at times. I think most people think he is rather simple because, much like Bush, he finds it is to his advantage to invite others to make such a mistake. Now, he may not be a great speaker but he is pretty shrewd at politics and is a very aggressive personality, the type who will smile looking deep into your eyes as he slips the shiv between your ribs.

I think it's worth mentioning that Kerrey is privy to the Kerry campaign and knows the likely results from internal polling in battleground states. So he may also have *other* reasons for saying exactly what he said.

[VOX]

40. No way! Not gonna happen!

Forget it. This time, Democrats keep the ball. :grr:

[Bozos for Bush]

42. Lay off Kerrey - he was merely setting a trap for the Montana neo-con

And it worked.

Kerrey came across as caring about the good of the nation.

The Montana neo-con came across as caring about winning only.

It was a brilliant, unorthodox and unscripted moment.

[0007]

56. That's the way I saw it!

 Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.

Call 866 687-8683
If Poll Workers refuse you to vote for any reason
If there is a late opening or early closing of a polling place.
If your polling place runs out of ballots or has an incorrect ballot
If you experience poll worker insensitivity or discrimination in the voting process

The civil rights community have set up a toll-free Election Day hotline. This line is
staffed now and, in addition to logging your complaint, the civil rights organizations have law
students and attorneys who can provide assistance on Election Day.

the hotline number is
866 687-8683
202 457-0473 fax

When you call the hotline, be prepared to give your name, telephone number, and note as many
details as possible, including the names of the people who are involved.

[ibegurpard]

64. that was the impression I got as well

Racicot wouldn't answer the question. He danced around and came across as an oily scumbag.

[yardwork]

44. No sale. I'm not doing that again. I did it last time

Granted, I am just one tiny person, but I feel I contributed to the mood of the country which was to encourage Gore to drop it, let it go. Never again.

Republicans can't be trusted to do the honorable thing. Therefore, we must fight them tooth and nail.

[JPJones]

47. Wrong, again someone takes a partial quote from Larry King's

awful show.

The question was, "Should you litigate after Jan. 20?"

You people really need to realize that the Republicans are masters at partial quotes. You could have checked the actual transcript.

"KERREY: I'm not tearing it down before it starts. What I said was if this is a close election and if it's litigated beyond the inauguration, those are two things that..."

...
Here's the question that was asked.
"Gergen: Are you prepared if your side is on the losing side of what appears to be the vote but there are many legal challenges that you wish to file, would you be prepared to tell your candidate go ahead and file the charges but let's make sure we get this over before January 20 so the next president can be sworn in? Could you tell your candidate to stop and drop the lawsuits if you're on the losing side but you think you had the election stolen from you?

[A-Schwarzenegger]

50. PLEASE READ JPJONES' POST BEFORE YOU ADD TO THIS

IDIOCY.

[Fluffdaddy]

65. THANK YOU....................... JPJONES

[venus]

48. Not surprised on Bob Kerry. He was never in our corner

strong enough.

[amandabeech]

53. We cannot let them get away with stealing another election!

If it is extremely close, and Kerry caves, it will only embolden the repukes.

These people simply do not believe that people of color, in particular, or Democrats, in general, do not deserve to have a voice in our United States.

"Unity" is not worth the loss of freedom and endless wars.

If we don't fight them, who will?

[JSJ]

54. bob kerry was a one-man atrocity machine in vietnam, and...

...never atoned.

[Triana]

55. Kerry should litigate if and when necessary...

...for as long as necessary. He should accept upon winning and NOT rescind or change his acceptance. Period.

[Willy Lee]

58. Fuck That!!!! He wishes we would roll over so easily...

Ain't Gonna Happen!

[sendero]

59. All I can say is...

.... Fuck That Shit!

[Hubert Flottz]

60. Nazi Bastard!

He's scared it will turn into a civil war! Brother against Brother! I say if the GOPers cheat, Bring It On! Look at the shit Bush has gotten us into! The people have a right to elect a REAL president! Bob Kerry, has only one vote!

[GreenPartyVoter]

61. Caving doesn't bring good things to this country. FIGHT Sen Kerry!

----------------------------------------------------------------
Would Jesus love a liberal? You bet!
http://www.geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/

[RafterMan]

62. PLEASE READ THE COUNTERPOINTS

Before calling Bob Kerrey a Nazi war criminal.

Thank you.

[Dem_Loyalist]

63. This is not time to turn the other cheek

I'm a firm believer in the Good Book but this just is not the time to turn the other cheek. We can not let them use our well known higher level of caring and compassion against us! I'm a peaceful person but I can easily see people going to the streets, and I would cheer them on and hopefully be able to join them, if the cons steal another election.

[nickinSTL]

66. F*ch THAT!

We did that once.

NEVER AGAIN! :mad:

[Mr_Spock]

67. NO!!, Fight to the death!!

There will be NO ground given here.

[spanone]

68. I like Bob Kerrey but he's wrong on this one!

If there are signs of voter fraud sue the fuck out of them.

[NYCGirl]

69. HERE'S THE EXACT TRANSCRIPT. The original post misinterprets what was said

They're talking about litigation BEYOND THE INAUGURATION.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0410/31/lkl.01.html

KING: Marc Racicot, is Bush-Cheney, is the campaign prepared that this could go into next year?


RACICOT: Well, we don't anticipate that. You know, we have a belief in the regularity of the process, so most of the litigation that you refer to around the United States has been brought by the opposition and we're certainly answering that litigation.

But the bottom line is we believe that people have worked very hard, secretaries of state across the country. Congress on a bipartisan basis has worked very hard. The president, of course, signed the bill to put into place the opportunity to secure everything from new technology to new provisions.

There are some things like the provisional ballot that are new and not every question has been answered yet but our belief is that we should, although prepared and vigilant about virtually everything that will take place, that this will unfold as it should and meet with the confidence of the American people.

KING: What do you think Bob Kerrey?

KERREY: Well, it's a national election run by state secretaries of state and election commissioners.

KING: Who are political right?

KERREY: Yes. Look, if it's a close election and it's litigated beyond the inauguration, I mean I hope the American people say let's -- you got to -- you can run state elections for governor, state elections for Senator, state elections for everything but when it comes to president it's got to be run at least standards by the federal government. You can't have an election for president that's more sloppy than the election for president of Afghanistan and that's kind of where we are.

RACICOT: That's not where we are.

KERREY: Well why isn't that where we are, Marc? Maybe if you're talking...

RACICOT: That isn't where we are. It's not, Bob.

KERREY: Where are we then?

RACICOT: For Heaven's sake.

KERREY: I wish you were here, Marc, so I could (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

RACICOT: I do too because I'd like to argue with you face-to- face. The bottom line is...

KERREY: Let's do that too.

KING: You go folks, go.

RACICOT: The bottom line is that why do you see everything so negatively in such a terrible light? The fact is people have worked very hard to make this election possible for the American people in a way that has their confidence. Why is it you tear it down before it ever starts?

KERREY: I'm not tearing it down before it starts. What I said was if this is a close election and if it's litigated beyond the inauguration, those are two things that...

RACICOT: If it is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

KERREY: If it is. I'm not -- well, I don't know if it's going to be, Marc. I'm saying to you that if it is, if we have a similar situation we had in Florida only it's times four or five, if this thing goes beyond the inauguration then I think the American people are going to demand change beyond the change that we had after 2000. That's all I'm saying.

KING: All right. Let me get a break and come back. We'll pick right up. We'll get the rest of the panel's thoughts on that on this edition of LARRY KING LIVE. We'll be taking your calls at the bottom of the hour. Don't go away.

[melissinha]

70. How can Iraq & Afganistan have elections when ours are a mess

Fight tooth and nail my friends.. the country and the world cannot afford to bend over and be gracious.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

73. HOW DARE YOU!!!???

We don't need no stinking exact transcript.
If we read the exact transcript, we might know
what we were talking about, and then where would we be?

[Kahuna]

71. Bob Kerry is an ass.

:puke:

[ciaobox]

72. Bob Kerry can lick my anus!

Thanks Mr. 9/11 commis. white wash. No go CHENEY YOURSELF!

[TexasSissy]

74. This middle aged slightly left voter DISAGREES TOTALLY! If there

is a hint of illegal activity on the GOP's part, or if it's WAY CLOSE like last time, I think the danger of a second Bush term is so great that we NEED to ensure every effort is taken to make sure Bush was the winner, if that's the way it comes down.