Support for Kerry’s Speech

[kerrygoddess]

Support for Kerry’s Speech
October 27th, 2005

It’s been interesting watching the reactions to John Kerry’s speech yesterday at Georgetown. Everything from the expected to the unexpected, which is perhaps par for the course. The WaPo offered a simple summation in this line: “Kerry offered a middle ground between those advocating an immediate drawdown of the more than 150,000 U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and the Bush administration, which has declined to set a timetable for a decreased U.S. military presence.”

Dana Milbank offered some snark here. Knightridder reporter James Kuhnhenn said, “In calling for phased withdrawal, Kerry struck a middle ground between anti-war activists who want an immediate pullout and Bush’s stay-the-course policy.”

The big surprise was the reaction from longtime anti-war activist Tom Hayden, whom I have a great deal of respect for. Hayden had been outspoken last year during the election cycle, when we could have used a little more cohesion in the Democratic Party, so when I first saw his post on Huffington, I was pleasantly surprised. Clearly, Tom Hayden got what Kerry was saying yesterday. Here’s a few quips…

I think the Kerry speech is a good step, especially in the context of the appalling silence of other Senate Democrats. It is an anti-war speech that contains a more detailed alternative than yet elaborated. It will not satisfy “out now” advocates but at least it says “out soon”.

The defense of dissent as patriotic is a nice addition. The demand for 20,000 troops out by Christmas is excellent and will prevent Bush from taking total credit if it happens.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=970

[JDPriestly]

1. The Kerry speech was a good step,

but it is so late, and it was given only after the public had already turned against the war. Kerry's delay in giving this long overdue speech does not indicate that he is a leader. So, while I welcome his speech, I regret that it was so long in coming. If he were a truly courageous leader, he would have given this speech in October 2004.

[CanOfWhoopAss]

2. Better late than never but he still doesn't get my vote over Gore. nt

[politicasista]

4. How did Gore get into this? The future is now period.

I like Gore. Do you have his plan for getting out of Iraq? Just curious.

[Mass]

11. Not even the point. This thread is just not about 08. It is about Iraq

The fact that Kerry is one of the first to start a conversation on Iraq in the Senate is important. He has to continue and so have Feingold, Kennedy and Byrd.

Even if we are not totally satisfied with what they propose, this is what it is about, starting a dialogue that could lead somewhere.

[CanOfWhoopAss]

12. I used to like Kerry.

I see he found a set of cojones somewhere. Are they his? I see he has he beginnings of a plan. Has he pushed it through and convinced everyone to follow it? Just curious.

[blm]

14. Ever research Dems who supported or helped Kerry expose IranContra and

BCCI?

Kerry worked on exposing that corruption from 1985 to 1992 and there were plenty of Dems who chose to not lift a finger.

Could you imagine what this world would look like if other senators had joined and aided Kerry instead of sitting on their hands?

The entire Bush family evil agenda would have been exposed and PUBLICIZED and there would have been no global funding network for terrorism and arms proliferation, meaning no 9-11.

I always wonder why SO MANY Democratic SENATORS chose to not do anything and even discouraged the invetigation.

I also wonder why so many rejected Kerry's warnings in his 1997 book, The New War, that pointed out the growing problem of international terrorism and its funding.

[kerrygoddess]

15. Touche! N/T

[CanOfWhoopAss]

18. No I haven't I'll have to consider it

Events of the past year undermine any confidence I have in Kerry. Apparently what ever he did in the past has no bearing on what he will do presently or in the future.

[pox americana]

3. He did, he did,

in September in fact, starting with a speech at NYU on 9/20: "If his (Bush's) purpose was to confuse and mislead the American people, he succeeded."

I know, it could have been stronger, but at the time the war on terror still had a lot of support.

[stillrockin]

5. Kerry's Speech

Nice speech, only it's about 18 months too late. It is unlikely that I will forget how Kerry cut and ran on the morning of November 3rd. And when a few courageous Dems challenged the certification in January, where was he ? Conveniently out of the country. What he demonstrates now is not courage but a willingness to run out and get in front of the parade. This makes me think even less of him, if that's possible. I am SO over John Kerry. No way will I EVER, EVER, EVER vote for him again! (Yes, I have some lingering issues over the amount of money I donated to his campaign only to see him fold like a three dollar accordion.)

[Dr Ron]

6. Late?

Kerry has been saying similar things about the war for ages. This includes his first speech at Georgetown prior to the war when he urged Bush not to rush to war.

As for January, Kerry was asked by Boxer and others fighting the certification to stay away so that this wouldn't be seen as a Bush vs. Kerry issue as opposed to a question of fair elections.

[kerrygoddess]

8. I'm so over this myself.

I donated money to his campaign too. Lot's more than I could afford. I volunteered for him from August 03.

The pain was unbearable on Nov 3rd. I didn't think I could go on. I gave so much... for what -- to be stomped on... oh it was horrible - the thought of it.

I am SO over listening to the whining about Kerry doing what he had to do because of a 3 million vote margin.

I am SO over his not being there in January because Conyers and the Black Caucus asked him not to and he was Iraq.

I am SO over the lines about this being TOO late when no one else has offered anything close to this.

I am SO over the I will never, ever, again lines.

I am SO over trying to get people to understand that Kerry is seated Senator and he's doing his job right now and he's focusing on helping get Dems elected in 06 and not talking about 08.

I am SO over Kerry in the past I'm focusing on Kerry in the now, because the past is past and you can't change it, you can only focus and be in the NOW.

Glad you liked the speech. You could have spared us the rest.

[Mass]

10. Welcome to DU and congratulation for helping the Dems

finding solutions to their problems!! :sarcasm:

It is not about what you think about Kerry. It is about whether Senators will start to discuss about solutions for Iraq.

And who cares who you will vote for? Personnally, I dont give a damn.

[stillrockin]

16. Thanks for your warm welcome!

I think the solution to our problems lies in finding a candidate with credibility. You can put as much lipstick as you like on Kerry, I ain't buyin'. (I know, I know, you don't give a damn. . . ) The fact that he remained silent on voter fraud and the suppression of votes after promising to stand by the disenfranchised will not be forgotten by me.

I'm all for putting the past behind us. Kerry is part of my past. I too volunteered for a year and travelled to Boston on my dime to volunteer at the convention. He showed me who he is by his actions. I no longer believe in him.

In my opinion we should invest our time and energy in a candidate people can trust to go the distance. I like Howard Dean, Russ Feingold, and Wesley Clark.

[Old and In the Way]

7. Glad to see he's racheting up the pressure on Dimson.

You know the Republican plan will be to time a phoney withdrawal just before the 2006 elections. Dems should be coalescing around Kerry's plan and start demanding a plan of action for a drawdown now. We need to be the prime mover on this.

[kerrygoddess]

9. That's the spirit

Wise words from "Old and In the Way".

I hope more people learn to listen to their elders. ;-)

[MH1]

17. Bingo.

You know the Republican plan will be to time a phoney withdrawal just before the 2006 elections.

I hope more Dems recognize this!! (I think Kerry does. In fact, I am sure of it.)

[XanaDUer]

13. Thanks for posting this.

:thumbsup: