The RNC’s in a Tizzy over John Kerry’s “This Week” Interview (Transcript)

[kerrygoddess]

The RNC’s in a Tizzy over John Kerry’s “This Week” Interview
January 22, 2006

The RNC is in a tizzy over John Kerry’s interview on “This Week” today. RNC Communications Director Brian Jones responded to Kerry’s appearance on ABC’s This Week saying:

“Sen. Kerry displayed his signature pessimism and defeatism today that the American people rejected during his failed presidential bid. While Democrat leaders like Sen. Kerry continue to show they still do not grasp the dynamic and dangers of a post 9/11 world, President Bush remains focused on doing everything in his power to keep Americans safe and secure.”

What gets the RNC ticked off is that John Kerry refuses to buy into the fear and smear tactics of right wing. Kerry made it perfectly clear today when he laid Bush and Rove out on the carpet for their complete and utter failure to capture Osama bin Laden.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Now, Osama bin Laden has not been found, has not been captured.

But Vice President Cheney is right, isn’t he, and how much credit should President Bush get?

KERRY: No, he’s not.

He’s right that we haven’t been attacked. He is not right, and I’m glad he reminded Americans, about having said we will do everything in our power and use all the forces at our disposal.

The simple fact is that we had Osama bin Laden cornered, trapped, ready to be captured or killed in the mountains of Tora Bora.

And this administration — it is a fact — has misled Americans about the knowledge they had of whether or not he was there, number one, and, number two, did not do everything that they could have in order to capture him. I know this. Others know this.

There were SEALS there, there were special forces on the ground, there were the 1st Marines, the 101st. There were people available — the 10th Mountain Division. They could have been brought in to surround that mountainside to guarantee that he didn’t get out.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That was 2001, but it’s now 2005 and there have not been any more attacks on the homeland. Address that point.

KERRY: But, George — I will address that point — now let’s come to the heart of this.

The vice president just said that they would do anything necessary and he reminded Americans of that. And they’re trying to claim somehow that they’re stronger and better on the war on terror.

The fact is, when they had a chance to kill or capture Osama bin Laden they didn’t do it, and they didn’t do it because they ran a risk-adverse strategy, period, and that’s what happened.

Now, with respect to the rest of this effort, they diverted their attention from Afghanistan, which is now going backwards in some regards. You’re seeing more capable weapons coming in, IEDs. You’re seeing greater intensity to the kind of violence on the ground.

The south Waziristan, north Waziristan bogging down with the Pakistani troops has shown a lack of genuine leadership and cooperative effort on the part of the United States and others to be able to survive there. The Al Qaida — front page story New York Times today — is stronger in that region than it was.

So, yes, we have not been attacked here. Many people surmise that one of the reasons we haven’t been attacked here is because they are being so successful at doing what they need to do to attack us in Iraq and elsewhere.

And so that’s the focus currently of the war on terror.

MORE & LINKS - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1718

FULL TRANSCRIPT OF TODAY"S INTERVIEW - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?page_id=1717

[thebigidea]

1. pessimism and defeatism? coming from the party that promises endless war

[ddeclue]

3. Yawn...GOP spokesmen are idiots..

How dumb do you have to be to believe their dribble??

Doug D.

[MH1]

5. Yeah. Pretty pathetic response, huh? n/t

[rodeodance]

2. defeatism --here is that word again like with Dems!

[rodeodance]

4. Attachs are ficious already!

[rodeodance]

6. hope Kerry will blog em back a response--te he.

[rodeodance]

7. te he "now George (S)---wish i would have seen it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: That was 2001, but it’s now 2005 and there have not been any more attacks on the homeland. Address that point.

KERRY: But, George — I will address that point — now let’s come to the heart of this.

The vice president just said that they would do anything necessary and he reminded Americans of that. And they’re trying to claim somehow that they’re stronger and better on the war on terror.

The fact is, when they had a chance to kill or capture Osama bin Laden they didn’t do it, and they didn’t do it because they ran a risk-adverse strategy, period, and that’s what happened.

[Olney Blue]

8. Did Kerry hurt your widdle feelings?

[rodeodance]

9. R and a K

[Vektor]

10. Good, they need to be told how it is.

Nothing like a stinging bitch slap from the good Senator at 0800 hours to wake up the brain dead...

[Little Star]

11. Always calling names and whining

just like the school yard bullies that they are.

[IndianaGreen]

12. bin Laden is going to die of kidney failure before he’s killed by Rove

Osama bin Laden is going to die of kidney failure before he’s killed by Karl Rove and his crowd.

--John Kerry

That's the best quote I've heard from anyone in a long time!

[AntiFascist]

13. On a related note Kerry has recently blogged on Daily Kos...

for the first time, and is soliciting comments about his appearance on The Week:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/21/114957/967

[jenndar]

14. K&R

He did a great job today, as evidenced by the immediate whiny response from the RNC :)

[Kurovski]

15. Now all Kerry needs to do is come back and slam them even harder

with the truth.

It's an endless cycle with the little ones in charge.

They're like obstinate children who want it their way despite the dictates of reality.

[tuvor]

16. bush keeping Americans "safe and secure"? Tell that to Katrina's victims.

Also, doesn't the Anthrax terror of 2001 count as an attack?

[MH1]

22. Anthrax - excellent point

Except....Daschle and Leahy are Democrats....so that wasn't technically an attack on Americans, right? :sarcasm:

[justgamma]

17. Using their logic, they have to admit that Clinton

was outstanding in HLS. We got hit just after he took office. He caught the guys that did it and we never got hit on his watch again.

For 7 years the Big Dawg kept us safe.

[shance]

18. Katrina was the worst attack on Americans in our country's lifetime.

Minus the Civil War.

We still have no idea what the real truth is on what occured and how many New Orleans have died, because there has been such a conscious cover up.

Regardless of what created Katrina, there was massive and intentional negligence enacted by this Administration.

There was an attack on New Orleans that is still occuring. That attack is called the bulldozing and occupation of Katrina.

[Triana]

19. K & R!! Poor Witto Schoolyard Bullies...

...did that big ol mean John Kerry give woo a black eye?

Aaaawwwwr :sarcasm:

FRANKLY, I hope he keeps giving them to the NeoCONS, too. DAILY...

[wisteria]

20. Looks to me like the repubs are running out of smear tactics to

use on Kerry.

[bvar22]

21. What Kerry SHOULD have said:

"Americans are being attacked, butchered, and killed EVERY DAY! 80% of our young Marines have DIED because this Republican administration were too cheap to give them the armor that would have saved their lives. Yes, George, Americans are being attacked and killed DAILY because of the incompetence of the Republican administration. Al Qaeda has not attacked us here because the Republicans have made it so easy to KILL AMERICANS in IRAQ...a country that did NOT have AlQaeda BEFORE the ill advised bush* War!!!!

It is true that we have not had an attack in the USA since 2001, but you should remember that there was no attack in the USA for 6 years during the Clinton administration after the first WTC attack. The terrorists are patient.
The bush* administration has done very little to make America safe....our ports are STILL unprotected, out chemical plants are STILL unguarded, our borders are STILL unprotected. "

THATS what Kerry SHOULD have said!!!!

[TNC4DNC]

26. That* is a response I can stand up and applaud to!

...Kerry you're still good too.

[quiet.american]

23. The truth that dare not be said aloud....

Bottom line -- the reason there have been no attacks on American soil is because an attack would not serve the Bush administration's current purposes. They sat on their hands re: 9/11. They failed at the outset to keep the country safe, they continue to fail.

(Thought John Kerry did an excellent job in talking about Bushco dropping the ball in Afghan).

[kerrygoddess]

24. Links to Video's of the interview!

I've got a new piece on JK's interview yesterday here - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1723

There's a link to a video quip that Crooks&Liars had up and also a link to what appears to be the full video from BradBlog.

[Cha]

25. What about the Fucking Anthrax Attacks?

Or don't those count?

I was surfing Sunday morning and saw Kerry for a second and he looked Good. Kerry must have been Great if the Liars are in a tizzy.