Why hasn't the Big Dog come out for Kerry?

[DenverDem]

My right wing East Texas brother was just haranging me about Kerry being a chameleon and that the Clinton's don't want him elected so that Hillary has to go up against an incumbent in '08.

Why is it that Bill hasn't come out more strongly for JFK? Is it a timing thing?

[Justice]

1. Big Dog has Come Out Big Time

Bill Clinton sent an email in support of John Kerry this week.

It began --

"Dear _________,

"Good for you. Now get back to work."

When you, I and other John Kerry supporters look in the mirror, that's what we should tell ourselves. Should we be proud of the extraordinary grassroots accomplishments of John Kerry's campaign so far? Of course, we should. But, if we're serious about winning, we've got to realize that the true test of our commitment is ahead of us, not behind us....."

[Wetzelbill]

4. And, he'll come out more as the campaign progresses

this is just the beginning.

[TheDonkey]

2. He has...

just the other day he was on TV talking about Kerry for president and also lending his name and words for JK campaign emails.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

3. Two reasons for ya

1. The Big Dog knows he's a polarizing figure. The rethugs could run against him on Kerry like they did to Al.
2. He and Carter are the party's elder statesmen, and traditionally, the elder statesmen stay quiet until the candidate is officially nominated.
Betcha he gives a corker of a speech at the convention, though.
Still miss the man.

[Wetzelbill]

7. He's a great speaker, the man, like him or not, has serious charisma

[Catholic Sensation]

5. yesterday he said

"the democrats would have to be lazy or dumb to lose to Bush." or something along those lines.

[blm]

6. He has.

And next month he'll be spreading it around even thicker on his book tour.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

10. that's right

and that's the best free advertising we could get, to get people to remember that we really were better off before Chimpy.

[DrFunkenstein]

8. Wait For His Convention Speech!!!

He'll be highly visible once his book comes out (right again, blm) and he does every talk show on the planet thricely...

[RummyTheDummy]

22. Convention speech?

Is that confirmed? Gotta link?

Hard to believe.

[Monte Carlo]

25. Hard to believe!?

What's so hard to believe about the nation's No. 1 Democrat speaking at the Democratic convention? Has he got something better to do?

[stellanoir]

9. wait until you see what he does in promoting his book.

Also he gave he a very strong endorsement during the "unity party" last month.

Aaaand remember back to four long years ago when he was considered a liability during the Gore campaign.

I truly don't believe that Hillary wants to be President after all she had to endure in the WH. I think that's just RW spin and hyperbole. IMHO

[fertilizeonarbusto]

11. I agree

I think she's happy in the Senate.

[sallyseven]

14. Hillary for Senate President

More power than president and she can stay forever.

[DenverDem]

12. When he gets fully behind JFK it's game over for bushlerco, IMNSHO.

I feel better after talking to all of you about this.

[sallyseven]

13. Bill has been sending me Kerry letters

for a few months now. What are you talking about. He is for John and he is sending e-mails too. Hey they are making me go broke. Everyone has me on their list. I must be a political activist.

[Paradise]

15. I remember

Bill's "Send Me" speech, about Kerry, at the Democratic Unity Dinner.

(Snip)
"Now, here's what I know about John Kerry. In the Vietnam era which marked us all, most young men, including the President, the Vice President, and me, most of us should've gone to Vietnam and didn't go.
And John Kerry said, send me.

Then when it was all over and it was time to heal up and normalize relations with Vietnam, if would could get an accounting, a full accounting of all of our POWs and MIAs and we needed somebody who's been there to stand up and take a leadership role, John Kerry said, send me.

And when almost nobody in the Congress was really interested in all of these poor children that were living in horribly violent neighborhoods when I became President, because after all they weren't organized, they didn't have a PAC that didn't give any money, they didn't vote, their parents didn't vote, there was hardly anybody that really cared about what these kids were going through. The person in the Senate who talked to me all the time about it was John Kerry.
When he looked into the eyes of those poor kids growing up on mean street, he said, send me.

When we needed to have an America that was united across racial and gender and sexual orientation and immigrant and non-immigrant lines, and the new Republican majority was trying to cut us up nine ways from Sunday, John Kerry said send me.

When we needed real homeland security, more police, more fire, more protection in our ports and airports, John Kerry said, send me.

On many of these issues, the Republicans were AWOL. Last year there was a vote in the Congress, where David Obey said let's double the number of container's we're checking at our ports and airports for weapons of mass destruction. All the experts say five percent's not enough, we have to check at least ten percent to have any kind of deterrent at all.

And I'll pay for it by reducing the tax cut of the 200,000 Americans who pay taxes on over one million dollars from $88 to $83 thousand. Ninety percent of us would have gladly paid it. The White House and the leadership in Congress fought it like a demon because much as it would be nice for the ports and airports to be safe, and after spending 150 billion dollars in Iraq, it wasn't worth it to take five thousand lousy bucks away from my tax cut.

And through all these things, John Kerry has been there saying, send me.

When he was down in the early going, he didn't whine, or bow his head. And when he got up, he didn't gloat, or lord it over anybody. He was the same person when he was down and when he was up, and when he moving. He knows who he is and he knows what he believes.

Our adversaries are good at this folks. They didn't get to hold onto the White House all these years ever since 1958 except for President Carter and me by being bad at what they do. And they're gonna do their darndest to turn a good man into a cartoon. They love power, they know how to get it, and they know how to keep it. Our party has a new leader. We know we're going in the wrong direction, he knows what to do to turn it around.

So I ask you to do just one simple thing. I ask you to look at John Kerry tonight, and say to him, what he has said to us his entire adult life: send me."

http://www.democrats.org/news/200403290002.html

[Toucano]

20. That was beautiful. Thanks for the reminder. n/t

[PopSixSquish]

26. Wow - That was a Powerful Speech

and ought to be turned into a great campaign commerical with a Bill Clinton voiceover.

[Paradise]

28. it was great! :) n/t

[latebloomer]

30. "Our adversaries" held onto the White House

from 1958 till now, with the exception of him and Carter?

Did he forget Kennedy and Johnson?

Nah, he musta meant 1978.

[fknobbit]

16. Donate to the DNC and you will hear from Clinton weekly.

Via both snail and E-mail, Pleading for more $$$$.

[liberalron]

17. AP Story yesterday

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-clinton-shadow-parties,0,655839.story?coll=sns-ap-nation-headlines

[shivaji]

18. Duh..............Hillary-2008

[LWolf]

19. He has.

I've been getting blanket emails with his sig asking me to donate to and support Kerry.

[Sparkly]

21. Also gave a great speech at the Dem unity dinner

Remember -- "John Kerry said, 'Send me.'"...

But my favorite line was when he said that the "Daddy Party" (who boasted about using the china coffee cups instead of cardboard ones) acted more like kids who couldn't wait to get their hands on the trust fund and spend it.

[oasis]

23. I loved Clinton's speech in which he praised Kerry at the Unity Dinner.

He brought down the house. "Send me": an unforgetable address.

[scarletlib]

24. Finishing his Memoirs for the last 3 months

He had to meet his deadline to get the book out this June so he has been working on that. An editor was actually staying with Bill at his home to get the work done.

Now that the book is done I am sure he will be more involved.

[PopSixSquish]

27. Book to Finish as Other's Have Said.

BTW - pick up the new Vanity Fair (Brad Pitt on cover). In the story regarding Clinton and his book, the author states that Clinton and Kerry talk on the phone every week.


And I'm sure Clinton will be used to GOTV.

[Mountainman]

29. E-mail I got from B Clinton supporting Kerry

"If we're serious about winning, we've got to realize that the true test of our commitment is ahead of us, not behind us."

-- Bill Clinton

Dear

"Good for you. Now get back to work."

When you, I and other John Kerry supporters look in the mirror, that's what we should tell ourselves. Should we be proud of the extraordinary grassroots accomplishments of John Kerry's campaign so far? Of course, we should. But, if we're serious about winning, we've got to realize that the true test of our commitment is ahead of us, not behind us.

In fact, it's staring us right in the face. We knew that the Republican attack machine was going to come after John Kerry hard. But, I have to say, even I have been surprised by how vicious they've been. They've even tried to attack the military record of a Vietnam war hero. It's painfully clear they will stop at nothing.

Let's fight back. In March, you and I helped John Kerry kick-off his general election campaign with a history-making fundraising drive. In a single month, the Kerry campaign reduced Bush-Cheney's cash-on-hand advantage from 50-to-1 to 3-to-1. And we've been gaining ground ever since.

Let's do it again. Please click here to make a secure contribution:

https://contribute.johnkerry.com

The amazing energy and commitment of hundreds of thousands of people helped John Kerry raise $55 million in the first quarter of 2004. That's more money in one quarter than any campaign in history, including the incumbent's. The Republicans thought we would let our presidential candidate be rolled over by their massively-funded attack machine. We said, "Think again."

But here's why we can't rest, not even for a moment.

The Republicans think they have absorbed an early unexpected burst of energy from our side. And now they're planning on taking the initiative back, counting on us to lose steam and settle back down.

In March, John's campaign could rely on the energy and excitement of his primary victory and, in the fall, he'll be able to count on the enthusiasm and pressure of a fast-approaching Election Day. But right now, he is relying on you and me. Let's stand shoulder-to-shoulder with John Kerry -- and let's win.

Thank you,

Bill Clinton

[Gore1FL]

31. Your right wing East Texas brother

is misinformed.