Kerry can't stand behind Whoopi... Truly sad

[mstrsplinter326]

I don't know what she said about Bush, but I'd bet it was funny. And then the Kerry campaign tries to distance itself from her... Way to really bring together the allies and stand strong against the corporate attempt for dominion through monopolization.

F*** SlimFast, I won't be eating that crap anyway, but let's boycott it.

[aquart]

1. I'm sorry. What is it you want Kerry to do?

Perhaps you haven't seen Mary Beth Cahill's letter.

Perhaps you don't get that this is a deliberate attempt to provoke a spinnable response, a distraction from the job that has to be done.

Please don't let the Republicans lead you where they want to go.

[calico1]

2. Don't think it would be a wise idea

The fact of the matter is that Kerry cannot win with Liberal votes alone. So while for most of us her comments are okay and no big deal, they probably did turn off a lot of potential voters. The best thing he can do is stay out of it. (At least publicly). Besides, she is a big girl and quite capable of dealing with the fallout. This is not going to wreck her career.

[mstrsplinter326]

3. No it won't wreck her career, you're right

And while this is a petty issue, the idea of Kerry backpeddling from liberals in order to win swing voters is entirely ass-backward.

Would you expect Bush to win voters by acting more like a democrat/liberal? That would be weird right, and it would never happen? So why is Kerry expected to do the equivalent of that, as if somehow on a subconsious nationwide level being liberal is wrong, sinful or dirty.

[lanparty]

66. Ironically ...

I think Whoopi will get a bump from this.

[Tom Rinaldo]

4. The biggest threat to Kerry winning now...

...is not him being seen as too Liberal, it is him being seen as not having firm beliefs. Kerry doesn't have to take a controversial stand every time one comes available to him, but he does have to act like some one who knows what is right and wrong and is willing to say so whether or not it is popular to do so. This may not be an incident he needs to go on record about, but Kerry can't avoid all controversy while appealing to the middle. That type of behavior can turn off Independents who would rather know where you stand and disagree, than not be clear what you stand for.

[sui generis]

5. and I'd like to start off by saying

that we are all working to flush bush. We're not talking Summer's Eve here.

Wonder what she really said. . . ? You know, talking about politicians isn't all that different from masturbation sometimes - it makes you feel good and you're the only one who knows you did it. In Whoopi's case, she probably wasn't beating around the bush.

Oh I've got to STOP!!!

[frankly_fedup2]

74. LOL you should have been there (LAUGHING). . .

I think Whoopi herself should come out and make a statement that she is a comedian. Everyone knows she is a comedian and she makes up jokes. Jokes make people laugh. Her jokes are mostly adult jokes.

She should also state that she thought she had freedom of speech as far as her comments during a fund raiser or all the time. However, since Bush has been in office, one cannot even wear a T-Shirt with anything negative about Bush. Is anyone scared yet?

Well, I think the most wonderful thing happened to get back at the ones who are screaming foul against Whoopi. It happened on Thursday or Friday of last week. T

he Emmy nominees came out and the movie James Broilin starred in and his lovely wife, Ms. Streisand help produce is up for best picture or some really big award. You know the one that was banned from CBS but got moved to Showtime because it was about Ronald and Nancy Reagan.

Could this be ironic or what? ROFLMAO, lol, . . . now that is funny. I want the Repukes to run their mouths some more. Then I betcha Clinton will get a Grammy for reading his book, "My Life." This is too funny!!!!!!!!!!!

[Capn Sunshine]

62. As long as yu belive it's a "Fact" that Kerry can't win with liberal votes

Nothing's going to change.
The FACTS are that non voters and progressives make up a pool over voters five trimes as large as the tiny slice of "non liberals" you seem to believe we need to appeal to.

It doesn't take much to get the non voters to come out.
Just some backbone and conviction.

I wonder what your take will be when they turn on DU.

[ibegurpard]

6. Maybe he can't

but we certainly can. Call or write them and let them know that there are just as many people who are appalled at their willingness to give into right-wing pressure who will happily look for alternatives to their products.

[emulatorloo]

7. pick yr battles - whoopi compared Bush to a Vagina

from what i understand - just some dumb off-color jokes, big deal

do you think it is so important that Kerry go to the wall for Whoopi or go after Bush admin?

kerry reply to "release the tape nonsense"

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

edit formatting

[Piperay]

72. I agree Kerry must not

be diverted from going after chimp by some side issue.

[RummyTheDummy]

8. "Kerry is a coward"

Screamed the embittered Dean supporter.

[mstrsplinter326]

9. Not a dean supporter

But, at times, Kerry (and many of his cohorts/supporters) have been spineless even when it was unnecessary (like a petty issue of comedy).

[RummyTheDummy]

11. You debunked your own beef

It is petty, and therefore it doesn't rise to the level of something that needs to be addressed.

Or would have the Repugs dictate what issues are being talked about? The RNC has been all over this like stink on shit. Why enable them. Why fall into their trap to create as much background noise as possible, drowning out things that really matter.

[mstrsplinter326]

12. Responding....

"It is petty, and therefore it doesn't rise to the level of something that needs to be addressed."

Then why did Kerry's team address it?

And Kerry's response very much does matter because it is indicative of other issues.

[RummyTheDummy]

14. No, you want Kerry himself to go hat in had before the American public

And apoligize. That's much much different than issuing a statement or e-mail to supporters. Thank God Kerry's staff isn't falling into such an OBVIOUS rethug trap.

[mstrsplinter326]

16. No apoligies needed

Just think it would be good policy to embrace those who support you, especially important when they are underattack for something petty.

Or if it is such a non-issue like you said, they could have, when asked about Whoopi, said something to the tune of "That's completely irrelevant to the political picture of America today, but you know what is relevant? Bush's ____________________________. (Pick anything he's done and demonstrate how horrible it is.)

By running away from supporters they are falling into a repukkk trap.

[RummyTheDummy]

18. As someone else said, keep beating that dead horse

Whatever gets your rocks off. Meanwhile, the rest of us will work to defeat BushCo.

[Cha]

27. Well, Elizabeth Edwards spoke up for

Whoopi..sorry no link but I read something she wrote the other day on du.

[in_cog_ni_to]

33. Good for Elizabeth!

I respect her for that! G-d love her!

[Cha]

26. You're wrong!

[Darth_Kitten]

60. "embittered" Dean supporter?

:eyes: honestly,no, Dean supporters aren't as embittered as you WISH them to be.

They KNOW how to stand up for others......

[ronnykmarshall]

10. Keep beatin' that dead horse.

This is a NON issue.

Why should Kerry make an issue out of this?

The GOP WANTS this to be an issue to AVOID the REAL issues!!

Yes, Bush and Company are a bunch of whinny assed babies.

Yes, Whoopi has the right to say WHAT EVER she wants.

Is THIS going to be the driving issue of the race?

HELL no!

NEXT!

[JI7]

13. sorry, but there is nothing "truly sad" about this

[in_cog_ni_to]

19. Whoopi did lose the ad campaign.

That in itself is sad. John Kerry should at least defend her right to say what she wants to say. I don't think he should release the tape, but I DO think he should support a woman who was trying to help get him elected. Feedom of Speech. He should defend it.

[JI7]

20. it's about business, not freedom of speech

companies have a right to to end advertising deals made with others if they want. whoopie can continue saying what she wants though.

[in_cog_ni_to]

21. For the repukes

it's a matter of Freedom of Speech. Every time she speaks out at a John Kerry rally/fundraiser....the repukes are going to whine about it.(not that she'll ever be invited to another Kerry fundraiser) Kerry should let them know that HE supports her right to say what she wants. Not ignore it. He should be supporting her and I hope he does.

Her losing the Slimfast ad campaign IS sad. I wasn't saying that Slimfast didn't have the right to cancel their contract. I was saying that John Kerry should be defending Freedom Of Speech ON HER BEHALF. Just in case you missed my point.

[JI7]

22. i don't think she was ever denied freedom of speech

the issue was never whether she has a right to say something but whether one should have said it.

this was the case with cheney saying fuck yourself to a senator also. the issue was not whether they have a right to say it but whether it should have been said.

[beaconess]

28. Has it occurred to anyone that perhaps Whoopi should apologize

to Kerry for screwing up his event with language and comments she should have known would have done nothing but draw controversy to him? Is her ego so huge that she thought this was all about her and that she need not consider the negative impact she could have on Kerry and his campaign? Whether it's fair and reasonable or not, she should have known that her comments would be used as a club with which to bludgeon Kerry and to distract attention from real issues.

She should have had the sense to realize that this was not about her - that she was not just performing to a group of her fans who think everything she says is a hoot, but to a larger audience whom Kerry desperately needs to win this election. She did him no good that night.

So, I don't think he owes her an apology at all nor should he feel any obligation to "stand behind her." She should have thought of that before she shot off her mouth.

[in_cog_ni_to]

32. John Kerry didn't know who Whoopi was

before he LET her do her routine for HIS fundraiser? Come on! Everywhere she goes controversy follows. Kerry knew that. I have no clue what the woman said that has created such an uproar, but Kerry should not let her hang out to dry. IMCPO.

[flpoljunkie]

41. I agree. Whoopi apparently boasted that her material not screened.

http://www.nypost.com/news/nationalnews/24791.htm

Waving a bottle of wine, she fired off a stream of vulgar sexual wordplays on Bush's name in a riff about female genitalia, and boasted that she'd refused to let Team Kerry clear her material.

"I Xeroxed my behind and I folded it up in an envelope and I sent it back with a big kiss mark on because we're Democrats - we're not afraid to laugh," she said.

______________

No, we Democrats are not afraid to laugh, but I would hope that Whoopi now thinks that perhaps she did go over the line and her vulgar rant did not help our cause--sending Dubya back to Crawford in November.

[in_cog_ni_to]

30. What exactly did she say? n/t

[funky_bug]

25. Oh come on!

Her comments were juvenile and tasteless. Kerry is married to a very respectable, intelligent woman himself. I'm sure he knows the difference between witty and vulgar.

Whoopi is a "comic" from the throw-back days of George Carlin and Eddie Murphy... when cursing and genitalia were hilarious...before Janet popped a breast during the SuperBowl...

There are those who may see this as pandering, but I see it as the actions of a mature, respectable individual.

[in_cog_ni_to]

29. What did she say?

I haven't seen the tape.

[funky_bug]

46. Some babble

Something along the lines of her bush doing a better job than the one in the White House...

[funky_bug]

47. There is a vast difference between free speech and cheap talk

Something Whoopie has never known. I'm entirely unimpressed with babble that borders on elementary-school poopie-talk.

[janx]

48. Nope. Unfortunately and fortunately, "cheap talk" is a judgment

call.

One woman's "cheap talk" and another's "freedom of speech" has always been open to interpretation in this country.

Let the woman talk! She is a strong and intelligent woman.

Thank God and the Constitution for it--from someone who realizes there is a deliberate difference between the two.

[donco6]

69. In fairness then, did anyone cry because . . .

. . . Anita Bryant lost the Florida citrus contract all those years ago, because of her stand on homosexuality?

That's a sword that cuts both ways.

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. He could do what Wes Clark did

when the repukes attacked Michael Moore. He could say that Whoopi is a citizen of this country and is free to say whatever she wants to. He doesn't have to agree with what she said, but he should at least defend her right to FREEDOM OF SPEECH. After all, it WAS on HIS behalf, was it not?

[mstrsplinter326]

17. Sounds reasonable. n/t

[janx]

50. The primaries are over.

THE PRIMARIES ARE OVER.

Love,
--jk

[Forkboy]

23. Forget Whoopi

Even sadder is that he wont stand behinf anti-war Dems,Kyoto....

Mr Inspiration :eyes:

[spooky3]

31. Anyone remember Whoopi's parody of Reagan's "standing behind" the

small farmers of this country?

[in_cog_ni_to]

34. I don't remember that, but

I do remember when she and Ted Danson did that "Black Face" routine at a Roast Dinner....whew! Were people pissed and rightly so! That's Whoopi. She's controversial. It's a known fact. If Kerry couldn't defend her if she did something controversial, he should have asked her not to raise funds for him. IMCPO.

[janx]

42. What's there to defend, and why should he defend her?

She's perfectly capable of expressing/defending herself. She knew what she was doing.

[Tom Rinaldo]

24. Seems to me Bush just stood behind Cheney

around his colorful use of language.

[Moloch]

35. Maybe I missed something....

When did Kerry try to distance himself from Whoopi? Truly sad if he did...

[in_cog_ni_to]

37. I think the point is

he hasn't spoken out in defense of her. Silence. The repukes had their people attacking her from all sides and Kerry has said nothing to defend her.

[beaconess]

38. Why should he defend her?

And help to perpetuate the ridiculous discussion - which is just what the Republicans want to do? He would be a fool to fall into the trap the Republicans are setting for him by allowing them to turn this into a campaign about Whoopi Goldberg.

[in_cog_ni_to]

39. Beacuse she helped to raise money for his campaign?

He doesn't have to get into a debate with those assholes. All he has do do is release a statement saying that Whoopi is a citizen of this country and she is entitled to her opinion. We do have Freedom Of Speech in this country. End of subject...never say another word about it. That's all.

[sangh0]

43. I helped raise money for his campaign also

but you won't see me whining about why Kerry won't stand behind me. I think he has some bigger things on his plate right now. Maybe even bigger than Whoopie

[frankly_fedup2]

75. Well for one thing . . .

Whoopi is a grown woman who has a right to her own opinions and also has the right to write her own comedy routines. The pugs were trying to say she was drunk carrying around a wine bottle (they felt this would be more insulting to her I suppose).

Also, John Kerry ain't her daddy so he has no right to tell her what she can or cannot say. She was there to help raise money for his and Edwards campaign and, obviously, there were millions raised.

Whoopi Goldberg has nothing to apologize for. It was her opinion and she has a right to it. She also has a right to free speech.

The problem is that since Bush has been in office, we have less and less freedoms. Anyone that cannot see that is a Republican fool.

[PopSixSquish]

36. Link Please????????

???????

[janx]

40. I couldn't disagree more.

The right wing is having a hay day with this incident--and Kerry is supposed to come running every time something like this happens?

There aren't enough Kerrys to cover the bases, I'm afraid.

What Whoopi said is what Whoopi said, and she has a right to say whatever she wants to say, and I'm quite sure she is willing to bear any responsibility for the things she says.

Kerry is going to be the next president of the United States, but he has a lot of work to do to make that happen, and he simply doesn't have time to run off and defend every fundraiser star or supporter with whom the right wing disagrees.

And besides and on top of those things, I'm sure he doesn't want to give the right wing that much control over his behavior or his campaign. I and a lot of other people would be furious if he did.

[Karmadillo]

44. Maybe he thought it would be better to focus attention on the genocide in

Sudan. Whoopi can take care of herself.

http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20040715-042655-8493r.htm

Washington, DC, Jul. 15 (UPI) -- Democratic U.S. presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry called for an international humanitarian intervention in the Sudan in a speech to the NAACP Thursday.

Kerry called the campaign against Sudan's black population at the hands of ethnic Arab militias "genocide." He also called on the White House to stop "equivocating" and demand the Sudanese government take action against the militias.

Armed Arab militiamen known as janjaweed have killed thousands of black Sudanese in the Darfur region of western Sudan, and driven more than 1 million people from their homes over the last year, the Council on Foreign Relations has said.

more...

[Mobius]

45. Whoopi equated Bush with pussy

big deal. Like we havent all done that already anyway. Personally I think Whoopi should have used a little more caution in her words.

[Name removed]

49. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

65. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[mourningdove92]

51. Keep your ears open

I believe that between Kerry and Edwards, you will hear Whoopi defended. Not an outright, in your face, defense, but these two have proved to be very good at throwing the slime right back in the repugs face.

For myself, I emailed my thoughts directly to the Slimfast Corporation. I have received back a computer generated response letting me know that they will give me a real response soon. When I get it, I will post it here.

here is what I sent
"Since you have chosen to punish Whoopi for execising her right to free speech, I intend to exercise my right to choose another product. I will no longer use any products made by your company."

Not that I ever used their products anyway, but hey, they don't know that.

[Hepburn]

52. GREAT BOYCOTT IDEA ON SLIM-FASCIST:

I read this on another board where I was looking around:

Take your Slim-Fast, and if you don't have any buy some on sale, package it up and UPS it back to Slim Fast. On the box, write the following:

"BOYCOTT SLIM-FAST: I'D RATHER BE FAT THAN A FASCIST."

Send a package like this when you can. Because it is a food item, they cannot reuse it and they have to tresh it. Small packages sent at bulk rates would be nice.

BTW: Be sure and put a letter in your return package and let them know what you think of them!

[Name removed]

53. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jono]

54. That's the role of a surrogate for you.

They say things the campaign might want said, but that the campaign would never publicly say or endorse.

Do you recall ever hearing Bush* directly defend Joe Scarborough, or Micael Savage Weiner? I don't.

Whoopi's tough. She can defend herself.

[oasis]

55. Defend Whoopi's honor and let the rest of us go straight down the tubes.

Kerry owes us a win in November and I expect him to direct his campaign with that in mind.

[GalleryGod]

57. Roger that,Oasis! EYES on the Prize.

Ironic part is Slimfast is an old reliable Clinton Supporter!:wtf:

[GalleryGod]

56. What's Sad is that you're missing the Nuances of getting to 270 All Ready

A Will Pitt says, "Win first. Be Nice later":argh:

[cornfedyank]

58. between janet's nippie and whoopie saying lick bush in 04

I don't know which has me more upset. I better get back to other media where they only kill 100 people per hour.

John Lennon for Sec. of State. --- oh but -- somebody killed him

[oasis]

61. Whoopi said that her bush was more intelligent than any in the WH.

[cornfedyank]

64. if that's all she said ----ignore it

that is not nearly as offending as shrub's looking under the coffee table for WMD while people bleed.

[julialnyc]

59. I'm disappointed too

He doesn't need to respond at all. He didn't say it. An apology was completely unnecessary.

Bush didn't apologize for Dennis Miller joking that John Kerry gives it to John Edwards up the butt (I heard that from a friend so I can't be certain of the exact wording).

Dennis Miller is an ass just like Bush, but Bush didn't say that a comedian did.

Don't act guilty if you're not guilty (in my opinion).

BTW the tickets to that function cost a fortune.....all to go to the campaign.
Whoopi helped bring in donors....Kerry shouldn't treat her like Slim Fast.

[frankly_fedup2]

76. So you (or whomever you heard this from) can understand

the drivel that comes out of Miller's mouth? Dennis Miller is an anomaly. How he has made it to his own show is beyond me because he has failed at everything else he has done. Hopefully, this show won't be on much longer.

MSNBC got rid of Phil Donahue because he was too liberal; however, had the highest ratings for that time slot.

How can CNBC support Dennis Miller? Are they not from the same corporation?

I figured since they were both ending in NBC that they were, basically, from the same network corporations.

I loved phils interview with Ann Coulter. He had her actually shaking more visibly then she usually does. I thought for sure that Phil would knock O'Reilly off his bully pulpit but MSNBC did not give him enough time.

[ieoeja]

63. So now Democrats can't talk bad about Republicans ...

... at Democratic Party fund raisers. Can we officially rule free speech dead?

[Guaranteed]

67. Even I don't think Kerry should be getting behind

what she said. At least not publicly. It not only was inappropriate, it wasn't even funny. If she'd said something insightful that really nailed him, I'd be more likely to think that Kerry should get behind it.

[Dr Fate]

68. He said the understood why some people were upset...

...but did not agree with her statement- (which I believe was a dirty joke...)

This was on 60 minutes...

This is a real non-issue. Move along...

[Lefty Pragmatist]

70. It's a trap.

The GOP makes a huge deal about this for its own ends.

+ If K/E supports her, then they're adolescent, unfit, etc...
+ If K/E distance themselves, then the left argues about it and Kerry seems disloyal.

It's just a trap. Ignore it and go on.

[mzmolly]

71. At times I doubt the sincerity of posters here at DU.

That is all I will say on this subject. :hi:

[IndianaGreen]

73. Clinton did not stand behind Lani Guinier

In 1992 Clinton chickened out when the rightwingers complained about his nomination of NAACP lawyer and personal friend Lani Guinier to the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division.

That was not the first time that "liberals" have been cowered by the rightwing, and it won't be the last.

What else is new?