Jimmy Breslin: "A Leader Showed Up, His Name was Kerry"

[flpoljunkie]

http://www.newsday.com/news/columnists/ny-nybres013990512oct01,0,7782769.column?coll=ny-news-columnists

Jimmy Breslin

October 1, 2004

George Bush reiterated time and again last night that it was hard work to run this government. It was hard work to lead a country out of tyranny and into democracy. It was hard work to read casualty reports. The war was hard work. And he made it plain that talking with somebody about his record as president was the grueling, hardest work you could want.

He showed for all to see what a minor mind he goes around with. I looked at this guy Bush last night and thought about young people dying in Iraq because of him. And there will be more and more because he is a man sitting with a car full of people on the train tracks and he doesn't know enough to get off with the train coming. Watch the ages of the dead night after night, day after day - 21 ... 23 ... 19 ... 25 ... Anybody responsible for getting people this young killed is a national menace.

Dumb people always are.

And don't tell me he's not dumb. Yes, he was matched against an absolutely first-rate mind last night. But he could have done a little bit better at covering his helplessness than flusters of college boy anger.

He whined and brayed about consistency. He used that word so he could underline his famous "flip-flop" attacks on John Kerry. He said that by opposing the way the war in Iraq is going, Kerry was sending "mixed messages" and they are harmful to our troops. I, Bush, never change.

more...

[Octafish]

1. Great article, flpoljunkie!

"The other problem for Bush was that the president on the stage last night was John Kerry. He was strong, articulate - I make him as plain and understandable and yet powerful as anybody we've had around for many years."

I won't spoil the ending. Wow!

[NYCGirl]

2. Breslin's great. He was one of the few to show Guiliani as the fraud he

really is, instead of lionizing him like the rest of the so-called journalists. Jimmy Breslin's one of the last of the brave.

[Wilber_Stool]

8. Thought you might want to read

that Breslin piece again.

http://www.truthout.org/cgi-bin/artman/exec/view.cgi/7/3801

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

3. And that wimp next to him looked like he would, again, flee to the dentist

Best. Line. This. Week.

[Frances]

4. Here's the actual quote:

"Then they opened the night with John Kerry talking. He was strong, passionate, sending a fine intellect out into the night. And when he got tough, he looked like a guy who could kill somebody if he had to for the country. Again. And that wimp next to him looked like he would, again, flee to the dentist. "

[trumad]

5. That's a classic line...

I've heard the great meme a couple of times about Kerry loooking like he'd kill someone who fucked with his country... I like it.

[Dudley_DUright]

9. Great Emerson quote as well

[nostamj]

6. "George Bush writes in crayon"

great column! thanks for posting. gonna send that one around a bit!

[Clinton Crusader]

7. GREAT article! kick

:kick:

[C_U_L8R]

10. Superb Writing By Mr Breslin

I found it particularly insightful that the article invoked
John Kerry's cousin - Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Now that's some family values !!

[Jade Fox]

11. Breslin exemplifies what journalism used to be like....

Tough, critical, uncompromising. God Bless him.

[For PaisAn]

12. "Hard for Bush, Deadly for GI's"

The title of the article is "Hard for Bush, Deadly for GI's" and it's a perfect title. Bush whining about what hard work it is being president, oblivious to what hard work really is. Let him try being a soldier and then come talk to us about hard work.

[zinsky]

13. Boom! Breslin nailed it!

Breslin pulled off the kid gloves and called it like all of the media pundits should - This incompetent, intellectually lazy worm of a man would be pumping gas at the Texaco in Midland, Texas, if his last name wasn't Bush.

[blm]

14. Breslin's the BEST columnist in the news business.

.

[Fluffdaddy]

15. Jimmy you Go Boy

That was a hard hitting piece. And right on the money

[LizW]

16. Wow.

"Then they opened the night with John Kerry talking. He was strong, passionate, sending a fine intellect out into the night. And when he got tough, he looked like a guy who could kill somebody if he had to for the country. Again. And that wimp next to him looked like he would, again, flee to the dentist."

Wow. :wow: