Kerry/Iraq--Could this mean he knows he'll be Commander in Chief ?

[Karenca]

It just dawned on me---Kerry is going to Iraq----Do you think this might have some meaning: that Kerry KNOWS he is going to be the president, or am I just being delusional?
Am I wishfully thinking here, or what? Don't you find it interesting that he's going to Iraq now?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Yes, interesting...

But he is going as a Senator, which is entirely appropriate.

Don't start reading things into this that might not exist. We would all like to see magic happen, but...

[Eric J in MN]

2. Lots of Senators are visiting Iraq now.

It doesn't mean they're about to become president.

[TayTay]

34. I think's it in his current job description

John Kerry is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. That committee has direct oversight on the Iraq issue. Kerry has a duty to fulfill his responsibilities to the people of Massachusetts as their duly elected Senator. This is part of that official function. Barack Obama will be a new member of the Foreign Relations Committee come January and I wouldn't be surprised if he also makes a trip to Iraq at some point in the near future. It is what he (and Kerry) DO in the Senate. Otherwise, they should have picked other Committee assignments.

That said, it will be interesting to see if Kerry goes with a media contingent or goes like Lincoln Chafee did a few weeks ago. (Kind of quiet and low key, not reporting on what he found until he got back.) And it will be interesting to see what the Pentagon, which will ultimately control what access he has to anything in Iraq, allows him to see and who they allow him to meet with. My warped political brain tells me this could be even more interesting for what he is not allowed to do than what he is allowed to do.

[yurbud]

3. where did you hear this?

[BrklynLiberal]

13. It was on the news today. n/t

[Pirate Smile]

4. It's a good way to get killed. He is just going to see for himself

what is happening, nothing else.

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

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

[Karenca]

7. "You are delusional..." THANKS nt

[GainesT1958]

18. No you ain't!

You were just wondering...like a lot of people, I'll bet!:D

B-)

[OldLeftieLawyer]

6. I still believe

Maybe I'm nuts. Maybe this whole "election of 2004" debacle has driven me around my final corner. Maybe I see things that aren't there.

Maybe I'm smarter than I know.

Maybe it's all just coincidence, but I still believe that someone is going to end up in a court somewhere (Ohio? Florida?) presenting compelling evidence to a judge that such massive fraud took place in the Presidential election that a recount must be ordered, a Temporary Restraining Order against the electors voting is issued, or, in the alternative, that the electors' votes cannot be announced on January 6, 2005, and that the whole matter must be litigated.

It would be history-making, but I still believe.

[KaliTracy]

9. i hear the bell too

:-)

[eowyn_of_rohan]

10. Well, if you are nuts, you have a lot of company here

I begin to doubt my sanity over all this too sometimes, but then I come to my senses ;)

[ClassWarrior]

25. I'm with you, Leftie...

Good to see you again, by the way... :)

NGU.

[LittleClarkie]

30. Lefty the savant

Hey you never know. You might be channeling something we don't know about.

Either way, even if nothing pans out, I will be in this man's corner.

[imenja]

8. He's running for the 2008 nomination

Kerry isn't going to be president in 2005. To keep telling yourself it's possible is simply denial. We need your passion to work for progressive politics now and in the future. Please don't let a hope that Kerry will somehow descend as savior keep you from acting now.
Kerry has kept a low profile in the recount because he thinks that to be confrontational now would harm his future political chances. He plans to seek the nomination in 2008 but I can't imagine he would actually win it. The recount is essential, not because of Kerry's political career but for the sake of our democracy.
George Bush is going to be president for four more years. As traumatic as that idea is, you have to accept it at some point. Better sooner than later so you can put your outrage into action.

[KaliTracy]

12. we can fight like hell and still have hope

Expectation is another story. No expectations. Fight for what has been one of the most incredible election day farces in my lifetime... push like hell to get Blackwell to Recuse himself.... and not lose the intensity and focus of this fight for our future elections, and the elections of our children

[ngant17]

15. But would a Pres. Kerry want to be blamed for losing in Iraq?

Bush won't withdraw from Iraq because it is his war and he doesn't want to get blamed for losing it on his watch. Whoever will be elected in 2008, maybe the war in Iraq will have reached a breaking point by then and then that person will get blamed for Bush's stupidity.

We've already lost a whole division of troops over there (+1000 GIs), that's averaging about one divison/year, not a rate on par with Vietnam, SE Asia averaged about +5000 dead GIs per year, but enough to start putting a chink in the old imperial US armor.

Once the newer Russian and Chinese RPGs come out, the Arabs will buy them up in lots and then watch the war start getting ugly and a lot more expensive for the US. When it only takes a couple of RPGs to kill a +$100 million battle tank, and they can hit the choppers with some new portable missile-lanchers, the playing field gets leveled and it's more or less over the US over there.

[seito]

17. He is going to Support our Troops

Something AWOL would not know a thing about. John Kerry is going to Iraq to visit with the Mass National Guard soldiers serving over there.

[shuffnew]

19. Good Point. Notice the shrub didn't make a surprise visit Thanksgiving..

Shrub makes a surprise visit Thanksgiving 2003 (election politics only) pretending to support the troops to garnish a political vote. Now that he has stolen another election, he made a few phone calls this Thanksgiving 2004 instead. No need to try to impress now, right?

Hey, election is over - no need for shrub to make a self-serving trip to support the troops. After the response Rumsfeld got on our homeground, I suppose the shrub should stay put.

On the other hand, Kerry wants to show his sincere concern and support for our troops. Had he done so before the election, he would have been further slammed by the GOP and Rove mob. I know his heart is broken, worrying about the troops. He can go now... if they slam him now for a visit, it will only show further that the shrub mob doesn't give a d--- about the troops.

[bunny planet]

22. guess it's a bit too dangerous over there now for fake plastic

TURKEYS!

[ClassWarrior]

26. Who's letting the vote fraud KEEP THEM FROM ACTING??

Those of us who are working on this issue ARE turning our outrage into action - and in a big way. In fact, no matter whether Kerry wins or loses, pressing this creates a wedge that we can use to seriously undermine the misadministration**. And that will make it easier to promote Progressive politics, now and in the future. See the big picture.

I'll accept that Bush** is going to extend his stay in the people's house AFTER the election's over. And it's not really over till January 6th. How about you? Are you ready to give up before it's over?

NGU.

[imenja]

33. I'm a member of the reality based coalition

It would be wonderful if your dreams came true, but I don't see it happening. Nor does Kerry. If he did he'd be far more active in the recount process.

[Blue_In_AK]

31. Four more years?

I don't think he's going to make it that long. If the election doesn't get overturned, I foresee him getting taken down by way of impeachment or being forced to resign like Richard Nixon was. I believe that ultimately there will be enough Republicans with a conscience that they will join us in taking * down.

[libertypirate]

11. Look busy...

Nothing going on around here... Just doing what everybody else is...

More low profile stuff...

[Old and In the Way]

14. Not sure about the President part....I'd like to believe it......

and I'm not ready to close the chapter yet.

But I do know it is going to be quite humiliating for this administration when Kerry is treated like a rock star by the troops.

I think they know the difference between a real warhero and a chickenhawk-in-chief.

[KaliTracy]

16. it's possible...

though there are a lot of military * supporters.... though i think they are getting fed up at the treatment they are receiving.

[jamboi]

20. Good move on his part as long as he doesn't get himself killed. nt

[stirringstill]

32. Careful Kerry

. . . . or a patriot missile battery doesn't mis-fire.

[Kralizec]

21. If the troops cheer Kerry like no other, then we know that he will grow so

me balls and get vocal, no matter what evidence he has of fraud. He has to know at that point that the american people need his help... they need a leader, quick.

[dmac]

23. I have wondered

several times today if his trip may have more to do with providing the troops access to him - I still haven't seen anything official about the military vote - and if the military vote was tampered with, perhaps he wants to provide them with an outlet to discuss their concerns - OR, I have also thought if any soldiers are being persecuted by their superior officers for casting a vote for Kerry instead of W (I didn't get the impression that secret ballots over there were very likely) - again, I would think he would want to make himself available if any of them need to report anything untoward, period. He may be just going to see which way the wind is blowing - the lack of published stats of the military vote makes me suspicious (if they have been published I missed them) and if in fact Kerry ended up with more than W - again I would think he would want to personally thank them for their support - especially since the military usually leans for the Commander in Chief.

But these were just last minute thoughts and hopes running through my head. He is probably really going because he cares and wants to show his support when it will not be perceived as an election ploy.

[seito]

24. John Kerry knows what it is like to fight a war

without the support of the government. Regardless of what happens in this election, we have soldiers in harms way. * certainly will not support them, listen to their concerns or fight on their behalf.

It is so frustrating to read the posts that are thrown around about John Kerry and his "cowardice" for conceding this election. He is going into a war zone to meet with the soldiers from his state. He is going to Iraq to listen to their concerns and to let them know that their government has not forsaken them.

[dmac]

29. agreed. eom

[KaliTracy]

27. I heard/read that some military votes were actually FAXED

Think it was read -- at lunch time. Where's secrecy then?

[dmac]

28. I am pretty sure I heard this too

and some states' military votes were to be Faxed to the Pentagon no less! Boy, I'll bet that made those troops want to be honest and up front with their vote, do ya think?

[DoYouEverWonder]

36. Yes, this year under the guise of making it easier to vote

the folks in the military overseas were allowed to mail, fax or email their ballots. How do you even start to verify these ballots is beyond me.

However, the result of this easing of the rules made it very difficult to discern how the military voted because their ballots were counted in with all the other absentee ballots in each county.

[malatesta1137]

35. lol

[Quakerfriend]

37. I happened to catch a glimpse of Kerry

on CNBC on 12/9 @10pm. It showed a shot of him standing behind a large green and white banner saying something about alternative energy and waving to the crowd, and mentioned that he would be traveling to Iraq soon. I suppose this could have been old film of him (as is so common on MSM these days).

I think that Bush will be put back in the WH, but will be EJECTED in a year or two for crimes against humanity!

What makes me so sad is that Kerry deserved to be Pres! We must keep fighting until the bitter end!

[k8conant]

38. Let's see it through to a just conclusion

We don't want a bitter end. We're just seeing it through.

[malatesta1137]

40. WHO is going to eject Bush?

Republicans stole every office they could and now they control everything. Democrats like Kerry are more than willing to roll over and kiss their rings. Shameful.

[Proud to be blue]

39. Interesting perspective

with plenty of food for thought!