The spin on the Mideast trip has begun

[fedupinBushcountry]

Here we go again.

As expected they bring up the botched joke and the banner sign. But, they are acting as if JK is only using this trip to get back for his botched joke. WRONG, and it is pissing me off.

Notice in these 2 articles how they use it as a premise for his going.

Kerry said he wanted to meet with the National Guard soldiers who mocked his blunder by holding a banner: "Halp us Jon Carry _ we R stuck hear N Irak." When he saw the banner in a widely circulated photograph, Kerry said, he laughed, adding that he'd have done "the same thing" if he were in their shoes. But he said he won't make that part of this trip because he is interested in "business, not politics."
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/12/12/kerry_prepares_for_middle_east_tour/?p1=MEWell_Pos4

See the spin begin, JK did not bring the subject up and of course he is not doing this for politics, but you know what they want everyone to believe.

Another article:

Kerry also could use the trip to repair some political damage. His visit to Iraq comes six weeks after he faced political scorn for his "joke" about the U.S. military. He told California college students that if they "study hard and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq." He quickly explained that the comment should have referred to President Bush, not to all military personnel.

http://www.courant.com/news/politics/hc-dodd-mideast-1212,0,5040643.story?coll=hc-headlines-home

Here is real spin, and nothing is said by Kerry and this trip, but the spin is planted.

I just switched over to MSNBC and Rita Cosby , of course she brings up polls and of course JK is in last place and of course no one on the poll has announced they are running for sure, then the spin begins. Of course they say he is going to repair the damage to his botched joke and the dumb-ass Dem guy goes right along with it. Argggh!!!!! I have no idea who he was, just another of those unknown "Dem I know-it-all strategists". Arrgggh

[mloutre]

1. quoting a near and dear friend of mine again...

"friggin bastids"

[Blaukraut]

2. I saw that, fedup

Made me want to :puke: :banghead: . Add to that one of the pundits 'advising' JK not to run because he 'has no chance'. Screw them.
This trip is anything but damage control or campaigning, and the spinning makes me ill.

[karynnj]

3. Someone eventually needs to ask one of the pundits

saying this the obvious question - Would you spend any time telling someone with NO chance to not run? Do you recall a large amount of time in 2004 spent telling Carol Mosely Braum not to run? Al Sharpton? Kuchinich?

Kerry consistently polled above Biden, Dodd, Vilsack, Richardson, Kuchinich, and Warner. Warner got a NYT magazine cover! Biden seems to be in every WP Iraq editorial.

[wisteria]

6. Mccain apparently has made the trip into Iraq along with Lieberman,

Why isn't that being played up as a political visit? Oh, wait, I know why, he is a Republican.

[beachmom]

8. Actually, it is damage control: for the Bush White House

Here's my opinion -- the White House knows he's going, and will listen to his report when he gets back, even if it's in the dead of the night, so that the press doesn't find out. He said that he's been in touch with Condi Rice, pretty much saying "how can I help?". He also said that if you do a regional conference, you have to lay the "ground work" to get it done. My guess is that he's laying the ground work for his country. And past smears by Bush are irrelevant when that compares to doing what's right for our country, which because of Iraq, is in big trouble.

I'm still struck by this quote from Time magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1565529,00.html

(subscription only)

THE HOT WORD IN WASHINGTON THESE days is bandwidth, as in, Does this Administration have the bandwidth to solve all these problems? Even those who back the Baker plan worry about whether there is anyone inside the Administration who can carry it out. There is widespread doubt that the Bush team is emotionally or ideologically able to execute a plan that is so at odds with its collective instincts and that many of its supporters might resist. Of particular concern to members of the study group is the state of the U.S. State Department. Although Rice has restored some of the department's lost influence since replacing Colin Powell, she is currently working without a deputy and has had trouble filling that post. Her top lawyer, Philip Zelikow, is leaving soon, and there is a wide variety of people who wonder whether she--or anyone else--could amass the clout to take on both the Middle East and Iraq security talks in the time that is left to this Administration. That's one reason there are growing calls for a special envoy to the region who can hold all the reins in one hand. Some have even suggested that Bush try to persuade Baker to stay on and take up one last mission for his country.

Now Kerry would not be part of a high profile envoy, but I just think he is a bit of an under the radar envoy to start to get things set up. As a member of the other party and a former presidential candidate, he has clout and credibility in that part of the world. It's almost good, if the press misses the boat on this, so that Kerry can get his work done. We'll get the truth out as to what this really is: a Shadow Government Mission with tacit approval by the WH or at least old time Republican realists.

[demdiva]

15. I think if the pundits don't like you

that is actually a good thing

[wisteria]

4. At least it is referenced that he is reaching out to the troops.

Joke or not, they are now saying he misstated a joke and wants to visit the troops.How can people view his wanting to reach out to the troops in a negative way? I don't see how any spin on the visit and the joke connection could be avoided, unless they didn't bring it up at all which was not going to happen. This is politics 24/7 anymore. Everyone is always running. He wants to make amends for any bad have and any bad feelings they may harbor. I think the media is over reaching trying to insinuate some major ulterior motive here- especially when other parts of the trip are mentioned. Pronowngate is what it is, I really believe it will die down and be perceived as it should soon, as an omitted word from a Bush joke.

[Firespirit]

5. Here's the AP spin on it via ABC. Consider yourself warned.

It's foul. 7 paragraphs, 5 of which are all joke all the time.

This is exactly what I was worried about when this idea was proposed by some newspaper awhile ago.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory?id=2721560

[Blaukraut]

7. the headline doesn't even fit the article

It should have read 'Kerry's joke, revisited ad nauseam'

[Firespirit]

12. All I can figure is that the MSM are going into overdrive mode

It's been said before, but if he's SO irrelevant and politically dead, why continue to bury him? Outside the blogosphere, the most articles are about Hillary, Obama, McCain, Guiliani, and Kerry. The media are trying to take him out now, while he's still a bit down, rather than face the challenge of destroying him when people start to catch on that he is a true visionary, the one '08er who could potentially get us out of this. As soon as people figure that out, the grade-school Kool Kids smears won't hold water. I think the media realize this and want to destroy him now so that this never happens.

I'm kind of amused, though. The media are so eager to smear him that they've made a major oversight in this particular spin. If the trip was for political purposes, to talk with troops about the joke, why in the hell would Dodd also be going?

....

In other matters, I have to say I am really concerned about the Middle East right now. I was one of the original 33% against the invasion, and I've been in favor of withdrawal ASAP for a long time. Now, though, I have this sick feeling that the region is about to erupt into a total bloodbath. And it'll be our fault. There are so many variables at play -- Iraq's instability (understatement of the millennium, that), Iran's rhetoric and nukular ambition, Saudi oil interests, the Al Qaeda presence, other terrorist groups, the Israel-Palestine conflict, etc. I would like to believe that we can hold back any potential tide of blood and death, but I look at Iraq and I seriously doubt it.

I hate our media. If the Middle East does explode into catastrophe, the blood of those people will be on their hands, just as much as it will be on the hands of PNAC and the neocons.

[beachmom]

16. What you're saying is right on the money, which is why this spin,

which is only an American political junkie story, is so irrelevant. People are dying right now. And as a U.S. Senator and member of the SFRC, it is Sen. Kerry's duty to go there, and, you know, do his job. I think the media may well jump the shark on this joke stuff. Nobody really cares anymore. It was a RW desperate ploy right before the election, and that's it. The residue is silly '08 posturing. None of this compares to the dire situation in the M.E. as you have described it.

[demdiva]

17. yeah that's true

I think I've posted this a couple times recently, but seriously, the worst that anyone can say about John Kerry is that he botched a joke and messed up a couple of things during his campaign. First of all, all campaigns make mistakes, especially presidential campaigns ....they just do. And his were fairly minor. He was never really supposed to win in 2004 (running against an incumbent wartime president) and he came damn close.

Second of all, they've dug and dug for scandals and created lies and what do they have? I'm not saying I agree, but these are the honestly the only reasons I ever hear that he shouldn't run....

- He didn't defend himself well enough when other people made up lies about him (forget the fact that it was the other guys that made up the lies that got elected)
- He botched a joke (ummm yeah....that really matters)
- You don't want have beer with him (well I do but ...the last time you ... the american people asked for this you got Bush. Do you really want this again?)
- The Washington consultants don't think he can win (this is ACTUALLY a good thing...they are never right)
- The party wasn't untied behind him (the Party was weaker then ... not Kerry)

Am I missing anything ??? THAT'S IT
Sorry .... I know I keep saying the same stuff over and over lately but I'm sick of the same old tired arguments that don't hold any weight. I think it's all bs.

[Firespirit]

23. The biggest knock against him right now is the "foot in mouth" thing

That's why I dearly hope (in addition to maybe helping with the looming disaster) that he can achieve something great in this Middle East trip. If he manages to get those people to come to any sort of agreement, the MSM smear of "oh he is a poor speaker/puts his foot in his mouth" will just look laughable and petty.

That said, the Middle East leaders are probably sick of anyone from the U.S. I'm going to set low expectations for this trip, but still hope. :)

[demdiva]

24. This is true. It's a great opportunity for him to "polish" his image

but more imporatantly it's a good opportunity for him to do what he does best, and that will show through in the end

[wisteria]

9. This is the same piece that ran last night on Comcast and on the AP site.

I think JK gets in some good points and with any first visible trip to the troops this was bound to come out. I say so what, he is reaching out to the troops, wanting to mend any fences.

It also notes the other countries he intends to visit.
Unfortunately, we have to deal with the joke. At least now it is a missing word from a joke and not an insult to the troops.

As for the political pundits- screw them. What are they concerned about if Kerry runs?

[beachmom]

10. It may be bad spin here, but not in the Middle East which is what

is more important. The more Bush villifies Kerry, the more he may get done in those countries. I'm just guessing here, but I can imagine that Republican realists who aren't part of campaigns or politicking are very interested in what Sen. Kerry learns on this trip.

[wisteria]

11. That is my thought also.

They can't report on the joke the whole trip, he is visiting the leaders of these countries for meetings. So, let them have their little joke now, he is on serious business.

[demdiva]

13. Another point ... Why SHOULDN'T John Kerry run?

He doesn't actually loose anything by running. Because he has no chance?
That's ridiculous. First of all he has several things that make him strategically able to whether the storm while others drop out ...

(A) A pretty decent stash of cash
(B) Name recognition
(C) Experience
(D) No scandals to find (they would have already)

I just found a poll from late September 2003 on the Zogby site. Keep in mind this is just over a year before the 2004 election and we are nearly TWO YEARS from the election right now.

In the same poll, likely Democratic primary voters give a plurality of their support to former Vermont Governor Dr. Howard Dean (16%), whose campaign has been gathering support in recent polling. He is followed by Massachusetts Senator John Kerry (13%), Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman (12%), and Missouri Congressman Richard Gephardt (8%). No other candidate polled more than 3%.

I don't think how John Kerry is polling right now among all voters has anything to do with who will vote for him in 2008. I just don't believe it.....

[wisteria]

14. Damn good point, if I don't say so myself.

Why not ideed!

[rox63]

18. What he has to lose

is his Senate seat. He can't run for both Senate and President at the same time. His current Senate term is up at the end of 2008. So if he runs for President and does not come out victorious, he will no longer be a Senator either.

That said, he'll have had 24 years as a Senator, and probably wants to do something different anyway. I hope and pray that his next job is in the White House.

[demdiva]

19. I agree

I think he's put so much time into the Senate that for him personally it wouldn't be a huge loss. I'm sure the Mass kids will disagree with me. IF he were to run and loose then he'd certainly be up for a new gig....maybe even VP or Sec of State or something if another dem wins.

[rox63]

20. I am one of the Mass kids :-) n/t

[demdiva]

21. but of course nt

[demdiva]

22. More evidence that the early polls don't matter. Or did I forget President Lieberman?

http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2068.pdf

COPYRIGHT 2003 BY FIELD RESEARCH CORPORATION. FOR PUBLICATION BY SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.
Release #2068 Release Date: Wednesday, April 16, 2003

NONE OF THE NINE DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CONTENDERS IS DOMINANT IN CALIFORNIA. BUSH
HOLDS EARLY LEAD IN GENERAL ELECTION SIMULATION.

IMPORTANT: Contract for this service is subject
to revocation if publication or broadcast takes
place before release date or if contents are divulged
to persons outside of subscriber staff prior to
release time. (ISSN 0195-4520)

by Mark DiCamillo and Mervin Field

California’s 2004 presidential primary election is just eleven months away, but none of nine
Democrats seeking their party’s nomination seems to be dominating the field in respect to voter
preferences in this state. Connecticut Senator Joseph Lieberman currently leads in first choice
preferences with 22%, followed by Massachusetts Senator John Kerry (16%) and Missouri
Congressman Dick Gephardt (12%).

When a cross-section of all voters are asked who they’d likely support in a presidential match-up
between incumbent Republican George W. Bush and the nominee of the Democratic Party, Bush
currently leads by a 45% to 40% margin.

These are the results from a Field Poll survey completed April 1-6 in which an oversample sample
of 695 registered voters in California were interviewed.

Ohhh this is just CA ...but still. They didn't vote Lieberman either.

[JanusAscending]

25. What BULLSHIT!!

I heard part of what Rita Cosby was dishing, and if this is indeed the case, please tell me why Chris Dodd and a few other Senators (not running for POTUS) are going on this mission with him??? I realize that Chris Dodd is "contemplating" a run, but I don't think he will. I wish these "media whores" would get a clue before they open their mouths. They can do so much damage!! I am pissed and double pissed!!! DC:mad: :mad:

[sandnsea]

26. The truly stupid stupid stupid part...

is that I see Dems bashed every single day on Iraq - and the one person who truly has consistent credibility, they choose to bash in order to benefit Hillary. It's as simple as that. Hilary Rosen was head of the RIAA and is a free trader and the lead Dem Kerry basher on MSNBC. She hasn't got an idealistic bone in her body, she's completely about the money and the insider status. That's all any of these MSNBC Dems are about, except Lawrence O'Donnell. It's damned annoying.