Can somebody give material to the Boston Herald? Nothing about Kerry for week,

[Mass]

and now, three articles about photogate? And all that to conclude there is nothing there?

And it was on my local channel yesterday and today. Come on? They have said nothing about Monday's speech, but they spend time on that?

Come on, even the Boston Globe interrupts his non coverage of Kerry to post this? Are we in the most stupid state of the country?

http: //www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2008/07/30/meeting_the_senator/

[beachmom]

1. Well, the media sucks, but let's face it, so do a lot of readers

who prefer useless gossip and innuendo to hard news.

It was on you local news? Really? Were these articles in the actual paper or only on line?

[Mass]

2. It was on the local news (last night and this morning).

As for the papers, I do not read the paper version, so I cannot tell you.

[Luftmensch067]

3. I saw it on WBZ this morning

They said that it was just a misunderstanding and JK just stopped while walking with friends to grant the request to have his photo taken, but they prefaced and followed it with a lot of stupid innuendo designed to cast doubt on the truth. It was massively stupid morning chitchat and, in my opinion, anyone looking at those photos can see that JK is just patiently having his picture taken with a lot of silly, drunken people. But, yes, that is the state of our media, as we all very well know -- they want as much idiotic chatter as possible to avoid talking about important things.

[karynnj]

4. I agree with you - JK has an extremely expressive face

and that smile is NOT the smile he had in photos with most other people.

Wade did a great job getting a strong statement out quickly. In addition, think what the story could have been had Kerry simply plowed past them ignoring them. These are MA college kids, who likely at home and at their schools, are basically good kids - in a college culture with a frightening amount of drinking. It also kind of hurts the meme that none of the young people like him - when these girls, drunk as they were, clearly did.

I just hope there are enough interviews or clips of speeches where people actually see JK. Even having lived on the JK board, I was struck when I saw him by the overwhelming seriousness and sincerity he projects.

[Mass]

5. Guess who used that with the media (yes, this creep.

http://www.politickerma.com/wallyedgema/525/you-stay-classy-ed-oreilly

Come on, Ed. You are more and more betraying who you are, a wannabee Rush Limbaugh.

[YvonneCa]

6. "Are we in the most stupid state of the country?"...

...no, Mass, that would be Ca. where some think drilling offshore is a good idea. :7

[wisteria]

7. Is it me, or does Senator Kerry look like he isn't enjoying any of this and can't wait to say by.

This whole matter is stupid. A distinguished Senator- a former presidential candidate actually wanting to party with this group? Come on, how ridiculous. I believe the senator would rather enjoy an intelligent conversation more than hanging with a bunch of young, drunk kids. He tries to be nice and this is what he gets.
Maybe he should have a handler to take care of matters like these when they come up. It appears he has to watch his back all the time. Everyone will jump on anything to try and take him down. I know we have his back, but we can't do anything until after crap like this happens.

Oh, and these are not even good shots. Those of us who have had the pleasure of meeting him in person know he is more attractive than these pictures make him out to be. And, do some of these look photo-shopped to you?

[karynnj]

8. I don't think they look photo shopped - just badly done without

any adjustments for lighting, red eye etc. In all of them he is doing exactly what Wade said - standing on the dock and letting them take a photo. They are clearly outside and he has no drink in his hands.

There's likely no real way to avoid this - unless the Senator were willing to simply say "no" to photos if he thought there was anyway the looks of the group could be negatively portrayed. That would be worse, you would have a large group of college kids saying he was too arrogant to stop for a minute for a photo with them.

[Mass]

9. No he does not look happy at all. It is what struck me the first time I saw these pictures.

And the Herald has a story on that for the second day on a row. :sigh: but mostly, our media have moved on the Pan Massachusetts race.

I just hope that Kerry gets somebody good to watch his back with the media, as David Wade is going to go work on the VP team (he would be great there).

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/30/AR2008073003186.html

[karynnj]

10. I agree - I hope Kerry has someone as good and as dedicated as Wade

His comment of Kerry being like a father to him was nice.

I think the Obama campaign really needs this. David Wade has the experience of having been through this in 2004. DU, to the contrary, the current media climate and environment was NOT what Carville and Begala had to deal with. Even the 2000 race was not against such a one sided media - and with the shifts to the right of NPR and the LA Times, it could be worse in 2008.

[rox63]

11. The Boston Herald can bite me

Look at today's POS they printed:

news.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1110122&srvc=home&position=also

[karynnj]

12. That is unfortunate

If it's true, it is fair to print and they did put in his office's comment. None of this says Kerry did anything wrong - but it is bad publicity.

[Mass]

13. Except that it is not a story that the Herald would normally report

as it is on Nantucket. The only reason they report it is to hurt Kerry by insinuation. This is the Herald business, so I am not surprised, but it is another sign of how the media are bad. They never write about what Kerry has done for the state. They never write about Nantucket, and they have a several page story about this? I agree with rox here and it is why I did not post it.

[beachmom]

14. Yeah, but did you read the whole story? I mean there is history there

between Kerry's companion at dinner and the guy he punched. Jones is in trouble for this:

Kirby Jones, 47, an island boat captain, is scheduled for a court hearing after a melee in The Club Car where he allegedly punched out 41-year-old Sean Joslin. Joslin’s young daughter was injured in the row.

But look what happened previously:

However, it is not the first time the two men have come to blows. According to Joslin, they got into a fight inside the Marine Home Center two years ago that resulted in Joslin being charged with assaulting Jones. He pleaded self-defense and was cleared at trial.

Joslin said the bad blood between the two stems from the fact that Jones once dated his ex-wife.

Self defense or not, the two have fought before. Although, obviously, fighting is bad, it is clear that this does not amount to the dude overall being some kind of criminal or weirdo. He just fights with this guy from time to time over past grievances regarding a woman.

Which means, he was probably fine to have dinner with. It's only that he and Joslin should avoid each other.

This is not a big crime story, and as Mass said, it would not be in the BoHe if Kerry weren't there. Frankly, the "reserved & aloof" John Kerry is looking less and less believable, now isn't it?

[karynnj]

15. Oh, I agree and the key is that NONE of what happened involved Kerry

or even happened when he was there. To me, from the story, it looks like Kerry had dinner with the caretaker of the Nantucket house, probably on things Teresa and he wanted done - and this guy was invited by the caretaker. Why? The best guess is that the caretaker may have introduced him because he does do that.

There is almost no connection to Kerry. Just as there was connection other than posing for photos with the kids. There is nothing bad about Kerry here.

I agree that it was nasty to print this, but at least they do have enough facts - the ones quoted - that make it possible to get to the fact that this really says nothing about Kerry.

[MonteLukast]

17. Hee hee, now that's making me think of...

This is not a big crime story, and as Mass said, it would not be in the BoHe if Kerry weren't there.

"Breaking News! Old High School Stadium In TeenyTinyIsItEvenIncorporated, Massachusetts Demolished Today! Senator Kerry Quietly Eats Potato Chips In The Background!" :P

[wisteria]

16. I hope so too. n/t

[Mass]

18. 3 days of reporting about a non story.

(Gosh they really need new material)

Not linking because it is not work the publicity, but it is getting lower and lower (comparing to Gary Hart and Clinton caught by photos).

And the girls speak to their paper. TOo bad people the Herald cannot read.
http://www.ack.net/073108Kerry.html

[TayTay]

19. Indeed it is

Another sad read me.

http://www.ack.net/073108Kerry.html

[beachmom]

20. I feel bad for the girls, actually. They didn't even post the pics,

but someone they sent the pics to. I knew they were innocent the whole time -- I just don't think Kerry would have his pic taken if they were anything less then normal kids happy to see the Senator.

Two of the girls in the photos, who asked not to be identified, were both 2006 graduates of Nantucket High School. They said they were “hanging out with friends” on the boat tied up in the Nantucket Boat Basin when Sen. Kerry and several others walked by around 9 p.m. last Saturday.


The girls said they called to Kerry from the boat, the name and owner of which they didn’t remember, asking to take a photo with him. He agreed, and several of them climbed onto the dock to pose for pictures with the junior senator and 2004 presidential candidate, who’s seeking reelection to his fifth term in the Senate this November.


“He was professional,” said one of the girls who agreed to an interview at The Inquirer and Mirror Wednesday on the condition she remain anonymous. “There wasn’t anything inappropriate about it at all. He didn’t make any lewd comments. He was just being nice, taking some pictures with his fans. It lasted maybe five minutes, then he went on his way and we went back to the boat.”


Both girls – who said they weren’t drinking Saturday night – said Kerry never got onto the boat, never had drinks with them, and they didn’t see him again that night.


Other pictures posted on the site, in which some of the girls were holding cans of beer and some appear intoxicated, were from “hours later,” the two girls said.


“I feel bad for him,” said another girl who appeared in the photos. “Online he’s being made out to be this horrible person who parties with underage girls, and he didn’t do it.”

There is speculation that Facebook itself sold the photos. That is definitely good to know, and a reason why I just would never have an account under my name nor pictures either. I never go there, and am not sure if anonymous users are there. This is also a really good lesson I can pass to my kids for when they get older.

The girls sure did:

“I’m definitely going to think about what we put online from now on,” one of the girls said. “That’s kind of scary.”

Oh, and just for fun catnip: a favorite beverage of the Senator is a root beer float! Ha. What happened to the sherry you're supposed to be sipping all the time?

[Democrafty]

21. I do, too, and my heart really goes out to their parents.

Incidents like this are why maybe 5 people on this planet have ever seen photographs of me with the senator. There are so many people who pounce upon incidents like these in hopes of embarrassing a celebrity or public figure, and, as we can see, it's really just the ordinary kids who are getting hurt.

I am shocked and dismayed that EOR brought this up, because I know he has a daughter around my age. If she's having a beer and a sitting senator strolls by, does she automatically become the de facto town whore as well???

[karynnj]

25. Someone should ask EOR just that question

and ask him if the photos were the level of proof that he would have used as a lawyer. I doubt he has ever had college students who would call themselves his "fans", which one did here.

More than the parents, I really feel bad for the kids.

[karynnj]

22. How all American is a Root Beer Float?

I know they were a family favorite back years ago in Indiana. That is so non-elitist.

Reading this I went back and looked at the photos, because I thought one girl was holding a beer can. What I see is the power of suggestion - some of the stories said she had a beer, but looking back at the photo, it is not clear if it is soda or beer. In fact, looking at the color, it looks like Pepsi, which is that shade of blue. The point is that looking at it now - I can't id it positively as either.

[Luftmensch067]

23. Article now reposted at Mass Dems for Kerry

http://massdemsforkerry.wordpress.com/

We should spread this around as much as possible!

p.s. yay for root beer floats!

[karynnj]

24. especially great that they have the whole article

so if it is taken down in the original, we can link to it.