Kerry in Minnesota (video)

[fedupinBushcountry]

Kerry, Ed Koch stump in St. Paul race
Democratic Senator John Kerry promoted former St. Paul city councilman Chris Coleman in his race against incumbent Mayor Randy Kelly. Former New York City mayor Ed Koch was also in town to campaign and fundraise for Mayor Randy Kelly

http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S11088.html?cat=1

[wisteria]

1. Oh, this was good, it lifted my spirits.

The cheering, the crowd, the media time and Kerry's comments. Yeah, this was good. Thank you for posting!

[TayTay]

2. That was great!

Thanks for posting the link.

[karynnj]

3. So good to see Kerry

He really sounded great and looked so Presidential. Koch is a very strange person, he was even quirky back when he was mayor. (Is a NYC mayor from over a decade ago the best Kelly can do? If Bush got only 27% (max - some may have gone to independents) and he is less popular now, I guess bringing Bush in won't help.)

I liked that they showed Kelly's Bush hug seconds after Coleman's Kerry hug. In a city that voted 73% Kerry, those two images have to be welcome to the Coleman campaign. In addition to who was hugging each man, the hugs gave me two very different emotional reactions. I don't think the reaction is totally that I like Kerry and dislike Bush.

I went back to watch that part twice because my impression was that Kerry's hug, reaching out to shake Coleman's hand and then embracing him, seemed good spirited, graceful, and elevated Coleman. Bush's embrace of Kelly, with his hands on Kelly's head seemed more an image of Kelly's subservience to Bush. (reminding me of the Bush/McCain shots) Kerry is taller than almost anyone and I have never seen a picture where a Kerry hug results with his hands on their head.

[beachmom]

5. Interesting observations, Karynnj

I'm only dial up so I won't be able to look at the video. But did you guys read that front page article here at DU about the Irish reporter. Just wondering what's the opposite of "catnip". For the sake of discussion here, there's Kerry catnip, where you read some little story that shows what a kind and good heart he has (when it's not for the cameras), and then there's Bush "anti-catnip". These are stories that show what a nasty person he is OR, alternatively, what a horrible family he comes from, and it's not surprising that he turned out so badly. When I read a piece of Kerry catnip, my heart opens up, and I believe in this world again, that there really ARE good men and women serving in public office. Some of them actually do care about people, not just themselves. Then I read a piece of Bush "anti-catnip", and a chill goes up my spine, and I fear for this country and for the world. Once in a while I may feel a tinge of pity for him, that he was never taught how to love and to feel compassion for other people. It lasts about a split second, as I realize his lacking in these emotions lead to the suffering of so many people all over the world. The latest scary revelation (and I get this from conservative Andrew Sullivan) is that he nominated Harriet Meiers not so that the conservative viewpoint will be on the court, but instead, the Bush viewpoint will be on the court. And it could very well be torture is what the Bush WH wants to know they have protections from the SCOTUS to continue to do. That's pretty damn evil, and it makes me want to run into the arms of Kerry and other Dems, hell even other Republicans, and ask that they save us from this scourge.

Hmmmm -- should we do a catnip/anti-catnip thread, like the baby pic one? That would probably take some research, though. Just a thought.

[ginnyinWI]

6. the opposite of catnip?

I suggest hemlock, a poisonous herb! I get that same reaction, beachmom. I read the interview you mentioned. * has to dominate everything or he gets cranky. Does not work well with others. So the only way to be around him is to kiss up to him. :eyes:

What has this country come to? I liked, though, the article on the Home page that gives thanks to all of the faithful members in the media who have worked hard up until this point, and says we are on the eve of a big change, with the CIA leak scandal about to surface. It gives me some hope.

Another thing that gives hope is to see all the navel-gazing going on in the RW camp. A sure sign that all is not well! I'd love to be a fly on Rove's wall for a day, and watch it happening up close.

Meanwhile, Kerry keeps on truckin', telling the truth, working for positive change in this beleaguered country of ours. And that feels good,too.

[TayTay]

4. Q&A with St. Paul Pioneer Press

Q.

The response to Hurricane Katrina has raised some doubts about the federal government's capacity to respond to urgent local needs. Would things have been different on the Gulf Coast had you been in the White House?

A.

A I made the argument throughout the campaign, I said we can do a better job of preparing for homeland security, and I laid out many, many specifics about what we should be doing to do that. Beginning with the adequacy of our first responders, firefighters and police officers, continuing on to the adequacy of our preplanning for disasters, including chemical, nuclear and biological incidents. I laid out a very specific set of priorities of what we needed to do for port security.

I personally am convinced the answer is yes. I would have had a very different approach. You wouldn't have seen cronyism, patronage appointments. You would have seen me looking for the most qualified people in the country. And that's what I talked about during the campaign.

The federal government can profoundly, deeply, enormously impact the response to the local community. Had military helicopters been prepositioned properly, had you had transport and military personnel available, I don't think you'd have had those people dying in the Superdome. I don't think you'd have had the kind of rescue operation that was haphazard, by citizens, at best, during those days. It was a complete lack of communications.

Incidentally, I also talked during the campaign about communications, learned from the 9/11 Trade Center incident, when police couldn't talk to fire, and police helicopters couldn't tell the firemen in the buildings to get out, even thought they saw that they were ready to collapse. You had the same inter-operability kinds of problems in New Orleans, and you will continue to.

It takes leadership and a president who is really committed to doing those things.

And finally, with respect to reconstruction, the federal response is critical, with respect to infrastructure redevelopment, with coordination with other agencies, at other government levels.

[ginnyinWI]

7. ahhh

That was excellent! Our president! :loveya:

[whometense]

8. And so handsome

:loveya:

[ginnyinWI]

10. Katrina during a Kerry administration

would have been completely different. Even though it would have happened in the first year of his first term, he would have handled it well. (well, most any Dem would have handled it better than *, or even most Repubs!) But Kerry would have been better than the rest, IMO. Just look at the throughness of his answer--the breadth of his knowledge about all the aspects of reacting properly to a disaster.
Sigh. Competency matters so much.

[karynnj]

11. Thoroughness is right

Maybe after 8 years of Bush, meaningless rhetoric will be taken for what it is and people will see that serious problems need serious, well thought out solutions. Kerry's answer is so straight forward and addresses how we get ourselves in position to deal with unknown crisises. Kerry quietly shows his knowledge on answers like these - this is a remarkable statement in spite of being an off the cuff answer.

His example on the police/fire people still not being able to communicate is a disgrace. I was annoyed that the 911 committee opted to give Guilliani a pass on this. This was a known problem and was in the papers several times before 911. The only reason I can think of is that it alone was responsible for many of the fire fighter deaths - and it was too awful to say the truth - it was a political decision not to deal with this.

[Mass]

9. Another article on St Pauk's events with interesting comments

on the fundraiser.

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/news/12869325.htm

Kerry backs Coleman, who rips Kelly
...

"I am privileged to be here today, not to campaign against someone or something, but to campaign for a vision of how you build community, how you bring people together to build the partnerships necessary to build a future for our children, and the man to do that is Chris Coleman," Kerry told more than 700 people at Kagin Commons at Macalester College.

Kerry did not mention Kelly by name and denied that his visit was political payback. After the hour-long rally, he said local officials and races are central to supporting his work in the U.S. Senate. He said he had just come from Iowa, where he was campaigning for a city council candidate in Cedar Rapids.

...
Kerry attended a morning breakfast meeting at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel, attended by about 100 DFL activists, where he was reportedly sharply critical of the Bush administration's homeland security efforts and said he would be addressing the Iraq situation soon.

He also said he'd been campaigning for local candidates in New Hampshire and Iowa, two key states in the early running for any would-be presidential candidate. He made no commitment, though, on seeking the White House again in his comments either at the hotel or at Macalester.

Tim Nelson can be reached at [e-mail] or 651-292-1159.