Being “cute” with the facts
Senator Kerry appeared on Meet the Press this morning with Senator Joe Lieberman to talk about the Presidential campaigns. Both Senators were asked about the recent ads that the McCain campaign has put out that features celebrities Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Senator Lieberman defended the ad saying he thought, "it's cute." He went on to say that he thought the use of these two pop culture figures would make the point that, "Senator Obama is against offshore drilling for oil."
The ad in question doesn't talk about that issue or Barack Obama's stand on that issue. Kerry said, "it doesn't mention offshore drilling. What it talks about--it tries to insinuate that his celebrity is somehow all he has." That is the point. The McCain campaign is trying to attack Barack Obama's character by bringing in questionable associations to people that have nothing to do with this Presidential campaign and nothing to do with the issues that the American people are grappling with this year.
Kerry referenced a speech that Joe Lieberman gave ten years ago on the Senate floor about morality in public discourse: "Even you, Joe, 10 years ago, you went to the floor of the United States Senate, and you said that our public life is coarsening. You said that the society's values are shrinking. That's an ad that plays to the worst instincts in America, which is to diminish someone's character."
Maybe Senator Lieberman would do well to review what he said on the Senate floor in that speech in July, 1998:
The news media, I am afraid to say, which itself has been infected by that anything-goes mentality--not always, but often infected by the anything-goes mentality pervading the entertainment culture--seems too often to fan the flames of controversy. The result is not so much an honest, engaged debate about values, but a culture war echo chamber that only heightens the average citizen's distorted sense that the country is locked in a mortal moral struggle.
We need that "honest, engaged debate" not some "cute" diversion that seeks to distort the facts on the important issues that face this country. A campaign based on "look over here, bright shiny stuff" does not further the public debate, it coarsens it. Let's talk about the real issues that the American people face and put these negative, insulting attacks that are meant to demean the character of others on the shelf. The country deserves better than this.
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I was very disappointed in the way that Senator Kerry handled the question that Tom Brokaw posed today on Meet The Press regarding General Wesley Clark’s previous comments about Senator McCain’s experience:
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MR. BROKAW: We’re going to get to all those issues, but I also want to raise what a surrogate for Senator Obama had to say to my friend Bob Schieffer on “Face the Nation.” This is former General Wesley Clark talking about John McCain. He said, “I don’t think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.” He described him as untested and untried. With all due respect, Senator Kerry, he could have been talking about your qualifications. You’re a Vietnam veteran…
SEN. KERRY: Yeah, I, I don’t agree. I don’t agree with Wes Clark’s comment. I think it was entirely inappropriate. I have nothing but enormous respect for John McCain’s service. I had the privilege of standing with John McCain in the, in the cell in Hanoi when we visited there together, when we worked on the issue of Vietnam together. It was an emotional moment. I, I have awe for John McCain’s experience as a prisoner of war, and he, and he does understand duty and service. But…
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Gen. Clark’s assessment of Sen. McCain’s military experience was very thoughtfully and delicately presented. He gave Sen. McCain tremendous credit for his service as a Vietnam vet, and POW. But he did point out that this experience does not itself did not qualify Sen. McCain as a leader, nor does this experience demonstrate that he has any superiority over Sen. Obama when it comes to matters of high level military strategy.
Gen. Clark’s comments were very appropriate as a criticism of Sen. McCain, as his campaign is heavily based on his military experience. As Gen. Clark correctly pointed out, Sen. McCain has played no high level strategic role in the military, and is no more qualified than Sen. Obama in that regard.
It is entirely appropriate to question and discuss the relevance of Sen. McCain’s experience and qualifications as a strategic leader, especially given Sen. McCain’s fondness for bragging about that aspect of his persona. I don’t believe that it serves anyone well to concede without qualification to Sen. McCain’s repeated statements that he “knows how to win wars”, when there is nothing in his experience that exemplifies that particular set of skills.
In ending all discourse on the matter by making a blanket statement that Gen. Clark’s comments were inappropriate, Sen. Kerry has done a disservice to Gen. Clark, Sen. Obama, the American people and the political process.
I want to compliment Senator Kerry for this interview. He made clearly his points and did not let himself dragged in the dated question concerning General Clark.
I personally have no issue with what Clark said except that it was poorly phrased and therefore was going to lead to the attacks that it received, but in the context of this interview, explaining to people what the story was and rebuking Tom Brokaw would have spent precious minutes better used otherwise and accomplished nothing: the media would have titled “ Kerry attacks McCain’s service” and everything else he has said would have been forgotten.
Instead, he attacked Senator McCain on his judgment on issues: Iraq, oil drilling, ... and on his ridiculous attacks on Barack Obama, and explained clearly some of senator Obama that had been mischaracterized.
My only regret (and I know he would not have gone there) was that he did not say Lieberman should have been kicked out of the democratic caucus.
Wes Clark is one of the few democrats left that actually stand up to and question the republican BS machine. Instead of defending this and further calling into question the relevance John McCain’s war experience, John Kerry throws Clark under the bus. What gives? You’d think John Kerry would be empathetic to this Rove-ish smear campaign against Clark. It seems not.
I think that John Kerry handled the interview perfectly! As always! I can’t belive Lieberman was ou Vice Presidential candidate in 2000.
I just wanted to compliment Senator Kerry for telling Joe Lieberman the truth. I mean its scary to know that he was our vice presidential candidate in 2000 with Al Gore. He is a traitor of the democratic party and Im thankful for John Kerry telling him like it is!!!!
I agree with IsaG that Kerry handled the Clark question well. Disagreeing with Clark is not “throwing him under the bus.” The Clark comment hurt Obama and was heard for over a week - Kerry’s goal was to help Obama, not to reignite this issue for another week. In addition, Kerry might not just being political in saying he disagreed.
Tim O’Neil says, “As Gen. Clark correctly pointed out, Sen. McCain has played no high level strategic role in the military, and is no more qualified than Sen. Obama in that regard.” Clark in 2004, was hurt by a similar comment about Kerry being “just a lieutenant”. What he is ignoring is that neither were saying that the tasks they did as young men were sufficient to make them qualified to be President. Clark ignored their decades in the Senate on relevant committees.
What their service did show, in both cases, was something about the strength of their character under extremely difficult situations. It is - in both cases - a character reference at one point in their lives. Kerry’s clean record and his willingness to stand against powers in his own party on BCCI and the Republicans on Vietnam and the Contras, showed the same integrity and character as was shown in Vietnam. Obviously, there are many other things that demonstrate character - and Obama has demonstrated his cahacter in other ways.
But, demonstrating good character while necessary, is not not sufficient. In McCain’s case the reason to oppose him is that he is wrong on many issues - including Iraq.
Thank you Tim O’Neill for stating exactly how I felt about Mr Kerry’s comment about Wes Clark’s supposedly insulting McCain’s military record. I don’t think any Democrat need apologize or say they disagree with Wes Clark. The Republicans NEVER apologize for the rotten lies they spread about Barack Obama. GET TOUGH PEOPLE OR LOSE THE ELECTION!
I am a huge fan Senator, I think you should have been president, but I am angry that you gave in to right wing attacks on Gen. Clark. He is a hero, and he was right about Sen. McCain. We need to fight against the GOp and not reenforce their hate speech; haven’t you learned that by now? You should apologize to the General and stop adding to the slime attacks of the GOP.
Otherwise a very good MTP appearance by you.
Here is about the facts or Аn American blamed Saakashvili for genocide.
Watch and think
http://www.kp.ru/daily/24143.5/361869/
I can not wait till primary day to vote for abk (anyone but Kerry).
Sen… Do tell me.... what is the last bill you wrote? Not that you attached you name to after the polling said it looked good, but the last thing you have done? Your useless! Its your falt we are stuck with BUSH!
THE REAL AMERICA
Nobody owns America.
Recent attempts to undermine the Obama campaign need to be challenged.
An election is about choice and voting for your choice is more American than any Ad campaign.
Attempts by Republicans and the McCain Campaign to own America and Patriotism are insulting to those millions of Americans across the nation who choose not to vote for him.
The voter who independently chooses to vote with his/her own conscience should not be belittled by the Republican Campaign for choosing not to vote for him. Yet, recent Ads from the McCain Campaign seek to insult anyone who does just that.
Democracy is built upon choice and the dignity of every voter demands that the people, the Real America, be treated with respect.
The McCain strategy has now turned beyond smearing Obama to attacking the voters who support him. The McCain campaign is willing to sideline or marginalize anyone who does not vote for McCain by suggesting that their choice is based solely upon populism, celebrity, even religious fanaticism, and not upon voter integrity. The spin that this is innocent ‘fun’, as they brand it, is false; it is manipulation through negative propaganda. McCain is very rich, but he does not own America and he has no right to define voters as idiots in an attempt to marginalize them and their candidate.
Someone should stand up in the people’s defense and condemn these actions, declaring the disrespect given to voters unrepresentative of American values. Millions of dollars raised by the McCain campaign were done so to promote alternate policies, not be spent on insulting the neighbors and friends of Republican voters who choose not to vote for John McCain.
The time is now for change.
Not just a change in how government is run, but a change in how the Real America, the people, the voters, refuse to be manipulated or bullied by old campaign propaganda tactics. This should become one of the themes of this general election; a refusal by the public to be manipulated by miss-associations, cheap insults and smear campaigns. A rebirth of voter rights to honest debate on policies, not distraction and manipulation. A Stand to Respect the Voter.
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