Clark and Kerry unimaginative?

[Egnever]

Today of all days would seem to lend itself to to these guys grabing some press by speaking out on veterans issues.

Is the media ignoring them or are they doing nothing?

Want to make a splash on the news? Visit the wounded soiliers from Iraq today on veterans day. Stand in arlington cemetary and make a speach crying out against the loss of veterans benefits.

I hear a lot of complaining on DU of how the media loves Howard. Then i see guys like Kerry and Clark completely missing the chance to make a splash on a day that lends itself to thier strengths. Howard gets his press by putting his neck out there and taking chances. Sometimes he gets slaped for it sometimes he gets great press from it.

What i see from both of these guys is a missed oportunity to not only get some airtime for themseves but also a missed oportunity to stand up for veterans on a day when the oportunity for them to really make some noise was never better for them.

Is the press ignoring them or are they ignoring thier oportunities to get press?

[JohnKleeb]

1. Actually I heard Kerry did some good speaking today about vets issues

[Egnever]

2. good speaking doesnt get you press

witness your guys campaign.

You have to do something dramatic. Something that grabs them and makes them cover you. I went and saw the matrix today so i missed a few hours of news but I havent seen anything at all from clark since I got home and all I have seen of kerry has been about his people quiting.

Again this is a day where they have more authority than anyone else in the race they should have planned ahead for this and done something huge today.

A press release of talking points doesnt get it.

[JohnKleeb]

16. Hows about sponsoring something to force Rummy out of office

But no the media will be typical and ignore this.

[Egnever]

17. hmmmm

While it certainly a bold statement at the same time it is destined to do nothing. No way in hell will this thing get any where near the suport it needs to actually go anywhere.

I personally like it and so do a lot of democrats I am sure but the vast majority of americans wont agree with it unless you can show clear cut evidence of wrongdoing.

Because it is destined to fail it is not taken seriously.

When did this hit the floor By the way?

It may make the news yet. I am sure it will at least get mentioned somewhere.

Definately the type of thing he should be doing but not the best example of something to grab attention if only because the majority of congress wont take it seriously.

But It is a step in the right direction. Of all the things I have seen listed so far in this thread it has the best potential to cause controversy and get the candidate some coverage.

Lets see where it goes it may blow up for him yet.

[JohnKleeb]

24. You see he does a lot of what I call tree fall in forest stuff etc

His attempt to repeal the Patriot Act I really havent read much in the papers about. I wouldnt know much about the bill and stuff, youre asking the wrong kid.

[blm]

30. Yeah...important issues by serious men go unheard.

The entertainment of the horserace MUST go on.

Cameras on the guy with the hot rhetoric...ACTION...dog and pony show in progress.

[JohnKleeb]

31. Even if he doesnt win that is DK

He still brought up a lot of important issues. The tree still falls in the forest even if the media doesnt report on it.

[blm]

55. And don't we know it.

Why does the media only let ONE tree be heard?

[JohnKleeb]

58. I dont know and it saddens me

That Dennis is so often ignored by them. You know. Yes I know hes not raising the money that Dean has, I am aware of that, but I am also aware of the fact that we are as much grassroots as they. I think about what he could accomplish as president and the abudance astounds me.

[childslibrarian]

3. They are clearly being ignored

in favor of Shrub....

[Egnever]

4. why what did they do?

[Pez]

33. well kerry stands up to their lobbying shenannigans

taking on special interests for the benefit of american citizens rather than megacorporations has a price.

and stepping aside has benefits.

[Egnever]

34. Co sponser

Glad that he agreed to go along with it but not notewortyh as he didnt bring it up.

Also your excerpt is about a bunch of people who are not Kerry and have no ties other than being in suport of democrats in general.Additionally the article you cut and pasted that from is an opinion piece off of the kerry meesafe board that implies Kerry did something on the sixth yet when you go to the actual article kerry isnt even mentioned in it.

It is exactly this sort of blowing crap way out of proportuin to reality that sours me on Kerry. He had nothing whatsoever to do with the meeting this article was writen about yet somehow it becomes his event and the media is ignoring him on it?

maybe if his name was listed with these

Speakers will include Bill Moyers, veteran journalist and host of the PBS series "NOW With Bill Moyers"; U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis.; U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Madison; FCC Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps; and AFL-CIO President John Sweeney.

He might lay some claim to the press this meeting gets. Being a cosponser of a bill is not impresive or distinguishing in a field full of people who also stood out against that FCC ruling.

[blm]

54. Great point. But, I doubt the Deanies will acknowledge it.

They seem to prefer SURFACE anger over serious approaches to GOP control.

[katusha]

5. ignored or ???

well clark is all over the place today about veterans affairs but seems only local papers are carrying it:

http://www.thechamplainchannel.com/wnne/2628088/detail.html
http://www.clark04.com/veterans_letter/
http://www.clark04.com/downloads/pdf/brief_veterans.pdf
http://www.azstarnet.com/star/Tue/31111GENCLARKHERE.html
http://www.kold.com/Global/story.asp?S=1519611&nav=14RTJ2W6
http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2003/11/07/news/news1.txt

so you tell me do you think the major media is ignoring a veteran on veterans day?

[Egnever]

10. I looked at all of those articles and none of that is from today

Except the press statement.

Two of them describe the same event. Visiting the Hospital is a good move and I give him credit for it. that was yesterday though. What is he doing today?

He should have held a rally today somewhere he should have had it planned for months and brought out a force of disgruntled veterans to stand beside him while he speaks out against the poor treatment they are recieving from this administration. It would have been easy to do and could not be ignored.

Going to the hospital was good but a solo visit in and out while shaking hands doesnt shake anyone up.

One of those articles is about something he did last week.

And no as far as I can see all he did today was issue a press statement.
And not a particularly grabing press statement at that.

Dean did the same he didnt get any press either.

[displacedtexan]

6. are you beginning to notice the media has chosen dean

to run against *?
shutting out the actual 'veteran' candidates on veterans' day should give one pause.

[Egnever]

12. No I am begining to notice why dean gets the press he does though

Its because he takes risks. the others seem to busy trying to be PC to make a strong statement.

[Bread and Circus]

14. Yes, the media has chosen Dean to run against Bush....

and I am kind of mad about it because I am really
suspicious of their motives

Fox
CNN
NY Post
Newsmax
Washington Times....

And it's funny because I see the same articles that
smear Clark on both the NY Post Newsmax and Fox....

Jack-booted lockstep to defeat Clark!

[blm]

51. Media tears down 2 candidates Kerry and Clark

and Kucinich they ignore completely. Gephardt and Edwards are invisible to them, too. ALL the focus and the teflon was given to Dean the day he started attacking the other candidates, Jan. 23. That's when BushInc. said, "Ah...there's our loose cannon to use." After the primary the media will strip that teflon off faster than they granted it. Bush will be a statesman and commander in chief, and Dean will be a shrill political opportunist who changes his positions in an election year, and has no grasp of foreign policy during these dangerous times.

[Upfront]

49. I noticed

that so have most Democrats chose Dean.

[MariaS]

7. Maybe today it's just about the Veterans

General Wesley Clark spent Tuesday with New Hampshire veterans. Clark visited a VA Hospital, spoke with members of the American Legion in Manchester, and went on a candlelight vigil with members of the VFW in Franklin.

[eileen_d]

8. They're doing something; the media is doing nothing

Only Bush* is allowed to honor veterans, apparently... :puke:

[blm]

9. Yes...the media ignores Kerry on the issues.

He gets GORED because that's the way the establishment wants it. Gore and Kerry were too dangerous to their plan.

[JI7]

26. yup

like when he said to fire rumsfeld they didn't report it. i saw fox news reporting on dean calling for rumsfeld to resign without any mention of kerry even though kerry had called for it before.

[JohnKleeb]

27. My candiate's bill wont get mentioned

:( sorry guys, btw I am a Kucinich supporter duh(my avatar) but despite IWR, I like Kerry, I hear he was speaking out for vets today.

[JI7]

38. agree

kucinich never got the attention for his organizing against the war and the protests he attended and for so many other things. when edwards and kerry came to campaign for gray davis in california they didn't report on it. i only found out by doing a search of their names on the internet. but the media was all over the gossip about the cost of kerry's haircuts.i remember around the same time kerry had been critical about bush selection of kissinger to head the investigation into 9/11 but the media made no mention of that.

[JohnKleeb]

52. yea

BTW kudos to Kerry on being critical of Kissinger. Yeah I know what you mean. BTW thanks for your kind words for my candiate.

[kalashnikov]

11. The pundits have

written off clark. I saw the other day some conservative pundit joke about "wesley who?" On pbs of all places too.

[Egnever]

13. Because he hasnt done anything to make them pay atention

They get plenty of opinion pieces every day to choose from. To make them pay atention you have to mobilize people make a splash cause a fuss.

Press statements wont make the news cover you

[kalashnikov]

18. What has Dean done recently?

Nothing more than Clark. Except maybe put his foot in his mouth.

[Egnever]

21. And it was news worthy

not the press dean was looking for I am sure but it does have people talking about him.

Blame that on kerry edwards and sharpton.

Aside from that though.

He became the first democratic presidential hopefull to forgoe public funding since it was instituted. Thats historic and therefore news worthy.

He also picked up endorsements from two of the largest labor unions in the united states, Also News worthy.

What have the others done that they deserve press for?

Kerry is getting plenty of press right now for firing his manager. not the best press for him admitedly but I am sure Dean would trade that for the flag bullshit in a minute.

[blm]

28. Dean decided to attack a veteran on Veterans Day.

He put up a picture of Kerry at his announcement speech right next to Bush on the aircraft carrier,

Dean's message 2003: Kerry = Bush

Rove's message 2002: Max Cleland = Saddam

Happy Veterans Day

[Egnever]

32. Bout time he slammed Kerry

Kerry has been asking for it for a looong time!

Hope it gets him some press!

[dsc]

45. and of course, no link

Why do I even look?

[blm]

48. The picture is posted in GD, dsc.

The Dean supporter said he received it from Dean's mail alerts.

Knock off the implications.

[blm]

53. They locked the thread, here's the post. Be proud.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=693053&mesg_id=693053

[kalashnikov]

19. Making a "splash" on Vet day would look bad.

It would be innapropriate to make a political statement about Bush, or is percieved about being against the president, while he is laying a wreath at Arlington national cemetary.

It would look opportunistic and only hurt the candidate.

[Egnever]

22. And there you go

exactly what I said somewhere else in this thread. they are too busy being PC to make strong statements.

Are you proud that bush laid a wreath in arliington cemetary today?

All I can see when I look at that is rage against the man that lied to all of us in order to add to those graves.

Today is the Best day to hammer bush on veterans Issues. If you are unwilling to stand up for the Truth because it might look bad you dont deserve my vote.

[kalashnikov]

23. not all news is good news

The candidates have to know when to back off of the anti-bush rhetoric. Now is not the time to blast bush. Not everybody has a violent hatred for him, even some democrats dont look kindly on attacking the pres. when he is honoring vets.

Though I do agree that someone should start attacking bush for not attending any of the funerals of recently killed soldiers. Just not today.

[Egnever]

25. Agreed

It wouldnt necesarily have to have been bashing bush on his piss poor record regarding veterans. It could have just been a huge rally in suport of the kids that are over there honoring them.

It could have been any number of things all it would have taken is a little planing for a day where these two have more authority than anyone in the race to speak out.

[Bread and Circus]

15. It was asshole Saffire, even though Clark is tied w/ Dean...

Nationally.

It is so blatant....

[kalashnikov]

20. I was pretty stunned

that he would say that about one of the top contenders.

[blm]

29. yes...I saw that.

They dump on everyone but Dean. Just like they dumped on Gore and favored Bush.

[Demobrat]

35. Link to everybody's schedules today.

It won't let me copy and paste, but all the candidates were busy today. Clark went to a veteran's hospital. CMB went to a veteran's hospital. Kerry marched in a Vet's day parade. Dean met with VFW members. And W, oh yes, W laid a wreath. Maybe the Dem's events were covered locally, I don't know, but I bet if I turned on the news right now, there would be W, laying that damn wreath.



http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/TheNote/TheNote.html

[Egnever]

36. Thanks ! goes to my point

Niether of these guys did anything special on a day that should have been thiers.

I did notice Ghep took the day off though. Is it me or does ghep have a lot of downtime?




—10:00 am: Governor Howard Dean delivers a foreign policy address at the Iowa Memorial Union, Iowa City, Iowa
—10:10 am: President Bush signs the Military Family Tax Relief Act, White House
—10:45 am: Congressman Dennis Kucinich speaks to students at Valley High School, West Des Moines, Iowa
—10:45 am: Senate convenes for legislative business
—10:55 am: President and Mrs. Bush participate in a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
—11:10 am: President Bush makes remarks on Veterans Day at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va.
—11:15 am: Senator John Kerry attends a Veterans Day breakfast, Phoenix
—11:30 am: General Wesley Clark visits a veterans hospital, Manchester, N.H.
—12:00 pm: Congressman Kucinich speaks to employees at Principal Companies, Des Moines, Iowa
—12:00 pm: Senator Joe Lieberman keynotes the Comanche County Veterans Council Veterans Day Ceremony, Elgin, Okla.
—12:00 pm: Senator Kerry attends a Meetup.com event with veterans, Phoenix
—12:00 pm: Ambassador Carol Moseley Braun visits a veterans hospital, Chicago
—12:45 pm: Governor Dean meets with VFW members, Ottumwa, Iowa
—1:00 pm: Senator Kerry marches in a Veterans Day parade, Phoenix
—1:00 pm: General Clark holds a "Conversations with Clark" town hall forum, Manchester, N.H.
—1:15 pm: President Bush makes remarks at the Heritage Foundation's President's Club Luncheon, D.C.
—1:15 pm: Governor Dean meets with Wapello County Democrats, Ottumwa, Iowa
—1:30 pm: Senator Lieberman attends a private campaign fundraiser, Lawton, Okla.
—2:00 pm: Congressman Kucinich visits a veterans hospital, Des Moines, Iowa
—2:10 pm: President Bush signs the Cemetery Expansion Act, White House
—3:30 pm: Governor Dean meets with Des Moines County Democrats, Burlington, Iowa
—4:00 pm: Senator Lieberman holds a roundtable discussion with veterans, Oklahoma City, Okla.
—4:00 pm: Congressman Kucinich speaks at Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa
—5:00 pm: Congressman Kucinich speaks Grandview College, Des Moines, Iowa
—6:00 pm: General Clark meets with VFW members, Franklin, N.H.
—6:15 pm: Senator Lieberman meets with supporters, Norman, Okla.
—7:30 pm: Senator Kerry tapes an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Burbank, Calif.
—10:30 pm: Governor Dean attends a rally and grassroots fundraiser, Portland, Ore.
—11:35 pm: Senator Kerry appears on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno

[blm]

37. Leno asked him to appear on his show for Veterans Day.

It looks like he squeezed in a few other veteran's events as well.

btw...Kerry has put up more legislation to benefit veterans than any other lawmaker. He has done so for YEARS and not just campaign rhetoric.

Your implications are disgustingly obtuse and only serve a political agenda. If you knew ANYTHING about veterans affairs you could NEVER have made such a horrid slam against Kerry and question his commitment to veterans based on his lack of showmanship. Dean is the dog and pony show candidate. Bush is great at it, too.

[Egnever]

39. WAAAAA

meanwhile your guy goes down.

Politics is as much showmanship as it is policy, like it or not thats reality. Your guy can have all the policy in the world if he doesnt have the showmanship needed to showcase it then he looses to the guy juggling and swalowing fire.

Way to completely miss the point of this post.

This was a day that he or Clark could have shined bigger than life. Instead they did the same thing everyone else did and because of it missed an oportunity.

Kids dying daily in Iraq and on veterans day the most important thing on Kerry's agenda is Jay leno!

Talk about dog and pony shows!

[blm]

41. What a piece of work.

You want to pummel Kerry for not making a bigger show? That's horrid.

[JI7]

42. yup, the day is for ALL vets

kerry does what is good for the veterans which is fight for them all the time rather than just for election time his record IS the "big show" that counts in peoples lives.

[Egnever]

44. Wich is why he should have stood up loudly for them today

Instead of posing for Jay!

ahh well you guys will never get it.

I will save a dean sticker for you for after the primaries.

[Pez]

57. he'd just be trashed for being an opportunist

imagine if kerry got up on an aircraft carrier, had decorated war heros and democrats stand around him, spoke out against BUSH INC's treatment of veterans, exposing the clowns in the current maladministration for cutting veterans' benefits...

oh wait he did that, way before the "appointed" day we're supposed to honor veterans; and dean held up a picture of kerry and bush on the carriers side by side, demonstrating how kerry = bush.

[Egnever]

43. Take it however you want to take it

Kerry is failing in his bid. He can fiegn the moral high ground while spewing bile out of the other side of his mouth, or he can stand up and fight bush where he has one of his biggest weakneses and kerry his biggest strengths.

your disgust is noted

Yawn

He's well on his way to being the "most quallified" loser in the race.

Again he missed a big oportunity to shine today. I am perdectly content to have him continue down the same path he is on though. Unimaginitive and pretensiousness from your camp ensures my guy wins.

Please disregard this post and continue to miss golden oportunities.

[FrenchieCat]

40. I don't think you are being fair

Clark is being ignored by the national media......His name didn't even come up on CNN.....on Veteran's Day no less. All of the other candidates were. Clark appeared on Hardball yesterday and talked about PNAC...but I guess that won't make the news either....cause according to you, that's not news worthy....yea, right.

It's not that there are not doing anything...it's that the corp whores want Dean to offer up to Bush. Bush is probably threatening CNN with the SEC again. Cause NSnbc and Cnbc has had him on. CNN can't speak his name.mmm.....mmmm....

Here's the news some of the news for the last few days....(there's few more but about the same things) so I didn't include them:
Last week Clark appeared on ABC, NBC, CBS, MSnbc, Cnbc and C-Span.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/990895.asp?0cv=KB20
correction of Newsweek mistake where they initially claimed that Howard Dean fared the best in beating Bush...when the poll numbers they printed showed that Wes Clark actually took that honor.
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1068555
The last paragraph:Women dies and last wish is to oust Bush. Donations to be given to Clark campaign
http://www.katv.com/news/stories/1103/109762.html
Clarkies helping a Lone Deniac at Arkansas U. Free Speech zone issu
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/11/11/clark_targets_veteran_issues/
Clark Targets Veteran Issues
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3374630,00.html
Clark may appeal to S.C. Veterans
http://www.katv.com/news/stories/1103/109713.html
Clark's campaign expect to close year with 10 million
http://www.azstarnet.com/star/Tue/31111GENCLARKHERE.html
Clark blast Veteran's Care
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,61142,00.html
Clark Campaign to debut Big Blog
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/11/07/politics/main582459.shtml
Gen. Clark's Promise On Iraq
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/politics/article/0,1299,DRMN_35_2416488,00.html
Clark blasts Bush, wooing Colo. Dems
http://www.bouldernews.com/bdc/state_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2419_2416493,00.html
Clark: U.S. needs new commander-in-chief
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~1756590,00.html
Clark draws 850 at Denver stopover
http://www.timesanddemocrat.com/articles/2003/11/07/news/news1.txt
Candidate Clark reaches out to family of dead soldier, attacks Bush policy in Iraq
http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/news/local/7203160.htm
Clark says Bush Lacks Lacks Iraq Strategy
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/news/1103/07clark.html
Clark wants NATO to take role in Iraq
http://www.abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/reuters20031106_38.html
Clark says U.S. must resist Early Iraq Strategy

[Egnever]

46. Well theres a great argument

Clark is being ignored ! let me show you all the times he was ignored by the press.

Then you list a bunch of articles from the press talking about clark.

:shrug:

[FrenchieCat]

50. Those are local press...........

Clark is being forced to come up through the outside media flank....cause the national media is too busy smearing him about Shelton, etc....

Media Whores don't discuss Clark.....but will let Clark on to speak for himself. They know that his appearance raise their viewership...but they don't discuss him on CNN....and certainly not as a frontrunner.....observe and yee shall see.

[democratreformed]

47. Yes, the media is ignoring Clark

Here's a link to his Veteran's Security Plan released yesterday:

http://www.clark04.com/downloads/pdf/brief_veterans.pdf

Just in case that doesn't work, here's the link to the main page:

http://www.clark04.com

[Pez]

56. everyone takes kerry's imagination for granted

if it weren't for kerry fighting for the past 30+ years for democrats, and especially veterans' rights, we wouldn't be where we are today. he has been hard at work for veterans for decades, recently calling out BUSH INC for the horrible treatment of wounded soldiers here in the you.s., and also standing up to make sure they (and veterans of previous wars) get the benefits they are due which the current maladministration wants to cut, etc... the press might have done a story on all the work kerry has done for veterans on veterans' day, but instead they are obsessed with themselves, their ratings and pleasing their corporate sponsors. criticizing kerry for not making a "splash" on veterans' day is more than a little weak, especially considering the decades he has devoted for others.

anyway, if he *had* made a "splash" everyone would criticize him for taking advantage of his veteran status.