Kerry apologizes to 3 former aides

[Freddie Stubbs]

CONCORD -- John F. Kerry called three former aides yesterday to apologize for saying his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination will be "better off" without them. The Massachusetts senator made the calls hours after he said in an interview that the firing of campaign manager Jim Jordan on Sunday proved his ability to make tough decisions. Within days of Jordan's dismissal, Kerry's press secretary and deputy finance director quit. "When you change one person, it is not at all unusual that a couple of people that person hired, that I barely know, who are not really involved with me, decide to go," Kerry said. Separately, Teresa Heinz Kerry told reporters in Boston that if her husband loses, she believes he will not run again. "I think this is his one shot at it," she said. "I don't think that he would do it again." (AP)

more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/president/kerry/articles/2003/11/14/kerry_apologizes_to_3_former_aides/

[molly]

1. I'm going right out to his site

and give him more money!

[chimpymustgo]

2. Go Molly. I'm going to give to Kerry as well. I really want to

help him get his campaign back on track. I know he can do it. I have to give to Edwards also - and DU!

[JI7]

3. i was thinking of that also

i like edwards very much also and was thinking i might (probably will) support him in part too. but one problem is that the problem has more to do with the unfair media than anything else. they almost completely ignore edwards, with kerry they only report on things that are not important or just make things up about his position without just showing the audience what he actually said. a point is on jay leno where they reported on his riding a bike or what he was wearing etc but don't mention how he discussed halliburton and went after gwbush. sadly it happened on du also. people criticizing him for the bike thing even though he has always rode the bike and it was an entertainment show and saying he needs to focus on issues without making any mention of how he did discuss the issues.

[molly]

4. The right is desperate for a Dean win

because they know he is not the person to take out the idiot. I, too, like Edwards. I think either Kerry or Edwards has the best chance at a win. If we have another 4 years of this mis-administration, we might as well kiss this country goodbye.

[w4rma]

5. They are dumb, then.

It's pretty dumb to go up against the Democrat who runs the most competent campaign, has the most enthusiastic supporters and has broken all Democratic fundraising records.

Even his message resonates with rank-and-file Democrats. In fact, Dean says so much that is exactly on target that I now consider it par for the course for him. Other candidates keep getting sidetracked on pet issues that aren't resonating.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

7. They back Dean because they figure he will govern from the right

just like he did in Vermont. So even if Bush loses they have nothing to worry about.

[Padraig18]

14. Does everyone to the right of Kucinich represent 'the right', to you?

Dean governed from the center, NOT the right.:eyes:

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. Everyone to the right of me and my candidate is to the right of me

and my candidate. :eyes:


All I'm saying is if Dean becomes President, he will govern the country the same way he governed Vermont:

(When Dean became governor) they (liberal Democrats) were all thinking, oh we got a Democrat back in the governor's office. And all of the sudden they find Howard Dean's worse on spending (than Snelling). The state was headed into a recession at the time. And Snelling before he died, he and Ralph Wright cut a deal on raising the income taxes and (inaud.) the deficit--a few years of austerity. Howard stuck with the plan. And as Dick McCormack (Democratic Senator from Windsor) will tell you of the meeting where he (Dean) met with the Democratic Caucus and told them then, and this might have been before, when he was still lieutenant governor, and told the Democratic Senators, you're never going to win because people don't trust you with their money. None of your great and lofty goals and plans and aspirations will ever be achieved because people don't trust Democrats with their money. We got to prove it to 'em. And that was key. I mean his political enemies for the first three terms were Democrats at the State House, not Republicans. Republicans loved his budgets.
--Peter Freyne, veteran Vermont political reporter
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/dean/dean0702/freyneint.html

[Padraig18]

16. That's not the same as 'governing from the right'.

* is governing from the right---- everyone's right. Out top 6 candidates will govern from the left-of-center to the center--- none of them will govern from any further right than that. None.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

18. "his political enemies for the first three terms were Democrats"

I think it is pretty accepted that Democrats are on the left, and Republicans are on the right. :eyes:

"his political enemies for the first three terms were Democrats at the State House, not Republicans" -- http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/dean/dean0702/freyneint.html

[Padraig18]

19. That's quite simplistic--- overly so, in fact.

He is a Democrat, and the Democrats in NH overwhelmingly voted to return him to office time and time again.

Says all that needs to be said, frankly.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. It's the truth, spin it however you want.

[Padraig18]

21. I prefer my spin to yours.

Mine is factual.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

23. Except I present a quote, actual facts, not spin.

I'm not making some tortured explanation of why it is not what it appears. lol

[Padraig18]

25. Neither am I.

And there's nothing 'tortured' about it. LOL back at ya!

[Feanorcurufinwe]

26. First you said your spin was better. Now you say you're not spinning.

Which is it? :eyes:

[Padraig18]

27. Don't pay a Jesuit on the board.

Your sophistry is merely amusing.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

28. It's Dean's record.

Why call it sophistry? Why do Dean's supporters get so bent out of shape when it is publicized?

[Pez]

10. an interesting aside however...

...is that while dean has his base, he benefits greatly from the wide pool of candidates. maybe there are 30-40% in the party who are vocal, blame the dems for the war and enjoy dean's rhetoric, but the other ~60% are split among the other candidates. that's just the dem party too; i think foreign policy experience is a large part of what the majority are looking for, and is part of the reason they haven't jumped on the deanwagon. there are tons of undecideds, and in the next couple of months we'll see what it is exactly they want to see in a candidate... solid policy and experience or fiery rhetoric?

i don't know why anyone bothers to predict an election with so many people undecided. even with all the press coverage, they obviously haven't seen what they want yet.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. Dammit Molly, I've never given to any campaign before

but I'm gonna write a big check for Kerry TODAY!
I've been thinking about it all week the way he's been hammered. And dammit, he deserves better than this.

[Pez]

11. me neither!

but i give regularly to the k-man... not a lot because i'm fubar most of the time, but a little here and there, to various kerrycore sites. i play "kerrycore roulette" to decide which one gets the dough! :-D

[blm]

12. Same here.

And I asked my spouse's family to do the same.

[helleborient]

6. So which candidate(s) talk first, and think later...

Kerry supporters endlessly attack Howard Dean for "speaking off the cuff"

Hmmm...what exactly was John Kerry doing? Was being "better off" without them a thoughtful, nuanced response?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

9. Dean's problem isn't that he speaks 'off the cuff'

it's what he says when he does so.

For example, in an interview defending his support from the NRA, he said: "I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks"

That's the kind of remark Dean has had to apologize for.

And the voters can decide for themselves what they think is important.

[Padraig18]

22. Apparently they have.

He contnues to do well. When is your guy gonna start talking about something besides "I'm not Howard Dean"?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

24. I must've missed the vote. When did it happen?

Face it, the reality is, the NH primary is in late January.

lol

[RevolutionStartsNow]

13. USAToday article: Conventional wisdom is anything but conventional

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/raasch/2003-11-14-raasch_x.htm

An interesting read. I don't agree with all of it, but I do agree that the convential wisdom in this race is all turned around and we have no idea what will happen before the convention.

[Northwind]

17. Oh, this is priceless

"...he said in an interview that the firing of campaign manager Jim Jordan on Sunday proved his ability to make tough decisions."

Sure he can, once it is far too late to make any difference.