Kerry Press Release: Campaign Statement on Ridge's Terror Remarks

[Skinner]

For Immediate Release
July 8, 2004

Kerry Campaign Statement on Sec. Ridge’s Remarks Today

Washington, DC – Kerry campaign national security advisor Randy Beers released the following statement today:

“Today Secretary Ridge told us that the Bush Administration has made serious progress dealing with potential terrorist attacks. What he did not tell you is that they still do not have a system in place to ensure that the FBI, CIA, local law enforcement, and other relevant agencies are working together to understand the threats we face or even assess our most obvious vulnerabilities. They have been unable to set the most elementary requirements for protection and have no strategy to determine how to best protect our country from the threats we face and what steps need to be taken to do that.

“Our crucial intelligence and military resources are overstretched abroad and our homeland security effort at home is under-funded and poorly managed. The Bush administration needs to be clear with the American people and our state and local governments about how and where we are vulnerable and how the Bush administration is going to make America more secure. We need a serious effort and serious programs to protect our ports and trains, our chemical and nuclear plants, and other critical infrastructure resources. We also need to ensure that our intelligence is available to those who most need it and that our first-responders are trained and equipped to render help when needed.”

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www.johnkerry.com

Paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc.

[John_H]

1. At the very least, top kerry surrogates have to scream to high heaven

about the TNR piece, the incredible leak to USA Today, CNN, and the NY Times that bin Laden is personally supervising this attack, and the timing of the announcement. If they don't, and damage done to Kerry and the Dem convention is 100 percent our own damn fault.

[ProfessorPlum]

2. This is a good step towards framing the issue

But they need to get way more vocal about it and start really stating that if a terrorist attack succeeds between now and the election, that it is a failure of this administration to protect us.

Bush and the media will want to translate terror attack = "vote for Bush so the terrorists are shown we can't be intimidated"

Kerry needs to emphasize terror attack = "why weren't we protected? Is it because we don't have the money due to tax cuts? Is it because we don't have the personnel because of the war? Is it because the people in charge don't care?"

Beers and Kerry must see the railroading that is being hinted at, and they need to deflect it as forcefully as they can.

[Hoping4Change]

3. Kerry should attack repuke's spin on the Spanish election.

THE SPANISH VOTED OUT AZNAR BECAUSE HE LIED ABOUT THE ATTACK in an attempt to sway voters.

Furthermore the repuke spin hands AQ a propanganda victory and in so doing the repukes provide aid and comfort to the enemy.


"Initially, the Popular Party insisted that the Basque separatist group ETA was responsible for the Madrid terror outrages, something that if true would have worked to the party's advantage because of its tough stance against the group. However, as it appeared more and more likely that an al-Qaeda affiliate was the real culprit, many people became angry with the government, which they accused of trying to manipulate the tragedy for its own ends."


http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Front_Page/FC16Aa03.html

[TexasSissy]

4. A very intelligent and honest assessment. We need this guy for President.