Sy Hersh on MTP says "Kerry doesn't have a Plan" and Bob Woodward

[KoKo]

says that Bush gave him three hours in an interview to talk about why he went into Iraq but the "press can't get time to really explore his plan for Iraq "beyond soundbytes."

Folks....we have a big problem here. These two were sincere and they were not fooling around as Bush operatives. They were upset...

Sy Hersh would not say "Kerry doesn't have a Plan" if he wasn't trying to get Kerry to say what his plan really is... Sy said Kerry just says he will bring the international community in but "...changing the color of the corpses in Iraq" is NOT a plan "...we will be there for years and I think it will end up like Vietnam," acccording to Hersh...


Please get a transcript for this show. Everyone needs to see this and press Kerry to sit down with someone and give an interview on what he envisions our plan in Iraq will be...Sit down with Woodward & Hersh if need be or sit down with the whole damned pundit corp and do something!

But, read the transcript and don't trash me as the messenger for watching it...

[dennis4868]

1. in all fairness to Kerry....

it is hard to have a plan to get out of the mess we are now in Iraq....I think only after Kerry is in the WH can he truly formulate a plan.....its hard to create a plan whe you dont have the access to important military people and other leaders as Bush now has.

[KoKo]

6. They seemed to feel that the American people need to see a difference

between Kerry and Bush and that Kerry is only giving "soundbytes" and is trying to avoid making Iraq and the "missing WMD, the failure of intelligence, and the plan for invasion" are not being addressed as the BIG Issue by Kerry. Woodward, Russert and Hersh seemed puzzled that Kerry is not attacking Bush on what he did with Iraq.

[dennis4868]

9. I agree that....

Kerry is making a huge mistake by not going after Bush regarding the lies of WMD and a Sadaam/911 connection, pLus the fact that inspections were going well before Bush decided to attack Iraq....but how can the media really believe that Kerry can come up with a damn plan to get us out of this....you have to have direct contact with military personell on the ground in Iraq and talk to leaders around the world before you can come up with a real plan...he cannot do this righjt now until he is in the WH!

[Kahuna]

13. I agree. I'm one hundred percent behind Kerry. But, he is losing

ground because the voters don't know what his plan is. Including me. I know that Kerry doesn't want to be too committed too early because things on the ground are subject to manipulation and change by the bushies. But, he HAS TO commit to something.

[HFishbine]

14. And Kerry can start with a soundbyte

Start with "A Plan to Win the Peace" and he's halfway there.

[KoKo]

29. He needs to show outrage for what Bush/Cheney/PNAC has done!

The lies: the torture and abuse of detainees, the lies about intelligence, the failure to support independent commissions on Abu Graib and 9/11, the falure to release energy papers, documents about anything. Kerry has a list of abuses of power of this administration that's miles long....we all know it...yet he refuses to go at them.

People are outraged out there...and are starting to feel there is no one who will call these thugs and criminals out... They will tune out soon and not vote...we can't have that happen. We looked to our Democratic candidate to speak out for those of us who were disenfranchised in 2000.

Where is the outrage?

[hansolsen]

35. Kerry needs to face Bush and challenge Bush on his character. There is a

dark and evil side to George Bush. Kerry needs to make that the main issue from now until the election.

[hansolsen]

33. Here is what Kerry should be saying about Iraq:

QUOTE
Fellow citizens, hear me: I served in Vietnam and experienced the combat of war. I saw people killed and I killed enemy soldiers. I learned some things from that experience that will profoundly effect the orders I will issue as Commander and Chief. I will keep our soldiers safe from the folly of war. I will not send them on combat missions with no clear objective. I will not send them into battle where they cannot tell friend from foe. I will not ask them to fight for people who will not fight for themselves. I will never send American soldiers on a combat mission with rules of engagement where they cannot fire unless fired upon. I will never ask young soldiers to risk their lives because old men in high places cannot admit their mistakes.

I will go to Baghdad myself and I will meet with the leaders of the Iraqi insurgency. I will end this war on Iraq. I will not fire another shot in that war. I will hold an immediate national referendum in Iraq to determine if the Iraqi people want us to stay. If the people of Iraq want us out of there, I will bring the troops home. If a clear majority of Iraqis want us to stay, I will demand they stand along side American troops and prove it. If they refuse or shirk that duty, I will still bring our troops home. If they want us to stay and will stand with us, I will keep American forces there as true peace keepers.

I believe that God helps those who help themselves, and so do I. That principle will guide my policy in iraq. Please give me your vote and your confidence. Please trust that what I learned in the rice fields of South Vietnam is relevant to what must be done now. I ask for your trust.

[spooky3]

15. Hersh and Woodward are both members of the media (continued).

I find it interesting how little time media members spend considering CAREFULLY what changes media needs to make in itself. If the problem is that only soundbites are being presented, is it possible that that is all the media will put on the air?

[Kahuna]

50. I have taped Kerry speeches and listened to them. And still all I hear is

soundbytes. I know that the media are whores. But, I have to agree with the assessment that Kerry is only giving soundbytes. And not just on Iraq.

[dansolo]

21. Especially since Bush has four more months

To fuck things up even more, making any plans now potentially worthless. If Bush (or Israel) proceeds with aggressive actions against Syria or Iran, it may be impossible to get any Islamic state to assist us in Iraq.

[Ravy]

27. They should get to the point and explain that Kerry is less likely

to DEEPEN the issue and get us into ANOTHER situation we cannot handle effectively. Having * as a president is like having a mouthy little brother picking fights for you.

No, Kerry and Bush don't differ significantly on Iraq, except that when Kerry is done, the troops will likely come home instead of to a neighboring country.

[hansolsen]

37. Well if they don't differ, then Bush deserves to win. The man in the

arena always wins unless the challenger gives the country a compelling reason to change. Kerry has not done that.

[Kahuna]

51. Right. And unless Kerry makes those differences crystal clear..

without further delay, Bush will win.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

2. Its not exactley like Vietnam...

.....no one has used the words "ligtht and the end of the tunnel yet"

[bahrbearian]

3. But they are right.

[Kira]

4. what did he say about the prison abuse

situation. I missed it. It was on an hour earlier than usual here. I am so mad.

[mourningdove92]

5. What is Smirks plan?

He doesnt have one either. These questions are asked to try and smear Kerry. Notice that Hersh wasn't asked about Bush. Bushco would love for Kerry to start spouting off.

[dennis4868]

7. RIGHT....

why is it that Kerry is the only one in this election that has to have a plan and CAPTAIN AWOL that got us in this mess does not need any plan....WTF? I HATE THE FUCKING MEDIA WHORES....they always ruin my sundays!

[HFishbine]

18. That's beside the point

Your simply arguing that if the media were fair, Bush and Kerry would be equally chastised for not having a plan. Hardly helpful to Kerry. It's Kerry's responisibility to recognize issues where he can take the strategic high ground over Bush. This is one and the ball is squarly in Kerry's court.

[dennis4868]

24. I understand what you are saying.....

but what can Kerry say regarding a plan in Iraq? Its a total mess there now, on the verge of civil war. What can he say other than what he has already states...that he will get the troops out in 4 years, bring other countries to the table to get them involved in getting the peace and you do this by giving these other countries a hand in the decision making. What else is he suppose to say. He cannot get specific because, unlike Bush, he does not have any of the specifics as to what the hell is going on there.

[hansolsen]

40. Here is what he can say:

QUOTE
Fellow citizens, hear me: I served in Vietnam and experienced the combat of war. I saw people killed and I killed enemy soldiers. I learned some things from that experience that will profoundly effect the orders I will issue as Commander and Chief. I will keep our soldiers safe from the folly of war. I will not send them on combat missions with no clear objective. I will not send them into battle where they cannot tell friend from foe. I will not ask them to fight for people who will not fight for themselves. I will never send American soldiers on a combat mission with rules of engagement where they cannot fire unless fired upon. I will never ask young soldiers to risk their lives because old men in high places cannot admit their mistakes.

I will go to Baghdad myself and I will meet with the leaders of the Iraqi insurgency. I will end this war on Iraq. I will not fire another shot in that war. I will hold an immediate national referendum in Iraq to determine if the Iraqi people want us to stay. If the people of Iraq want us out of there, I will bring the troops home. If a clear majority of Iraqis want us to stay, I will demand they stand along side American troops and prove it. If they refuse or shirk that duty, I will still bring our troops home. If they want us to stay and will stand with us, I will keep American forces there as true peace keepers.

I believe that God helps those who help themselves, and so do I. That principle will guide my policy in iraq. Please give me your vote and your confidence. Please trust that what I learned in the rice fields of South Vietnam is relevant to what must be done now. I ask for your trust.

[hansolsen]

39. Bullshit. Bush ahs a plan -- it is called more of the same. Kerry

can't beat something with nothing. Duers need to hold the campaign's feet to the fire -- force Kerry to do what is right for his own good.:

The war in Iraq is a disaster

He will end it.

[qanda]

8. What is Bush's plan?

I'm as frustrated as the next person about Kerry supporting this godforsaken war, but he's not the president. It's amazing that people are holding Kerry to a higher standard than the person who is in charge. "Stay the course" is not a plan-- it sounds resolute and like it's filled with conviction, but it's not a plan-- it's a slogan.

How can Kerry formulate a plan when he does not have access to the information that will enable him to have a plan? And perhaps he's holding back some information because the Bush* administration has an ability to take someone else's ideas and make them their own without a peep from the media.

[dennis4868]

11. "he does not have access to the information "

AND THE MEDIA KNOWS THIS BUT THEY STILL ATTACK KERRY ON THIS MATTER....disgusting!

[hansolsen]

42. That's just a cheap rationanization. Kerry needs to face his demons and

come down off the fence on Iraq.

The first thing he needs to do when his feet hit the ground is to tell Ariel Sharon to go fuck himself. Everything else will flow from that.

[hansolsen]

41. Kerry will "Own" Iraq is 7 weeks if he wins this election. He better know

right now what he will say to the country on November 3rd, 2004.

What do you think he would put in that speech? Why hasn't he teed this up and made some decisions?

This is gut check time for John Kerry. If he is a "good closer" this is the issue he needs to close on. Just do it.

[BJ]

10. This was why I didn't support Kerry in January during the IA caucus.

His solution for the Iraq morass seemed little different than that of King Dubya's. I supported Kucinich position on Iraq--US out, UN in--and still do. The little I've read of Kerry's current position is that it's getting closer to Kucinich's.

But I won't put too much into what Woodward reports vis-a-vis Dubya's plan. There never was one other than "they'll (the Iraqi people) be showing us with bouquets of flowers! Hailing us as liberators!"

[irancontra]

12. IRAQ is Screwed

utterly and supremely screwed. The simple truth is that it's a disaster either way, BUT I'd rather have a common-sense, intelligent, non-ideological president (in this case JK) running the military. THAT's IT. I don't think anybody has a plan, but I trust that if there is a strategy to dealing with IRAQ john kerry would do it better. JOHN KERRY CAN DO IT BETTER.

[KoKo]

16. The point is, Kerry hasn't condemned Bush/Cheney....that's what Hersh

and Woodward were saying. He hasn't sat down with anyone and told any interviewer what he really thinks about Bush's policies in Iraq in detail and what his first steps would be...aside from bringing in the international community.

[hansolsen]

43. Yes, yes, yes. Have Shrum boiled in oil and have Carville write a new

speech.

[G_j]

17. something that gets lost

Kerry will surround himself with far better people.

I doubt if I'll be happy with all his choices but, you can't possibly get worse than Perle, Rumsfeld, and the rest.
Those folks are wackos!

as Senator Kennedy said: "arrogant ideological incompetence"

[Toots]

19. I think it is not as detailed as Sy would like but Kerry indeed does

have plans. I would not give out to many details myself knowing how Bush* likes to adopt Kerry's ideas and claim them as his own. Kerry can give some details later on if it becomes necessary. I trust Kerry would do a far better job of almost any aspect than what we have going now. I would suggest they ask for Bush* plans as well.

[hansolsen]

44. Kerry's record in the senate is to postpone hard decisions until the end.

The end is here. He needs to make some decisions about Iraq and tell the American people what they are. If he won't, he deserves to lose.

[readmylips]

20. Hersh & Woodward interviewed together...

Meet the Nation...both agreed that neither Bush nor Kerry have a plan to get us out of Iraq. Both agreed that Iraq has gotten worse and unless someone comes up with a real vision to end the war, the war will continue for at least 10 years...There are no easy solutions but staying the course of paying the war by US tax payers and the killing of young American soldiers or cutting and running does not fix the problem.

US allies are saying to bush 'you broke it, you own it.' Allies are not out to help bush. Kerry says he'll be able to bring allies back into the arena. Hersh said..allies don't want to change the color of the flag-draped coffins.

Kerry can take the advantage. Form a team of US allies to discuss the issue and hear what they have to say. Bush has shut them out and insulted. Allies want to come back but not in support of bush.

[irancontra]

25. honestly

fuck Woodward & screw Hersh... The media in general is scum & complicit.. They are a huge part of the problem. They didn't question the Bushies before & now they trash Kerry relentlessly. Plan? How about a plan to have balanced media coverage? How about showing the coffins coming home? How about the whole Bush booker elementary video? How about reporting injured & iraqi's killed? The public is left out, misinformed about the political system, and misinformed about the candidates.. how can anything come to the fore?

QUIT Complaining Hersh & publish some more abu ghraib articles, get out the photos & videos you were talking about... Bob woodward why don't you dress up in red & give shrub a lap dance??? He may give you a scoop this time.

ANd russert.. what can I say about russert that hasn't already been said about Saddam hussein?

ahh.. I for one am boycotting the cable news channels. No more ruining my day with lies & filth.

[Rose Siding]

22. I can defend Kerry a little on this one...

A report this week gave me some new confidence in his admittedly not-fleshed-out plan-

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A6640-2004Sep8.html?nav=rss_politics
snip>
Interestingly, clear majorities in France, Germany and Spain -- whose governments oppose deploying troops in Iraq -- would back sending troops as part of a U.N.-mandated peacekeeping force, though support fell if those troops would be under U.S. command, the survey found.
-----------------------

This gives credence to Kerry's claim that other countries would send troops. I haven't seen such concrete proof of that anywhere else. But if he were to detail ceding control, the chest-beaters that hate the UN would out yell the sense in the idea.

[hansolsen]

45. Internationalizing Iraq is a limp dick of a plan. That is why we are

this debate over Iraq. Kerry needs to find his balls and make some hard decisions, starting with telling Ariel Sharon to go to hell.

[Iceburg]

46. I think Canada and other nations would be willing to send in troops and

other personnel under the following conditions:
1) UN mandate
2) USA signs onto ICC

Since Bush will NEVER be able to get a UN mandate nor be would he ever be willing to sign on to the ICC, that leaves the question would Kerry?

Kerry has the support of at least 30 of 35 nations (according to recent polls). He has a flock. Thus, Kerry and only Kerry is in a position to lead.

No credible nation on this planet will ever follow Bush. Its the USA against the rest of the world at this point. In November citizens of the USA will choose a leader or "the-shepherd-without-a-flock".

[Armstead]

23. They're right unfortunately

Kerry has put himself between Iraq and a hard place.

His earlier waffling and support of Bush's War has caught up to him. I don;t know if he can get himself out of it now, but he'd better try.

[Jacobin]

26. Sy should forget IraqNam. It's toast

What matters is that if Smirk is selected again, Syria and Iran and other M.E. countries will also become a neo-con petri dish for testing silly theories of westernizing the Middle East. Kerry would not do that....that much I'm sure of.

I repeat. IraqNam is completely and utterly fucked up. No one can sort that shit out. After the U.s. is evicted there will be a civil war and there is no telling how far it will spread and what the outcome will be, except that the M.E. will be even more massively de-stabiized.

[hansolsen]

47. I can figure it out. Here is what Kerry should do right now:

Here is what he should say:


QUOTE
Fellow citizens, hear me: I served in Vietnam and experienced the combat of war. I saw people killed and I killed enemy soldiers. I learned some things from that experience that will profoundly effect the orders I will issue as Commander and Chief. I will keep our soldiers safe from the folly of war. I will not send them on combat missions with no clear objective. I will not send them into battle where they cannot tell friend from foe. I will not ask them to fight for people who will not fight for themselves. I will never send American soldiers on a combat mission with rules of engagement where they cannot fire unless fired upon. I will never ask young soldiers to risk their lives because old men in high places cannot admit their mistakes.

I will go to Baghdad myself and I will meet with the leaders of the Iraqi insurgency. I will end this war on Iraq. I will not fire another shot in that war. I will hold an immediate national referendum in Iraq to determine if the Iraqi people want us to stay. If the people of Iraq want us out of there, I will bring the troops home. If a clear majority of Iraqis want us to stay, I will demand they stand along side American troops and prove it. If they refuse or shirk that duty, I will still bring our troops home. If they want us to stay and will stand with us, I will keep American forces there as true peace keepers.

I believe that God helps those who help themselves, and so do I. That principle will guide my policy in iraq. Please give me your vote and your confidence. Please trust that what I learned in the rice fields of South Vietnam is relevant to what must be done now. I ask for your trust.

[LizW]

28. The debate is being shaped around a "plan" for Iraq

which puts Kerry at a disadvantage. He's not the President, he doesn't have all the information. But the media is pushing for a "plan" from him, which they will promptly tear apart.

Why is the debate not about what Bush has done so far? I'm asking seriously, 'cause I don't know. Why are we not pointing out that people should be evaluating whether Bush deserves a second term based on the clear record he has produced so far?

Is that a political no-no? Does the press attack a challenger for shining light on the incumbent's record?

It just boggles my mind that Bush has gotten us into a quagmire of Viet Nam proportions for no reason other than his allegiance to the Saudis and his puppethood to the neocons, and it doesn't seem to be an issue in his campaign for re-election? Instead the press is talking about Kerry's inconsist statements about how much we should spend in Iraq!

[hansolsen]

48. We can't rationalize our way out of this. Kerry needs to make some

decisions. His positions on Iraq have been calibrated to appeal to swing voters and to the Likud Israeli lobby. That has killed us.

[bushwakker]

30. i think bush's plan is to bug out of there

he doesn't give two shits about those people. getting saddam WAS his plan. oddly enuf i think kerry will stay longer than bush.

[poliguru]

31. This is a lose-lose situation, and Kerry knows it

The problem is that Americans don't want to hear the truth. If Kerry is honest, he has to come out with details of a plan that will keep us in Iraq for years, or pull out and leave it to itself. Americans don't want to hear that. They want to hear a plan that involves us winning and getting out quickly. Bush is more than willing to lie and tell them that, and the Bush campaign is just sitting waiting for Kerry to make the mistake of being honest so they can call him a pessimist and say they have a better plan. I can hear it now: "Kerry wants to keep your sons and daughters in Iraq indefinitely. we care about you...we want them home as quick as possible." Or this: "Kerry wants to abandon the fight for freedom and the war against terror." Either way, Kerry loses the election. As much as it bugs me, Kerry is doing the right thing by not detailing a plan.

[hansolsen]

49. I'd rather lose telling the truth, than win the way Kerry is running this

campaign. And if he loses without ever taking the risk of speaking the truth, the Democratic Party should fall on its sword, and I will be happy to hold it steady for them to do it.

[AngryOldDem]

32. Face It....

...Kerry right now could have plans that would be the equal of Eisenhower's. But the media would trash that to hell as well. This is just another setup.

More to the point: Kerry can't win this argument because the media are trying to get him to speak on specifics that he can't possibly know about from where he is. Asking him to come up with a definitive plan for Iraq is like asking any one of us to do the same. It would all be speculation. Unless we are privy to ALL the facts, ALL the intelligence, ALL the thoughts from the brass, there is no way to know what would be the best thing to do, especially long term. Anyone who succeeds Bush will be walking in blind to this situation, be it Kerry or whoever.

But we ALL know that the road we're on TODAY is only leading to disaster. You heard Powell himself waffle on whether Iraq would be ready to have elections in January (Albright shot that assumption down later in the show by saying it would be eight months from now AT THE EARLIEST). You later heard Sy Hersh say that the insurgency is much bigger now than it was earlier in the year. Bush's plan obviously isn't working, so why aren't the media jumping HIS ass about THAT??? The question is not what Kerry WOULD do, it's what Bush IS doing and WILL do. This is still on HIS watch, possibly for another four years.

[stray cat]

34. Bush also needs to state plan. He's getting a free pass.

nt

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Poiuyt]

38. What excuse did we use when we got out of Viet Nam?

I still say that the biggest problem with Iraq is that we are there. Our mere presence inflames the Iraqis. If we got out, they would be able to work things out for themselves. At first, I believed in the "we broke it, we fix it" idea, but now I feel we are just making the problem worse by being there.

[WyLoochka]

52. It's bogus

to call for Kerry to state a specific plan - totally bogus.

He won't take office until 1/20/05. With things as volatile as they are in Iraq, which at this point he can do nothing about, they are bound to have changed by 1/20/05. The facts on the ground will likely not be any better - and may be far worse by 1/20/05. But Kerry cannot possibly address, with specifics, a situation which is yet to occur.

The ball is entirely in BushCos court at the present time, as it has been for the past 3 and 3/4 years and BushCo has "catastrophically" bungled every single step of the way. It is bogus to try to put the ball in Kerry's court with this inane, "What's your plan Stan crap?" And people who are screaming for this are aiding and abetting the shifting of the spotlight from where it should be - BushCos total and complete failures.

Kerry's already told us, many many many times, the whole thing is wrong wrong wrong and that he will immediately shift directions and employ entirely different means to address this colossal failure of BushCo's. It's a gigantic complicated mess.

There are three major factions over there - no one today has anyway of knowing what amount of control over Iraq anyone of the three factions may have by 1/20/05. Or if by then - it will have blown apart into all out warfare between the three factions. Why are you asking Kerry do to the impossible and state with specificity exactly what he would do 1/20/05? It would be strategically stupid for him to even try to do that.

[Name removed]

55. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Malva Zebrina]

53. Kerry put himself into the corner when he voted to let Bush do what he

wanted. I know there are many who say his story is that Bush did not go to the UN as promised etc etc, but that does not excuse his more recent statements about voting that way again. and supporting the "presidency"

"I believed Bush" is not the excuse of a strong leader, in the eyes of many who expect independant analysis and behavior. It is the statement of a Senator wary of the political drawbacks to his own career, and is the same as all of them who voted for the war or Bush's blank check. It is the statement that shows little belief in the powers, indeed the responsibility, of maintaining separate arms of the government--checks and balances as our forefathers so wisely set up.

All of them violated the Consititution, besides. Not that it hasn't been done before--giving war powers exclusively to a president and leaving it up to him to decide the actions we need to take , in this case shows the inadvisability of ignoring "only Congress can declare war" Further politically, ignoring the Consitution takes the heat off the Senators and Representatives and I suspect that is why they use it so frequently--and I suspect that is why, with their political careers in mind, voted for this slaughter under the hands of an insane, fascist like, megalomaniac.

What does that make those who voted against it, then?

So, in spite of all the chess playing about not revealing your plan becasue Bush will capitalize on it and do damage, on the other end, voting for Bush's plan in Iraq, also hands Bush the same capacity to do damage to Kerry--therby, the corner.

It is too late in the game now for intricate explanations of why Kerry voted for it--

I hope with all my heart that Kerry will win in spite of it all, because I, like many, are frightened of another four years under this insane man.

[KerryWilWin]

54. The media complain Kerry doesn't have a plan

after he lays out very detailed plans that not only would address the problems we have now but also would have addressed the problems TWO YEARS AGO before they became problems.

I just don't get it.

[newyawker99]

56. Hi KerryWilWin!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[faithnotgreed]

57. the momentum has been building. kerry must publicly (interview or press

conference) articulate his plan. clearly, bush has nothing. we all know that. even russert with carville last night agreed that the plan bush has is "stay the course". russert pointed out that if kerry pulls troops out then it provides a haven for terrorists. to which carville replied, what do you think there is now?!

i feel certain that if kerry would hold a press conference outlining his plan that he says he has, or give an extensive interview that answers the basic and harder questions, he would win a lot of people over

seriously. people want to hear what the plan is. this is one way kerry could get a forum. he could speak about iraq. and if he would do so there is definitely a national media for him. someone will do this for sure.

in one of kerrys last speeches - maybe ohio? - he said how crucial iraq is. well from the beating of the media drum, kerry must absolutely convey his vision.

i think many want to not vote for bush but they dont know where kerry stands on iraq. im not saying he doesnt have a plan, but he must convey these plans on his terms. and do it before the debates because clearly bush is going to only want 2, plus you dont get to fully explain before time is up etc.

on his terms, kerry needs to extensively talk about his plan for this country. his strength and intelligence and experience would make a tremendous difference

[napi21]

58. I think it would be irresponsible for Kerry to reveal his plan!

Why would you tip off the enemy, either the terrorists or the Repubs, of what you intend to do? I've already heard some talking heads saying Shrub has adopted Kerry's plan of going to talk to the Europeans again to enlist help.

I suppose he has to throw out a small bone here to passify the nonbelievers, but I sure wouldn't reveal my plan!