and it's a thing of beauty:
http://upper-left.blogspot.com/2006_11_26_upper-left_archive.html#116487463135228310A highlight for me:
...It's true - any affect on Kerry's numbers arising out of the infamous joke have everything to do with the coverage, and nothing, really, to do with his performance on that day, his fitness for high office or, for that matter, with his personal warmth. "Often-ridiculous coverage," in fact is a bit of an understatement. It was a calculated attack on the nominal leader of the Democratic Party. Part of that attack's effects is revealed in Benen's conclusion...
It’s not fair, and Kerry clearly deserves better, but the right and the media have sullied his name. My sense is that running again in 2008 would be a mistake — most Dems in the Quinnipiac poll were lukewarm on Kerry, and Republicans and independents were hostile. At this point, I hope he skips the race.
Now, I think Steve's hope in this regard is expressed with benign, even compassionate, motivation, but consider what he's really saying. Because the "often-ridiculous coverage" of a wholly invented 'controversy' resulting in an unfair and undeserved judgment, John Kerry should not run for President of the United States. Not for anything he actually did, or said (unless you choose to believe the Rovian spin that Kerry did, in fact, intentionally insult serving troops). Not on account of some deficiency of character or background, or of extreme or uninformed views on issues of import.
No, ultimately it's because another lie was concocted about John Kerry, one contrived deliberately to make it seem as though this highly decorated combat hero, this man who killed people who attacked American soldiers and saved American soldier's lives by putting his own at risk, is insufficiently supportive of American soldiers.
Classic swift-boating.
Personally, I'm not there yet. While I remain convinced that John Kerry is one of the two Americans I would most like to see in the White House (Jerry Brown is the other), I'm not sure if I hope he runs or doesn't. There are other Democratic stars I could imagine hitching my '08 wagon to, though they'd all fall under the general heading 'third choices.' I'm a Democrat, though, so I'm long since accustomed to getting something less than what I might want. It's part of the price of the big tent...
And this part is exceptional:
I wish it was simply a matter of Republican lies, though. One of the most distressing aspects of what's become known as the "botched joke" affair (though it's hard to judge how botched a joke that generated audible laughter really was) was the willingness, sometimes seemingly gleeful, of many ostensibly liberal commentators in the mainstream media and the blogosphere alike to throw John Kerry under the bus.
Definitely read the whole thing.
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