Kerry talks to PolitickerMA: My criticisms of McCain are not personal

[beachmom]

http://www.politickerma.com/jeremyjacobs/862/kerry-my-criticisms-mccain-are-not-personal

DENVER -- U.S. Sen. John Kerry, an unrelenting critic of U.S. Sen. John McCain on several issues in his surrogate work for presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, said Monday afternoon that his attacks on McCain are purely based on McCain's policies.

In an interview with PolitickerMA.com, Kerry (D-Boston) refused to discuss the criticism more than one GOP senator has leveled against McCain that he has a short temper and emphasized that he respects McCain but disagrees with him on several issues.

"Any criticisms that I have voiced are not personal," Kerry said. "John is a friend, has been a friend and I respect him enormously in terms of his life and service."

Some on the Left will be disappointed with this, as they wanted him to go after McCain as a hothead. But really, the issue is not his temper per se. The issue is that he is trigger happy, and seemed to get strangely gleeful when the Georgian/Russian conflict erupted.

Also, did everyone see that Sampley has oozed out again?

http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2008/08/25/2008-08-25_vietnam_vets_stirring_up_a_mccain_mutiny.html

This is no surprise:

Though he's no fan of Barack Obama, Sampley says Fox News producers haven't invited him on to bash McCain the way he bashed Kerry.

UPDATE

Oh ...

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/8/26/161637/768/894/575763

The Obama team is going there on the temper issue (NOT Sampley). But I guess Kerry is not going to join in on this. I wonder, now, if McCain ever blew up at him, or if for some reason he never did do that to Kerry.

Edit again: I guess it is Boxer and Durbin. I am not sure if this is the "Obama team", but I can't imagine the Senators speaking up without the Obama team not knowing about it.

[karynnj]

1. That is interesting

I suspect that Kerry had to see his temper in reaction to others on the committee as that was a very volatile group of Senators. I suspect that Kerry likely had a calming effect on him and that Kerry had the ability to defuse his anger into something more constructive. I think McCain was impressed by Kerry's cool professional temperament as he complimented him effusively in the book he wrote on his handling of the committee, how masterfully he pushed the reconciliation with Vietnam legislation, and how prepared and eloquent he was in his arguments to Clinton. I suspect that Kerry has seen many people blow up - likely including Bill Clinton.

I think it is good that Kerry does NOT go after McCain on temper - there are enough people to do it. Kerry's long ago relationship will make it look insincere and a betrayal. Better just distribute what Republicans say. (I'm shocked that Bob Smith took such a strong stand - so I wonder what McCain did to him.)

[JI7]

2. i think it may have to do with the whole war thing

Kerry probably has friends who still experience PTSD and have temper issues as a result. even if McCain's isn't because of that it may be too close to go there for him.

anyways, Kerry doesn't need to do that. there is so much more for Kerry to go after him on . and Kerry is very good at it. one of Kerry's strengths has always been he is able to go after people on the issues and in a way where it does not come off as personal. Obama kind of does the same thing. you don't want people to feel like they are rejecting the person(in this case the pow) by voting for him.

[beachmom]

3. Here appeared at a Calif. breakfast this morning.

http://www.politickerca.com/jeffmitchell/1986/kerry-says-time-has-gone-backward-under-bushs-watch-now-its-time-move-forward-obam

"Let me tell you about the great differences between Barack and John McCain. Barack announced his vice president on the Internet and John McCain is planning to use the Pony Express," Kerry (D-Massachusetts) said to laughs amongst the 1,000-plus ballroom audience.

I love it when JK snarks on McCain!

Edit: another report here says it was a surprise, plus another good line:

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/aug/27/senator-john-kerry-surprises-california-delegation/

California delegate Nikki Noushkam, 34, of Cerritos, was impressed with the speech. Especially with the part urging Democrats to get behind Barack Obama. He then made a clear reference to the present President of the United States. She repeated Kerry's words:

"We need to lift America up," Noushkam remembers Kerry's words. "We need a leader who inspires rather than embarrasses us."

The room burst with applause.

[beachmom]

4. Another piece by PolitickerMA. Kerry talks about what it was like for him in 2004 at the convention

http://www.politickerma.com/jeremyjacobs/873/four-years-later-kerry-relives-his-acceptance-speech-broken-teleprompter-and-all

Speaking in a private room of a restaurant in the ornate Brown Plaza Hotel in Denver, Kerry said the convention went by so quickly, he didn't have a moment to reflect on the significance of the event.

"Well, I wish there was time for a kind of introspection; that would be very sweet and enjoyable," Kerry said. "But frankly, you're so focused, and so it's so much a part of the continuum that you don't have time for that kind of introspection. You just don't."

Kerry said he remembered seeing a few shots on the television of his wife in the booth before taking the stage and watching his children speak before him. His kids' speeches, he said, were very powerful. He remembered "being very, very moved" to the point "that I turned it off and said I can't watch it. I had to stay focused on what I'm doing."

...

When he turned to start the speech, though, he ran into a problem.

"I remember the teleprompter coming up and being screwed up coming out of the hull," he said. "And I literally had to work off of a teleprompter and a half. It was very hard. And I couldn't get the flow I wanted as a result. I felt a little bit restrained. I don't know if it showed up or not."

But it all ended, Kerry said, as quickly as it began.

"And then boom," he went on, "all of the sudden it's over and my wife comes out, everybody comes out, the stage gets filled and we say good-bye and we go off quickly to another event."

Pretty interesting. It's almost like he has this convention just to sit back and enjoy, meet with people, etc.