Fantastic Bob Herbert column in the NYT on Kerry speech

[karynnj]

It's behind the wall they have though.

He calls it an important and moving speech on the anniversary of the 1971 speech. After mentioning the Democrats have been muddled on Iraq, he says that Kerry has found the voice he has been looking for possibly since 1971.

The Kerry speech quotes he uses are:

(at the beginning, before the op-ed,) "Presidents and politicians may worry about losing face, or votes, or legacy; it is time to think about young Americans and innocent civilians who are losing their lives. "

"I believed then, just as I believe now, that the best way to support the troops is to oppose a course that squanders their lives, dishonors their sacrifice, and disserves our people and our principles."

"I have come here today ...... to affirm that it is both a right and an obligation for Americans today to disagree with a President who is wrong, a policy that is wrong, and a war in Iraq that weakens the nation."

"By then, it was clear to me that hundreds of thousands of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen—disproportionately poor and minority Americans—were being sent into the valley of the shadow of death for an illusion privately abandoned by the very men in Washington who kept sending them there."

"And the most dangerous defeatists, the most dispiriting pessimists, are those who invoke September 11th to argue that our traditional values are a luxury we can no longer afford.


Kerry's description of the war as, "rooted in deceit and justified by continuing deception.", the need to get past "blindness and deception"

I may have missed others, Herbert lets Kerry speak for Kerry. He then speaks of talking to Kerry by phone. This is from the column:

"In an interview after the speech, I asked Mr. Kerry about the secret prisons being run by the C.I.A. and the practice of extraordinary rendition, in which terror suspects are abducted by the U.S. and sent off to regimes skilled in the art of torture.

He said he believed these policies were violations of the Geneva Conventions, then added: "But the more important thing is that they are violations of our values, violations of our principles. Who are we to run around the world saying protect the Falun Gong or somebody else's right to speak out, and then we're willing to take people without knowledge of innocence and throw them into torture situations. I think that's reprehensible."

[beachmom]

1. Not picked up in my paper (sigh)

Only hope: I think I remember that that snarky David Brookes column was in my paper the next day after it was in the NYT, but I'm not sure.

Darnit -- I need that op-ed. How can we get around this whole copyright business? Maybe can somebody PM it? Would that be acceptable?

Because I really want to read it, but I'm certainly not signing up for TimesSelect.

[fedupinBushcountry]

3. Our paper sucks

I would like to read the whole article too.

[beachmom]

11. Yes, Yes, Yes!!!! Our paper redeems itself!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is in our paper today, with a 1971 picture of Kerry!!!!! I am SOOO happy.

And you know what? I'm taking credit for this. My LTE was a major slam at those idiots for ignoring Kerry's plan, so they're sucking up to me now -- they used to only fear the RWingers who screamed bias, but now they're shaking in their boots as to what the angry lefties might think if they skip yet another example of Kerry greatness!!!

There is hope in this world -- I'm telling you it's true!!!!!

(The last picture of Kerry seen in this paper was Inauguration Day)

[karynnj]

12. I think you may well deserve that credit

That they printed it and changed is awesome. This is the editorial that should be printed. I wonder how it will play in a Navy town.

[beachmom]

13. Sailors from my area are going to start dying in Iraq soon

There is a diary up at DailyKos:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/4/25/84943/0805

about how they're now training 10,000 sailors to fight in Iraq. Since the Army is so overstretched they're going to other parts of the military. Plus they're starting that "Swift Boat" like force to relieve army boat patrols. My area hasn't had big casualties yet, but if we're still in Iraq a year from now (which is very likely given our gov.), that will change big time.

I will look at LTEs in the coming days to see if any Swifties/Swifty sympathizers come out of the woodwork and spew their hate. Fedup will have to have Kerry's back in that case, because I can't write a letter for 5 months (newspaper rules).

[ProSense]

2. Cool!

I certainly would like to read the full article.

[wisteria]

4. Can you provide a link? n/t

[Dr Ron]

5. Full text at The Democratic Daily

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2748

[Mass]

6. Thanks.

[saltpoint]

7. I picture a horde of DU's most virulent Kerry-bashers gathered

around Bob Herbert's house with torches and pitchforks.

How DARE Herbert find virtue on John Kerry?

It's outrageous.

[TayTay]

8. It's so nice to have you back, good sir.

I missed your wise commentary.

Sometimes I do feel like this is a Castle under constant siege. Oh well, that which doesn't kill you, can certainly make you feel like the last kid chosen for the pickup game of baseball. Sigh!. Bother.

The Kool Kidz are picking on me again Mom!

[saltpoint]

9. Hey, TayTay. Glad to see you around, too. As you already know

there are threads going as we speak in which the Cool Ones Mob is mugging an honored Senator.

I am SERIOUSLY thinking of posting a thread that poses the question, "If Russ Feingold (substitute Clark, or anyone you want) were swept up into a malestrom of horseshit, would you blindly dive in to rescue him, or leave it to the proper authorities?"

I'd be careful to pose it as a SAFETY FIRST issue, of course. :)

Well. I may check in on the riot a time or two more, then maybe open up some poetry for later on.

All good wishes to you, good person.

[ProSense]

10. Spreading it around

article picked up:

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/opinions/ci_3747513

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/opinions/ci_3747513

[_dynamicdems]

14. If you don't have the Times, you can read and comment here:

The Whittier Daily News carried the article and you can comment here (at Topxix.net)

http://www.topix.net/forum/post/art?threadid=86I33VDMPGSBMR9K&forum=news/john-kerry