Globe: Democrats Split on a 2d Run by KERRY

[liberalpragmatist]

Democrats split on a 2d run by Kerry
Some embrace recent rhetoric; others say it's time for a new face

By Susan Milligan, Globe Staff | June 26, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Senator John F. Kerry has intensified his quest to regain the Democratic presidential nomination with a sharp move to the left, presenting himself in high-profile speeches and Senate debates as an unfettered lawmaker and would-be presidential candidate who learned from his 2004 loss that he must fight harder for what he believes.

<snip>

"I think I'm a much better candidate at this point in my life than I've ever been before -- much more knowledgeable, much more confident, much clearer and brief, to the point, and highly focused," Kerry said in an interview, noting that those campaign skills would apply equally to a 2008 run for the Senate or the presidency.

<snip>

Some party officials and Democratic lawmakers said in interviews that they are seeing in Kerry some of the same loser-liberation that has attracted people to former vice president Al Gore.

<snip>

Democratic leaders, mindful of GOP charges that Democrats want to ``cut and run" from Iraq, are upset about Kerry's efforts last week to pull out of Iraq quickly, and he knows it. And he doesn't much care. Relegated by Democratic leadership to a less prominent, late-evening time slot to argue for his amendment last week, Kerry delivered a lengthy defense of his binding proposal to begin moving troops out by mid-2007.

"It's not the first time around here somebody's been uncomfortable with a vote, myself included," Kerry said in the interview, referring to his proposal. The measure received 13 votes in the 100-member Senate.

"But you don't make things happen by backing down on a matter of principle," Kerry said. "I believe that those of us who did share responsibility in giving the president an option" to go to war in Iraq "share a responsibility for now trying to resolve it."

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/06/26/democrats_split_on_a_2d_run_by_kerry/

[babylonsister]

1. Kerry's profile is high because he's been working his ass off!

There are many Dems out there who should try it!

[Radical Activist]

2. I can't help but think

why didn't he talk like this BEFORE '04? If I want someone with political courage I might as well pick someone who has shown it all along like Feingold or Dick Durbin.

[blm]

22. Prove it. Use all their records and show the battles they took on where

they actually SPEARHEADED the action or stuck their neck out to fight for an issue.

Because I *hear* about these "always fighting" or "he's a fighter" talk, but, no one lists what the actual battles were over 13 years. Let's see the 13 years of battle choices that were made - votes are nice and quiet - show me the fight and attach it to a battle.

Hell, over the last 13 yrs, there were some heavy stories and investigations that could have been bigger if more senators worked together.

[Radical Activist]

26. Off the top of my head

Feingold obviously lead the campaign finance reform issue for years before it finally passed, but I'm guessing you'll dismiss that as inadequate. Dick Durbin is the reason smoking is banned on airlines and has been called the tobacco lobbies #1 enemy in Washington, which is no small special interest to take on. They both voted against the war in Iraq, and Durbin did it in a year that he was up for re-election, one of only two Senate Democrats to do so. The other died in a plane wreck.

[blm]

27. The McCain-Feingold bill was put up in answer to Kerry-Wellstone push

for public-financing of campaigns in their Clean Money, Clean Election bill.

And even on that, McCain took the lead, while Feingold stood by him.

So, yes, I would like to hear about a real BATTLE that Russ stuck his neck out or where he strongly supported other DEMOCRATS who were. 13 years. Show me the fight.

I like his voting record on almost everything but confirmation votes, so it's not like I don't LIKE him, I just wonder why so many say he's a fighter and then have little over the 13 years to show the fights they claim to know about. What did I miss in my two decades of Cspan watching?

[msongs]

3. he still needs to condense his essence into phrases that people

will identify. Senators pontificate and bloviate, presidents and presidential candidates have to spit it out so people get it right away.

examples from OP:

"It's not the first time around here somebody's been uncomfortable with a vote, myself included," Kerry said

try "the vote made me uncomfortable".

or

"I believe that those of us who did share responsibility in giving the president an option" to go to war in Iraq "share a responsibility for now trying to resolve it."

try "my war vote was wrong and I am trying to undo the damage"

Msongs

listen to our song demos!
www.msongs.com/msongsdemos.htm

[Cameron27]

4. I have nothing against Kerry, and would of course vote for him

as the nominee--but I prefer Clark for 08.

[charlie]

5. Pfft

Democrats could be said to be split on any candidate until the primaries are over. That's kinda how it works. How do Republicans do it, they receive a mass vision of who the annointed will be?

[blm]

25. I think average Dems decide off the debates - whoever has their chops down

and puts up solid policy ideas, gets the nod. And I expect it to happen again.

Repubs do as their told by the biggest moneymen in the party. Debates don't even count for them.

Who I hope it will be is the person who works to expose the voting machine fraud, and that person will also be the only Dem who CAN win a general election. And they will DESERVE IT.

[LittleClarkie]

6. Why do people think that new faces are magic

If that's true, then none the people who ran in 2004 and didn't make it are new faces either. Sorry, Wes. Sorry, Edwards. And God knows Hillary ain't a new face. Sorry dearie.

Bah. I'll just go with who I like. And who I like right now is Kerry. If he doesn't run, I'll figure it out from there.

[Dr Fate]

11. "New faces"= NEW, juicy, scandalous swift-boating type "news" stories.

But with Gore or Kerry who have already been through the media lie-mill, they got nothing but two dudes who haver already had every thing thrown at em- no NEW juicy smear campaigns there.

They want new fresh blood, someone they can build up & tear down.

This is what they REALLY mean when the media calls these guys "damaged goods"

If the media is telling me Kerry is not the guy, then Kerry IS the guy.

[emulatorloo]

23. interesting theory - thnx for the post! n/t

[ThomWV]

7. No split here. Al Gore Is (and has been) My Choice

[LittleClarkie]

8. If only he were making ANY moves toward running

And God knows he's not a new face either. I wonder what "Democrats" would say about HIM.

[ThomWV]

10. Virtually Everymove That Man Makes Is Towards The '08 Presidency

Every waking moment.

[Dr Fate]

12. I hope he does run- I think he is fantastic. n/t

n/t

[LittleClarkie]

14. That would seem to be overly cynical, as if that is his underlying purpose

instead of trying to make the world better.

If he gets drafted by a movement of Gore supporters, cool. But I see no leadership PAC or any trips to Iowa or NH. Those would be telltales.

And if every waking moment is spent trying to get a second run for president, then that would disappoint me greatly and he certainly wouldn't get my vote.

I think you do him a disservice.

[Dr Fate]

9. Let him run- if he shines, then so be it. n/t

n/t

[KharmaTrain]

13. Did I Sleep Through The 2006 Elections?

That's all I care about right now. There's so much other that's going to happen between now and November that needs to be focused on and hopefully Senator Kerry is thinking about what's right for the country and the Democratic party to win in November. A year from now then we can play primary and then its only the folks in Iowa and New Hampshire.

[LittleClarkie]

15. Thank you and amen

I have my favorite picked out already, but I sure ain't campaigning for the man until AFTER 2006.

[Cameron27]

16. Exactly

[politicasista]

19. me too n/t

[Mojambo]

17. How shocking that Democrats are split on a candidate 2 years

before the primaries!

Those democrats they just can't get together on anything!

[emulatorloo]

24. yeah, that sad media song, "Democrats Are Split" is gettting tiresome! EOM

[still_one]

18. he had his chance, now he has to start back to the beginning

and compete with whatever candidates run. He doesn't deserve an automatic endorsement, but will have to compete with the ideas of the other candidates

Problem is it will be meaningless unless we win at least ONE HOUSE in 2006

[Clarkie1]

20. "One called it 'delusional' that Kerry could win the nomination." nt

[blm]

28. And many said he was delusional and a conspiracy theory nut about BCCI.

.

[Monkeyman]

21. The Veterans For Kerry are still out here

Every memeber of Veterans For Progress IL KICKED BUTT for Kerry in IL with no money from DNC .The swift boat liers came once we kicked their butt never came back.I will wait until after 2006 .Then we will take a vote if we will do it again.Right now Tammy Duckworth an John Laesch are our comcern

www.john06.com

[LittleClarkie]

29. And Tammy Duckworth is Kerry's concern, too. He is working for 06 as well

And the Fighting Dems, among others. I think your plan is a good one. 2006 comes before 2008, after all.

I worked with the Vets for Kerry here in Wisconsin. They had a spot in HQ and sometimes then I came in to volunteer, they were the ones who needs something done. They got sick of the lack of signage, so they had beautiful ones made up out of their own money. They did alot with their own money too. All they got from the HQ was a place to be and the use of their phones. One of them was John Lindquist, one of the VVAW guys, who knew Kerry back in the day and told me about seeing Kerry's testimony first hand. I know the Vet for Kerry coordinator in Wisconsin, Traci Spierko (sp?), is still involved, as I see her name here and there in Wisconsin Dems emails. The only reason she was involved in politics is because Kerry inspired her. She filled me in on the "Kerry's paying these guys" meme, saying that not only wasn't Jim Wasser getting paid, he would save money by staying at her family's home whenever he was in town for Vets for Kerry business.

It was an honor working with you guys here in Wisconsin.

I'm waiting til after 2006. But I already know who I'll vote for in the primaries if he does run. It seems like some of the leading Dems took that election year off, thinking 2008 would be a better chance. If some of those Dems would have believed in him in the first place, I sure would have appreciated their help in 2004.

I'm like Traci. That was my first election, my first time being that involved in ANY election, and Kerry was my first real candidate. My dad, a Navy veteran, had just died. I don't know how he would have felt about Kerry, but in alot of ways Kerry reminded me of my dad. That might be part of the reason I feel so strongly. In any case, I'm having a whole lotta trouble walking away. So I don't think I will. But that doesn't mean I'm campaigning for him properly until after 2006. There's a song by Dido that became my rallying cry back then. I still hear it on the radio on occasion. I think it still describes how I feel.

I will go down with this ship
I won't put my arms up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be.

Shit. At the least, if he doesn't get the nomination for president again, I can campaign for Attorney General. Or Sec of State. Or maybe Sec. of Defense. I don't much care. I would just like to see him use his experience and qualifications in some meaningful way. But if he decides to stay a Senator from Massachusetts, I'll still support him. I don't reckon on that changing. My Kerry 08 sticker will just become a long distance Massachusetts campaign sticker.

(Geez, I seem to have spilled my guts here. Hope you don't mind. You reminded me of why I'm here in the first place, is all)

[iconoclastNYC]

30. We're split on any candidate for 2008

Is there anyone who would garner more then 30-40% right now?

The media never misses an opportunity to repeat the "democrats" are divided meme.

[TayTay]

31. I doubt there will be anyone getting more than 40%

I believe Kerry 'won' Iowa with 38% in 2004. That was what it took in a crowded field.