JOHN KERRY: REAL HARDBALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kpete]

Real Hardball
by John Kerry
Fri Jan 20, 2006 at 03:52:31 PM PDT

There's something that doesn't sit right with me when, on the day Osama Bin Laden resurfaced in a disturbing audio tape, cable television ends up in a game of name calling as a war protester is compared to Osama Bin Laden.

That's reason to be outraged - but even more outrageous is the fact that in a flurry of sound bites what was lost was a real discussion of the fact that more than four years after the devastating attacks of 9/11, more than four years after George Bush boasted we wanted Osama "dead or alive," more than a year after Osama Bin Laden showed his hateful face in yet another video, this barbarian is still very much alive and boasting of additional attacks against the United States.

John Kerry's diary :: ::
Here's what I'd like to see debated on Hardball.

President Bush's mouthpiece Scott McClellan can claim this administration puts terrorists out of business, but yesterday's tape reminds us that instead of being out of business, Osama is still out there.

If this administration had followed through on the opportunity to capture Osama Bin Laden at Tora Bora in 2001, the world would be a better place with Osama Bin Laden brought to justice -- and we wouldn't be having this discussion today.

more at:http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/20/175232/080

[kpete]

1. I Just HAD TO POST MORE...

And here's what the media should insist we discuss.

President Bush and his defenders continue to claim that Osama Bin Laden didn't escape at Tora Bora. But Gary Bernstein's book Jawbreaker documents what I said early in 2002 and during my debates with George Bush: that because Donald Rumsfeld's Pentagon didn't use American troops to do the job and instead outsourced the job of killing the world's #1 terrorist to Afghan warlords, this cold blooded killer got away.

So what's the truth? There's a question that the full force of cable television should demand be answered. Press accounts over the last month have raised new concerns about the reliance on Afghan forces at Tora Bora in 2001. One account cited a Department of Defense document said to summarize the case against a suspected al Qaeda militant. The militant was believed to have helped Osama bin Laden escape from Tora Bora. More recently, August Hanning, the head of German intelligence, has said bin Laden bribed Afghan forces at Tora Bora to make his escape.

The evidence keeps mounting:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/20/175232/080

[sasha031]

7. thanks so much

:loveya: so nice hearing Kerry go after the msm....

[blm]

19. I think it's finally sunk into the Dems that corporate media is the enemy

of democracy. They have become mouthpieces for the fascist agenda of BushInc.

[Just Me]

18. Yup,...'cause these guys are perpetual perpetrators of fabrication.

They misdirect, mislead, embellish, distract from the facts, ON PURPOSE,...ALL THE TIME!!!

They are peculiarly polished cons and the nemesis to a democratic nation.

AW HELL!!! They are freakin' criminals. They have defrauded and exploited our nation for their own benefit. They are criminals and traitors.

[babylonsister]

2. Ah, a welcome and needed voice of reason! Thanks! nt

[kpete]

5. and JOHN KERRY asks...

Isn't it time we had the truth? Yes or no, did Osama Bin Laden escape from Tora Bora in 2001?

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/1/20/175232/080

[babylonsister]

9. John Kerry has been EVERYWHERE recently;

he's a true patriot, not like the pretender we have to put up with. :-(

[Der Blaue Engel]

36. Amen to that

:patriot:

[jsamuel]

3. :O

:wow:

didn't expect this from Kerry! He sounds like a blogger...

:O

[Synnical]

41. That's exactly what this is - blog comment

Now, if he would stand up and say this to the Corporate Media, now, that would get some respect from me.

Just sayin' that he can blog on a liberal website to pacify "us", but . . . he could do more.

[blm]

44. He gave a similar statement to Salon last night.

Pretty good since he only returned from overseas yesterday afternoon from a 12 day tour of the Mideast, India, Pakistan and then Iraq.

He'll be on This Week Sunday.

[calmblueocean]

67. Criminy!

The guy is working 24/7 to beat George Bush. "He could do more"? YOU could do more.

[Synnical]

76. You don't know me

And Kerry voted for the Iraq invasion. So, just be quiet.

[bigtree]

4. still fighting for us

[BlueIris]

53. That's damn right.

Thanks, President Kerry.

[emulatorloo]

6. So much for Karl Rove's idea of running on "Security/Terrorism" in 06

GO JOHN GO!

:patriot:

[Just Me]

8. But, Bush already said Usama's not important anymore,...

,...I guess he just wanted to wage a war of aggression and profit against one of the few stable, secular nations over there,...'cause he could do whatever the hell he wanted to and manipulate everyone else to doing what he wanted to do.

[glitch]

10. Yes! This is the way! Taking it straight to the people via the blogs!!!

The corporate media is corrupt, bypass the airholes and be heard!!

[kpete]

12. I have goosebumps

"bypass the airholes and be heard!!"

Thanks glitch...

[ClayZ]

14. Ban Tweety

[crikkett]

66. who's tweety?

I feel like I'm missing out.

Also, what is BFEE? That gets me too.

Thanks,
c

[ClayZ]

68. Tweety is Chris Mathews on MSNBC

BFEE is bu$h family evil empire


http://www.urbandictionary.com/ can translate urban speak!

[ljm2002]

69. Tweety is...

...Chris Matthews of Hardball. So named because of the round face and yellow thatch of hair. Most definitely, *not* nicknamed affectionately... ;-)

BFEE is the Bush Family Evil Empire. I first ran across the term on bartcop.com -- believe me, once the term sinks in, it stays with you, you'll start to pick up connections...

[rniel]

11. Bush's response

Come on John Kerry you know he died 2 years ago and it's just a sophisticated computer graphics scam going on here. Now he's our sock puppet and you know it.

[ktowntennesseedem]

15. You mean to tell me Osama's just a sock puppet?!?!

Gee, Dubya and he have more in common than I thought!

:evilgrin:

[DanCa]

13. That's my President talking to you.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

16. This is well worth my 20,000 post

I still love the man, and I wish more Americans could see how great he would (will?) be as our leader. This is a great sign that he is going for it all again in '08.
Regards to blm, Octafish, nsma, and all the other loyal Kerry stalwarts.

Kerry on!

[Just Me]

17. Kerry would have been better than Clinton.

Far better. Why? Kerry has more life experiences and survived more hard knocks than Clinton, for one. Kerry's also more,...um,...disciplined: yes, that's the word, "disciplined".

Kerry would have completely changed the face of our country, in an incredibly positive manner.

[SammyWinstonJack]

20. Kerry would have went after bushco which is why he wasn't allowed

to win, well actually, too be declared the winner, that is. Couldn't risk that, now could they?

[rodeodance]

22. continue to hit Tweety hard Kerry and thanks.

[jenndar]

25. I totally agree. n/t

[ProSense]

27. Excellent statement. Thanks. n/t

[seabeyond]

33. i agree. he would have been kick ass for this nation. n/t

[murray hill farm]

63. I still say...Kerry/Gore in 2008

What a combo that would be! They both already won once...together, they would be dynamic! Back for the win...and to save this messed up country before it is too late.

[Octafish]

21. Congrats on 20K, NewYorkerfromMass!

You never gave up the ship.

The good guys have a chance thanks to you and all who give a damn.

Kerry's the real deal.

And so are you, DU Friend!

[bigwillq]

26. Congrats on 20K!

:toast:

[Nitrogenica]

23. I'd like to see everyone here go to this site and get active!

We can send FAUX a message by blocking them from out cable.

http://www.foxblocker.com/index.php

"Call your cable company and have them block it FOR you! One of our readers called our attention to National Cable & Telecommunications Association's content blocking policy. What this basically says is that the cable company MUST PROVIDE blocking services for ANY channel upon request."

FAUX news deserves a slap in the face from us, the 150 Million + people who are in disagreement with their message. They are partly responsible for national tragedy.

[jenndar]

24. Kerry on Kos!

I never thought we'd see it. This is so exciting :woohoo:

[Just Me]

30. Recruiting fighters here and there,....

,...and everywhere. We're getting a stronger network, every single day.

It's all good!!!

[jenndar]

31. It's true.

He deserves a TON of credit for that :)

[globalvillage]

28. Woo Hoo!!!!

Sen Kerry ROCKS!!!!!

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[Island Blue]

32. Yes he does, doesn't he GV?

This is friggin' awesome!! :kick:

[wiggs]

29. OBL a two edged sword

I applaud Kerry's directness and clarity in this letter and hope it contributes to an overall, bulletproof case showing administration dysfunction, built with dozens of indefensible examples of misdeeds and incompetence, including but not limited to Tora Bora.

IMO: I've said before, the focus should be on administration incompetence and misdeeds in fighting Al Queda, not just on one man, OBL, who might turn up someday soon in an orange jumpsuit in Abu Ghraib.

The more we ask the question "why isn't OBL in custody or dead?" as the most important thing, the bigger the jump in the polls will be when the WH pulls him out of their asses dead or alive just before november 2006. Too many eggs in one basket, IMO, and I hope we can avoid that. There really are more damning questions to ask. Besides...Al Queda has morphed, with our prodding, into an organization that is very dispersed and flexible. It is not led by one man.

We're tired of addressing the outrage of the week only to see the public forget the outrage of last week and the week before. I'm happy to see that our dem leaders this week are starting to connect the dots and mention all manner of misdeeds as part of a pattern of behavior. That is a huge change. It's not one issue...it's the pattern and I hope we focus on OBL's apparent freedom in the context of administration arrogance, illegal abuse of power, dishonesty, dysfunctional approach to decision making, misguided ideology, and corruption.

[Straight Shooter]

39. But it would still be to our advantage for Osama to be captured.

First and foremost, America would be safer, if only temporarily. (There are those who are ready, willing and able to fill Osama's shoes.)

Secondly, we can rightfully claim that it was pressure from Democratic leaders that caused bush to finally do something about bin laden and make a serious attempt to capture him.

=========================

Thank you, John Kerry. :patriot:

[wiggs]

43. Yep

"First and foremost, America would be safer, if only temporarily. (There are those who are ready, willing and able to fill Osama's shoes.)"

Of course....he needs to be found or killed and the world would be better off.

My point had to do with the bigger picture, a point made in another post: a lie so big everyone will fall for it. Can't see the forest for the trees, right? There are gigantic lies and issues out there to be discussed...the forest, so to speak, made up of smaller issues, the trees. Osama is just one of the trees, IMO. Osama needs to be addressed, but in the context of the whole. That way, the forest doesn't disappear when one tree is removed.

Like in the AWOL story....the bigger issue was subsumed by a smaller one that they were able to frame and manipulate correctly.

We can't take one issue at a time and let a different congressperson talk about it that week, then move on to the next one. We can't just demand apologies, give a speech once in a while, hold hearings in the basement, play politics as usual. We get killed that way with the deck stacked against us. Kerry's letter was direct and hard-hitting. It is not nearly enough. It will be forgotten by next week unless it builds on and connects to other issues and patterns on an ongoing basis.

[thebigidea]

70. when WASN'T it dispersed and flexible?

I've been hearing this for years now, this Al-Qaeda 2.0 that operates via separate cells and it so disperse and flexible.

ah, wasn't it before, though?

[FreedomAngel82]

34. Now that would be hardball

But it'd never happen. :(

[politicasista]

35. Go Kerry!

Keep holding this pathetic, propagating, Bush-whoring media accountable.

K&R. :kick: :yourock:

[madrchsod]

37. to little to late john

where did all your fire go? you turned your boats into the enemy and you earned the silver star. you wrote one of the most powerfull anti war statement ever.what happened to you when you said every vote would be counted and you didn`t allow it? was it for the good of the country? after 59 years i no longer see the country that i knew.
i`m hoping that someday soon that you`ll get the fire back in your belly

[Just Me]

40. It's NEVER too late (unless you just, quit).

That's all.

[ray of light]

45. Please read this:

what happened to you when you said every vote would be counted and you didn`t allow it?

This explanation will help you understand. Please read it.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/8/30/74947/6017

Plus, I know many wanted him to cry foul without evidence on Nov. 3rd, but as you read in that story, which IS true btw, he did something even better. He tried to get a whistleblower. And as we saw with Al Gore in 2000 just letting the media make a circus of an election didn't put the real winner into office, nor did it allow the votes to really be counted. A whistle blower COULD have saved the day. And the fact that he and Teresa sought someone who had evidence is very well something that may save our democracy in the future.

Also, we know even more about their cheating ways, even more after the 04 stuff than Kerry had been told about the 2000 stuff, so we need to get on the ball ourselves and get rid of the computers without paper trails.

[Der Blaue Engel]

38. John Kerry KICKS ASS

He's still got our backs, and it gives me hope, in a near-hopeless world. My president. Our president. I still dream of 16 years of Gore/Kerry presidencies...wouldn't it be wonderful? :loveya:

[zippy890]

42. kick for kossak kerry

:dem:

[samhsarah]

46. This is really great!!!!!!

Thank you President Kerry!

[Dr Fate]

47. Shit, if he is reading us, I better be more polite. Er- I mean "Shoot"

Glad to know Kerry is paying attention- great stuff.

[ginnyinWI]

49. I think he knows all the words, Fate

He was in the Navy, remember? ;) :)

[LittleClarkie]

59. Let it all hang out, Dr. Don't forget Sen. Kerry was a sailor

and still sometimes swears like one. Just keep it true. That's all that's important.

[cally]

48. I'm impressed

Kerry is a true patriot. Our world would be a better place is he were President.

[jillan]

50. I am so impressed.

During his campaign I felt so frustrated because I felt he need to read the blogs.
I felt that WE could have given him better advice for free, than he was receiving from
his campaign.

If the Kerry's are involved in the online community, there will be no stopping Kerry!

Hope everyone checks it out, and posts over there.
Kerry needs to hear from us...all of us.

[Warren DeMontague]

51. Well Said, JK.

:applause: :woohoo: :applause:

[kpete]

52. TV Alert: John Kerry on “This Week” Sunday

TV Alert: John Kerry on “This Week” Sunday
January 20th, 2006
Set your TIVO’s or rise early on Sunday morning… John Kerry will be on “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos this Sunday – tune in at 9 am on ABC.



In a Sunday exclusive, Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., talks to “This Week” about the new Osama bin Laden tape, the war in Iraq and the politics of lobbying and reform, and domestic spying.
http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=1709

[henslee]

54. I am glad he posted. Wonder if Al Gore's MLK speech may've triggered it.

Along with his Tv appearance... it puts him back on the radar to a certain extent.

[TayTay]

55. DU people triggered it

when we met with him last month. Geez, we posted about this before. It wa quite a night. (Yes, I am serious. About 12 of us went to Boston for an event in Dec and we met Sen. Kerry after it and spoke freely with him. We said what many, many, many other people have said, Democrats need to be on the blogs, speaking out. Ahm, I guess he listened. DKos came up specifically, because, ahm, DKos doesn't have an overwhelming sense of love for the Jr. Sen. from MAssachusetts. LOL!)

Thanks DU!

Oh, and the 'Friends of Mrs. Heinz' say thanks! Now don't be a stranger. Come on over and sign in here as well Senator.

[henslee]

56. Outstanding, thanks for enlightening me.

[IndyOp]

61. TayTay & KerryGoddess and everyone who met with Kerry...

I read that post and was impressed as all-get-out, and still it is hard for us who were not there to fully appreciate what happened. It does indeed seem that you opened a door and let some sunlight in and for that I thank you!

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[TayTay]

72. Democrats MUST start talking with their own grassroots.

They must. This is not only the future, it is what the horrible, no-good Rethugs are already doing and it pays big dividends for them.

Democrats are, by tradition, the party of the people. Well, the people want to talk, be heard, have their comments noted and replied to and they want to feel like they are partners with the people they send to public office. (Is that so much to ask?) If we were able to convey a tiny slice of that (a sentiment which is all over DU and DKos and every other lib board on the web) then I think everyone who was there would consider themselves blessed beyond words.

Hey, above all else, it's still 'We the People' who run this country. It's very nice to know that Sen. Kerry listened to us. It's even better (and sweet beyond words) to know that he is now posting on the web and taking comments and suggestions, and even the 'tough love' that DUers and Kossacks dish out. We MUST have this type of communication with the people in DC. We MUST. It is vital.

Sen. Kennedy posts over there. Sens. Boxer and Obama post there. The wonderful Reps Conyers and Slaughter post there. Now Sen. Kerry will. And I hope a lot more start posting. We need to talk to these folks. We staff their campaigns, we show up and hold signs and argue their case with friends and family. We send money. And we talk all the time about what's going on in this forum and at other sites. These folks need to know this and they need to join the conversation. That would be great!

[mikeybabe125]

57. Dont let us down, John...

Please John, dont let us down again!

[NMDemDist2]

60. welcome to DU mikeybabe125

:hi:

[upi402]

58. Corporate media traitors have just about sunk it

It will take big money libs to get this country back. They will just put protesters in chain-link fence and barb-wire pens. Or spirit leaders away.

No, it now will take big $ to start a real TV news channel to even get paper ballots now.

my .02

[acmavm]

62. I was VERY VERY disappointed in Kerry after the election. Still am. But

if he keeps acting like this I may have to rethink my opinion of the man.

Do I think he won the election? Of course I do. In fact, I KNOW he did. Do I think we needed someone to get right out down and dirty and fight these guys hard and dirty? Yep. I do believe that. I believed that before the election and I certainly believed that the minute the election was over. Just like I did in 2000.

I have kids and grandkids. I am bitter and angry at seeing their futures ripped right out from under them by a bunch of vicious, power-hungery, greedy, bloody fingered thugs.

[Spiffarino]

65. No doubt they stole it, but...

...Kerry should have campaigned in a manner that would have made the fraud impossible. He had Bush by the shorts and let him get away.

I still like Kerry and hope he remains in the Senate, but I don't want him to run for Prez again. He's way too careful.

[grasswire]

64. has Kos verified that it's really Kerry?

It's awfully easy for someone to pose. Just asking.

[europegirl4jfk]

74. Kos has confirmed that it's really John Kerry n/t

[thebigidea]

71. kind of strange that he can't even mention Michael Moore's name

[greiner3]

73. My enemy is George W. Bush, the rat fink fucker of the millenium.

[ProSense]

75. The first post received

more than 1,100 responses, so a new thread was started (it's nearing 600 posts now):

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/1/21/114957/967