Tweet from Chuck Todd says Senator Kerry will be...

before this that JK will be on with Andrea Mitchell but i had to leave for work.

...strong advocate for the President and his policies. I also liked the lead up with Mitchell and Rachel M. They discussed how coverage of elections as a horserace was detracting from the debate we need...as a country...on issues.

That followed by Senator Kerry who has advocated exactly that FOREVER.

http://video.msnbc.msn.com/mitchell-reports/49214282#49214282

He was excellent on Israel/Iran - calling Romney's "throw Israel under the bus" - "a lie". He also hit back very hard on Mitchell trying to repeat Republican spin on Bengazie - trying to suggest that the SFRC letter asking questions of the State department was in sync with that. He seemed completely disgusted that the Republicans were trying to politicize this.

Thanks also to karynnj for the link!
It feels like JK is in a really good place these days. All the BS about "similarities" between Romney and Kerry. .here's the BIG DIFFERENCE: Romney, as most people now know, has no integrity. He literally has no integrity: he is not a whole person, he has no core. But Sen. Kerry is the very model of integrity: steadfastly fighting for the same principles, for something larger than himself, decade after decade, no matter what the political fashion of the moment. And it's his integrity that's allowed him to survive and thrive all these years. IMHO, integrity is the ultimate survival tool. And also, judging from that interview, apparently good for your health. : )

As always, MBS. And thanks, karynnj, for the link! I loved how he didn't let Andrea get away with one single thing. I think she was impressed, too. Obviously, they've known each other well for many years, and I'm sure they respect each other, but on air, it's her job to try to put him on the spot, and I thought this was a particularly expert bit of journalist-wrangling!

I also love that it's ALWAYS his m.o. to cut through as much BS as possible. The stereotype of a politician is that they speak fluent BS, but JK really does tell it like it is, no matter how hard news people try to trap him or catch him off guard or manipulate him into something sensational. He just looks them in the eye and (when he's allowed to get a word in!) tells the truth.

And that's a good part of why I come back to this forum every day...

Reading what you wrote, I think back to a short answer Esquire interview in early 2006. Asked about the pain of losing, Kerry answered:

"An honest answer is that I was more knocked on my ass when I was younger. Because when I lost the race for Congress in 1972, everything was new, raw, and fresh. That experience taught me how to pick up the pieces and go on. It taught me that there are much more important things than running in a race and not winning. Your family. Your values. The things you choose to fight for. I left the race for the presidency with my integrity — and that's very important.

I can't find a link to the article, but can find a link to what is likely a better source of record for Kerry (2005 - 2011) - the old DU Jk http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=273&topic_id=69181 - here is a link to Mass's excerpt

Romney will not be able to speak of his integrity or speak of fighting for his values - he is fighting to win as whatever shape could win.

In this year's convention speech, the parts that seemed the most strongly said (in an amazingly strong speech) were when he spoke of Obama ending the policy of torture and when condemning Romney for not speaking of the troops. Talk about values going back to the first point he became known in the early 1970s!