Bush Stepping Up Attacks as Kerry Weighs Response

[BeyondGeography]

By RICHARD W. STEVENSON and DAVID M. HALBFINGER
The New York Times
Published: September 11, 2004

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio, Sept. 10 - As President Bush on Friday leveled one of his strongest attacks on Senator John Kerry's statements on Iraq, Kerry advisers said that they had agreed on the need to ratchet up their campaign by challenging the president's trustworthiness and leadership skills.

Mr. Bush, accompanied by Senator Zell Miller, the Georgia Democrat who delivered a searing critique of Mr. Kerry during the Republican convention last week, traveled by bus through hotly contested areas of two swing states, West Virginia and Ohio, questioning his rival's steadfastness in confronting Iraq and, by implication, terrorism.

…A day before the third anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Mr. Bush stepped up his efforts to portray Mr. Kerry as vacillating on national security, most recently in stating that the war had diverted money that could be better spent elsewhere after earlier saying that the United States should spend whatever is necessary to assure success in Iraq.

…Mr. Kerry's advisers concede that the drumbeat of attacks from Mr. Bush have been effective. But divisions have surfaced in the campaign and in the party over how best - and how far - they should go in taking on Mr. Bush.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/11/politics/campaign/11campaign.html?hp

[yardwork]

1. I don't think that Zell Miller is going to help sway undecideds

Even hard-core Republicans were embarrassed by his behavior.

[Skip Intro]

6. I don't think so either

Now that bush's "bounce" is apparently much smaller than Newsweek or Time purported - and fading; and since zell's hatespew was credited in great part, by certain media "analysts" of those "polls," to the "success" of the rnc - it would follow that zell's effect is as bogus as those first rnc-cycle polls were.

the traitor (zell) will play well to the other traitor (bush)'s drooling base, but I don't think for a second that any Dems or undecideds would be attracted by an unreliable. hate-mongering old-south throwback.

just my .02

[Philostopher]

21. I think you're probably right about that.

I don't know about embarrassment, but I do know my sister used to think a lot of Zell until he started talking up Bush*. She's married to a southerner, and he has some fairly conservative pet ideas, but when it comes down to voting I'm pretty sure that if he can be arsed to go to the polls, he votes for Dems. I'd imagine by now, she'd as soon Zell disappeared off the face of the earth -- she's probably embarrassed she ever said anything nice about him, now.

If Bush* thinks he's going to win over even the most conservative Democrat with a turncoat like Zell Miller, I think he's dramatically overestimating his charisma with anybody who's not a genetic Republican, even in Ohio. Zell jumping ship like he has didn't accomplish much but to make him look dirty to people who used to support him, and certainly didn't improve Bush* any in their eyes.

I don't think undecided voters see that as any kind of coup, either. If they're thoughtful enough to still be undecided by now, they're thoughtful enough to see through Zell, I'd hope.

[Leilani]

2. Why are the Kerry people always laying out their

strategy on the front page of the papers?

A little less talk & a little more action would sure help things.

[KittyWampus]

5. How Do We Know Who "Kerry Advisers" Actually ARE?

maybe the Times is referring to posters here on DU.

They have no credibility left.

[Old and In the Way]

8. Notice how no one is named?

The NYT's can suggest an awful lot without any hard facts to support their observations.

[Leilani]

10. I guess you did not read the article...

The people named are David Thorne, Kerrys old friend, Joe Lockhart, Bob Shrum, Thad Devine, Phil Singer, & others.

This story, in various forms has been in every newspaper & magazine.

The campaign is screwed up & they are leaking like a sieve.

[Old and In the Way]

15. Correct, just the snips.......

Yes, it's time to panic....I'm getting the blade out of my safety razor as I type.

[JI7]

19. they aren't

[PartyPooper]

3. Zealot Zell + Jackass Junior = a BIG fat ZERO!

[Crachet2004]

4. Bringing Zell to WV shows how little they respect us here.

And also, we will now have to buy 500,000 barge-loads of disinfectant, to decontaminate the entire state. I can feel the malicious evil.

Honestly, do they really believe that idiot will help them here? I do not see how.

[goclark]

7. Also shows the racism of GW and GOP

They are using Zell to bait the racists.

[Crachet2004]

9. That is exactly what it is...which is why it is so obvious they have no...

Respect for WV. They are catering to the lowest common denominator.

[stepnw1f]

11. Distract Me Not

Selbsvertändlich.

[Leilani]

12. I am always amazed that nobody reads the story...

This story is not about Zell Miller; it is all about the Kerry Campaign & their strategy.

[Leilani]

13. I am always amazed that nobody reads the story...

This story is not about Zell Miller; it is all about the Kerry Campaign & their strategy.

[robbedvoter]

14. What if he let Saddam in place? What line was crossed? How is this

akin to "vote kerry and the terraists will get ya?"
The answer here is: are we better off with saddam out? Is Iraq?" But they don't dare.

[sally343434]

16. I don't understand this

The article says, "A critical concern, several (Kerry) campaign officials said, is that polls have already shown Mr. Kerry's negative ratings rising recently, making it an exceptionally dangerous moment for him to attack Mr. Bush personally, since voters typically react with disapproval when candidates do so.

If that's true, shoudn't Bush be getting "voter disapproval" from his personal attacks on Kerry?

[hansolsen]

17. Here is the response he needs to make, IMO.

Here is what I want him to say.

QUOTE
Fellow citizens, hear me: I served in Vietnam and experienced the combat of war. I saw people killed and I killed enemy soldiers. I learned some things from that experience that will profoundly effect the orders I will issue as Commander and Chief. I will keep our soldiers safe from the folly of war. I will not send them on combat missions with no clear objective. I will not send them into battle where they cannot tell friend from foe. I will not ask them to fight for people who will not fight for themselves. I will never send American soldiers on a combat mission with rules of engagement where they cannot fire unless fired upon. I will never ask young soldiers to risk their lives because old men in high places cannot admit their mistakes.

I will go to Baghdad myself and I will meet with the leaders of the Iraqi insurgency. I will end this war on Iraq. I will not fire another shot in that war. I will hold an immediate national referendum in Iraq to determine if the Iraqi people want us to stay. If the people of Iraq want us out of there, I will bring the troops home. If a clear majority of Iraqis want us to stay, I will demand they stand along side American troops and prove it. If they refuse or shirk that duty, I will still bring our troops home. If they want us to stay and will stand with us, I will keep American forces there as true peace keepers.

I believe that God helps those who help themselves, and so do I. That principle will guide my policy in iraq. Please give me your vote and your confidence. Please trust that what I learned in the rice fields of South Vietnam is relevant to what must be done now. I ask for your trust. Quote.

Fellow bloggers: Will this mesage resonate?

[ArnoldLayne]

18. FUCK Zell and the horses ass (Bush)

he rode in with.

[John_H]

20. TSadly, this reminds me of the Pelosi press release

"Pelosi Plans to Attack Bush," or something like that. In politics, "plans" and "weighs" are not action verbs.

Was my elation at the new Kerry team showing signs of life premature? I hope not, but have you ever seen a story about Team Chimp "weighing" their response?

Even more troubling is the following graph: "Mr. Kerry's advisers concede that the drumbeat of attacks from Mr. Bush have been effective. But divisions have surfaced in the campaign about... how far they should go in taking on Mr. Bush."

Translation: A power struggle continues between the judo chess afficionados and the new people. Since Kerry decided not to fire the judo senseis, they're repaying his loyalty by resisting the authority of the people Kerry brought in to change the direction of his campaign. I hope, for the good of their candidate and their country, they just let it go.

If it makes them feel better, they could think of it this way: If they had stayed in control and lost that would been three blown elections in a row and they'd be toast. On the other hand, if Lockheart and co. are ultimately unable to clean up their mess, they can always say, "we were right."

[Democat]

22. The time for weighing is before the fight starts - time to start slugging!

Stop talking about attacking and just do it!