Kerry: I'm prepared to kick Swift Boat's ass

Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) doesn't believe that Hillary Clinton has the inside track on the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination and says he would vigorously defend himself against new attacks by the Swift Boat team, according to an interview with The Examiner.

"I’m prepared to kick their ass from one end of America to the other," said Kerry, in a strong hint that he intends to run for president once again.

In response to wide talk of Sen. Clinton (D-NY) being the favorite for the Democrats in 2008, Kerry says, "I don’t buy it. ... I don’t care what the dominant, conventional wisdom is today; it will not be the dominant, conventional wisdom in a year."

http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Kerry_Im_prepared_to_...

I hope he backs it up with action.

He walked away and let bush have the presidency.I was sick and depressed for months.I campaigned for him and John Edwards and when he walked away with out a fight I was devastated!!!!!

These kinds of posts are beyond tiresome at this late date. Assuming this is genuine and not from some pathetic Free Republic leech--stop wasting this much energy demonizing a past decision of Kerry's you clearly know nothing about. Or, go research what actually happened and the positive changes it facilitated if you want--so you can stop reacting so childishless, exhausting yourself and taking up bandwidth on this board. Learn about it, then let it go.

are doomed to repeat it. And girlfriend you paint with a damned broad brush. And speaking of taking up bandwidth...

Kerry or any Dem hasn't learned from history? Who are you supporting?

Democratic Party selects as their nominee for the office of President of the United States. Personally, I would love to see someone in the Paul Wellstone-meets Barry Goldwater--meets JFK mold. Someone bold and brash and beholden to no one. This country is at is most perilous juncture. It is no exaggeration to say that our society could be vastly different--and not for the better--only 30 years from now. Global warming, peak oil, poverty, hunger and epidemic disease are but of few of the elements that comprise our "perfect storm."

Every election cycle the word "change" is thrown about. We need more than just the usual change. We need a complete paradigm shift. Never before has this country strayed so far from its guiding principles. And never before has this country required leadership of exceptional courage and strength.

You may be interested in Eric Boehlert's Lapdogs. Pay particular attention to the chapter about the Swift Liars.

I don't recall the exact numbers but it was something like 300 to 12: 300 MSM mentions of the allegations, to 12 mentions of the Kerry team response - which included ads, press conferences, published statements, and so on.

You can pick a different candidate but if they face the same media, they will look like they didn't respond to the attacks, too.

and i like kerry a lot, but he folded

http://audio.wegoted.com/podcasting/122105SenatorKerry....

http://www.stephaniemiller.com/bits/2006_0517_kerry.mp3

continue in court. The same Dem election lawyers who told Gore he had a legal case to continue.

Read the Princeton study - rigged machines are programmed to erase every trace of tampering. The machines need to be secured BEFORE the voting - and that is something the Dem PARTY needs to do through its party infrastructure - county by county.

and precinct by precinct. That's how they took over and that's how we have to take it back. I pray to God someone out there in DNCland understands that.

But, it's much easier to toss all the blame at the person who worked his ass off to win and won - yet, just like in Florida, the Dem infrastructure couldn't complete the job they were elected and hired to do.

you've been on a crusade for over a year now

Why accept the thousands of inaccurate postings directed at Kerry and complain about the hundreds that were posted in defense of the facts?

Seems to me the whole party should be on a crusade to make sure ANY falsehood spread about any Dem is shot down, no matter if it comes from the right, center or left.

You may have missed my posts that shot down lies about Clark, Kucinich, Dean and Edwards, too. If I catch an inaccuracy and don't see a rebuttal based in a fact I am familiar with, I post one.

no matter which Dem it "helps in '08."

Putting him in charge of DNC was a great move for the party. Of course, some people want him to renege on his promise not to run for president in 2008...but I don't think he'll renege. I think he's a better guy than that. And he also knows he's young enough to run for pres later, AFTER he puts the party on a more effective course.

I gave more money thn all my previous donations together, campaigned for him in 2 states.
It was his to lose and he lost it. We can blame other people but if he had put up a good fight he would have won.
Not Him! Not Hilary! Someone without baggage that wants to put up a fight (Clark? Feingold?)

However, my faith in him has not waivered for an instant, I still respect and admire the man and what he stands for. He WILL be the next nominee for POTUS, and this time he'll be sworn in! In the meantime, he is still MY President, thank you very much!

How different life now might be. Go Clark, Edwards, Warner, Richardson, Gore, and anyone else who might chose to run and the FIGHT when they are FUCKED. Too bad John learned his lesson a few years too late.

...but it's not a different world. It's a world in which no ass was kicked in 2004. It's a world in which we waited a month for an ass kicking that never happened. I don't believe a second ass-kicking opportunity will be granted in 2008, but I may be wrong. I doubt it.

to fuck up. Democrats want to win and he really doesn't have what it takes.

I think John Kerry makes a pretty decent senator from Massachusetts (other than his pro-war votes) but thats pretty much stretching his limits to the max. He's not presidential material. He let bottom feeding scum suckers (ie the "swiftboaters") derail him in 2004 with little or no protest. Then he let Ohio be stolen with no protest.

This is not the person I want representing my party in 2008. It's time to fight back and Kerry apparently doesn't know how.

He folded quicker than Superman on laundry day. It boggles the mind people still support him and want him to run again. What the proverb about doing the same thing and expecting a different outcome?

"Insanity: the belief that one can get different results by doing the same thing."
-Albert Einstein

http://www.ed.gov/nclb/overview/intro/presentation/edli...

I think the source is pretty solid.

And the bastard Kerry (who I gave money to, worked for, and voted for) did "fold quicker than Superman on laundry day". Thanks for putting it so bluntly. I will never forgive or forget the nightmare that prematurely caving in November 2004 brought us. What a smuck.

Let me spell it out.

JOHN KERRY IS A SHILL. Kerry's job was to lose the election. That's why he never defended himself against the bullshit Swiftboat rubbish. That's why he conceded election night. That's why he never fought to ensure there was a clean vote.

Bush is Skull and Bones. Kerry is Skull and Bones.

Research the group. That is their one and only loyalty. Not to any party or, heaven forbid, the people of the United States.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_bones

At any rate, before even considering your argument, the very fact that you end on "or, more likely, a RW shill" clearly shows your character. How close minded of you to assume that anyone with a different opinion to your own is automatically the enemy. I mean, someone on a progressive website calling someone excercising free speech a fucking RW shill. I am as offended as I have ever been on this website.

By claiming no "rational" person could believe it, you are not just calling me out, but a number of other people on this board. Namely the person I was responding too.

I have outlined why I believe John Kerry to be nothing but a shill. You have outlined nothing to refute that. You wrote a paragraph that was based entirely on what Kerry SAID, not DID, and then ended with a personal attack. Nice work.

Anyone who believes this had anything to do with the election is clueless or a RW shill.

That is my opinion, I believe the election was rife with fraud. There may be no way of knowing for sure if Kerry won or lost. To conclude after the election that because he you perceive that he didn't challenge the results, he threw the election because of his involvement in a fraternity 40 years ago is completely illogical. That is my opinion.

is that the conspiracy theorists who propose wacky theories like this do a lot of damage to legitimate causes, like voting fraud.

You speak of an organization he was tapped for in college - that he joined.

You ignore:

- Kerry had the guts to take on Nixon over VN . That is well documented - so he opposed many S&B people on this

- Kerry investigated the Contras and drug running - most of what's known wouldn't be if Kerry hadn't done this. The reporters would be even more convinvingly described as "conspiracy nuts. GHWB was the head of this - Gee, why did Kerry do this.

-Kerry went after BCCI and continued to push the case till Morenthau took it. Lots of S&B people behind that

These add up to at least a decade of Senator Kerry's life - each put his political career at risk. This leads me to believe that:

-Either the conspiracy nonsense around S&B is over inflated hype and it is really just a very very high level "old boys" club.
-Kerry, while in Vietnam changed and rejected the lies

Either way - look at what the man has PROVABLY done - he is not on their side.

http://audio.wegoted.com/podcasting/122105SenatorKerry....

http://www.stephaniemiller.com/bits/2006_0517_kerry.mp3

I mean, if he genuinely wanted a fair count, why give up at the start?

concede on election night! It the following day, and the facts about his actions thereafter are posted.

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And what the fuck is this interrogation? What's my stake? I don't wanna see the fucking planet ruined by your goddamn government.

I think I'll just resign myself to the fact that people here are not ready to fight the real enemy, and are comfortable creating a fantasy world wherein a Democratic President will make it all good again.

Forgive me for trying to inject a new point of view into proceedings. I'm sorry you aren't prepared to even listen.

one question. I'd listen if you had something valid to say.
And this is a new point of view? Yawn; sounds like more of
the same to me.

too weak and party infrastructure too collapsed to get the votes secured BEFORE the voting. And their spokespeople were ill-prepared for the daily appearances.

The left media was SWAMPED daily by the RW message machine.

Who are you supporting? If Kerry runs, he is in a excellent position, better than most!

will support him with all my heart and soul. Whatever it takes. What I want from Kerry is the same. What I also want from Kerry is an explanation, in his own words, why he conceded. Not from you, not from a legal mouthpiece. John Kerry needs to tell me and millions of Americans why he should be given a second chance. Mince no words, make no dodges. Tell me John, straight up, why is bush* living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and not you? And what lengths are you prepared to go to remedy this situation?

ProSense, I do not question your motives, your conviction nor your integrity. So please, don't react as if I did. The burden of proof of conviction is on John Kerry. Let him speak.

audio clips and more here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

recount in 2004.

ad out kicking Allen's butt and dogged out Lieberman last week!
http://www.votevets.org/index.php?option=com_content&ta...

Read the list of who is involved at the link.....and you will see some pretty tough MF Democrats!

If he seriously believes he has a chance in 2008, then he needs medication. Badly.

Kerry is still getting a lot of attention, receiving a lot of support and continuing to fight, despite your perception.

You had your chance John, and you blew it! I won't give you a second chance.

Every Dem candidate kicks ass as needed. That would make one hell of an election season. So I'm glad he's feeling like this and letting the cons know that he's ready to do battle - literally. I'm glad to hear this kind of talk. It's what we've been waiting for.

I'm not a defeatist, butwhere would this sudden backbone come from? There of so few Dems who actually DO kick back, I could cry! I hope you're right andI'm wrong but preasantly surprised!

I want to ask him where the hell his spine was when they swift boated him. We'll see if he's for real. But maybe he finally woke up and smelled the coffee.

I'd hate to be your favorite sports team, never giving them a second chance, they might as well not even show up on the field.

Geez were you against Kerry before you were for him. I think I can answer that.

Barely. I don't think it'll be a problem because I honestly don't think he'll run unless he's invited onto the nominee's ticket.

I give as many chances as it takes to Democrats. The worst Democrat is HEADS ABOVE Lincoln Chafee and his band of "pretend-moderate" Rethugs. Fuck them any everyone who believe in "liberal Republicans". What a joke. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins have no more pity on the weak and handicapped than Tom Coburn and John Cornyn. The whole fucking Republican party is evil and should be banned.

as I posted on another thread. I'm not holding a grudge against him, I feel history need not repeat itself.

Do you want Hillary?

As to Wes Clark, great guy, but he is still lingering in single digits and we will need a stop-Hillary candidate PDQ.

Jesus. This guy's got zero self-awareness. I'm convinced that the Senate turns humans into holograms.

you let the MSM and pundits rule your thinking in '04. I suppose Kerry was your number 1 candidate in '04, NOT.

Please tell me what other hologram brought millions out to the streets to see him (hologram) speak?

Ditto any GOP candidate for president. Most people who vote are going to back one or the either. Get it? It's not necessarily their overwhelming appeal that does it.

Welcome to the two-party system.

But you've discerned my horrible secret. I didn't find John Kerry the very most attractive of the available primary candidates. This time, of course, when Kerry says he'll fight effectively I'll believe him. Learning from experience is for eggheads.

you were against him before you were for him. So would you give your candidate another chance? Or will you blame that on Kerry too?

and grow a pair BEFORE the election!

Day late and a dollar short.....

Did you figure out he didn't have a pair before the election or after?

The clock is running out.

He brings to mind the good ol school daze... going home after being picked on and thinking up the perfect come-back a day or 2 later.

And ran out of money, that's another likely story. More like he cut and run to steal the repukes favorite saying.

Its time for new blood to represent the Democratic party. I'm over the Bushes, Doles, Nixons, Kennedys and Clintons. Its a freaking democracy-lets have non-royals run things for awhile.

in the way he had it in 2004. I've said this several places on the forum but it bears repeating: People like Howard Dean need to be given a real clear shot at these Rethugs. They have the stuff, now more than ever.

out in the open before 2008. Just talk.

Why should we believe you? You also said "every vote gets counted and every vote counts". How do we know you won't chicken out again?

Or Adlai Stevenson in 1956.

Unless it's someone like Al Gore who won the popular vote and would have won Florida's electoral votes if not for the fraud, then I don't support running someone who's already been defined to the point that it will be next to impossible to change voter's minds about him. Case in point, most voters already know who Hillary is, and she will have little room for movement upword. There are just too many people who will vote for a ham sandwich over her, both on the right and on the left.

Also, Kerry only did as well as he did because of the "Anybody but Bush" principle that kept us united in 2004. If someone like John McCain gets nominated in 2008, then there will be less enthusiasm for someone like Kerry in terms of how swing voters will go.

I'd rather have someone who's unknown to the public and hasn't been smeared by Rove yet, like Mark Warner or Wes Clark (although the right-wing has a whole list of talkingpoints ready to use against Clark, included the lie that he was "fired" and that he "almost started WWIII" while with Warner their only "attack" is a weak one involving passage of a tax increase that received bipartisan support in the state legislature. But then again, I say that as a would-be Warner supporter, if he runs.

Clinton with the ABX vote and got many, many votes from people who liked him.

I definitively dont want somebody unknown to the public, particularly against somebody who has the popularity of a McCain or Guliani who are well known. They would have to learn how to make a national campaign, become known to the public, ... Too much time lost.

We have two recent nominees who have both gotten more votes than any other Democrats. Let's choose one of them as our nominee and dont rewrite everything at each cycle. This is one of the reason we lose each election. We dont recognize that people want to see familiar faces. We're way too interested in circular firesquads.

BTW, Warner and Clark will be smeared the minute they look like serious candidates. Dont think they wont or you are ready for a big surprise. Not only Warner, every candidate. We need big name Democrats to unite around the candidate, something that was really missing in 04 where some people were a lot more interested promoting their 08 strategy,

Kerry is not Stevenson, nor is he William Jennings Bryan. If you would like to amuse me, tell me the similarities.

Your "analysis" proves that Google can make you "look" smart, but it doesn't mean you "are" smart.

can you say a dy late and a dollar short boys and girls? i knew you could!

...then perhaps I will consider voting for him. Until then, if he is more afraid of appearing a "sore loser" than he was defending the people's sacred right to vote, not a good sign. No I cannot "give it up". The right to vote is too precious. I think this was far more important than being so afraid of what he "looked" like than making sure everyone's vote counted. Not a good sign for the courageous behavior needed for a true leader IMO. Maybe I am odd here but when I see a person who has stood up and told the truth and LIVES what he says, then I will support them.

As for Clinton, she is no better. I do not have the confidence she is doing much more than keeping her ear to the ground to make sure every move is politically correct and with her running with the DLC, well I don't think the DLC's worship of Rethuglican lite is the answer either.

My 2 cents

Cat In Seattle

http://audio.wegoted.com/podcasting/122105SenatorKerry....

http://www.stephaniemiller.com/bits/2006_0517_kerry.mp3

rather than votes not counted.

Let's see you explain this away...

"Fighting for Every Voter"

A few more words about an issue that is of the utmost importance to me. As political candidates, we spend considerable time and effort every election cycle fighting for votes...

A few more words about an issue that is of the utmost importance to me.

As political candidates, we spend considerable time and effort every election cycle fighting for votes. After the election, whether won or lost, many candidates leave the irregularities of the election behind. But we owe the voters more than that. When voters are disenfrachised, we owe it to them to seek justice and expose the truth.

That is why I have been so proud of the Kerry-Edwards campaign's ongoing involvement in the investigation and litigation of what went wrong in Ohio. I wrote to the candidates recently to ask that they continue to be involved in this important endeavor.

This is not about the past. It is about figuring out what went wrong and why -- and then getting the next election right, not for the Democratic Party, but for all of the voters.

- John Conyers

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000213.htm

idiot

Uh, John, the person who can win the 2008 election is the one who will coordinate the following message up and down through the party...

"John McCain's a doublespeaking phony and it's time to repair the damage Bush did to the bridge to the 21st Century".

You don't have it in you to say the first part, and your buddy will eat you alive.

...the Seahawks are ready to kick some Steeler ass. WTF, John?

but, the referees gave the game to Pittsburgh

Kind of like the 2004 election...

When so many of us knew the Iraq War was a stupid-a$$ idea, he had his chance to show some courage. It would have been the perfect contrarian move to the me-too spinelessness all the Dems who went along with it.

Perfect because he would have been correct
morally
on the terrorism fight
on Iraq
on world affairs
on military strategy
on US priorities.

Robert Byrd said we didn't know what we were getting into. He was right.

Robert Byrd should never have voted for Alito! n/t

Only a genuine candidate will succeed. The war is the dividing line between those who are willing to go along with the President's mistakes and those who are willing to stick their neck out and stop us from flushing our country down the commode.

I'm not here to play tit-for-tat about Byrd/Alito, you'll have to play with yourself on that.

No one went along with Bush. That is simply nonsense. This is Bush's war. It is not negotiable. Play up RW talking points if you want, but do it by yourself!