Does John Kerry have a "vision" for America?

[T_i_B]

Another article from former senior Democratic party strategist Philip James. Call me what you will but this guy seems to be batting for the other side by the look of this.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/comment/story/0,14259,1193334,00.html

Democrat challenger John Kerry needs a vision to rival George Bush's. What he has offered so far is not compelling.

On Iraq, it can be boiled down to the "me too, but..." argument - a vague agreement with the president on the need to stay the course while criticising his approach in piecemeal ways and offering no broad alternative.

He laid out his "Iraq strategy" in an op-ed in Tuesday's Washington Post. The attempt to pre-empt the president only gave the Bush White House time to de-fang the Kerry argument by harvesting from it any useful suggestions. Kerry called for more troops if the commanders on the ground ask for them; so did Bush. He argued for UN involvement in the transition; so did Bush. He called for Nato involvement in the post-June security forces; so did Bush. And he called on the president to give the American people a clear vision of why we are there in the first place; and the president gave them one.

Kerry has yet to provide one of his own, either domestically or on foreign policy, but his foreign policy goals need to be as clear and bold as the president's.

[jpgray]

1. Well, part of this at least is false

Kerry called for taking America out of the leadership role in both controlling the country and in doling out the contracts, something Bush will never do and has never proposed. That, I believe, is quite a significant difference because the money from the contracts and the four permanent bases combine to make Iraq more than a lethal mistake and closer to a total disaster.

[formernaderite]

2. Arianna Huffington on NPR is discussing this same issue....

...the left and the Kerry campaign have to come up with a "simple" vision for America, it's not enough to constantly defend oneself and come up with complex statements.

[sandnsea]

3. Unfriggin' believable

"The attempt to pre-empt the president only gave the Bush White House time to de-fang the Kerry argument by harvesting from it any useful suggestions."

So Kerry restates the same goddamn plan he's had since 2002, Bush PRETENDS to do some of this as he has since 2002, and they're STILL criticizing Kerry.

The left is a bigger enemy in this election than the right.

[sangh0]

4. Yep, Bush* lies, and they swear to it

With friends like these....

[T_i_B]

5. Philip James has a history

of writing articles for the guardian which suck up to Bush something rotten. Makes you wonder why he went to work for the dems in the first place if you ask me. Here's a good example of what was widely condemmed on DU at the time as complete gibberish.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/comment/story/0,14259,1168033,00.html