Kerry: Bush is "unfit to lead this nation"

[quaoar]

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Fighting back, Democratic Sen. John Kerry called President Bush “unfit to lead this nation” because of the war in Iraq and his record on jobs, health care and energy prices. He lashed out at the incumbent and Vice President Dick Cheney for avoiding service in the Vietnam War.
“I’m not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq,” Kerry said in prepared remarks issued as the Republican was poised to accept his party’s nomination for a second term.


Here's a link:


http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-09-02-kerry_x.htm

[PA Democrat]

1. YES! That is what we've been waiting to hear. n/t

[alittlelark]

2. Finally!!!!

It's past time for him to attack!!!

[mitchum]

65. YES!

[MrSlayer]

3. Nice, take no prisoners, take no shit.

Make it a street fight.

[Bluzmann57]

4. Good!

Kerry is waking up and coming out swinging. That is what he has to do, keep hammering the non-record of the bushistas. Go John go!

[stray cat]

5. Unfit to lead 98% of americans economically, 100% in all other ways.

nt

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. Go JOHN!!!!!

This is what is needed to be said. Don't attack-just tell the truth. It will feel like hell to them!

[eleny]

7. Right On!

That's cutting the shrub to size!

[David__77]

8. Excellent, and this will play well also!

Succinct and correct. Bush is a scoundrel and this whole convention is a farce.

[senseandsensibility]

9. Please please please

let this get some airplay. :) :toast: Way to go, John.

[faithnotgreed]

12. thats me exactly! pleaseoplease

[David Dunham]

10. Is this a joke?

[MoonRiver]

11. YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!!!!!

Please just tell it like it is John Kerry!! If you do YOU WILL WIN!!

[nini]

13. no link? how'd you find the quote then?

?

[faithnotgreed]

18. i was wondering that too

[nini]

21. Here's the link

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20040902/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_democrats



Bitchen!!

[incapsulated]

14. YES!

“I’m not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq,”

Say it over and over and over, John!!!

[bluedog]

15. yahoo link

Kerry answered his critics with a blistering statement.


"For the past week, they attacked my patriotism and my fitness to serve as commander in chief," Kerry said. "We'll, here's my answer. I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq."

snip





"It doesn't surprise me that the vice president of the United States spent most of his speech talking about John Kerry because you know he doesn't want to talk about what they've done to this country," the North Carolina senator said.


snip

On CBS's "The Early Show," Edwards mocked Cheney for saying "the black market network that supplied nuclear weapons technology to Libya, as well as to Iran and North Korea (news - web sites), has been shut down."


"He said that with a straight face on the same day that the Iranians themselves were declaring that they were moving forward with their nuclear weapons development program," Edwards said.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=703&e=2&u=/ap/20040902/ap_on_el_pr/cvn_democrats
___

[democrat_patriot]

32. That was incredible!!!!

At tonight's rally: "America - the GLOVES ARE OFF!!"

[newsguyatl]

16. of course the bad thing about this

is it's a REACTION to cheney calling HIM unfit to lead last night.

kerry's always REACTING... he's never setting the parameters, and truth be told, that really bothers me about him.

i hope he'll soon learn to do that, before it's too late.

[faithnotgreed]

26. i dont agree. this is our guy LEADING the battle charge right here.

[newsguyatl]

35. no, sorry, you're wrong

he's REACTING to cheney last night.

i just read the press release about tonight's rally, and he says "cheney calls me unfit..." yadda yadda, so "i say bush is unfit."

he needs to learn from dean, to lead a charge and make the media pay attention. whether you liked dean or not, dean blazed a path, and the media followed. i hope kerry will learn this.

[faithnotgreed]

49. this doesnt need to come down to saying someone is wrong for their

opinion. i just dont happen to agree but there isnt a contest here

i respect that we are all here rooting hard for our people and the emotions run high

i think his only choice was to respond . i mean they attacked him last night. it could be argued that this response should have come out earlier today but i personally feel that it was all he could do to fight back against the hate that came just last night

but in addition he beautifully & succinctly called bush & cheney out on their lack of service

so i dont see this as defense only. i see this as responding and taking that to lead his own strong charges against the administration.

this is really the campaign fighting back & landing some good blows of their own.

those are my opinions fwiw

[grytpype]

50. no, no

The Repugs have been labeling Kerry "unfit" for a long time. Look at the title of the Swift Liars book, for example.

So chill, man, be happy Kerry finally chose his moment to start piling shit on El Presidento Retardo.

[lancdem]

30. You can't really be on the offensive during the RNC

the best you can do is counterattack strongly. But I think these statements are a harbinger.

[speedoo]

31. And it's too slow.

This won't get any play until tomorrow and it's likely to be drowned out by the hurricane and by dumbya's speech.

This should have been released this morning so it could have gotten some play today.

[incapsulated]

40. Which is why he has to keep it up

This has to be just the start. But I'm encouraged.

[rockymountaindem]

42. Oh come on already!

Some people just won't be satisfied.

[mbali]

62. So he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't . . .

[iwantmycountryback]

67. Jeez

You people make no sense. First you whine about him not fighting back. And when he does, he's reacting. Make up your damn mind!

[DenverDem]

Johny K has been planning this for months.

Now the campaign begins.

[nini]

exactly

.

[girl gone mad]

17. Awesome.

Succinct and spot on. Bush is Unfit for Command because he has been a miserable failure as President. As a draft dodger, he has no business questioning Kerry's service.

[DoYouEverWonder]

19. All Kerry has to do is keep telling the truth

Tha plain and simple truth.

[TaleWgnDg]

20. here's the url . . .

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/2004/09/02/politics1912EDT0757.DTL

[Nicholas_J]

22. Kerry Starts up tonight

in a midnight rally in Ohio.

Not wasting any time. I understand that they have picked apart the Cheney speech and are abot to point out the falllacy of the continual linking of Iraq with terrorism and point out that a lot of money has been wasted in Iraq that would have been better spent trying to catch the people who actually perpetrated the events of 9/11

[Jim Sagle]

23. Here's a little winky linky:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-09-02-kerry_x.htm

I found it via http://news.google.com/ and Googling

kerry bush unfit

.

[Cronus Protagonist]

24. Kerry just threw a dagger into the ground at Bush's feet

What will he do?

I say an attempt at ridicule and a turnaround. "How could Kerry say that about Bush who's spent the last three years winning the war on terra? Kerry is the one that's unfit"

Any bets?


Lick Laura's Bush - Drop Bush Not Bombs! - FUCK BUSH
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[misterphelps]

25. Offense Offense Offense...

Keep them on their heels all the way through the election.,

With bad job numbers tomorrow and 60 minutes on Sunday, it's shaping up to be a good week

[mbali]

27. Nice!!!

The Commander's on deck!

[grytpype]

28. Keep it up!!!!!!

BUSH IS A MISERABLE FAILURE

[misterphelps]

29. Offense Offense Offense

Keep them on their heels all the way through the election.,
With bad job numbers tomorrow and 60 minutes on Sunday, it's shaping up to be a good week

[annxburns]

33. Perfect timing with Barnes inteview coming

wednesday.

They went to far, now reap the whirlwind gentlemen ....

[mbali]

68. If he had said this two weeks ago, the press would have either ignored

him or attacked him for being too negative and defensive.

His timing is perfect. It reminds me a bit of Bill Clinton and Ross Perot in 1992. Perot was stealing much of the attention and thunder from Clinton, but then crashed and burned the day Clinton was to give his acceptance speech. The fact that Perot pulled out that day shifted the paradigm and created an ideal opening for Clinton to get his message out in the best possible light. The perfect storm. Part of it was pure luck, but much of it was the result of Clinton's smarts and patience and his refusal to go off his game in order to outshine Perot, something many people insisted that he do at the time. Clinton bided his time, stayed on course, and then when the opportunity opened up, he stepped right in and knocked it out of the park.

That's what this looks like. Kerry has waited patiently for the right time, resisting the calls to jump at every diversionary attack until he was ready. And in the last few days, the paradigm has shifted. While two weeks ago, the Republicans were calling Kerry's character and service into question with impunity, with the press just going along uncritically, the convention has apparently changed everything. The press is no longer buying their crap and is actually raising questions about THEM. And now that the mask of moderation was pulled off of this party to reveal Zell Miller's ugly sneer, the breech is open and Kerry is stepping in for the fight.

And it's too late for the Republicans to step back.

[madmax]

34. Go John!! Fight back hard.

Fuggedabout playing nice. Kick him in the nuts. If we lose I want to go down fighting! :bounce: :kick:

[spanone]

36. Smack those fuckers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dennis4868]

37. WHAT TOOK SO LONG FOR YOU TO SAY THIS MR. KERRY?

[A_Possum]

38. waiting for them to jump the shark

they just did. Thanks Zell! *waves*

[madmax]

41. Sorry I'm over the hill... ;-) What does jump the shark mean? n/t

[nostamj]

45. it means 'going over the top'

originally referred to TV shows that get desparate for ratings.

the actual 'jumping the shark' involved Fonzie jumping a shark tank on a motorcycle.

[madmax]

48. Ah... thank you my bud. n/t

[A_Possum]

47. Reference to Fonzie on Happy Days

The show was on its last legs and stooped so low for plot material that they had the Fonz jump over a shark while surfing...usually used as a phrase to describe someone who's washed up in their career/writing etc.

on edit: or jumping a shark on something, I never actually saw the show!

[madmax]

39. Maybe he was keeping his powder dry.

Now let's kick some bush ass!!!

John the buzzwords are:

CHICKENHAWKS

MISERABLE FAILURES!!!

:bounce: :kick: :toast:

[Rosco T.]

52. Timing.... sheer timing... it's too late for Shrub to change his speech...

he dosen't have another week to have it all written out phonetically on the teleprompters.

[Cronus Protagonist]

56. You're right - the GOP platform and speech are set in stone

Now Kerry's changing the battleground and the tactics. Good move on his part.


Lick Laura's Bush - Drop Bush Not Bombs! - FUCK BUSH
http://brainbuttons.com/home.asp?stashid=13

[sendero]

66. Laugh out effing loud...

... you got that right!!!!!

[lagniappe]

43. "Unfit to lead" and "Mislead". Very nice!!! Now just keep repeating.

[oasis]

44. Play it again Sam "We need regime change right here".

:yourock:

[bushwakker]

46. way to go JK - now keep saying it every freaking day until nov2

[CityDem]

51. This is what most DU folks wanted

I am not sure this is a winning strategy, but we will soon find out. Normally, the candidate leaves this type of response to the VP or other surrogates. The candidate is supposed to look "presidential" and remain above the fray. But, since the attacks of Rove and the Swiftees were directed at Kerry's character, it may require a direct response by Kerry. This is a tough call. If this approach fails and the electorate views Kerry as a whiner, his campaign may be over. It should be an interesting couple weeks.

[madmax]

54. I understand what you're saying but, as I recall

Gore tried to play it by the rules and they smeared him everyday. Kerry needs to let them have it and good. Like I said, if we're going to lose I want to lose fighting not the way Al Gore did it.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

60. lol

Kerry says: Bush 'unfit to lead this nation'.... 'For the past week, they attacked my patriotism and my fitness to serve as commander in chief, well, here's my answer. I'm not going to have my commitment to defend this country questioned by those who refused to serve when they could have and by those who have misled the nation into Iraq.'

And you say:

Kerry needs to let them have it and good


:wtf:

[madmax]

63. delete dupe

[madmax]

64. Maybe you missed my other posts... wtf??? n/t

:kick:

[lagniappe]

61. Didn't Dukakis do the same thing? You can forcefully attack without

sounding shrill. Unfortunately, Cheney is very good at it.

[quaoar]

53. And now there needs to be

A broadside directed at Zell Miller.

[Iceburg]

75. Forget Zell ... he was just a pawn in this war.

[Christof]

55. Sweet.

:)

[SCRUBDASHRUB]

58. Hell yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bring it on, muthafucka!!!!!

[in_cog_ni_to]

57. Happy, happy, happy dance!

WooHoo! He's bringing a gun to the gun fight! YES!

[quaoar]

76. Which is good

Because he was starting to look like he had been in an axe fight without an axe.

[ItsMyParty]

59. These comments from the release are being read on all cable

networks tonight as we wait for the speech. So, it's getting out there and CNN said they were covering Kerry's live address tonight. There was one thing pointed out though. They said that Bush is going to lay out these 'future plans' (bullshit crap as usual) and that that then puts Kerry in a position to attack those plans and ANSWER. And that the Rove strategy is to keep Kerry "answering" things. So after John attacks tonight, he has to not fall for their trap. He needs just to mock 'their plans' and refer to the four years of total failure on all fronts and then present his message. One can do all that in a 15 minute speech easily. I have a feeling that their are some bombs planted around that are going to come from other sources (like the 60 min. interview)that's going to have Bush off message and scrambling.

[sendero]

69. Exactly...

.... I wish Kerry would say something like "I have heard that Bush* has some new plans. That's unfortunate, because none of his previous plans have turned out well." :)

[mbali]

71. This statement makes it all the more likely the cable nets will cover

Kerry live tonight. They love a fight and they will juxtapose Bush's speech with Kerry's a couple of hours later.

As I've been saying, do NOT underestimate our guy. He knows just what he's doing!

The Commander's on Deck!!!

[Generator]

70. That's my man!

And for those of you that question the timing, I ask you, what better timing than this, this day that is supposed to be Bush's spotlight?

Bada ZING!

[mbali]

72. Exactly!

For those who have been dogging out Kerry for not hitting back fast and hard - how much harder or faster can you be than slamming Bush an hour after his big speech?

For months, Rove and Hughes planned for Bush to own tomorrow's news cycle and the weekend talk shows. Not gonna happen.

Now, instead of spending the next four days building upon Bush's convention message, the Bush folks will have to spend their time responding to Kerry.

Kerry has smacked them down bigtime.

[kimchi]

73. Right on, Kerry!

Listen to the Big Dawg--fight like hell.

[shawmut]

74. Go, John! Kick. Their. Ass.

Now and until November 2nd!


:kick: :kick: :kick: :kick: :kick:

[quaoar]

77. More from Kerry's release

“I guess I’ll leave it up to the voters whether five deferments makes someone more qualified to defend this nation than two tours of duty."

“Let me tell you what I think makes someone unfit for duty."

“Misleading our nation into war in Iraq makes you unfit to lead this nation. Doing nothing while this nation loses millions of jobs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting 45 million Americans go without health care makes you unfit to lead this nation. Letting the Saudi royal family control our energy costs makes you unfit to lead this nation. Handing out billions of government contracts to Halliburton while you’re still on their payroll makes you unfit.”

[mfritz]

78. Ha! And the Republicans teed it up for him

They tried so hard, for so long to paint the Democrats as "negative" and "wild eyed." But the Swift Boat smear and my new friend Zell have completely innoculated Kerry against any complaints that he's going negative. He's DEFENDING himself. The Republicans have been ASKING for it.

Oh - and Fonzie was waterskiing (with his leather jacket on) when he jumped the shark

[npincus]

79. a-f*cking-men!

please let this continue....