JK interview on Huff Post

[MBS]

Did people see this one? I saw it posted on gdp.. .

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/01/15/kerry-blasts-clinton-camp_n_81518.html

Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, took aim at Hillary Clinton on Monday, saying her criticism of Barack Obama's stance on the Iraq war was "not founded on accuracy." He also ripped into comments made by Clinton surrogates hinting at Obama's past drug use, calling the remarks "negative in the worst, petty way," especially in the light of Bill Clinton's admitted use of marijuana.

"That kind of discussion," Kerry said, "from a campaign where the former president made famous the words 'I did not inhale' is to make something an issue that they themselves acknowledged shouldn't be.
. . .
Most recently the issue of Obama's past drug use has resurfaced, with BET founder and Clinton supporter Robert L. Johnson alluding to it during a Sunday campaign stop. Johnson insisted he was referring to Obama's work as a community organizer. But Kerry was clearly upset with the tone and implication of the remark.

"I thought that was uncalled for," said Kerry, not even waiting for the question to be finished. "I thought it was negative in the worst, petty way. I thought it was unfortunate. And if it is done in surrogacy for the campaign itself then it is really wrong... I think proven record as a public person stands as a significant knock down to whatever youthful transgressions somebody might have had. And who in the world hasn't had some transgression of some kind?"

In 2004, Kerry himself admitted having smoked marijuana.

The former presidential nominee said his decision to endorse Obama came before Obama's win in the Iowa caucus. "I thought it was better to wait until the campaign felt there was a reason," he said of holding off the announcement.

[beachmom]

1. Oh, my. Looks like things are heating up. I was wondering

if he was pissed at what's been going down from the Clinton campaign. Yep, he was. And Robert Johnson shilled for Bush in '01, to repeal the estate tax, let's be clear. He said he was against philanthropy -- he's not going to give his money away! So how THK spends her time is stupid to Robert Johnson. Shame on the Clintons for deploying him.

[karynnj]

6. The comments are getting pretty partisan

I don't think that many people are buying the Clinton spin that Obama is the one that started this. There are still Edwards people angry that Kerry did not endorse him, though I think there are more people likely to be Clinton people who are using that. There is even one nitwit who claims it is because Kerry is an "Iron my shirt" guy. (I guess decades of supporting women from the time he hired many as a prosecutor doesn't count. Supporting HRC is the litmus test. Yeah, just the type of guy THK would marry.)

[rox63]

2. Sounds like JK's all fired up there n/t

[Mass]

3. The sad fact is that the climate is still terribly bad. Clinton and Obama have called

their supporters to take the high road, but, from what I can see from a few blogs that I used to like but who have gone totally crazy, either Obama is always wrong all the time and there is nothing wrong to report concerning Bob Johnson, or the opposite.

It does not suprise me from some of the crazy posters on kos, but I have seen this trend from normally perfectly rational people here on DU or on the blogosphere. This is why I like digby and tpm. They report, but they avoid to put a spin on things.

I am happy to see Kerry say that the GE will be difficult whoever is the nominee: it is the truth, and it needs to be said and understood.

Note: May I add upperleft to my list, with a nice quote from Kerry today.

[Inuca]

4. All this stuff

that has been happening for the last few days is SCARY and of course demoralizing. They's better sop SOON, or the wounds may not have enough time to scar.

[beachmom]

5. Obama was the one who called the truce. Clinton had no choice

but to follow. Let's be clear as to who the leader was here.

The Clintons' strategy was to race bait Obama and make the headlines be about that to scare white women and Latinos away from Obama. They calculated to throw AA's under the bus with this ploy, with the knowledge that AA's would not vote Republican in the fall. Obama finally got wise to what they were up to, and shut it down. This was not just the right thing to do; it was the politically deft thing to do. He just took their main weapon away from them.

In a sense Clinton = White people in this circumstance. Nobody wants to be called racist, so that would lead them to identify with the Clintons (most people don't read the blogs, and don't understand the sophistication of all of this) and turn away from Obama. After an immediate reaction of disgust, the Obama campaign now understands this, and is shutting the whole damned thing down. Obama is not about divide and conquer like the Clintons are. Anyway, I've probably said too much already on the Kerry forum, but since Kerry spoke out so strongly (but notice he kept the focus on the drug use, and did not discuss anything racial), I felt I could add to it.

Oh, and the Clintons are NOT racist. They just want power by any means necessary.

[ProSense]

7. The

timeline

Here they are pushinng the he did it first meme.

[Inuca]

9. Thanks so much for this ProSense

I try to keep up, but I still have SOME life outside following politics, and I simply could not keep up these last couple of days. It was an unbelievable outburst of ugliness.

[ginnyinWI]

18. Prosense is my hero!

I see her out there every day slaying dragons with her sword of truth. Me--I rec her posts when I see them--my small contribution!

[politicasista]

20. Good one

Right here. :)

[karynnj]

11. That perspective is missing from the NYT

It's Patrick Healy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/15/us/politics/15dems.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin

[Inuca]

12. Agree with everything

and especially so about the last paragraph. I hope it will indeed stop and that it was short enough that most people that are not obsessively following what's happening like most of us do barely noticed it, and therefore no irreparable damage was done.

I am both curious AND apprehensive about what's going to happen at tonight's debate.

[Inuca]

10. I can't type!!!

Especially not when I am in a hurry and I have a cat in may lap competing with the keyboard. "They's better sop SOON" :rofl:

[MarjorieG]

8. Thanks for being here.

I'm glad I have the voting issue, because I don't want to care about this very difficult campaign. Electing any one of them will be difficult, just like in 2004, as much because of the same Clinton winning at all costs, the media, the opposition. I open my mailbox and find all these carping, insulting stories about Kerry. I won't repeat how belittling, because you've all read them. Who are these self-important, small-minded blowhards.

Do they really think Edwards will walk in and get progressive solutions, and without inside DC support? I don't even want to get into the Hillary illusion, where she may even be better than they think, but everyone around her far worse.

We are a Kerry sanctuary, here, and I've been more lurking, checking in than contributing, but I'm so glad you're here. How did something so important as saving the world become so small and petty.

[karynnj]

13. i think that with regards to Kerry

though he will always be attacked by the right, he has been through the worst on the left. Even if Clinton wins the nomination and even the election, everyone is saying that the obama wing represents the future. What has been clear is that the DLC has only succeeded with Bill Clinton, who was against a VERY weak President the first time and an incumbent in a period of peace and prosperity the second. I read last week, that ONLY NOW is the "we're on the wrong track" as low as it got under GHWB. Imagine if the mood of the country were as it is now in November 2004.

No matter who wins, Kerry is positioned to be a leader, who the left will gradually see as one they never should have doubted, far more steady and faithful to his commitments than many they have briefly lionized and then discarded. McGovern has said that he is told by far too many people that they voted for him - my guess is that over time, it will be the same for Kerry, if it already isn't.

[Inuca]

14. Among the things that upset me the most

about all the nonsense these last few days are the repeated speculations that the only way that the rift between the Obama and Clinton camps can be mended so that the party will not suffer as a result is if they join each other on the same ticket. In my opinion this would be a terrible idea, no matter who the winner end up being.

[MBS]

16. can you imagine a more dysfunctional ticket? Oy. n/t

[karynnj]

19. More dsyfunctional

Well there was Gore/Leiberman and Kerry/Edwards. Though both nearly even officially won, neither were particularly helped by the VP.

With Leiberman, I remember the excitement at synagogue that a Jew was on the ticket. I also remember the dry wit in his speech when he was with Gore when he first accepted the nomination. Now, I know that a speech like that would be written by a team. Then I thought of how great the VP debate would be - on one side a troglodyte who voted against school lunches for poor kids and on the other a witty, urbane man with a quiet sense of humor (sounds like Joe Leiberman - what did I know?). In reality, he was awful in the debate actually letting Cheney seem not just human, but grandfatherly. We all know Gore had a better option - a guy he gave a 2008 T shirt to - known as a superb debator and human.

With Edwards, his debate was weak, better than Leiberman's and it was clear that he was doing none of the heavy lifting in the campaign. The time I was most surprised was when he went to WV at the time the RNC was putting out fliers that Kerry would take Bibles away, I thought maybe there was some sense to having a southern with a Baptist background and he was a trial lawyer. Imagine a real outraged speech - he and Kerry both go to church. This was an issue where he could excell. Nothing. I thought I couldn't get less impressed but then I read Edwards speak about refusing to use the campaign's slogan because he didn't like it. This is an egomaniac. He clearly bought the media's word that he was charismatic and a natural politician. I guess he never realized how badly Kerry really beat him - and that Kerry might possibly have captured the mood better.

What I would fear with Clinton/Obama is that a very promising person could end up tainted. Gore was far more mature, with a boy scout reputation and he ended up answering questions on donations in a Buddist temple. It would be tempting for him if it were offered.

[beachmom]

17. Yup. Either of them need someone with FP cred as VP.

I imagine Wes Clark may want the #2 spot to Clinton. I am not quite sure who would go for it for Obama. Richardson, maybe, but he was pretty dismal on TV, so I don't know.

But Hillary and Obama -- there is no love lost there.

[ginnyinWI]

21. my heart wants JK as veep, but I know it's unrealistic.

But damn they looked good together on that stage the other day!

[MarjorieG]

22. I know he'll be ble to impact

When Kerry talked of those difficult states on Sunday, both have an understanding of what is possible now. Obama's economics plan, while criticized by Krugman, will undoubtedly change if elected and listens to Kerry. There is an opportunity for cabinet, and I'm sure Kerry would like to fix what's wrong with our global relationships, how we're perceived. I'm excited about the mentoring on issues we know to be critical.

They did look great together, and Kerry enthused and at peace with his decision.

[Inuca]

15. I went through some of the comments over there

even went so far as to post a couple of replies, but I give up. The stupidity and the venom are beyond belief :mad: :puke: !!!