Exciting times, and good coverage from NYT on Kids First

[ginnyinWI]

What we have here, I think, is the emergence of a new kind of political animal in John Kerry---the shadow president concept is beginning to be fleshed out--he really does mean to be a counterpart to the illegitimate president. Notice how he gave his speech at the same time as Bush's--point, counterpoint. His tone is strident, as it was at the MLK speech. Taking no prisoners. All the Dems are waking up from their slumbers, it seems, and John Kerry is the de facto leader of them all (ok Kennedy, too!) But this is something we've never really seen before, is it? A real shadow leader for the other half of us--and maybe he won't be so much a shadow but a very visible royal pain to Bushco. I hope so! The Dems have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/01/27/politics/27cnd-heal.html :

<In Mr. Kerry's first major speech since his loss to Mr. Bush in November, he attacked the president for offering health care proposals that amount to "the same window dressing, avoidance of reality that we've seen for the four years."

<snip>

After keeping a low profile for some time after the election, Mr. Kerry has taken an aggressive tack since returning to the Senate last week. He asked some of the toughest questions posed to Condoleezza Rice during her confirmation hearings for secretary of state and was one of only 12 Democrats to vote against her nomination.

The senator's rejuvenated public profile, and his remarks today, were in step with the admonitions of his colleague from Massachusetts, Senator Edward F. Kennedy, who exhorted Democrats earlier this month not to react to the election outcome by becoming clones of Republicans, and to vigorously press their own agenda even if it had no chance of adoption. >