Reply #79: well, now....

[Lexingtonian]

He's only the point man and flak catcher on matters Iraq. Merely. Moving slowly but deliberately, and doing his part to pry moderate Republicans away from the White House policy (such as it is).

Yeah, it's not sexy, but it has to be done. John Murtha can only do and risk so much, and is easy to swamp and endanger in his district. Kerry can cut through the media noise and draw the WH into overreaction against him without further damage.

Yeah, he's been slow to appearances. But the game is about getting to moderate Pubbies with enough cred at the point at which they're (finally) looking for a Democrat who's talking about a sensible alternative. That point was finally reached in the last couple of weeks.

I wouldn't be surprised if JK is more skeptical about another run than you are. But as a Senator you are really only able to get media attention if you're the Majority Leader, a problem (Santorum, Roberts, Stevens), selling out your Party (Lieberman, Chaffee, Specter etc), or pretending to be running for President (Biden, Hillary Clinton, Kerry).

I say he's being a good soldier for the cause. As for his strategy, tactics, and style...if this past 15 years is a slow recapitulation of the Civil War, he's the Sherman figure in it. Sherman as respected but unloved, ignored, or given obloquy by Northerners except his own army and Ulysses Grant. Sherman was first coldly despised by common Southern soldiers, then vociferously hated and slandered, then helplessly obloquied but passionately excoriated, and ultimately (in North Carolina) the letters speak of Southern demoralization and certainty of ruin just by his showing up with his men.