Teresa Heinz Kerry hasn't lost her outspoken way

[liberalpragmatist]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/connelly/214744_joel07.html

What made Teresa Heinz Kerry so refreshing to some voters, and threatening to others on the 2004 campaign trail, is summed up when THK talks about her speech to last year's Democratic convention:

"Nobody told me what to do," she told a Saturday fund-raiser here.

The implicit afterword: Nobody better try.

<snip>

"You cannot have bishops in the pulpit -- long before or the Sunday before the election -- as they did in Catholic churches, saying it was a mortal sin to vote for John Kerry," she said.

Heinz Kerry gave no examples. Last year, a few ultraconservative prelates said they would not allow the Democratic nominee to receive communion in their dioceses. The bishop of Colorado Springs declared that Catholics voting for pro-choice candidates were not welcome at the communion rail.

"The church has a right and obligation to teach values," Heinz Kerry declared. "They don't have a right to restrict freedom of expression, which they did."


COUNTING THE VOTES: Heinz Kerry is openly skeptical about results from November's election, particularly in sections of the country where optical scanners were used to record votes.

"Two brothers own 80 percent of the machines used in the United States," Heinz Kerry said. She identified both as "hard-right" Republicans. She argued that it is "very easy to hack into the mother machines."

"We in the United States are not a banana republic," added Heinz Kerry. She argued that Democrats should insist on "accountability and transparency" in how votes are tabulated.

"I fear for '06," she said. "I don't trust it the way it is right now."

A SECOND KERRY RUN: Heinz Kerry won't stand in the way of a second presidential bid by her husband. She tersely summed up emotions at the end of November's long election night: "No tears, some sadness."

"I think we should focus on '06: If '06 doesn't work out, '08 will be impossible," she argued. "If it were right for John to do it -- and he felt right -- he would do it again (in 2008). If he didn't feel it right, he wouldn't."

<snip>

Heinz Kerry is still steamed at what the Republican attack machine did to her husband.

"Think about last year," she said. "Once John had his nomination, the Republicans spent $90 million to destroy his reputation."

She cited dirty tricks used in the campaign to mobilize what the religious right called "Values Voters."

"In West Virginia, John was going to burn Bibles," she said. "It's not 'values.' It's outright lies."

[Melodybe]

1. Rock on THK!

I love that she is questioning the elelction, better late than never.

[sasquatch]

2. They should tax the shit out of churches that do that shit

[adarling]

3. She is awesome

I love her, i wish she was first lady and not that wench Laura

[NVMojo]

4. This is why I hate it when I see John Kerry get assassinated here on this

board. Not a one of us has walked in his shoes. $90 million spent to assassinate his character? Can't even imagine it.

[Evergreen Emerald]

5. You go girl

I love her!

[daydreamer]

6. Unfortunately she was more liability than asset to Kerry

"but seemed to scorn the political wife's expected role of fixing her husband in adoring upward gaze." That's what the majority of Americans like. People don't like cowgirls. Mrs. Edwards was an asset that did not get utilized much during the campaign.