Kerry's goof nicely sums things up

[Mrs. Venation]

Don Williams, Knoxville News Sentinel, Knoxville, TN writes:

Oh, did John Kerry goof. With his microphone still on, as he unclipped it after a speech in Chicago Wednesday, he clearly said, "These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group I've ever seen. It's scary."

Such political candor rarely makes it onto nationwide TV, and Bush partisans were quick to demand an apology. As I say, Kerry goofed. Or did he?

In dealing with the insult, President Bush faces a three-headed hydra. One, it's hard to muster dignity when saying, "I am not a crook," as Richard Nixon found out while trying to explain Watergate. It's akin to Bill Clinton's famous demurral, "I did not have sexual relations with that woman." It reinforces doubts among the skeptical.

Two, Kerry's comment comes in the midst of an ugly blitz of ads that all but call Kerry a hypocrite, a liar and - what's worse to many - repeatedly call him a liberal. Republicans have managed to turn that into a dirty word, on a par with liar and crook to many.

It's an amazing accomplishment, considering it was liberals of their day who gave us the Bill of Rights, freed the slaves, won universal suffrage, led the war against Hitler, initiated the Marshall Plan and Social Security, took us to the moon, provided civil rights to millions and pressed to save the Earth from environmental destruction.

Still, to see how far liberalism has fallen, consider the grouping of words in the title of that ultimate Bush supporter Sean Hannity's new book, "Deliver Us From Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism and Liberalism." Nope, there are lots of folks who think Bush is getting as good as he gives.

More here: http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/opinion_columnists/article/0,1406,KNS_364_2722497,00.html

[Tim4319]

1. Remember when,

George W. Bush called a report an a**hole? How come Hannity and the guys aren't making a big deal out of that?

2. Bigtime!

Major League Asshole.

Or when Bush said that he and his Dad talked about "pussy"--and he wasn't referring to the Whitehouse cat?

Actually, I hope the Press carries Kerry's "gaffe" (OK - does "carries Kerry's" sound mellifluous, or like I'm stuttering?)

I hope they play the hell out of this tune. If we want to win this election, then eventually, Joe and Jane Voter are going to have tobe able to see for themselves that Emperor is buck naked. First though, some one has to suggest it to them, and if that suggesting voice comes from anywhere, it should come from the Democratic candidate.

So, push Kerry's "error." It reminds me of Truman's famous quote about giving the Republicans hell. It just the truth, but to them it seems like hell.

[grannylib]

3. Intentional or not, it is not a 'goof' -it's a dead-on assessment of this

administration and its supporters. I was so pleased that he did not back down on this, and that we are starting to see people pushing back on the lies that the wrong wing keeps trying to feed us.
Alan Colmes last night was asking Giuliani about all of Chimpy's bait & switch statements; Dobbs (suspect though he is) is really hammering on the job loss issue, which needs to be out there front and center, so I'm taking it for what it's worth there; even some mediawhore on FAUX yesterdy actually brought up Chimpy's 'major league asshole' gaffe (right before she proclaimed Kerry's statments to be 'clearly incendiary' *lol*) so I think some cracks are starting to appear in the facade...

[asjr]

4. Something must be happening when the

Knox News writes something like this. When I lived in E TN it was a bastion of Republicans. They usually vote Repub because their families have always voted Repub.

[Mrs. Venation]

5. Don Williams Is A Constant Voice Of Reason

in a cacophony of radical-right rhetoric. His column is offered every Friday; I suggest you read it regularly.