Big names help Kerry hone his foreign policy message

[Karmadillo]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/11/20/big_names_help_kerry_hone_his_foreign_policy_message/

<edit>

More than any other candidate, Kerry has set up his own version of the White House's National Security Council and assembled advisers with eye-catching bona fides, such as senior foreign policy aide Rand Beers, who until this past spring was President Bush's special assistant for combating terrorism.

Beers, who runs the weekly conference call, isn't whispering classified national security secrets into the candidate's ear, and neither are former Ambassador Joseph Wilson or other career diplomats who once handled assignments for the Bush administration and have now signed up for Kerry, say Beers and other advisers. Instead their expertise is being used to hone one of Kerry's chief political messages: that he would be a stronger, more seasoned commander in chief than either the incumbent president or any of his Democratic rivals.

<edit>

This is a time, it seems to me, for something called experience," Kerry said at a campaign stop Sunday night in Ottumwa, Iowa, before 150 voters.

"We're talking about the commander in chief and head of state of a nation on which every other nation in the world depends for leadership. It seems to me, folks, looking at Governor Dean, who may be a good man and have done well in Vermont or whatever -- which incidentally has a $1 billion budget, 700,000 people, one congressional district -- he may have done well there, but I have news for you. George Bush is the poster child for proof that the presidency of the United States is not the place for on-the-job training for national security in foreign affairs."

The uncharacteristic jab at Vermont shed light on Kerry's belief that neither Dean nor Bush has what the senator calls the "political, military, foreign, and national security experience" of Kerry.

more...

[phirili]

1. 700,000 people in Vermont. Is this true?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. less than that- closer to 600,000

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/50000.html

[blm]

2. Heh...the reporter must finally be reading DU.

.

[Egnever]

3. This is sort of a funny peice

Kerry who just a couple of debates ago said we are looking for a president not a staff now touts his staff?

Also he says we dont need on the job training then parades his trainers?

:WTF:

Does this guy ever not take both sides of an issue?

[blm]

5. Big difference. They aren't "training" Kerry. They're a team

building the best case against Bush for 2004. They're the BEST team.

This is why BushInc. does not want to face Kerry and have used their whores in the media to kill his candidacy. Amazing that so many Democrats are cooperating with the BFEE to keep Kerry and his team silenced.

Kerry never assembled a team to attack and take down other Democrats. His is the best team to take down Bush.

[Egnever]

7. Ohh its a nuance! I get it now....

:puke:

Yes some day kerry is going to expose the whole thing! All we have to do is elect him and it will happen really it will I swear it!

If he wanted my vote he would do it now.

Sory kerry is full of shit!

[blm]

9. Yeah...that's what Cheney and the GOP said during BCCI. IranContra

and CIA drugrunning.

What have YOU done to promote BushInc.'s memes against Kerry?

[Egnever]

14. I couldnt care less about kerry

What effect did Iran contra have? other than making a spectacle of partisan politics?

The man is a shill. The more I look at him the more i see a grandstander. Willing to take on anything that gets him press.

Over and over he does what he thinks will further his career.

I dont think people deserve praise for doing what is right or using thier position to make a spectacle over doing the right thing.

He seems to do what is rioght because he gains from it not because its the right thing to do.

[blm]

21. That is insane to accuse him of that.

When he stepped up to the plate to advocate for gays back in 1985 it was as unpopular as it could be.

Anyone who can say IranContra was unimportant and just partisan spectacle is not knowledgeable enough to discuss ANYTHING about government or politics.

Have you no shame, whatsoever?

[Egnever]

34. I didnt say it was unimportant

I asked what effect did it have.

What exactly did he do in 1985? For gays?

[blm]

36. He wrote the first antidiscrimination legislation in the Senate.

NOONE would sign onto it with him at the time.

The effect of IranContra was to open up ALL our eyes to the covert dealings of the government and what they have led to. Kerry wrote a book warning about the funding of terrorism in 1997.

BCCI and IranContra are both linked to the funding of international terrorism, 9-11 and Iraq....Kerry is THE best man to make that case and THAT is why all the serious foreign policy and intel people are lining up behind him.

THOSE are the people you and others are trying to silence. This is BIGGER than just the horserace that the media is playing up.

[Skwmom]

39. I'm a Clark supporter but if Kerry wins I

would gladly campaign on his behalf.

[chimpymustgo]

6. At the end of the day, you know you would trust President Kerry

to handle foreign policy with finesse, and the world would be a much safer place.

I think Kerry and Clark trump everybody else in spades on this issue.

[Egnever]

8. Thats exactly my problem with kerry

I dont trust him at all. He is unwilling to stand up and make a stand ever. In the last 8 months i have watched him try to have his cake and eat it too so many times I have no clue what his positions are.

Far as I can see his part of the problem with washington not part of the solution.

[Monte Carlo]

10. You're kidding, right?

John Kerry is part of the problem? He's been one of the best Democrats on the hill for the past 20 years. He's worked with Ted Kennedy on almost everything. You can talk about how bad the system in Washington is, but that doesn't mean it's avoidable.

You know, I just hope that if and when Howard Dean becomes President, that you keep your faith in him when he starts making a few of these compromised stands in Washington, and he will.

[blm]

11. You don't trust him, or you don't know much about the last 30 years

of American history where Kerry was instrumental in ending THREE wars.

Kerry exposed more government corruption than ANY lawmaker in modern history.

You haven't a clue about Kerry, do you? You just follow some brain-dead marching orders that smear Kerry as a "corrupt Washington insider."

[sfecap]

12. It's Saint John!

Ends wars!

Exposes corruption!

Leaps tall buildings in a single bound!

Makes the sun rise evry morning!

Wow! What a guy!

Get a grip....

[aldian159]

58. No one's calling him a Saint

just a good, liberal, experienced, candidate.

[Egnever]

15. I dont care what kerry did 30 years ago

I care what kerry is doing in recent history.

Michael jackson was the king of pop for 20 years doesnt mean i give him a thumbs up when he starts molesting children

[eileen_d]

19. OMG... comparing Kerry to Michael Jackson

Please step away from the television.

[JohnKleeb]

22. You mean?

being angry as I am that the Bush adminstration wont sue polluters who violate the clean air act. I wish I could link you directly but I dont get the address bar when I look at his messages. I'll just link the whole site over ok. http://kerry.senate.gov/bandwidth/home.html#

[Egnever]

31. Sory but

The man is in the senate. He is in a positionto do something about it.

He can stand on the floor an shout about these things but he isn't. More of the same from him posting crap on a web page sory he should be taking action on the floor.

This administration is raping this country and kerry has put up little or no resistance to it. Press statements dont even begin to adress the problem. If he wasnt in the senate I would probably think it was great what he was doing but because he is its not near enough.

Kerry wants my vote? Get off the campiagn trail and get on the floor take this administration to task! Follow his friend ted kenedy's example and rail at these bastards!

Sadly he is more concerned with looking good on his harley with jay leno.

[blm]

37. What an ignorant view of how the Senate works.

The American people will not hear Kerry on the Senate floor. He needs to make the case in front of an attentive American people. Make the case in bits and pieces and you give the media the out they need to keep protecting Bush.

[Egnever]

40. Yes because a presidential candidate on the floor of the senate

Exposing bush over and over would get no coverage in the media. Kenedy seems to be getting pretty good press and hes not running for president.

Sitting watching Barbra boxer doing an excelent job of taking on the energy bill as we speak. Wheres kerry?

[blm]

42. That's Cspan. Not the greater American electorate.

Not even 60% of Democrats can even name the candidates right now, let alone the American people in general. Sheesh.

[Egnever]

44. So its better to run for president than to do something

About whats going on now.

Thats your position?

If the polls are any indication I would say he better get back to doing his job. It would probably help him.

[blm]

57. Why put words in my mouth?

It's quite obvious the media won't let this team have the attention required to make the case because they can get away with it now during the primary.
They have made the primary ALL about the process and the horserace and not about the issues.

You want to know what Kerry is really guilty of? It's assembling the best team to take down Bush. Taking down other Dems is not Kerry's strong suit.

[blm]

23. I said the LAST 30 years, not 30 yrs ago. Big diference.

And further, since you think IranContra was just a partisan show, you have proven you don't have the knowledge to discuss ANY aspect of politics let alone guide people on who they should vote for.

[oasis]

64. You don't care what a patriot did 30 years ago? The American Revolution

must be far less inportant to you. :-)

[blm]

65. He can't see the connection between BCCI, IranContra and 9-11...

and what's happening in Iraq for the last 30 years. Amazing. So many who haven't yet figured out all these events connect and yet they work hardest against the man who understands the connection fully.

[oasis]

67. "Such people are like owls, the more the light shines,the less they see"

Native American proverb.

[Eloriel]

16. It hasn't been just 8 months

It's been his whole career. That and his photo-op grandstanding. And his aloofness. These are the things he's best known for at home, where they know him best.

Eloriel

[Monte Carlo]

17. As someone from his home, let me say...

... that it's only the newspapers and the talk radio that talk about his grandstanding and aloofness. He's faced some tough popular competition, but won re-election. People like Jay Severn and Howie Carr like to go on and on about him, but it's all crap, and I don't think you should join that chorus.

[dfong63]

25. i would not trust a president Kerry,

... not when Senator Kerry voted for the IWR.

[blm]

29. Senator Kerry helped end 3 wars.

And exposed more government corruption than ANY lawmaker in modern history.

And YOU want to blame him for supporting a resolution that had war as a last resort? Blame the guy who didn't stick to the resolution.

[Hep]

13. Kerry has so much experience

that he has to hire a team of advisors. Then he claims Dean doesn't have the experience!

Kerry thinks we're stupid!

At least he won't be on the ballot in my state.

[Monte Carlo]

18. Now you're just being silly.

Every political team has its advisors, regardless of the experience of the candidate. You can never have too much expertise.

[Hep]

20. You're right

Don't get me wrong. it's just funny, as someone else pointed out that the man who says,
"We hire a president not advisors" is touting his new advisors.

Memory spans are so short! Across the board.

[Monte Carlo]

24. I'm sure they are short.

But you do not help your situation with these little nitpicks, or mine.

[Hep]

27. I've given up

on helping anyone's situations. This board is for entertainment purposes only.

But I meant to include everyone with my memory span comment, not supporters of one guy or another.

[dfong63]

26. if Bush is such a naif, then how did he manage to snooker Kerry

... into voting for the IWR?

[blm]

28. Kerry and others got Bush to go to the UN and present evidence

which forced Bush to over reach and cook the evidence which caused Bush's credibility to plummet and likely will hang him when the complete Joe Wilson story gets aired. Credit that for Bush's lower poll numbers today.

Those Dems also negotiated to prevent Bush from extending the invasion into Iran and Syria.

[KaraokeKarlton]

30. If Kerry were so experienced on national security

he wouldn't need advisors telling him what his policies should be. What a dork...

[Monte Carlo]

32. Now you're being silly, too.

A good president has got to have his advisors to bounce his ideas off of.

[KaraokeKarlton]

43. But Kerry himself said requiring a staff for this is bad

Kerry has a staff, so according to his own standards, he's not fit to be president.

[Monte Carlo]

45. Stop with these semantic games.

Kerry did not say requiring a staff for foreign policy is bad. THAT is silly.

[KaraokeKarlton]

46. Sure he did

He implied that Dean wasn't fit to be president because he would rely on staff (just like all presidents in history always have) for some things. Yet Kerry would also rely on staff and seems to think that's different. There is no difference and Kerry continues to show himself to be a hypocrite.

[blm]

66. Dean gave a bad answer when he said he'd have staff

tin those areas he doesn't have a grasp on.

Kerry HAS a grasp on all the issues and any staff would be a FACTOR in making his decisions, but, he's not incapable of making decisions in these areas on his own, as Dean is, and Bush, too, for that matter. They end up OVERLY relying on staff.

[blm]

33. Advisors don't TELL him what to do like Howie "Gary, what do I do?" Dean.

Advisors can talk to Kerry knowing Kerry can fully comprehend what they are saying.

Dean relies on people TELLING him what to do on foreign policy, including Sharon in Israel. Big difference.

[Hep]

38. Look at the crazy allegations!

So now Dean took advice from Sharon? Proof?

Did Dean go to the crossroads at midnight?

Jesus. Who knew that even before the general, the Hate Dean campaign would start on the left. Just think, if Dean becomes president, you get to be a charter member of the Dean hating camp. The former Clinton haters will be actively seeking advice on talking points. I recommend you write them down just in case.

[blm]

41. Dean told Sharon he'd give him even MORE than Bush for defense.

Now why would he say something like that?

btw...I notice it's fine with you that some in your camp spread the meme that Kerry is a "corrupt Washington insider."

My point is always that Dean is a centrist who compromised with the GOP often as governor, has changed positions and is running as a populist differently than governed and never said he was corrupt...yet YOU label me a hater and give free rein to those spreading REAL lies and hate about Kerry.

[Hep]

47. Quotes please

You know better. Wait, no you don't. But you should.

Funny that you expect me to believe you were in the room with Dean and Sharon when he said this.

[blm]

48. Nope...just locating some old posts from when it was discussed.

Dean supports a two-state solution, “a Jewish state of Israel living side by side in peace and security with an independent, demilitarized Palestinian state.” But, he cautions, “to get there, the Palestinian Authority will have to fight terrorism and violence on a consistent basis to create the conditions necessary for a viable peace process. The Israeli government will have to work to improve the living conditions of the Palestinian people and ultimately will have to remove a number of existing settlements.” Dean has also called for reform of the Palestinian Authority, and has been critical of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, stating in December 2002, “I do not think that as long as Yasser Arafat is president there will be peace.” (Echoes of Sharon on a kind day))
http://www.aaiusa.org/dean.htm

=------------------

"'I do not think that as long as Yasser Arafat is president there will be peace,' said Dean in a telephone interview from Tel Aviv.
"'I am convinced there are Palestinians who want to do the right thing, who believe peace can be achieved, who believe in the Palestinian state, as I do,' he said. 'My assessment also is that terrorism is an enormous problem here and no peace is going to be made as long as the terrorism is going on.'
"Dean met in Jerusalem with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon as well as with a representative of the Palestinians and with Martin Indyk, who was a former U.S. ambassador to Israel, and Dennis Ross, who was President Clinton's top Mideast envoy."

http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/News/State/Story/57095.html
Read the entire article...! In three days Dean understands the Middle East from Sharon's crash course

[Hep]

50. OK

what in there do you disagree with, specifically, and what's your position?

Forgie me if I don't subscribe to your interpretation of that article.

Are you familiar with Jeremy Ben-Ami, or the New Israel Fund?

Did you know that dean's position on Israel is fully in keeping with his views on multilateralism and force restraint. He is being supportive of the position officially advanced by the U.N., which was worked out with Russia and EU and HAS BEEN BLESSED BY THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY.

[blm]

52. When he made these comments he HAD NO Mideast policy.

He made promises to Sharon for billions more in defense BEFORE he even developed a policy.

You may find that charming, but I find that type of shoot from the lip diplomacy appalling.

[Hep]

55. So you have no idea what I'm talking about

Thanks for saying so. Dean's policy is the one blessed by the PA, and you don't care. Just say so.

[blm]

59. Which policy, the one after he visited Sharon

or the one where he said "evenhanded" or when he backtracked from the "evenhanded" remark?

[Hep]

60. DO you ever post quotes?

Or is everything stuff you THINK he said or HEARD he said? You never put up, yet you never shut up. Must be nice to have the bar set so low for you.

Please back up your claims about Sharon and please show me where he backtracked on the evenhanded comment. Thanks.

[blm]

53. dupe

.

[blm]

54. Gary Hart on Dean's foreign policy:

Article archived at site, but you can purchase.


>>>>>>>>
While resisting a request to handicap the remaining contenders for the White House, the former Colorado senator offered these observations about some still in the field:

>>>>
Howard Dean, former governor of Vermont, lacks crucial defense or foreign policy experience.
Joe Lieberman, U.S. senator and former vice presidential candidate, is making a futile appeal to the "amorphous middle" by parroting Bush policies.
>>>>>
Dean, the former Vermont governor, is so inexperienced on defense and foreign relations that before his first trip to Israel in January, he called Hart and said, "Gary, what do I do?" Hart said.

>>>>
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E64%257E1373786,00.html

[Hep]

56. Asking for advice is so evil!

And using it against him politically is so NOT!

Amazing how low people will go. Check my sig.

[killbotfactory]

61. Advice is for losers!

Unless you're John Kerry: SUPER PRESIDENT!

[blm]

68. Gary Hart's advice to Democrats: Don't vote for Dean or Lieberman

they can't handle foreign policy.

Ignore Hart....Bush ignored him, too, and that turned out real well, didn't it?

[Hep]

69. LOL

You're such a great person. No really, wonderful.

[blm]

62. Hart wouldn't have said it if he didn't have serious

problems with Dean's grasp of foreign policy.

Hart is not a cheap shot artist. Deal with the truth of what he said for a change.

[Hep]

70. Hart is most definitely a cheap shot artist

You should know, you're his protege, possibly his best student.

Hart is just as underhanded as the candidate bashers here. Taking a sincere request for advice over a horribly complex issue and using it to regain a lost political voice. Hart's bucking for a cabinet spot in Kerry's cabinet, as if he'll ever get that shot.

[Jacobin]

35. Too bad he didn't get good foreign policy advice prior to IWR vote

Heck, I thought his strength was his purported foreign policy "expertise". Apparentely not.

[killbotfactory]

49. We don't pick a president for his advisors

Unless it's John Kerry: SUPER PRESIDENT!

[blm]

63. John Kerry would make a Super President. And one you can trust.

A REAL Democrat.

[Octafish]

51. Big Names reflect well on Sen. Kerry.

Only someone who's confident in their own abilities will surround himself or herself with strong people expert in their specialties. Sen. Kerry has done this with an all-star health-care and economics teams.