Anyone else remember that John Kerry stood up for Gore during recount?

[Myra]

Just that one question. No other agenda. No implication that Gore should have endorsed Kerry. Completely independent of Kerry's vote on any issue: IWR, Patriot Act, whatever. And I'm not for Kerry.

But I do recall that during the recount, when pugs were forming mobs to prop up their outvoted candidate, and when most Dems outside of Florida were shamefully failing to speak out forcefully for Gore, John Kerry did.

Daschle and Gephardt put on a halfass show of making a conference call to Gore, very late in the ordeal, lip-servicing their support and stiffling yawns. Most other Dems blew him off. I just recall Kerry being the exception. And remember being grateful.

[tlb]

1. Gore showed NO CLASS at all here

Gore didn't owe his endorsement to either Kerry or Lieberman or any of them, but it was tacky for him to allow each ot learn second hand of his switch to Dean.

Each had gone through enough with and on behal fof Gore to warrant a personal headup from Gore. This is the same shabbiness we saw in his petulant performance in the debate.

[ibegurpard]

2. How do YOU know they heard it second-hand?

n/t

[Myra]

3. Well, I think Gore has more class than most people on the planet

And Lieberman deserved to be dissed.
And I have no idea what communication has gone on behind the scenes between Kerry and Gore.

But I was actually trying to make the point that Kerry showed a lot of class during that ordeal. When few other Dems had the balls.

On edit: In response to tlb

[ibegurpard]

4. I was actually replying to the other comment

And I would agree with you if you are correct...I don't remember that.

[Myra]

5. Sorry ibergurpard, I clarified in the post who I was responding to.

eom

[polpilot]

23. This isn't high school cheerleader tryouts. It's a godamn election for the

most powerful position on earth. Amy Vanderbilt's ideas have little relevance here.

Dean '04...

[tlb]

33. I grant you it''s a goddm election. So ?

He still behaved with no class.

Lieberman delayed his own candidacy giving Gore the option of first refusal for an 04 run. As things unfolded that made no difference, but it might have. Lieberman took the risk. That showed both loyalty and class.

Again just because Gore chose Lieberman in 2000 he has no obligation yo do so again, but it's a pity Gore isn't enough of a man to match Lieberman's courtesy with a three minute phone call now.

Beyond that the news reports I heard on television indicate the other major candidates were also not informed. These men had each supported Gore in the past. Gratitude and thoughtfulness seems to be a very small factor in Gore's makeup.

This has little to do with the election. It's just Prince Albert coming again to the fore.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

40. Lieberman delayed his own candidacy in deference to Gore!

I forgot about that. God, WTF is wrong with Gore?

[Terwilliger]

42. poor sour grapes

having a rough time?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

48. Now I know why Gore lost

he's really lacking in "presidential" qualities. Specifically in diplomatic relations. I was really not thrilled with the way he conducted the recount battle but now he's just added more reason for me to dislike him.

[Forkboy]

50. Gore didn't lose though

Bush was installed....remember?

[Terwilliger]

41. oh MAN!! Did I wake up in an alternate reality?

Yeserday wasn't bad enough: now Gore is responsible to the candidates to inform them of his decision first?

Somebody, quick! Add that to the rulebook!

[sistersofmercy]

56. Hey Terwilliger

Not responsible in any other way other than courtesy, showing enough respect towards fellow Dems to personnally inform them prior to an announcement. To do otherwise shows great weakness in character and is crass IMHO.

[izzie]

6. He should have he is a DEM.

Why did Kerry vote to give the people powers away to a president he did not believe in? They all let Wellstone hang out there and he voted as he thought right.Why did the rest of the Dem vote to give up our rights?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

8. NEWSFLASH: Kerry Voted as he thought right

Sorry you haven't been paying attention.

[Forkboy]

52. NEWSFLASH:Kerry thought wrong

[NewYorkerfromMass]

57. Bush did wrong

and Saddam certainly helped.

[Forkboy]

58. well,yeah

and Kerry "did wrong" as well.

[blm]

7. Yes, he did. He countered Trent Lott on CNN.

Damn few Democrats did, but alot of Republican governors came down for Bush. Any Dem governors speak up for Gore at the time? I'm trying to remember.....

[Patriot_Spear]

9. I don't remember that at all...

What I remember is the deafening silence from the Democratic Leadership- Whatever respect I had for the Democratic establishment died at that point.

For me, it's now grassroots movments and to hell with the insiders.

[blm]

11. How did the head of the Dem Governors Assoc. stick up for Gore then?

That's a Dem leadership position isn't it?

[Rose Siding]

15. Paul Patton?

He was chair in 2000

[blm]

46. And Dean, who also had a voice with the Dem establishment?

Or are we still pretending that he WASN'T a member of the DLC or a prominent Dem figurehead then?

[BringEmOn]

10. I remember Bob Kerrey

but not John Kerry in FL

[Myra]

26. Well crud BringEmOn, now you made me do research :)

"...Senators differ on resolution
Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Mississippi, said Sunday it was time for Gore to bow out of the presidential race.

"But fellow Sen. John Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat, bristled at Republican suggestions that it was time for Gore to step aside.

Votes still are being contested in Florida, Kerry said, despite attempts by Republicans to stall the process.

"Americans want all votes counted. That's all," said Kerry, appearing on CNN's "Larry King Live." "And over the course of the next week, the court system will have an opportunity to duly measure whether or not these ballots were properly counted or not. This is not over."

http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/11/27/florida.react/
11/27, quite a ways into the ordeal


"But nothing made Gore and his allies dig in as much as the roving "rent-a-rioters," some of them Bush campaign operatives, who were controlled by radio from a mobile home. "If that occurred in another country," said Massachusetts Senator John Kerry, "people would be taking the floor of the Senate and bemoaning thuggism."

http://cgi.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/time/2000/12/04/lead.html

[blm]

47. Yes...that was John Kerry. Bob Kerrey stepped up, too, though.

And damn few other Dems did at that crucial time.

[Eloriel]

30. Me too.

And Ed Rendell. Wexler and Deutsch. And that's about it. Graham was apparently out of the country on vacation. Kerry? When, where, what?

As for "no agenda" re orig post - hah! Shows the attitude of Kerry and his supporters: sense of entitlement re the nomination. That doesn't cut it. Sorry. No one is "owed" the nomination.

Eloriel

[BringEmOn]

43. Most memorable for me

of the Democrats from outside Florida who went to Florida to speak out were Bob Kerrey of Nebraska, when the repukes were playing the military card. My thoughts at the time were "there's a Democrat with balls...he should have been running" and Gerald Nadler and his "whiff of Fascism in the air" statement. Apparently, John Kerry spoke out on CNN, but I don't remember.

[Myra]

61. Thanks for pointing that out BringEmOn. I didn't remember Bob Kerry

Good to know.

[blm]

49. gee, Eloriel, looks like you weren't paying attention

as you claimed. Myra posted Kerry's comments just as they've been posted many times here in the past whenevr that lie about Kerry not supporting Gore was spouted here at DU. Why do you persist on acting like you never heard this? What purpose does it serve? Whose agenda?

[mmonk]

12. I think

this is primarily about Gore and his aspirations as a candidate in the future or being a power broker. Plus he is drawn to populism.

[KaraokeKarlton]

13. Well, Kerry also dissed Gore twice during the last few months

He told people to "Get over it" regarding the 2000 election and made an insulting comment about Gore "inventing the internet" while insulting Dean. He said something like "The last guy who thought he invented the internet didn't do so well."

Dean has always had nothing but good things to say about Gore. He was also the first one to publicly acknowledge that Gore really won.

I'm really surprised that anyone would think Gore should endorse Kerry after those two comments Kerry made that were totally disrespectful to Gore.

[blm]

14. I'm surprised someone who didn't even bother to vote for Gore

in 2000 because he was going to take your guns away, uses this as an opportunity to trash Kerry who DID support Gore throughout his campaign and during the recount.

So, I guess Dean saying Gore lost because of gun control is a compliment to Gore? Dean doesn't think that Gore lost because of invalidation of legal votes?

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LuminousX]

53. Even Gore admitted the gun issue hurt him in Tennessee

That isn't really a critique and in Gore's concession he pointed a need to go home to TN and mend some fences.

[Myra]

28. Who said that KaraokeKarlton?

"I'm really surprised that anyone would think Gore should endorse Kerry"

I don't see where anyone in this thread said that.

[Cheswick2.0]

16. I remember just the opposite

yes once when he and Lott where on the same talk show he disagreed with Lott about the recount. What would you expect him to do?
But when he was asked why he didn't go to florida he said it was because he was not asked and wouldn't go if he had been.
He also told us all to "get over it" last year... real dumb move.
Nope, the only support Gore got came from Harkin and Wellstone who went to Florida, from florida democrats and from the CBC.

[HFishbine]

17. But he sat silent when it really mattered

The house members of the congressional black caucus tried to introduce a challenge to the election results in January of 2001. Congressional rules required that they have one, just one single senator co-sponsor their challenge. Nobody, including Kerry, rose to the occasion.

I remember it well. The pleas from the black caucus where impassioned and reasonable. They appealed directly to the senate for a co-sponsor to no avail. Kerry had a chance to stand up for Gore and disenfranchised black voters when it really would have meant something. He didn't.

[JNelson6563]

18. yes, when the CBC need just one Senator signature

There was Kerry fighting back the BFEE and their tactics. He signed and but a stop to the BFEE's evil plan to usurp democracy. Thank god he had the backbone to......

Oh wait, that was a dream. Sorry

Julie

[Zolok]

19. So ah...as long as we are talking recount here...

where was Howard Dean when the big Florida steal came down?

[JNelson6563]

44. yeah, as if

he'd've really been in a position to do anything. Besides, I hear it was a Senator's signature that was needed. Not a Governor's.

I have heard time and again from Kerry supporter's that nobody knows the BFEE like he does. Why since Watergate he's had what he needs to take them down! Letting them usurp the WH and giving a yes vote for them to declare an illegal war, that musta been all part of the big BFEE-take-down plan. :eyes:

Julie

[Zolok]

55. But Dean was a Governor at that time...

he could have easily called out the Vermont National Guard, seized a few jets at the airport, flew a few platoons down to Tallahassee arrested Jeb and his cabinet and declared Gore the victor in the recount!!!!
EASILY!
ONE PHONE CALL IS ALL IT WOULD'VE TAKEN!!!???
WHERE WAS THE VERMONT NATIONAL GUARD WHEN WE NEEDED IT!


Cleary his spineless inaction during the recount disqualified him from the Presidency...Dean is nothing but a meat puppet for the BFEE!




Aiyeee!

[NewYorkerfromMass]

21. Wellstone was a Senator then too.

Why didn't he sign? Please be fair.

[blm]

51. Because GORE asked them not to.

.

[Myra]

62. That's true JNelson6563. Sadly, tragically true.

The CBC stood up; the rest laid down.
It was disgraceful.

[librechik]

22. if only Gore had stood up for Gore...n/t

[LuminousX]

24. Stop crying in your teacups

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/07/10_kerry.html

Kerry gives up too easily.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

27. You're misinterpreting "get over it"

He's refering to the emotions. He never said "forget it ever happened".

[Eloriel]

34. Then he was wrong about that too n/t

[NewYorkerfromMass]

37. No. He was right. A good soldier always gets up to fight the next battle

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Dec. 6 — Democratic presidential candidates came to this state that was at the center of the 2000 presidential battle and stoked the embers of that fight on Saturday, declaring that Republicans had swiped the White House last time and vowing not to let it happen again in 2004.....

...Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts said: "None of us are going to forget. We are going to be energized."

John Kerry continues his life long fight for Democrats

[LuminousX]

39. He should have made himself more clear

[sendero]

59. "get over it"

is a code phrase. You know it, I know it and Kerry knew it.

After hearing the "internet" comment above I think it is Kerry, not Dean, who has a habit of shooting off his mouth to his own detriment.

But it really doesn't matter now :)

[NewYorkerfromMass]

60. No. I'm sorry. I don't know it.

Presumption is not helpful.

[Cha]

31. Great link...Thank you, Luminous!

[Snellius]

25. Not one Senator joined the Black Caucus to walk out in 2001

on the Congressional session to approve the stolen election in Florida. The Black Caucus walked out in protest and it would have taken only one Senator, along with one Representative, to raise a formal objection to the vote. And NOT ONE SENATOR DID. Not Kennedy. Not Daschle. Not Kerry.

Gore doesn't owe anyone anything.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

29. I guess my post got lost in the ether....

Anyway, it was pretty much verbatim what you are saying.

Not one.

[HFishbine]

32. It wasn't a walkout

House members of the conressional black caucus tried to introduce a measure that would have rejected the results of Florida's electoral college. Procedurally, they needed one senator to sign on. No one did. I bring the distinction to your attention because their actions could have been far more significant than a walk out.

Remember too, that at that time, the senate was divided 50/50. Had the democratic senators stood with the congressional black caucaus, the tie-breaking vote would have been cast by... Al Gore.

So, why did the senate abandone the house democrats? I'm glad you asked:

There was another reason for the Senate Democrats' unanimousopposition to any further election protest. Non-support to any House objections was agreed as part of a back room deal between Democratic Senate leader Tom Daschle and Republican Senate leader Trent Lott, in which the Democrats will share equally in committee seats and congressional staff positions in the newly organized Senate.

http://216.239.41.104/search?q=cache:rdUZ-byHMaUJ:www.wsws.org/articles/2001/jan2001/cong-j08.pdf+congressional+black+caucus+election+results&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

[Rose Siding]

36. They sold us out?

Wow, I never saw this. Daschle went for the power. I have defended him too many times.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

38. Down the river...

[NewYorkerfromMass]

45. not one...including Wellstone

so be fair and trash Kerry with all the same distinguished company.

[mandyky]

35. Even I stood up for Gore on that,

and I didn't vote for Gore. The process should have played out totally, but alas the SCOTUS decided otherwise.

[Tatiana]

54. Anyone else remember that Gore considered Kerry as his running mate?

Gore allies himself to integrity

Running mates compensate for candidates' weaknesses

Special report: the US elections

Martin Kettle in Washington
Tuesday August 8, 2000
The Guardian

http://www.guardian.co.uk/US_election_race/Story/0,2763,351800,00.html

Al Gore took a leaf out of George W Bush's book yesterday, opting for gravitas rather than glamour in his choice of vice-presidential running mate for the Democrats.

<snip>

Mr Lieberman was one of seven Democrats Mr Gore's spin-doctors said last week were under consideration. In reality, at least three of the short-list - Bill Bradley, Dick Gephardt and Jeanne Shaheen - were only there to make Mr Gore look broad-minded. The real choice came down to three senators: John Edwards of North Carolina, John Kerry of Massachusetts, and Mr Lieberman.

All three have centrist political instincts, like Mr Gore, and each came with a characteristic whose political impact Mr Gore had to weigh carefully in making his choice: Mr Edwards is inexperienced, Mr Kerry is married to a Heinz foods heiress, and Mr Lieberman is now be the first Jew on a White House ticket.

[blm]

63. Analysts said that if Gore wanted to appeal to the Greens he'd

select Kerry and if he wanted to appeal to the centrists he'd choose Lieberman or Graham.