Did Kerry lose his last pundit ally?

[sfecap]

Did Kerry lose his last pundit ally?
by kos
Sat Dec 20th, 2003 at 01:57:37 UTC

Just a week or so ago, Eric Alterman defended Kerry's war vote on his archive-less MSNBC blog. Based on his discussions with Kerry at this event, Alterman felt satisfied with this Kerry explanation for his war vote:

This was the hardest vote I have ever had to cast in my entire career. I voted for the resolution to get the inspectors in there, period. Remember, for seven and a half years we were destroying weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In fact, we found more stuff there than we thought we would. After that came those four years when there was no intelligence available about what was happening over there. I believed we needed to get the weapons inspectors back in. I believed Bush needed this resolution in order to get the U.N. to put the inspectors back in there. The only way to get the inspectors back in was to present Bush with the ability to threaten force legitimately. That's what I voted for.

"The way Powell, Eagleberger, Scowcroft, and the others were talking at the time. I felt confident that Bush would work with the international community. I took the President at his word. We were told that any course would lead through the United Nations, and that war would be an absolute last resort. Many people I am close with, both Democrats and Republicans, who are also close to Bush told me unequivocally that no decisions had been made about the course of action. Bush hadn't yet been hijacked by Wolfowitz, Perle, Cheney and that whole crew. Did I think Bush was going to charge unilaterally into war? No. Did I think he would make such an incredible mess of the situation? No. Am I angry about it? You're God damned right I am. I chose to believe the President of the United States. That was a terrible mistake.

"Eric, if you truly believe that if I had been President, we would be at war in Iraq right now, then you shouldn't vote for me."

Then the US caught Saddam, and Kerry couldn't stop gloating about how his vote had been the right thing, despite everything he had told Alterman.

To which Alterman responded:

Yes, to those of you who asked, I am feeling that Senator Kerry did saw off that limb onto which I had climbed for him vis-à-vis his vote for the war when he started bragging about it after Saddam's capture. The ultimate lesson here, I guess, comes from my old friend and mentor Izzy Stone. "Don't trust any politician. Period."


Ouch. Kerry doesn't have many allies left.

[Renew Deal]

1. More DailyDean?

He is such a tired act. Alterman wrote a nice article about Kerry after that.

[virtualobserver]

5. this was written on Dec. 19, 2003 at 2:30 PM ET

So, Alterman wrote something new praising Kerry since yesterday afternoon?

[HFishbine]

2. Request

What did Kerry say about the capture of Saddam?

[frustrated_lefty]

3. There was a point I'd listen to Kerry.

No more, he's a joke and I have better ways to spend my time.

[KittyWampus]

4. I Feel Similarly About Kos