Newsweek - John Kerry's Fulbright Moment

[karynnj]

At one point Fulbright said that if lawmakers fail to weigh in “about matters as important as declaring war,” then “I do not see how we have any real function.” Not taking a stand, he said, would mean “we are just a useless appendix on the governmental structure.”

There, perhaps, is the most applicable lesson from the documents. There would be a certain elegant historical symmetry if Kerry, who testified before the committee in 1971, were to convene a public-policy review of the war in Afghanistan. Kerry has already held 11 hearings, issued a lengthy report, and has a report on corruption and threat finance pending. Counterinsurgency will also be discussed in hearings scheduled for the week of July 26. But just as Fulbright did not find his opening until 1971, Kerry may be only beginning to find his own.

The obstacles are clear, and real. “As you know, it’s never been more difficult to achieve a level of public concentration to sustain a debate—and facts and truth have never had so little apparent role to play in any debate,” Kerry said. All true. But isn’t it worth trying in any event?

I asked if he had considered reprising the Fulbright role. “I have never thought about it in those terms,” he said. There was a pause. “Part of the reason that would be practically difficult is the speed with which things move” and a fragmented culture’s short attention span. He went on: “But we do have the obligation to explore these issues in public. Part of what I bring to the chair is the awareness, a very real awareness, of my culpability if we were to fail to ask the right questions.” If anyone can do this, John Kerry can. Here’s hoping he will.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/16/john-kerry-s-fulbright-moment.html

I would suggest that Kerry last fall already made a very strong effort to ask the right questions - he had four excellent hearings that did ask many of the right questions. Those questions - and the answers he reached led to his concern that there was not enough presence of "good enough governance" and Afghan security to take over as needed under McChrystal's plan. Judging from the current situation in Majah, his concerns were - unfortunately - completely on target.

Last week's SFRC is well worth watching. It is not just Kerry who expressed concerns (of just Feingold who has been doing so from the beginning - some Republicans including Dick Lugar are. Here is the link to that hearing - http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=6e4bb067-5056-a032-521f-a829d8b3f86c

[babylonsister]

1. I still love Senator Kerry; he's found his strength, and has

proven himself to be an awesome statesman who is ruled by his principles, unlike so many (mccain, anyone?).

I hope he is taken seriously and listened to, and I bet he is. Here's hoping.

[karynnj]

2. I think he is listened to by the Obama administration

Last fall, Obama clearly did listen to him - even if he ended up choosing to follow Gates, McChrystal, Petraeous, and Clinton. Choosing to agree with Kerry's analysis would have been a very gutsy thing to do and one that he might not have had the complete confidence to do.

But, Kerry has had a major role on the diplomatic side of this effort. In his testimony, Holbrooke not only thanked Kerry and Lugar a couple of times very sincerely and with obvious real emotion for their work on Kerry/Lugar/Berman which gave non-military aid to Pakistan (this came out of the trip Kerry, Biden and Hagel took where they brain stormed the idea when they caught in a snowstorm in Afghanistan) but for Kerry's diplomacy - getting Karzai to allow a runoff and personally tamping down some of the anger in Pakistan over misunderstanding with K/L/B. The fact is that in both cases, Kerry was working with the state department's permission and gratitude. Given the trickiness of both situations and the importance to this effort, this shows the trust and respect they have for him. http://foreign.senate.gov/hearings/hearing/?id=6e4bb067-5056-a032-521f-a829d8b3f86c

As to McCain, there could be hope. He was with Bill Clinton and Kerry at an event marking the 15th anniversary of the reconciliation with Vietnam. Here is a link that has a 15 minute video that shows the other side of McCain. I hope, if he's re-elected that that is the McCain who will return. http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/McCain--Kerry--Vietnam--Normalization/2010/07/16/id/364858

(I know it's a RW site, but it is the only video I can find - and there is not even any snark, much less anything bad. the excerpts of all three speeches are very good.

[babylonsister]

3. Thank you for your insight, karynnj, and your links.

You have a lot more faith in McCain than I do. He is brutal, a flip-flopper with NO morals imo, and in order to win, he'd renounce anyone and anything to do so. This also doesn't address the fact he wants to bomb bomb bomb, and would have probably done so if given the chance.

No, I didn't watch it obviously.

I'm glad to read Kerry's gravitas was/is taken seriously.

[karynnj]

4. I don't know if I have more faith

I think his record is that he often speaks of honor and lofty goals - that he fails to live up to. My hope is based on him always doing what is good for McCain. He has to see that any hope of a legacy - beyond giving the Republicans Palin - can only be done if he returns to that mode - which also will likely make him happier. (his entire life is failing to honor promises.)

[karynnj]

5. Kick for the morning crowd - not here late last night

[blm]

6. Thanks for the kick...I would have missed it.

.

[karynnj]

7. You're welcome

:hi: