You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Home Front: Politix
Kerry Leans To Talk Through His Ass
2004-05-27
The national security speech we’ve all been waiting for!
’Patriotism doesn’t belong to any one party or president’
But it sure seems absent in one party.

Thursday, May 27, 2004 Posted: 11:15 AM EDT (1515 GMT)

John Kerry speaks with supporters Wednesday in Seattle.

SEATTLE, Washington (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry says the United States must be "strong without being stubborn" to defeat the terrorist threat.
Enforcing 17 UN reolutions with military force without French approval is Kerry’s notion of being ’stubborn’.
And he charges that President Bush has undermined American leadership by turning to force before he exhausted diplomacy in Iraq.
12 years wasn’t long enough?
"At stake is a vision of an America truly stronger and truly respected in the world," Kerry said in remarks prepared for delivery Thursday, launching an 11-day focus on national security.
"’Tis better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both". Does Kerry remember that or is the only thing he reads is communist poets?
"This is not a partisan cause. Patriotism doesn’t belong to any one party or president."
Noted above.
National security was Bush’s strength early in the presidential race, but violence in Iraq has increased skepticism about Bush’s handling of the war.

Kerry hopes to convince Americans that he would be a stronger world leader. (Kerry faults Bush on homeland security)
Hope springs eternal.
Kerry said that if he is elected, his top security goal will be to prevent terrorists from obtaining weapons of mass destruction.
Um, isn’t that one reason we’re in Iraq?
And he said the United States needs help from other countries since terrorists are working across the globe. (FBI urges vigilance)
He implies that we’re not doing this, which, coming out of his mouth, natch, is complete horsepuckey. And to the extent other countries wish to recognize terrorism as a problem, yes. See Spain, Zapatero.
"No force on earth is more able than the United States and its allies," Kerry said.
"Can I get an AMEN, BROTHER!!! from the audience?"
"We must build that force -- and we can. We can be strong without being stubborn. Indeed, that is ultimately the only way we can succeed."
Is that why you voted against every major weapons platform whilst you were in the Senate, that is, whenever you bothered to vote?
He laid out four principles that would guide his national security policy:

New alliances with foreign countries;
Like Poland, Ukraine, Mongolia (!) and other countries in ’New Europe’, as we’re already doing?
An updated military to meet terrorist threats;
Our military isn’t updated? That’s in part because of your votes against those efforts, Senator.
The use of diplomacy, intelligence, economic power and "the appeal of our values and ideas" to keep the country safe;
Apparent reference to "I’ll kiss Chirac’s ass as soon as he dropps trou".
Freedom from dependence on oil from the Middle East.
Like drilling in ANWR, which you never supported?
"These four imperatives are a response to an inescapable reality: War has changed; the enemy is different -- and we must think and act anew," Kerry said.
More emphasis on ’act’, Senator Serotta.
National security tour

Kerry’s national security tour extends through Memorial Day and will end on the 60th anniversary of D-Day on June 6.
Good timing; maybe he’s not completely deaf, politically speaking
He will make two more major speeches in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Tuesday, and Independence, Missouri, on June 3, but also take his case to the battleground states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ohio.
West Palm Beach = big $$$ / target rich environment. He’ll need it.
Echoing his theme from months on the campaign trail, Kerry’s speech Thursday included accusations that the Bush administration rushed to war and damaged relationships with other nations along the way.

"They looked to force before exhausting diplomacy," Kerry said in the speech text. "They bullied when they should have persuaded. They have gone it alone when they should have assembled a team. They have hoped for the best when they should have prepared for the worst. In short, they have undermined the legacy of generations of American leadership. And that is what we must restore."
I submit that 12 years was well past exhausted diplomacy, Senator; harsh language isn’t as effective as Billy Jack kicking you upside the head.
Bush laid out his plan for Iraq during a prime-time speech Monday night. Kerry will continue to encourage the president to seek more help from allies and change course in Iraq.
He’s been doing that; another fact conveniently ignored by Kerry.
"If President Bush doesn’t change course and doesn’t secure new support from our allies, we will, once again feel the consequences of a foreign policy that has divided the world instead of uniting it," Kerry said. "Our troops will be in greater peril, the mission in Iraq will be harder to accomplish and our country will be less secure."

Separately, Kerry said Wednesday he will accept the presidential nomination at the Democratic National Convention in late July.
"I turned down the nomination before I accepted it!" Is there any issue he hasn’t been on both sides of?
Some Kerry advisers had wanted him to wait until Bush accepts the Republican nod in early September because each candidate gets $75 million in public funding for his campaign when he is officially nominated. With his decision, Kerry will have to stretch his money out five weeks longer than Bush.

"I know it puts us at a disadvantage financially," Kerry told the crowd, making an appeal for greater donations. "And so I’m relying on those of you who helped bring us to this point."
Grab Lovey’s chequebook, then. Oh, who’s paying for that brand new plane, by the way?
Posted by:Raj

#12  He laid out four principles that would guide his national security policy:

He didn't mention the Democrat pet project: massive domestic spending in the name of "national security". Admittedly, there are many areas that need it, like ports. It's just that a cynical little part of me thinks that had it happened, it would've been TSA redux and redux and redux...

Posted by: Pappy   2004-05-27 9:49:09 PM  

#11  But we need the French with us or our cause is meaningless!
Posted by: Al Gore   2004-05-27 5:54:57 PM  

#10   "the appeal of our values and ideals" is exactly what the Islamo-facsists hate,and why they are at war w/us.

Clueless doesn't even begin to describe Kerry.His 4 "imperatives" doesn't include military action,so he will do nothing.
Posted by: Stephen   2004-05-27 5:40:45 PM  

#9  What Kerry views as "stubborn" most folks would consider "principled and resolute." It will be good for the country when the glut of babyboom vietnam war protestors works it way out of the power structure of the Democratic party. These pathetic losers seemed fixated on the 70's when they were young and thought they made a difference. Now they're just old and boring.
Posted by: RWV   2004-05-27 5:23:18 PM  

#8  Bomb-a-rama, 'twas a typo, not a Freudian slip (right!).
Posted by: Raj   2004-05-27 5:10:08 PM  

#7  Kerry Leans To Talk Through His Ass

Who says Kerry needs to lean?
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-05-27 5:06:40 PM  

#6  Love the Billy Jack reference. Can we have some ice cream. PLEASE.
Posted by: remote man   2004-05-27 4:53:49 PM  

#5  Sheesh, back in the day, asses could talk for themselves, Balam's ass being a fine example indeed. These days, we have the "presumed" democratic presidential candidate, some castrated dude named Kerry-Heinz ketchup bizznitch or somesuch, having to fake it.

Compared to this metrosexual wussie-ism, gimme that old time religion!

I'll take the cow-boy bay-bee, riding out 16 miles on the range, busting his ass (well face and hands) and blaming nobody but himself and getting back up and finishing that last mile.

ketchup boy, take you metro and shove it up your sexual.
Posted by: Atropanthe   2004-05-27 4:49:52 PM  

#4  Strong and stubborn is all right with me.
Posted by: Grunter   2004-05-27 3:52:14 PM  

#3  I thought that part of the political spectrum was concerned about global warming.
Posted by: BigEd   2004-05-27 3:43:51 PM  

#2  Kausfiles notes that every time Kerry opens his mouth he goes down in the polls. Here's hoping ...
Posted by: Steve White   2004-05-27 3:31:19 PM  

#1  hehe... sometimes I have to 'lean' to 'talk' through my ass. But of course nobody does it like Kerry.....
Posted by: CrazyFool   2004-05-27 3:13:27 PM  

00:00