Kerry to Code Pink Protester Interrupting Confirmation Hearing: Hey, I've Been There (Vid)

[bigtree]

. . . my words.




John Kerry Sympathizes With Anti-War Protester Disrupting His Confirmation Hearing:

“When I first came to Washington and testified, I obviously was testifying as part a group of people who came here to have their voices heard, and that is, above all, what this place is about.”

watch:

[CherokeeDem]

1. I am so proud of John Kerry right now...

he handled the interruption with grace, giving the protester the dignity of her convictions and used it to underscore the points he was making in his remarks. I know he was at the end of his statement but to close out giving credence to the protestor's words was brilliant. I have no doubts this man will equal Hillary Clinton as SOS.

[Ian David]

28. Me, too. But I bet Randi Rhodes spins it into something awful. n/t

[babylonsister]

2. Great response to the protester; props to Senator Kerry! nt

[madokie]

3. My fellow Vietnam Veteran is a class act

[bigtree]

5. one of the best

. . . still have his bumper sticker on the back window of my pick-up

[pinboy3niner]

7. I still have my 3' x 4' Kerry placard from '04

Signed by John Lewis when I marched with him protesting voter suppression in Columbus, OH.

[RKP5637]

4. K&R !!! n/t

[Whisp]

6. he handled that very well. he appears to be a good man.

I can't remember, did he vote for the Iraq war?

[glowing]

8. Yes.

[CranialRectaLoopback]

9. Of course he did.

He cashed in his convictions years ago and he also gave us Joe Lieberman.

We can only hope he finds is inner anti-war voice.

[adieu]

12. He didn't give us Lieberman

He gave us John Edwards.

[CranialRectaLoopback]

47. Correct. I misspoke on that

[Whisp]

13. I'll have to walk that good man thing back a bit.

anyone who fell for that stinkin liar George and his criminal friends is either;

1. not that swift
2. or had some personal interests to go ahead with a needless war.

They should never be fully forgiven.

[WinkyDink]

17. Or Skull and Bones. ;-)

I've heard it's a strong bond.

AND I AM A KERRY FAN! Those "Swift-Boaters" were disgusting liars. Don't even get me started on those mocking purple Band-aids.

[Bandit]

18. You do know President Clinton was saying the same thing as the Bush* Cabal at the time?

I believe it was a bad/wrong vote but I fully understand why it happened..

[Whisp]

21. o yeah, I know that

that's why I didn't support her during the primaries for one minute.

whether she's 1. not that swift or there is an 2. inside info game going on that only a few can participate in. Either one is bad news and I doubt it's #1.

[karynnj]

36. Bandit pointed out that Bill Clinton was saying very similar things

to what Bush was saying. The fact is that many were being told the SAME lies from many different people. Kerry even spoke once of having spoken to leaders in the UK - and they were saying the same things.

Kerry was different than most others who voted yes, he voted yes to give the leverage needed to get good inspections. He spoke out before the war started saying not to rush to war. He also spoke against the war at a point that 80% of the population was for it (April 2003).

[Whisp]

40. if you consider this:

George Senior and the Gulf War handed the baton over to Clinton who made Iraq suffer with sanctions for his two full terms, and whtever else we probably don't know, then it was handed again to George Junior to finish off the grand theft. How many years span is that that the American administration, with only 2 names in all those years, held steadfast to making Iraq as weak as possible.

I do not accept this is all coincidental and that there weren't any understandings and deals made between these administrations. And people wonder why I have this 'unreasonable' dislike of the Clintons, and the Bushes. That's it, the way the sentence read: The Clinton and the Bushes. They are and were partners in misdeeds.

[Ikonoklast]

26. You can't even get basic facts straight.

...but most of you never could.

[CranialRectaLoopback]

45. I did misspeak re: Lieberman.

[CranialRectaLoopback]

50. I'm not sure who the "you people"

Are to whom you refer, I presume you mean Republicans or Teabaggers. Regardless, I am from the Democratic Wing of the Democratic Party so having a "D" next to his name doesn't give Kerry a pass. But he'll be confirmed and I guess we will see whether we are speaking with countries like Iran when his term is up or whether we are droning them.

[Ikonoklast]

55. Enjoy your stay n/t.

[pacalo]

10. He handled that with class. And his remarks well represented what his soon-to-be boss

would have said. Diplomacy rocks.

[JBoy]

11. A total pro.

Unlike the many grandstanding, know-nothing republicans there.

[judesedit]

14. Too bad the election was stolen from him.He would've been a great president.Th GOP should be ashamed

They destroyed this country. Virginia is planning on stealing all future elections for republicant's. Unless we do away with the electoral college or they scare away their current constituents so they vote dem instead of repug, their tactic will work. Come on, people. Give a shit about this country and each of our votes.

[freshwest]

19. +1

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

15. He used to be anti-war..then he became a politician.

[EastKYLiberal]

23. He's not pro-war, but he understands that there are no absolutes in foreign policy...

Pacifism is great, but sometimes further action is required.

There's a big difference between our actions in Iraq under Bush and our actions in Libya under Obama, just as there will be a big difference between how a Neocon administration would handle Iran versus how President Obama will handle Iran.

I find it intellectually dishonest to lump all military action and politicians that support different forms of it into the same category.

Sen. Kerry represents my view on foreign policy in knowing that absolutism in regards to foreign policy doesn't work in a complicated world.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

25. Uh..Kerry supported Bush's war in Iraq.

How does that work with your thesis? How about Obama's escalation of the fiasco in Afghanistan? Does that represent "further action"?

[blm]

29. Kerry supported IWR to get UN weapon inspections, and sided WITH the weapon inspectors against Bush

when they reported back that there was no need to use military force in Iraq.

LA Times:
>>>>

"The United States should never go to war because it wants to; the United States should go to war because we have to," Kerry said at Georgetown University. "And we don't have to until we have exhausted the remedies available, built legitimacy and earned the consent of the American people, absent, of course, an imminent threat requiring urgent action."

Kerry's remarks come as polls show most Americans would prefer that the inspections continue before an attack is launched on Iraq. The surveys also show the public is reluctant to see force used at all without broad allied support.

The speech also marks another shift in emphasis for Kerry on Iraq. Last year, he accused Bush of ignoring international opinion in the administration's initial moves toward a confrontation with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. But after Bush pledged to work through the U.N., Kerry voted for the congressional resolution in October that authorized the president to use force against Iraq.

Kerry now has moved closer to the war's critics, who maintain Bush is once again risking dangerous divisions with allies in repeatedly raising the prospect of invading Iraq, even without U.N. approval. Indeed, the heart of Kerry's speech was a charge that, across the board, Bush has pursued a "belligerent and myopic unilateralism" that has isolated the United States and increased threats to American security.
>>>>

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

31. He was for it before he was against it? Is that the argument?

Or, did he become "against it" after it was politically correct to be against it.

kinda like all the politicians who became "anti-war" after we lost in Vietnam.

BTW there were 23 senators who voted against the IWR.

[ProSense]

32. Pathetic

"BTW there were 23 senators who voted against the IWR. "

Kerry was one of the most vocal in opposition to Bush's illegal invasion before it happened and through the 2004 Presidential election. Not only did every Senator vote for a version of the IWR, they all believed the intelligence on WMD, which is why there were several versions of the bill.

Still, it's interesting that you point out that 23 Senators voted against it. Yet, in 2006, when Kerry and Feingold sponsored a bill to withdraw from Iraq, it got only 14 votes.

Regardless, you'll keep using RW talking point ("He was for it before he was against it?&quot , and Kerry's statements in opposition will still be a matter of record.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

33. So, he didn't vote for it?

Gosh, all the media were dupes of the right wing? Right?

Did you buy the "intelligence" that cost hundreds of thousands of lives?

[ProSense]

34. No, he didn't

Gosh, all the media were dupes of the right wing? Right?

Did you buy the "intelligence" that cost hundreds of thousands of lives?

...vote to give Bush the authority to lie. As much as you want to believe that Bush isn't responsible for misleading the country, it's a fact.

Bush lied and ignored the parameters of the IWR, which is why it's consider an illegal war.

Are you unaware of Bush's lie?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

37. Yes, I was. Why wasn't Kerry and the rest?

[ProSense]

38. Clearly, you aren't because

"Yes, I was. Why wasn't Kerry and the rest?"

...the lie I'm refering to was after the vote, the bullshit letter submitted to Congress as justification.

Were you aware of that?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

41. Sure. Why wasn't Kerry "aware" of the lies that led to the IWR vote?

[ProSense]

42. Because

"Sure. Why wasn't Kerry "aware" of the lies that led to the IWR vote?"

...he and the other Senators aren't you? I mean, they have to act on what they're presented.

Again, you're lauding 23 Senators for voting against one version of the IWR when all of them, including Kerry, voted for other versions.

Why did they vote for those other versions? Is it because they're not as smart and all-knowing as you?

Now, back to reality. Bush lied, and Bush acted. He is responsible for pulling the trigger.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

43. So, were you convinced by Bush at the time? Did you support the votes?

One doesn't have to be "all knowing" to realize that invading another country and killing thousands of its people is a bad idea.

[ProSense]

44. So why then

"One doesn't have to be 'all knowing' to realize that invading another country and killing thousands of its people is a bad idea. "

...are you having trouble realizing that Bush is responsible for his actions?

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

46. And, Kerry is responsible for supporting Bush's actions.

[ProSense]

48. Kerry didn't support Bush's actions.

That's only in your imagination.

[blm]

35. If you bothered to read with accuracy as your goal, you'd know he sided with weapon inspectors

who were placed in Iraq through the IWR and Kerry stayed sided with weapon inspectors who were reporting that use of military force was NOT needed.

But, I'm sure that fact won't deter you from spreading the spin that Rove preferred.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

39. Why did he vote for a war that he didn't believe was necessary?

Or, is it the 1984 version the truth "war is peace"?

[Blue Idaho]

51. Thank You for Swiftboating John Kerry.

I almost forgot what that sounded like.

[blm]

54. So you DIDN'T read, as usual. He voted for IWR after UN cooperation was promised and weapon

inspections would determine the next step. When weapon inspectors reported back that there was no need to use military force to disarm Iraq, Kerry sided with the weapon inspectors and against Bush. NONE of the other Dem yes votes sided with Kerry then, did they? But, you treat them all the same, as if ANY No vote would have stopped Bush invading Iraq. Guess you forget Bush already HAD planned to use the 1991 UN resolution to invade, and he had plenty of Yes support from GOP and Dem hawks - but, hey, TyL, you keep that target on Kerry since it makes you feel better about yourself.

[nick of time]

16. John Kerry is such a classy man.

He's walked the walk and talked the talk.
He will make an execellent SoS.

[freshwest]

20. Perfect man for the job. So glad he'll be there to make a difference.

[nick of time]

22. He's actually been in combat

and knows the horrors of war, which is why he'll do everything in his power to avoid armed conflict.
I am so proud of my fellow Vietnam Vet.

[freshwest]

24. I listened to him speak when I traveled to D.C. as part of our anti-war mobilization.

There was no equivocation in him. Years later, I watched as he conducted the Iran/Contra hearings. He is an honest and honorable man, and we need more like him, IMO.

[Demo_Chris]

27. THAT was a grand-slam homerun right there

Between that and Hillary yesterday, I am quite proud to call myself a Democrat.

[BainsBane]

30. +1

Secretary Clinton was spectacular, and Kerry's response their was first class.

[Cha]

53. Yes, President Obama chooses good people to work with

him.

[seabeyond]

49. excellent. nt

[Surya Gayatri]

52. Classy man, classy response.

[politicasista]

56. Kick

He handled that very well.

Saw the LOD Rewrite and Rachel's mini-protest pic segment. Very excellent done. Senator/SOS to-be Kerry will be excellent.