John Kerry: "My regret is that I believed the president"

[kpete]

"I would not have voted for the resolution, knowing what I know today."

"I believe that the president and his administration went before the congress and told them information that they knew was NOT accurate."

To Wolfie in the Situation Room. More to come.

"Disgraceful fear tactics that administration has used to promote this war."

"This administration has lost lives"

"I am fighting for the troops"

"I think I would have made a good president"

"Right now I am focused on "2006"

[Pharaoh]

1. DUH!!!

he should have said that last year!

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Absolutely!

[Tom Joad]

2. My regret is so many believed in someone who believed Bush.

What a lame-ass nominee from hell.

[Just Me]

30. Are you saying that the American people are criminals for believing,...

,...they could trust the word of the executive?

STOP FUCKING BLAMING THE VICTIMS OF THIS ADMINISTRATION!!!

STOP FUCKING DEFENDING THE GODAMNED CRIMINALS!!!!

STOP PASSING AND PROJECTING THE DYSFUNCTION OF THIS FUCKED UP ADMINISTRATION UNTO OTHERS!!!

CONVICT THE FUCKING CRIMINALS RATHER THAN BURDENING THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN VICTIMIZED BY THEIR BETRAYAL AND FRAUD AND ABUSE AND EXPLOITATION!!!

BE JUST!!!

[Tom Joad]

37. You seem angry. Take a deep breath....

In
Out.
There, do that a few times. Think nice thoughts.

Bush is guilty for his crimes.
Kerry is guilty of what Kerry did (I am not sure you would call them crimes, just a lack of judgment that helped launch a war of aggression against a sovereign nation), putting faith in W. Bush.

If Kerry had just asked, many of us would have explained to him that Bush was lying... a long, long time ago. US policy in regards to Iraq had been very wrong for many years, including Clinton's continuation of sanctions that killed thousands of Iraqis.

As for the voters, well, I think the many voters misjudged Bush and voted for him. Voters in the Democratic primary misjudged Kerry and voted for Kerry. He should have trounced Bush, and even if you believe the election was fixed, all the polls say it was fairly close. I meant it when i said Kerry was a "Lame Ass" candidate.

Are you still breathing deeply? Good.

[Just Me]

38. *LOL* What can you PROVE you did, better, breathing in and out.

What's the matter? Can't handle confrontation?

Just BREATH!!!! :rofl:

[LittleClarkie]

53. Indeed. That's what Bush was doing.

Pointing at us and saying "They helped! They knew what was going on!"

When did we start agreeing with George W. Bush around here.

Oh, I forgot. We'd agree with Hitler, or the Boston Herald, or NewsMax, if they dissed a Dem we don't like. "Hey, they're normally a RW rag, but when they go after Kerry, I couldn't agree more."

[Mechatanketra]

56. OK. I'll say it.

The American people, or at least those who supported this war at any time, are criminals for vocally trusting the word of the President.

Mind you, it's not the War Resolution itself that's the problem. While I believe anyone who honestly thought Bush would keep any of his handshake 'promises' is a fool to end all fools, being gullible is not innately criminal.

But the problem is this: the IWR authorized Bush to use force either if acting through the Security Council (which obviously he didn't), or to "defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq". Since in the context of the times, the only threat Iraq posed to us was the (bogus) possibility they harbored WMDs, and since Iraq had already caved into inspections when Bush sent in the troops -- thus violating the very UN resolutions the IWR called on him to defend -- there was literally no room for the possibility that Iraq posed any threat to American security. Hence, it was clear from day 1 he had made his 'determination' in bad faith and thus overstepped the IWR authorization. (And of course, just for added fun, he jumped the gun on his own ultimatum deadline. How's that for "exhausting all other options"? Man couldn't resist lying just one more time ...)

Afer day 1, everyone had a choice: recognize that Bush's war plans weren't ever about defending this nation and immediately start demanding his head for needlessly wasting our soldiers' blood, or accept that Bush's "regime change" goals were valid in and of themselves. If you picked the latter choice, you bought in. You're not a "victim", you're an accessory after the fact.

Again, in summary: supporting/voting for the IWR could be an act of misled innocence. Supporting the invasion as it came to pass -- disrupting rather than rescuing WMD inspection efforts, without any case ever made by Bush for a necessitating emergency other than "I'm antsy" -- that's an act of willful ignorance. You had to fool yourself.

[RazzleDazzle]

71. Kerry a victim?

Only if he wanted to be, and he apparently did. Nothing stopped him from asking tough questions. Nothing stopped him and others from listening to all those cards and letters. Hell, I knew there weren't any WMD. He and his staff could've done the same due diligence. they could've talked to Scott Ritter, for example. But they didn't. They CHOSE to believe Bush, even tho Bush had never, ever given any of them any reason to consider him an honorable or remotely honest man, something else many of us realized from at least the 2000 Election on.

If Kerry's a victim, it's of his own self-delusions and denial.

[LittleClarkie]

48. He hardly could be called lame with all of his experience

in foreign policy, investigations, small business, the environment among other things.

Quite accomplished and experienced, I'd say. Most of the things I'd like to see in a president.

Or would you rather have a beer.

[Seabiscuit]

65. What I still can't fathom is how

JK, admittedly a man with "all of his experience in foreign policy, investigations, small business, the environment among other things" could first show such a monumental lack of judgment in voting for the IWR without first insisting on investigating the massaged intelligence he received, and then treating us to two years of wilfully ignorant support for this outrageous war.

At least he's finally beginning to see the light.

And he is a good speaker. He's really given Bush an earful recently.

[funflower]

3. And I voted for you, John. But I don't believe you believed the Prez. I

think you were just cornered like every other democrat.

[Jacobin]

8. ah, so

I remember when he voted for the IWR, writing him along with tens of thousands of others begging him not to get railroaded into a clusterfuck....begging him.

He didn't listen.

He made a very very bad judgment call. that tells me he shouldn't be the nominee next time

[GreenArrow]

14. "that tells me he shouldn't be the nominee next time"

At the very least, he should not be the nominee. Nor Edwards, nor Hilary, etc.

[Jacobin]

19. My preference is for no one who backed this quagmire

But hey, no one listens to me, so

[GreenArrow]

20. anyone who backed this

shit, regardless of party, needs to resign their office, just get out of the way and don't insult our intelligence any further. But no one listens to me either.

[FlemingsGhost]

25. You're both making a lot of sense to me

But then again, if the blinded Party "faithful" aren't ignoring me, they're usually calling me a Freeper, or a defeatist, etc.

Pfffttt ...

[Caretha]

70. I agree

I want more from the next President of US. I'm damn tired of poor judgement - please could we have an adult next time?

[acmejack]

4. Where was this Kerry last year?

[Mass]

12. Saying more or less the same thing. The media were not covering

[acmejack]

29. I suppose you're right.

He seemed much more animated, reminded me of the VVAW days.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

34. Accent on "less."

He was asked during a nationally televised Presidential debate.

Step away from the Kerry Kool-Aid.



Disclaimer: I voted for him. I think he won. However, truth and forthrightness are qualities that I hold dear. I also understand that nobody is perfect. But that response to that question was monumentally insipid.

[Noisy Democrat]

44. What answer during a debate?

I think you're confusing it with what he said at the Grand Canyon, when the wind made him mis-hear part of the question. What do you think he said during a debate that you didn't like?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

46. I was thinking of his debate with the wind at the Grand Canyon.

The wind was howling like a chimpanzee so I thought it was a Kerry-Chimp debate not a Kerry-Grand Canyon Wind debate.

My humble apologies.

[Noisy Democrat]

50. ROFL!! Great reply -- thanks for the laugh n/t

[Der Blaue Engel]

5. Damn that Kerry!

Why does he not run screaming naked and painted blue through the Senate with a large machete, foaming at the mouth, rolling his eyes, and hacking at every Republican he sees????? Why won't he leave a big steaming pile on Bush's desk???? Why does he hate America???????????????

The next guy that opens his mouth for 2008!!!!

:crazy: :silly: :sarcasm:

[LSparkle]

6. He really just didn't SEE us -- the base -- last year, unfortunately

If he had come out as strongly ANTI-WAR as Dean, we wouldn't have supported him any less -- we would have supported him MORE. He was more concerned with independent cross-over voters (and not alienating them) than he was in rallying the base ... and we have four more years of Shrubya to show for it.

[saracat]

13. Dean supported the exact same position that Kerryvoted for.

Dean was NOT an anti war candidate though he was perceived as such . The "real " anti war candidate was Graham. And he was head of the intel committee and voted AGAINST the war. I am so sick of Dean being painted as something he is NOT. Dean said publicly , at the time, he would support giving the president the authority to go to war. He took the exact same position as Kerry and Dean didn't haVE A VOTE.

[LSparkle]

15. I sit corrected -- I only wish Kerry could have expressed it better

His position on the war was thoughtful and rational but it came across as contradictory or "muddy". He has "Senate disease" when he needed to talk in bumper stickers. (I wish the public had more tolerance for complexity and subtlety, but they want everything in soundbites and JFK is not that guy.)

[GreenArrow]

18. the real anti war candidate was Kucinich

Graham voted against IWR, I recall, because it didn't go far enough in combatting the equally bullshitiferous War on Terror. (TM)

I agree completely with your assessment of Dean.

[bvar22]

40. You FORGOT Dennis Kucinich, Al Sharpton, and Mosely Braun.

ALL anti-Iraq War, and voted (except Rev Al)their conscience.

Rep Kucinich lasted much longer than Graham.

[saracat]

43. I didn't forget them. Kucinich of course was anti-war.

But Graham had the most to lose and was the ONLY one who saw ALL the intel. The others didn't have a vote . Kucinich may have "lasted" longer but he was never in contention. Graham was a serious candidate but he didn't have the support.

[GreenArrow]

16. he saw the base.

He just didn't give a shit, prefering to play politics with the lives of tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people as pawns.

To paraphrase Madeline Albright, it was a high price to pay, and potentially worth it.

[FlemingsGhost]

9. A 30-year veteran of the Beltway didn't figure out what WE knew!

Bullshit, Senator!

If that's the story you are going to tell, you are hopelessly naive and unifit to lead this nation. What happened to you, Sen. Kerry? You've become the very wishy-washy double-talking political opportunist you so valiantly fought in your youth.

Tell it walking, John. I don't care what you've done in the past. You are part of the problem, now.

[LittleClarkie]

51. Calling for withdrawl makes him part of the problem?

Do tell.

[sepia_steel]

10. Well, I appreciate it, John.

Sorry that so many others are missing the point cuz you didn't do this before. Sooner is better than later, but later is better than never, right?

I got yer back.

*flame retardent set to 'ON'*

[Mass]

11. And at least, he does not let Bush off the hook, as some.

[Individualist]

17. I'd like to hear him explain

why he believed the SOB when BLOODY GEORGE'S CHARACTER WAS WELL KNOWN LONG BEFORE HIS SELECTION BY THE SUPREME COURT!

[MoonRiver]

21. I can hardly believe this guy.

He is so transparent! As long as *'s poll numbers were average nothing could budge Kerry from his absolute conviction that it was correct to give * carte blanc to invade a sovereign country, with NO connection to 9/11. Now that *'s numbers are plummeting Kerry thinks it's safe to come out from under his blankey and shout foul. Too little too late, Senator.
:thumbsdown:

[LittleClarkie]

49. December 10th 2003

How were the president's numbers THEN?

[donheld]

22. We tried to tell them all

did they think these buttons/bumperstickers, the February 15 and other protests were just publicity stunts?

[Noisy Democrat]

45. No

Of course, Kerry was speaking out against attacking Iraq right up to the eve of the invasion. From his point of view, the Iraq War Resolution had done exactly what it was supposed to do: given Bush enough leverage to force Saddam to let the weapons inspectors back in, for the first time since 1998. There was no need to go to war, and Kerry said that loud and clear, repeatedly, long before the invasion. He hasn't stopped saying it, either.

[Mairead]

69. I still have that bumpersticker on my car--it's been there since 2002

Attack Iraq? NO!

Mine was one of the more than 25,000 Mass voices being ignored by Kerry as we clogged his phone lines and ran his fax machine out of paper begging NO! DON'T!. Mine was one of the more than 25,000 votes given to Randy Forsberg in her two-weeks-from-a-standing-start-fueled-by-outrage campaign to dump Kerry from his senate seat after he calculatingly voted to kill people for money anyway.

We're going to do our best in 2008 to give him 100% of his time back for windsurfing and the other elite activities he loves so well.

[Arkana]

23. Senator Kerry, thank you.

[RufusEarl]

24. Crazy Kerry

He made a bad decision, let's not make another and give him the nomination in 08.

[roguevalley]

26. I will never forget my despair over this war, watching people WHO

KNEW BETTER goose-stepping with the Gestapo toward armageddon. If I sitting here in Alaska with a computer and a modem KNEW THEY WERE LYING, he has NO EXCUSE. Damn. WHat a waste 2004 was. I won't make that mistake again.

[DemonFighterLives]

62. Welcome to DU!

I don't know about the skull and boner anymore either. And when we expected him to fight the swiftboaters--nothing. And when we expected him to fight the stolen votes in Ohio -- nothing.
:hi:

[poverlay]

27. I still like Kerry a lot, just not for president... n/t

[linazelle]

28. John Kerry...politico extraordinaire. I'm done with him. nt

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

31. Wha a load of bull. He knew damn well Bush was lying at the time.

Millions of antiwar activists world wide could see through the Bush crime family. Did they have access to info that Kerry didn't?

he was just trying to cover his ass for a presidentail run and was afraid to do the right thing and stand up to another pointless war.

this from a guy who saw the horrors of Vietnam.

Kerry is a spinelesss opportunist. Screw him. He should never of had the nomination to begin with. Hopefully, our party won't let the DLC shove another Bush war-enabler on us again.

Forget about Kerry, Clinton, and Biden. Give us Feingold!

[FreedomAngel82]

32. I like how all the democrats are focusing on 2006 as we should

That should be the most important part right now. Winning back the House and Senate and impeaching the bastards. Every last one of them and booting Wolfowitz out of the World Bank. Oh and for future references: never trust a neocon!

[JerseygirlCT]

33. You know, so many of us were suggesting he come out

with this oh about a year and a half ago...

What might have been different if he'd come right out and said: I made a mistake. I took Bush at his word. I won't make that mistake again.

Glad he's saying it now, but boy I wish he'd done so sooner!

[blm]

41. Will Pitt reported he said it first back in Dec, 2003.

.

[JerseygirlCT]

42. Well, not loudly enough or often enough

and too many times I heard only the "yes, I'd have done the same thing" instead of "heck no, I wouldn't do it again! Now we KNOW the man's a liar!".

I was a Kerry supporter from the primaries -- no fear on that count. But his refusal to just come out and say it, loud and often, made me very, very frustrated.

[KnowerOfLogic]

68. It's crap no matter when he said it. nt

[karlrschneider]

35. I voted for him because the alternative was so horrible, but

in retrospect, it obviously didn't make a gnat's ass bit of difference. The sonofabitch had NO BALLS during the campaign. I'm sorry he lost, but not very. Phuck you, Kerry.

[LittleClarkie]

52. Yeah, fuck you Kerry! Fuck you for standing up for Murtha today

What are ye trying to do, jump on his bandwagon and steal his thunder! Not on MY watch!

Fuck you for calling for withdrawl. What kind of stunt was THAT? And how DARE you call for 20,000 troops home by Christmas. Oh. my. God. What a monster.

Fuck you for that stupid bill for stupid drought victims. Who cares if they can get low interest loans through SBA now. Pandering to the small businessmen again I see. Bastard. And I see you were trying to do the same thing for the flood victims of Katrina. Which is it, John: wet or dry. Flip flopper.

[twaddler01]

36. YEP!!! nt

[David Zephyr]

39. Well, I'm glad he finally said it.

I've let my anger at John go. I gave him my all during the election. I wish he'd never voted for the IWR and it broke my heart when he did, but hey...he is on our side. I'm very glad he has said this.

Now this is the John Kerry I love and admire.

[LittleClarkie]

47. Indeed. But it's not a "finally" He has said it before.

Have you ever seen this link?

http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/printer_121003A.shtml

Here's the pertinent bit:

"This was the hardest vote I have ever had to cast in my entire career," Kerry said. "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," continued Kerry, "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.

In a way, I think what he was trusting was the system. He was trusting Powell. He trusted Bush's dad. The office of president. The people who were sane in Bush's admin (sadly, all gone now.)

[sleipnir]

54. Only a fucking idiot would believe Bush.

Is that what you are Mr. Kerry?

Kerry once again wins the award for the stupidest person in Washington. If he actually believed Bush, he's dumber than we all thought and I'm glad he's not the President. What the FUCK!!!??

Lesson 1 Mr. Kerry (in case you've been asleep at the fucking wheel for the last 5 years); DON'T EVER, EVER BELIEVE GEORGE BUSH.

Sometimes Kerry really pisses me off with his absolute lack of common sense. Maybe he's not as smart as many give him credit to be...I really wonder...

[Beam Me Up]

55. I've never believed Bush ONCE about anything he's ever said or done--

including the patently ABSURD idea that he IS the President of the United States.

Not to disparage John Kerry who is an intelligent, strong and courageous man but WHY would anyone EVER believe BUSH about anything? Everything about him is false.

[Mairead]

58. Oh I don't know about that

I mean, who wouldn't believe someone whose entire life history has been a case study in immaturity, inadequacy, and psychopathy, who has never displayed trustworthiness in any circumstance, and who gained his current office not via election but coup d'etat?

I mean, anyone could be forgiven for trusting such a person, couldn't they?

[Jose Diablo]

57. Too little, too late Mr. Kerry

In your career you have had ample opportunity to bust Bu$h's chops, both the Bu$hs.

As a Senator you could have busted the whole thing with Iran-Contra and also BCCI investigations. But you let them skate. Coming out now is pretty fucking lame.

Maybe your days as a Yaley and the frat houses has taken whatever it was that you had from your younger days with John Kennedy. Sleep with the dogs, you get the fleas.

I think your nothing more than a trojan horse inserted into the 2004 election by the DLC, make that the corporatist, to give the illusion of a choice of candidates. Maybe the primary elections were fixed too. Can never tell these days.

[Disturbed]

59. J. Kerry blew it.

He could not be that naive to believe W would keep a promise. That excuse just doesn't ring true. He didn't want to appear as weak on this bogus war on terror so he went with the warrior stance.

He followed his campaign mgrs. who gave him bad advice.The Swiftboat Liars blew him out of that water and he didn't immediately fight them. Big mistake! Now it is too late for him as Prez. He shouldn't run.

[MadHound]

60. Just STFU already Kerry

Your lame attempts to shift the blame for your vote to the shoulders of somebody else is pathetic and weak.

Saying that you were fooled and lied to is complete and utter BS. How can you be fooled when millions upon millions of ordinary everyday people nationwide weren't? How can these average citizens, without access to the information you have, get it right, yet you get it wrong?

Rather John, you should admit a couple of things. That you failed to perform your primary job duty, ie acting as the collective voice of your consituents, and that you did so out of personal political expediency. If you had fulfilled your job duty, you wouldn't be in this position right now would you, for at the time of the IWR, messages to Congress were running 268-1 against the IWR, millions were out in the street screaming NO to the IWR, and in poll after major poll showed that the American people didn't want to do anything, including voting on the IWR, until the inspectors finished their job.

But instead, with your eye on your political future, you callously sent our troops to war. And tens of thousands have died needlessly on both sides due to you failure to fulfill your job duty, and your callous shallow political ambitions. And now, when the public is rising up against the war, you are trying to make a political correction, and by doing so you are lying to us again. Rather than admit your mistake, and the motiviations behind it, you are lying, saying that you were tricked and lied to and fooled.

John, if you were honestly tricked by this misadministration, then quite frankly you don't have the brains to be in office. And quite frankly, if you are putting this lie out there in order to save your own political skin, then you don't have the morals to be in office either.

People make mistakes John, they make them all the time for both the best and worst of reasons. And people are pretty damn forgiving if you come out, tell the truth, and admit that you made a mistake. So rather than try to lie your way out of this by saying that you were stupider than Bush, come right out, admit what you did was a mistake that was motivated by your own political calculus, and apologize for it. People will forgive you the truth John. But when you try to weasel your way out with lies and BS, well, that doesn't sit so well with most folks, and your Senate seat just might go away in the next primaries.

[smartvoter]

61. Look at this thread. Kerry says exactly what's needed yet he's savaged.nt

[Jose Diablo]

64. Sorry, but Kerry has not said exactly what is needed, by a large margin

Kerry has been bought by the same forces that put Bu$h in place and are now savaging "the People".

What Kerry fought against during the Vietnam era, he has joined forces with today. For Kerry to come out now and say he was tricked is disingenuous and a lie. It is not the enemies that need to be overcome, it is those that claim to be friends but work against our interests that need to be confronted.

"Help is on the way" my ass. Well, Senator, don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.

[lonestarnot]

63. Yeah well we forgive you, but that be a lesson you NEVER forget!

NEVER put faith in a repuke!

[mtnsnake]

66. Gimme a break, Senator Kerry. You're being AAA-political, as ususual

"I would not have voted for the resolution, knowing what I know today."

Of for crise sake, stop being so goddamn careful about your political future. Why don't you come right out and say you made a MISTAKE because Bush and Cheney lied and you fell for it. No one is gonna care if you're not the genius you'd like us to think you are. Admit that YOU fucked up and the American people would have more respect for you.

"I believe that the president and his administration went before the congress and told them information that they knew was NOT accurate."

You BELIEVE that the president said stuff that WASN'T ACCURATE? Will you please stop with the political safe-speak and get blunt for once in your life? The president went before congress and RAPED this country....he didn't just say inaccurate things! The president lied, he fucked us over, he fucked the world over, he fucked YOU over!! Sorry, John, but your rhetoric CONTINUES to be weak.

Maybe you should take a lesson from John Murtha and get right to the point instead of dilly dallying around it all the time.

Thanks a lot for playing it safe. Thanks for NOTHING.

[KnowerOfLogic]

67. My regret is that Kerry is either stupid or a liar, and that dems nominate

nominated him.