Kerry's Mideast Envoy Choice; Clark Disagrees

[Jerseycoa]

In a speech to the Council on Foreign Relations, the Massachusetts senator said the Bush administration has ruined international relationships with its global strategy and suggested that greater diplomacy would encourage allies to help in Iraq, perhaps with more troops. Kerry also warned against allowing the U.S. election calendar to dictate postwar rebuilding.

<snip>

Kerry said he would appoint special envoys to the Middle East and elsewhere, hoping to tap former commanders in chief such as Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton or even the current president's father, George H.W. Bush. Prior to the speech, Kerry spoke to Carter and Clinton.

"There's great talent out there, with people who've been through this," Kerry said during a question-and-answer session after his speech. "The United States has always been the leverage, if you will, the broker of goodwill to try to bring the parties together."

Kerry also suggested former Secretary of State James Baker as a possible envoy, a proposal that drew criticism from rival Wesley Clark, who called the notion of using the Republican who played a role in the 2000 Florida recount "offensive."

AP/SFGate

[coralrf]

1. It stinks I agree...

and Ill bet Kerry pulls that remark quite quickly. I can see what he was doing but it was offensive and I imagine by now he knows that.

[Jerseycoa]

4. Yeah

It had to be some kind of slip.

[Cha]

2. I'm glad Clark spoke out for all of us

who are offended by the suggestion of "james baker as a possible envoy". Another ..what was he thinking?

[Bucky]

20. I like and support Clark, but I'm with Kerry on this one

OK, sure there's some irony in using James Baker to straighten out the political mess in the MidEast. The last eastern political thing he straightened out was to ensure Broward County selected the president of the United States over the will of the people. But he's got the chops in foreign policy, he's never been comfy with the neocon crowd, and a good foreign policy should be bipartisan. I'm no fan of Baker's, but suggesting he might help alleviate the mess over there is far from offensive. Dammit, people are dying and if anybody can help stall it (or, pragmatically, slow it down) then they should go.

[lastliberalintexas]

21. But Baker can't help

If what we need is a fair viewpoint towards the Middle East, then Baker is a horrible choice. Mr. "F--- the Jews- they won't vote for us (ie, repubs) anyway" and Mr. "Counselor for the Saudi Arabian gov't in defense of 9/11 victims' claims" can't actually *help* the situation over there. We need people with as few ties as possible to either "side" in the Middle East, otherwise the appearance of bias will hamper any agreement/negotiation. I don't disagree with the idea of looking at every side of the equation, but Baker is incapable of doing that.


And to think for one second that he would do ANYTHING to help a Dem administration is wholly overlooking everything that this man has done in the past. He may not be a neo-con, but he is a repub to the core and sticks with them when it counts. Just like McCain.

[Gloria]

3. Here's the section with Clark's comments....and Clark is absolutely right!

"Kerry also suggested former Secretary of State James Baker as a possible envoy, a proposal that drew criticism from rival Wesley Clark, who called the notion of using the Republican who played a role in the 2000 Florida recount "offensive."

In a quick retort, the Kerry campaign said national security should trump party politics in light of the threats the nation faces.

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran, hopes to tap resentment felt by many Democratic primary voters toward Bush's policies on the Middle East, terrorism and Iraq. He is battling the rise of Dean, an anti-war candidate who Kerry claims offers more anger than solutions."



If Kerry is hoping to "tap resentment" I think he's on the wrong track by even mentioning James Baker!!!!!!

[Cha]

5. But, kerry told us to get over the 2000

selection and quit crying in our teacups..I believe were his words or there about.

[molly]

7. Quit grasping at straws

[Cha]

8. The only one "grasping at straws" is

kerry.

[molly]

10. He doesn't need straws

he's got HISTORY and and OPEN record. Tell your guy to unseal his records and I will quit "GRASPING".

[Cha]

12. Yeah...I know all about his "record"...

and his grasping.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Where do I find Kerry's Senatorial correspondence?

Thanks in advance.

[sandnsea]

6. It's Bold and Brilliant

People ought to actually watch the CRF speech, the whole thing including Q&A. He is saying that it's absolutely stupid for every administration to start from sratch with Israel & Palestine. That we should take advantage of those who have gone before, and even create a bipartisan team. Clinton/Carter and Baker/Skowcroft to create the best possible strategy to move forward. This kind of team has already built trust and created progress. If they would agree to spend the time pushing the peace process forward, they would have the best opportunity for success. It's a wonderful idea and I'm glad Kerry is willing to put everything else aside for the better good of ME peace.

The speech was absolutely brilliant. People in the audience said it's the best foreign policy speech they had heard in years. It's too bad people can't put their own prejudices aside to listen.

[Cocoa]

9. I saw it

the thing about Baker was so minor compared to the other things he said. I think it's tragic that it has been siezed upon. I wish the candidates could speak their minds freely, if they have to worry about not saying things that will be blown up, they'll just be boring.

[sandnsea]

11. And the religious leader summit

How amazing was that? Can you imagine Bush coming up with that idea? It just kills me that people refuse to try to understand that we live in a very complex world, more complex than the BFEE.

[Cocoa]

13. Clark said something great about complexity

a caller on C-span asked him about some contradiction between his Catholicism and his positions, and Clark gave an amazingly assured, very long answer about his religious path in his life. It is a pleasure to have candidates of such depth among the dems.

[sandnsea]

14. I like Clark

And I really like candidates who are able to articulate their own spiritual journey. It's the main thing that drew me to Kerry very early on, in the Windsurfer interview, his talking about visiting Israel and discovering 32 different sects of Catholicism and about how religion affects cultures and having to learn about these things and respect them in foreign policy. And his own spiritual beliefs as well. He hit on that again today, that we can't just reach out to governments but to religious and cultural leaders too.

It is nice to have some intelligent depth in the debate, that's for sure.

[a_lil_wall_fly]

16. If you heard the Q&A session afterwards

Kerry would be open to bi-partisanship on this issues..since the Republicans did do a couple of good things in the early 1990's about the Isrea-Palestine issues(thou I'm trying to remember what they did!!!).

[sandnsea]

17. The Geneva plan

They've been talking about going back to that lately and Baker played a role in that I think. Besides, Kerry's talking about the relationships & progress, what they learned, things promised in the past, relationships built; that's what matters. And having the trust of both sides in the U.S. too. I think it's a really great idea.

[FrenchieCat]

18. Yea, but

James Baker. I mean that guy really made me sick during the 2000 recount/nocount election process. He just lied, and lied, and lied. I don't think bipartisanship means mentioning big liars for possible positions. That's the problem with that statement.

[sandnsea]

19. It's also a smack at Bush

People from past Administrations might be suitable for an I/P envoy; neocons from THIS Administration are not. James Baker has respect on the right, Kerry acknowledges that but acknowledges no one from the current Administration. I don't like Baker either, but I think there's political reasons he chose that name. He'd rather have the scum of Florida work on Israel/Palestinian policy than anyone in this administration... maybe?

Clark smackin' Kerry around is fine, that is fun politics. It's a good zing, it's out there without being unfair or personal. Clark is absolutely the best zinger we've got. Better than Sharpton really because he's subtle, but effective. I like it!

[Kahuna]

27. But but..Kerry was fighting the Reaganites while Clark..

was voting for him. Right? What happened?

[sandnsea]

28. That's true

That's party politics. Small jabs to differentiate candidates. Not slash and burn the whole damn party making it next to impossible for the Senators and Congressmen to win next year.

[helleborient]

22. Looks like he's running to the center and right now...

Since he couldn't make traction with the left.

I'm sorry, but it looks like a campaign in utter disarray now.

Latest poll numbers - 12 in NH and 9 in Iowa...so far from the 20+ of the past.

Will he stay in the race or risk utter embarrassment in Iowa and New Hampshire - who knows.

[robbedvoter]

23. Robbedvoter on Kerry, Baker, Clark's response (+ fun poll)

http://robbedvoter.forclark.com/story/2003/12/4/54431/1674

[Meshuga]

24. I wonder if Clark finds his own voting record offensive...

Nixon, Ford, Reagan, Bush? Come on Clark!

Our friend Wes is instructed to act a certain way to look like a real Democrat. The same way he was instructed to look like an Outkast fan in that Rock The Vote promotional video.

[FrenchieCat]

25. Nixon & Reagan........votes Clark made

did not involve the theft of an election. Democracy may not always give us who we personally wanted...but theft is a whole new ballgame.

I think that you are comparing apples to oranges.

[sandnsea]

26. It's politics

Just politics. If General Clark truly thought an election was being stolen back in 2000, where was he? You think if there was truly a totally illegal election taking place that there wouldn't be an uprising from the military first and foremost? Nice swipe by Clark, it's why I like him. He's not over the top. But it IS just politics.