My opinion about the Kerry "affair"

[DannyRed]

First and foremost, my own personal preference for nominee is Howard Dean -- just to make sure that people know where I am coming from on that score.

Second, I have been and will continue to be highly critical of John Kerry for his political choices in the past few years. I recognize and salute John Kerry's stance on many issues, and his personal past history. John Kerry has been a good man and a good Senator, BUT I strongly disagree and criticize his votes for PATRIOT, IWR, NCLB, and some other issues that have been hashed out here on DU and elsewhere.

Third, I am still not satisfied witht the results of my attempts to clear the air on the whole "Osama = Dean" ad campaign that aired in Iowa, NH, and South Carolina...there were a lot of Kerry supporters and former Kerry aids and advisors involved in that, and it was dirty, dirty, dirty politics. I am not accusing John Kerry, I am just saying I am not satisfied yet.

Finally, about this whole Drudge, Intern, AP reporter, Affair, Africa business:

1) IF it turns out to be true, Kerry should drop out, now. Damaged goods.

2) IF it is false (which I think it is) then whoever spearheaded this smear should be drummed out of political public life, and should be sued for libel for all they're worth.

My personal opinion is that Kerry is innocent, that this charge is ginned up for two reasons: to weaken the presumptive frontrunner in the primaries, to smear Kerry in preparation for the General Election, and to take attention away from the burgeoning AWOL/ANG fiasco facing Bush....that hunt is leading in directions that are highly unsavory to the GOP and to all Americans. My suspicion is that Bush got busted for Coke and got his records scrubbed through the political connections of his father...there may even be some REAL skeletons in the closet...

HOWEVER, people are people, and people make dumb mistakes...Kerry may have done that. If he did, then he should not submit himself and the Democratic Party to a slimefest.

Let me repeat, if these charges are false, then DRUDGE needs to be put out of business, and the people that fed him this story need to be exposed and pilloried.

It may be that Chris Lehane is involved, that is one rumor...if so, he should be DONE.

It may ALSO be that other Democratic campaigns are involved...I have not seen it here yet, but I am sure that someone will accuse the Dean campaign of orchestrating this in an attempt to revive the campaign or to get revenge for the Osama ads. If THAT turns out to be the case, then Dean should be done.

As I said, I am highly critical of Kerry for political reasons....however, should he be the nominee, I will vote for him, much as I would prefer that Dean be the nominee.

If the charges are false, then the accusers and leakers and slimers should be destroyed.

If the charges are true, then Kerry should be ashamed of himself for being so politically stupid as to play those kind of games in this political climate.

Finally, for those who are freaking out about how we should "just ignore it because it is Drudge" -- I think you need to take a step back from simply defending your candidate, and remember that Drudge, for all his idiocy, and blatant political slimebag bullshit, has (unfortunately) INFLUENCE. Drudge is a major component of the RW slime machine.

That machine WORKS, regardless of how unclean, dishonest, or hypocritical it is.

We need to confront the reality of American politics - Ads with Osama were used to destroy Max Cleland and Howard Dean. Allegations of sexual impropriety were used to hamstring Bill Clinton, savage the Democratic Party, and kill Al Gore's candidacy in the cradle...if you refuse to recognize this and respond to it, it will get you again.

This may be an incredible opportunity, and here is how:

Drudge puts out a rumor floated by political operatives (probably in the White House or in the RNC). That rumor is false, and egregiously libellous. This is a chance to both DESTROY drudge, to set that bomb off in the face of those who planted it (like so: "They are afraid of Kerry and afraid of the AWOL/ANG issue, and they planted this slime to distract people...they lied, drudge lied, and now we all know it")...the result is that this may be "a bridge too far" for the RW slime machine.

That all depends on whether or not these claims have any merit.

I think they do not.

All the best to Kerry, who, while I disagree with his recent votes and actions, is a decent man who, while he did not get my vote this time around, and will not get my support in the primaries, WILL get my vote come November, should he be the nominee.

[Eloriel]

1. I think

1) it was ginned up for the reasons you suggest AND

2) that it's true.

[Cheswick2.0]

22. You could be right

Good Morning!

[MercutioATC]

2. As another Dean supporter, I agree with you.

I, personally, don't think the allegations are true, and the kind of people who spread this tripe need to be sent a message that smearing political candidates will COST them. If it IS true, Kerry needs to step aside.

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[DannyRed]

4. I don't know about that. xeifrank

I really don't.

I, personally, care not about the man's personal life, but it would really be terrible for such a weak president to gain undeserved re-election because all the attention was focused on infidelity or namby-pamby bedroom rumors rather than issues like deficit, health-care, war based on lies, environment, and on and on and on.

And if there is ANY truth (which I doubt) to the Kerry rumors, then you KNOW that the whore media will be all over it like stink on shit, and the RW slime-masters will be pounding that issue day in day out, and NONE of the important issues will be discussed in any kind of detail.

None.

I know it is sad, shameful and disgusting, but that is, unfortunately, the sad state of the media and politics in America today.

We cannot afford it.

[izzie]

16. Well first this worked with Clinton

GOP is not known for doing new things and they know their base loves this stuff. All those ex sinners. Maybe some one could lay a hand on Kerry as he begs for forgiveness? I frankly do not care if it is true but tend to think not, as it came out so fast. Bush's polls are falling so this is the first of the stuff going to be lobbed into the ring. I frankly am willing to bet Bush produced twins with medical aid so lets start that.

[calimary]

6. Welcome to DU!

Unfortunately, plenty of sinful people thought nothing of casting stones at Clinton. You're correct - they should think otherwise. But as we saw, they didn't hesitate for a minute.

[calimary]

5. This is One Humdinger of a post.

I am impressed. This is so spot-on. I am so in agreement - about every word of it. As a Dean supporter myself, I could not have said any of this better myself. Sure do think it, though.

Your suggestions for reactions/responses are excellent, on all fronts. This, if it's a lie, should be THE moment to put Drudge out of business. That would be beyond just rectifying a wrong, it would be a flat-out, four-star, Medal-of-Honor-worthy public service. You are correct to point out that, for all his sleaze and rumor-mongering, Drudge actually has "credibility" with lots of people - the Pox News/Limbaugh mentality especially, and there are nauseatingly large numbers of them. A "scorched earth" attack would be a just and fitting reaction. Might prove to be a deterrent for anybody considering a similar smear in the future.

While I'm not yet in the Kerry camp, either, this smear of him just makes me ill. I'm guessing it is NOT true, because nobody in his right mind would open himself up to the chipper-shredder of a presidential campaign in the post Clinton-Monica era, knowing what-all happened because of that. One would think if he had a skeleton in his closet like that, he'd have balked at running, in the first place, knowing it would likely come up. If I'd cheated on my spouse, I doubt I'd ever want to run for anything, and open myself and my family up to all that.

[Timahoe]

7. It makes no sense for the Rethugs to be behind this

Why would they use it on Kerry now, BEFORE he has the nomination locked up?

As for Drudge's reliability, I have noticed two things:

1. Drudge is usually full of shit when he does his own reporting (Blumenthal, Clinton black baby, for example)

2. Drudge is usually dead on accurate when he's just stealing another reporter's story (he stole Newsweek's Lewinsky exclusive).

[DannyRed]

8. Regarding the question

"Why would they use it on Kerry now, BEFORE he has the nomination locked up?"

1) Most people think Kerry has it locked up.

2) To distract from Plame, AWOL, WMD, and Budget lies and stumbles.

3) To damage the leader in the primaries and try to bleed him some more...although since Kerry has opted out of Matching Money, he can really do whatever he wants on that front.

(Kerry folks should THANK us Dean supporters for voting to opt out...it was smart then, and it is smart now...)

[JVS]

10. You're right. I was listening to Boortz today in the car.

He was working up a Kerry Fonda lather and talking about how Kerry must be defeated by Bush. They think the nomination is all his

[izzie]

18. I think you are right and this is the time.

Dem are no sleeping either.

[w13rd0]

14. Ask the same questions about the ad they've now produced...

...seriously, if any of the candidates were running a campaign worth salt, we'd have seen that ad months ago. And there will be MANY, MANY more. I personally want to put Bush out of office, but I think it would be a HUGE mistake to rely too heavily on being able to throw just about any shit against and a wall and have it stick.

We need to be having a lengthy discussion on just who is capable of beating Bush. Namely because everyday we have that discussion, more people pay attention. As soon as that conversation is over, well, buyers remorse sucks.

This is Drudge, and he's many times dead on accurate when he's being fed disinfo too, at least accurate enough to know how to make it bleed. I want an election about more than just penises.

There have been too many threads about this already. Can we please return to discussing issues? Or is the anger in the room so great that it's necessary to just scream as loud as possible to be heard?

I deserve to be heard, and so does every other citizen. They at the very least deserve the opportunity to participate. It's their loss if they choose not to, and just delegate that responsibility to someone else.

[last1standing]

9. Kerry has slimed his opponents.

And all this time his supporters have claimed that this is the nature of politics. I hope these charges are not true because I want a Democrat in the white house. However, for his supporters to cry foul over these charges, when they have defended Kerry's misrepresentations and politically opportune votes and positions is pure hypocrisy. They have reveled in the decimation of good men, they have no right to act offended now.

[Timahoe]

11. Yes, calling someone a bin Laden supporter is more defamatory

than saying they had a roll in the hay with an intern.

This is far from over. If this is true and Kerry is sunk, then we might actually have a good, open and issue filled campaign between Gov. Dean and Sen. Edwards.

[JVS]

12. You are so right!

Yesterday I read a politics is a "full contact blood sport" post defending Kerry's benefiting from the Osama ads. I wonder how it feels with other candidates waiting for a sex scandal explosion.

:nopity:

[DannyRed]

13. I disagree with

those suggesting that somehow this is "good" for the party or "good" for another Democratic Nominee.

Yes, Kerry MAY HAVE (or may not have) been involved in the Osama=Dean ads....he certainly benefited from their effects....

BUT, this is a slightly different story...for a couple of reasons.

One of the BEST things about this primary season has been the wide open field, the wide-ranging, active debates, the candidates pushing each other to confront Bush and the GOP....and getting FREE PRESS the whole time.

This issue bids to wipe that all away in one fell swoop.

I do not think it a benefit to anyone.

[Adjoran]

15. Of course it isn't good

but if it is proven baseless, it will be irrelevant.

I can't see Rove in this, if it isn't true. He's too slick to hit with a false charge so early in the year. If Rove wanted to bring up false dirt, he would wait until late, when there was little time to respond and no time to disprove.

If it is true, it would be perfect Rove strategy: wait until the we have a presumptive, but not clinched, nominee, then blow him out of the water, leaving chaos behind. All the remaining candidates are short of cash and have to rely on public financing for the fall.

I have no opinion on the truth of the charges yet. But I think the above analysis is correct on whether or not it was Rove behind it.

[dkf]

17. It wasn't Rove...it was Clark.

Clark is the one who talked to 12 top reporters about Kerry's "intern problem".

What I want to know is what the heck Clark is up to.

[DannyRed]

19. That

is another aspect of the rumor that is still unconfirmed, and one that presents an internal conflict.

Rumor states clark said "intern" but the drudge rumor says "AP reporter"....

So, like the Lehane accusation, the Clark accusation must be viewed with extreme caution.

Remember the source:

The RW slime machine would LOVE to tank the frontrunner, take attention off the AWOL pResident AND sow dissension and chaos withing the Democratic party.

And if one "all things to all people" rumor can do that, then great.

Keep it in mind.

[AnnitaR]

20. If Clark were going to drop this bomb

"off the record"...

Wouldn't he have done it BEFORE he got out of the race?? Makes no sense to bring it up now if you ask me.

This whole thing stinks to high heaven!

[Cheswick2.0]

21. IF Clark did make that statement about Kerry

and that is a big if, then I would say he did it when he was still hoping to stay in the race. When he dropped out and his statement came to light, he felt guilty and decided to do some damage control of his own.

Again I am saying this is what I think happened IF THE STORY IS TRUE. but let's remember this is Drudge.

[Tinoire]

23. Clark was only repeating a Washington insider story.

Clark didn't break anything. I read that Gore didn't pick Kerry as VP because of this issue. Anyone know anything of this? Other than the mention in today's paper (related thread this morning).

Not fair to blame Clark if this is well known.

[molly]

24. I agree with your statement

"2) IF it is false (which I think it is) then whoever spearheaded this smear should be drummed out of political public life, and should be sued for libel for all they're worth."