Kerry "Smear" Likely Part of Rove Campaign to USE Dem Primary Process

[WiseMen]

Some are suggesting that Rove is not behind the Kerry smear. I say "Prove it!" All the insinuations that there was some Dem source have been shown FALSE.

Don’t believe for a moment that Rove will wait till after the nomination to smear Kerry. Nonsense! The fact is, the Rove operation has been underway for a while.

For, instance, the “Unprincipled” theme against Kerry was a Republican attack program developed against Gore and targeted on Kerry more than a year ago when Kerry was the presumptive leader.

The way the “special interest” funding theme as funneled via the Post, validated by Dean’s incorporating it into his attack, the used as part of the public republican campaign is a classic Rovian approach. The fact that Public Campaign Action Fund; Common Cause; and Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen, Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, all publicly came out and said that the “special interests” charges against Kerry “paints an inaccurate picture using an arbitrary statistic” and contains blatantly false information, did not matter once Rove had the charge into the Dean campaign. The theme was now legitimate.

The same applies to the recent smear rumors: it is important for Rove to get some of this out so it can be “validated” as a Democratic primary charge, rather that a “Republican smear tactic” which would be far less credible.

The underlying numbers are very bad in a Kerry/Bush matchup. There is no other match-up which threatens Bush in the same way. For whatever reason, Kerry appeals to constituencies Rove was counting on. So, don't underestimate the fear of Kerry, and the extent to which Rove will go shape the Kerry image, using Democrats as his mouth-piece, before the end of the primary process.

Rove was behind some of the hits on Dean, and he is still at work using the primary process to cut down Kerry.

[Maddy McCall]

1. I agree and have admonished Duers on this since the Kerry

story broke.

You said it more eloquently and with much more tolerance than I, though.

:-)

[stickdog]

2. If Rove is attacking Kerry, he's sure doing a shitty job of it.

I haven't seen more than a handful of negative stories about Kerry, and there's nothing in the mainstream US press about the alleged affair.

[WiseMen]

10. This type of smear is targetet the 40% who Listen to Rush etc. I works.

It is even more credible when you can go to any Dem forum and
find people spreading the slime.

[stickdog]

12. It wasn't reported by a single mainstream US media outlet.

Don't you think Rove could have twisted a couple more arms if he wanted to?

[Jade Fox]

13. Aaron Brown apparently reported on it

I plan to look up exactly what he said, and ask him issue a public rebuttle.

The talk show hosts (Letterman) were using it too. This stuff has an impact, and they
know it.

[jbfam4]

3. "Prove it!"

Every time I hear * speak or the other GOP spinners talk I yell these very words to the TV. My 85 year old Mom loves it.

[BruinAlum]

4. STATEMENT FROM WOMAN ABOUT SENATOR KERRY

Statement From Woman About Sen. Kerry

12 minutes ago

By The Associated Press

A statement released Monday by Alexandra Polier, who has been the subject of rumors linking her to Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites):



"For the last several days I have seen Internet and tabloid rumors relating to me and Senator John Kerry. Because these stories were false, I assumed the media would ignore them. It seems that efforts to peddle these lies continue, so I feel compelled to address them. I have never had a relationship with Senator Kerry, and the rumors in the press are completely false. Whoever is spreading these rumors and allegations does not know me, but should know the pain they have caused me and my family. I am in Kenya with my fiance visiting his family, and we ask that the press respect our privacy and leave all of us alone."


A statement by Terry and Donna Polier, the parents of Alexandra Polier:


"We have spoken to our daughter and the allegations that have been made regarding her are completely false and unsubstantiated. We love and support her 100 percent and these unfounded rumors are hurtful to our entire family. We appreciate the way Senator Kerry has handled the situation, and intend on voting for him for president of the United States."


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040216/ap_on_el_pr/kerry_polier_statements&cid=694&ncid=2043

CAN WE PUT THIS TO REST NOW??

[TexasPatriot]

9. this is very good

we have strong denials by both of them
there's no blue dress
and instead we get a story that shows that there are people in the media that will go WAY over the top to support Roveco.

[Sensitivity]

5. I Agree! We MUST Say "ROVE!" To any smear. Else They Will Keep at it.

[Crachet2004]

6. Kerry said there is nothing to the intern story...

And until proven different, I am gonna believe him. Bushco is scared to death of running against John Kerry...but they are gonna have to.

Kerry already is showing me he is exactly the "streetfighter" he is reputed to be. This is what we need. Take the high road if possible, if not, the low road will do.

I feel bad about Howard Dean, who is a good man and helped us a lot in jumpstarting this campaign, but I think his contribution is just about over. They need to find a place for him. How about doing away with the Dept. of Homeland Security and replace it with a Dept. of Energy Independence and let Howard run that???

But Kerry is the Man. Rove and that bunch don't have a damn thing on him, I'll bet. The doctored Jane Fonda photo made me laugh! Bushco calling Kerry a creature of special interests had me rolling on the floor! Soon, I'll bet this Alex P. story is gonna turn out to be much ado about nothing...these guys are killing me! Is this all they have? A comedy routine? Hey Rove! None of your eighth-grade Bushshit will work this time-and that's an insult to eighth-graders everywhere, for which I apologize.

[KittyWampus]

7. "Inaccurate Picture" Of Kerry? Like Kerry's Inaccurate Pix Of Clark?

sorry, Kerry took millions from Lobbyists.

Let him answer for it.

[Sensitivity]

8. Can we stop the "special interest" B.S. Bad Enough We Gave Rove a Gift

[WiseMen]

11. This is B.S. This is part of the Rove "Un-Principled Flip-Flopper" Theme

that the Dean campaign co-opted from Rove and has indoctrinated
his followers with. In is totally false.

Imagine: Kerry has the best combined progressive scores of any senior senator (ADA 93%, LCV 96%, AFlCIO 90%) yet Dean and co have used
a few votes to slander the senator as being inconsistent. This is Rovian tripe. We should stop it now.

[The Magistrate]

14. Well Said, Mr. Wisemen

You have put your finger to the problem with the form Gov. Dean's campaigning has lately taken, that makes it so destructive. His campaign activities just now are of such a character that they might as well be exercises in trial ballooning for the criminals of the '00 Coup. He has continued a "special interests" attack that is utterly exploded, and could never have been honestly viewed by anyone knowledgeable concerning political finances as a serious charge, but by his continued itteration of it, and the repetition of it by some of his more vehement supporters, he has lent it a certain impact that could be useful to the enemy in swaying unsophisticated voters, as it is now possible for the enemy to trumpet that "even fellow Democrat radicals like Dr. Dean agree" with the baseless allegation. Since a most promising line of attack for the Democratic Party come the fall is the unparalleled purchase by special interest monies of the Oval Office through the medium of the criminals of the '00 Coup, those reptiles are desperate for a means to nuetralize that charge, and Gov. Dean has contributed to honing the weapon for their defense.

The claim by Gov. Dean that Sen. Kerry is not left enough is similarly useful to the enemy. It is contradicted by the facts of his voting record, which has received superlative ratings from a great variety of liberal organizations no person can seriously quarrel with. Indeed, it will be a feature of the enemy's attacks, aimed at the general populace, that Sen. Kerry votes a little to the left of Sen. Kennedy, the emblematic liberal of the popular imagination. But this baseless canard emanating from Gov. Dean's campaign lends support to the pernicious "not a dime's worth of difference" line that has had good efect, from the enemy's point of view, in depressing turn-out for Democratic Party candidates in the past. Again, Gov. Dean's campaign is working to aggrevate tendencies that will bring material benefit to the criminals of the '00 Coup come the fall by flogging this line as one of its chief points of attack.

Those persons who attach their support to Gov. Dean ought to think long and hard about the lasting effects of the campaign effort he is making just now. A personal zeal for left principles is no excuse for behavior that lends material support to the worst elements of reaction in our polity. Those who put themselves forward as the 'true" champions of the people cut a poor figure indeed if they act in a way that is certain to increase the people's suffering by prolonging the grip the worst elements of reaction have secured today over their lives and livelihoods.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"