Bob Woodward is on MTP today asking for (demanding) an extended interview

[hansolsen]

with Kerry about Iraq. Kerry should grant that interview.

If Kerry can't give Woodward an extended interview and present a real plan for what he will do in Iraq, then we do not deserve to win this election.

Kerry needs to move beyond his weak idea of internationalizing Iraq. Nobody is buying that -- it is impractical to the point of being irresponsible.

Here is what he should say in an interview with woodward:



QUOTE
Fellow citizens, hear me: I served in Vietnam and experienced the combat of war. I saw people killed and I killed enemy soldiers. I learned some things from that experience that will profoundly effect the orders I will issue as Commander and Chief. I will keep our soldiers safe from the folly of war. I will not send them on combat missions with no clear objective. I will not send them into battle where they cannot tell friend from foe. I will not ask them to fight for people who will not fight for themselves. I will never send American soldiers on a combat mission with rules of engagement where they cannot fire unless fired upon. I will never ask young soldiers to risk their lives because old men in high places cannot admit their mistakes.

I will go to Baghdad myself and I will meet with the leaders of the Iraqi insurgency. I will end this war on Iraq. I will not fire another shot in that war. I will hold an immediate national referendum in Iraq to determine if the Iraqi people want us to stay. If the people of Iraq want us out of there, I will bring the troops home. If a clear majority of Iraqis want us to stay, I will demand they stand along side American troops and prove it. If they refuse or shirk that duty, I will still bring our troops home. If they want us to stay and will stand with us, I will keep American forces there as true peace keepers.

I believe that God helps those who help themselves, and so do I. That principle will guide my policy in iraq. Please give me your vote and your confidence. Please trust that what I learned in the rice fields of South Vietnam is relevant to what must be done now. I ask for your trust.

[sally343434]

1. Get off your high horse (here too!)

Oh, you put this here too. So I'll repeat my reply.

Kerry owes Woodward nothing. He's a Bush tool. Who does he think he is?

As far as "not deserving to win the election," that's preposterous. Are you saying Bush does, even under any circumstances? Bush is a fraud and a war criminal. He deserves only to be in the dock.

[hansolsen]

4. Woodward is offering Kerry an opportunity. It is a risk, but Kerry can't

win running a risk free campaign.

[comradebillyboy]

2. good idea

especially if kerry can come up with a clear and easily understood message, which he has yet to do.

[Kahuna]

3. Wrongo, (IMHO)... Better for Kerry to do it on MTP on TV, where..

his words can't be twisted and misreprented in print. I don't trust Woodward. The poster is correct. Woodward is a bush tool.

OTOH, I agree that Kerry needs to rehabilitate himself on his Iraq responses. He should do it on MTP though. IMHO. :D

[T Roosevelt]

5. Kerry should give that interview - to Sy Hersh!

[bambo53]

6. Timmy Russert tried that last night on CNBC

With James Carville. James backhanded that ball right into Timmies court with a "it's Bush's major fuck up, let HIM explain how to solve it! Why ask Kerry to fix his screw ups?" I loved it. Not an exact quote, but close.

We need to hear more from Dem's like him, that backhand press sluts and shame them harshly.

[delete_bush]

11. Sorry I missed this, sounds like

vintage Carville. I'm glad he's back, Jimmy don't take no crap off no one.

It's time for the Carville types to take over the cable show interviews from the "I'd rather push my latest book than stand up to Hannity" crowd. Enough of these literary Neville Chamberlains.

They should pick three points to go after chimpco on and stick with them for the rest of the campaign. Forget about what happened 30 years ago, it's a diversion that when the dust settles means very little.

There are enough policy differences between the two to keep the intelligent voter occupied. Time to go for the visceral. Tweety said something on his show today that I liked.

He said "why doesn't Kerry run on the fact that grown men are competing with their kids for the same job... why don't they get to the human side of this.."

To me it's a powerful statement, it paints a picture that stays with you and has many implications. Average voters can relate to this. Chimpco has emasculated these guys, they don't live in a world anymore where their kids are any better off than they are.

They're worried about the future, including national security. They know intuitively that something is wrong, but don't have the time/ability to get up to speed on the issues like DU'ers and won't be able to in the next 7 weeks.

Carville knows how to speak to them in a way Kerry, unfortunately, does not.

[gratuitous]

7. Sure thing! Right after Stupidhead gives an extended interview

And let me offer the beginning of the line-up of acceptable interviewers:

Randi Rhodes

[robbedvoter]

8. Sy Hersh, Joe Conason, Helen Thomas, Paul Krugman, Dan Rather....

Daring someone to give an interview - how so very...O'Riley!

[mitchum]

9. Kerry owes that spook nothing

[hansolsen]

12. Woodward is giving Kerry an opening and a platform. This is a golden

opportunity to change the dynamic of the debate on Iraq. Kerry can build trust by laying out a "real" plan that is bold and innovative. What does he have to lose?? He's 20 points down on this issue now.

[delete_bush]

15. I must have hit the wrong button,

I responded but somehow it didn't post and was erased. Now I've got to get out of here.

My points with less detail were that:

(1) the RW media will parse whatever Kerry says and find several sound bites to use against Kerry (so what if not in context, this is what they do) that will then get repeated ad nauseum via their echo machine (cable, AW whack-job radio, Faux).

(2) Kerry feels he has to respond, this wastes another week.

(3) Risk of loss is much greater than any potential gain, which is better obtained via other media opportunities.

(4) If you feel Kerry should do this, why Woodward?

Later

[delete_bush]

10. Kerry can talk to Woodward

after he's been in office for a year. It's always fun to speech-write but there's a reason Kerry doesn't run his campaign the way I would just as there are reasons why your speech would be disastrous.

As others have stated, chimpco got us into this mess and he should be the one to explain. Kerry doesn't know what the situation wiil be in Iraq on Nov 2nd and should therefore stay away from a definitive game plan.

[hansolsen]

13. Right now Kerry trails Shrub by 20 points on the issue of Iraq -- that is

the real disaster, and it is here now. We have no where to go but up. Kerry can command the agenda for weeks by going on the offensive with a bold plan for Iraq. What's to lose?

[mreh]

14. Worse than having no idea how bad things will be in

Iraq and Afghanistan on November 2 is that Kerry cannot anticipate how bad things will be in January, after he wins the election.

The B&C admin can continue to steal from the coffers and totally screw things up until January. How in the world can Kerry say what he will do in Iraq when this admin is the most destrucive and secretive admin in our history.

Kerry has campaigned that he will try to get more international cooperation to help straighten out *'s mess in Iraq, ever since then *&co have been trying to get more international cooperation (and have failed).

Woodward is Poppy & jr.'s tool. He makes a big deal that the idiot sat with him for 3 hours but big deal, he lied and Woodward can't get that through his thick skull. Woodward's interviews drive me nutts, he seems to be impaired, a slow thinker with slow and almost moronic responses, returning to * gave me a 3 hour interview. Big deal.

Kerry cannot even begin to anticipate how bad things are and how to correct them until he meets with the military leaders and gets their honest impressions. Remember * and Rummey, et al failed to follow the advice of the nation's military leaders. They did it their way!
:puke:

[bobbyboucher]

16. I mean really, who gives a fuck?

Woodstein is a flack. He can jump up my ass and squirm around.