Why is Kerry Being Held Accountable for the Bush Caused Iraq Disaster?

[Justice]

Everywhere I read or listen - on DU and off DU, all I see is "Kerry has no plan to get us out of Iraq, why is Kerry not able to give concrete answers about what he would do in Iraq?, etc etc.

This really fries me. The Republicans have framed the question and everyone - media, Democrats, Independents, roadkill takes the bait.

PEOPLE: BUSH IS THE DISASTER, BUSH CAUSED THE DISASTER, BUSH IS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE DISASTER.

Why isn't the media asking Bush about Bush's lack of concrete answers to the Bush caused Iraq disaster?

All Bush has to say is "I won't rest until we win the war on terrorism, I will fight in Iraq and we will prevail" I am sorry, this is bu@@##%%%^^!. All the evidence to date proves you are not able to win or prevail. Tell me two sustainable, positive things Bush has done right in Afghanistin or Iraq.

If Bush was a CEO, his company would be missing investor's predictions, he would have product recalls, missed shipping deadlines and probably mad cow disease -- he would be on the ropes, out the door (okay with a $$$ huge separation package, but out the door).

You or I could do better in Iraq. To say that John Kerry can't get foreign support because Bush mucked it up so bad -- and have that statement reflect badly on John Kerry is INEXCUSABLE.

[UpsideDownFlag]

1. people like to bitch. nt

[ogradda]

2. he does too have a plan!!

he's talked about it on c-span and there's a link on his website to his solutions to stuff. any crap like that i hear i validate - google is a wonderful thing :)

[papau]

3. Why is Kerry responsible for yesterdays Medicare Premium increas

- Bush has an ad out that says 5 general budget votes - with the one in 97 when the GOP controlled the Senate and which had inserted the current Medicare Premium formula being the most evil - make Kerry uncaring about Medicare premiums -

and any Dem talk of not raising those premiums is political and not to be done.

As in Bush is on both sides of the issue - again - and the media refuses to call him on it - again.

[Tsiyu]

4. Because KKKarl has scared nearly all of them

and there are pictures of some of them nekkid. If they don't bash Kerry, the Republicans will post nudie pictures all over the internet or steal folks' firstborn and feed them to Barney.

[Andy_Stephenson]

5. Maybe because he voted

yes.

[Justice]

7. That Makes No Sense.

very simplistic - very republican statement.

[Andy_Stephenson]

14. May be in you eyes it is a republican statement...

However the fact remains Kerry voted yes.

[salin]

8. I was not thrilled with the vote...

but the original post in this thread is correct... bush gets a pass - and it was his administration that has created the mess... but Kerry gets held accountable... very strange phenomenon indeed.

[21winner]

9. Right.

If Kerry had voted no there would be no war.

[Beartracks]

10. When the opposition defines your votes...

Sure, he voted for the bill. But when the Republicans remind voters that Kerry voted "yes", they also get to state IN THEIR VIEW what the bill was for. So it comes out like this: "Senator Kerry voted to support () the Iraq War ()".

Bearing in mind that Kerry did not vote for the Iraq War (certainly not the one we got!), but rather to authorize the president to use military force should it become necessary -- since that was the purpose of the bill -- it's easy to see how the Republicans can retroactively spin/summarize a bill however they want to and then simply apply the known fact of Kerry's vote to it.

Having said all that: 1) All politicans tend to do this, so it's not just a Republican thing; 2) more importantly, regardless of Kerry's voting record over the years, his pre 9/11 votes should not be measured in a post 9/11 light (for example, defense cuts). That's a very excellent observation made elsewhere in the forums here, but I can't seem to find the thread again.

[emulatorloo]

11. That mean John Kerry, He Misled George Bush and made him invade Iraq

John Kerry forced George Bush to stop the inspectors from doing their job.
John Kerry forced George Bush to cut off all diplomatic efforts
Why John Kerry even made poor George Bush disrespect our allies.
And then John Kerry forced poor George Bush to invade Iraq!

Poor Poor George Bush.

[cheshire]

6. Children's response to getting caught, blame is to lie, then blame.

[ItsMyParty]

12. If Kerry is asked this in the debates...

I'm sure some asshole is going to ask/whine/accuse Kerry in the debates on this subject. Whatever Kerry answers he MUST at the end say, "Bush got us into this and I want to know what Bush's great plans are for getting us out---why don't any of you ask him??"

[faithnotgreed]

13. i think kerry should articulate his iraq plan

1) the truth is that the election is more of a referendum on the incumbent than the challenger. bush clearly has botched everything times infinity so that is why the country or media looks even more to the challenger for their answer (even though bush has nothing of the sort)

2) as we get more and more pieces of truth - economy, iraq, north korea etc - then many do want to hear what the alternative is. i think people want to hear from him so that they can vote for him. he will sway a good # of voters who dont know how awesome he is

the debates will do this to an extent but as much as we can get out there and talk about the hard stuff the better. its not easy and theres no formula but i know kerry has the vision so he should let everyone know what that is on his terms...

i think many are looking for kerry to step up and show them what a leader really is. and hes got the stuff to do that so i for one hope he does.

whether its a press conference or extensive interview or something on his terms, i want the rest of the country to hear what a real president looks and sounds like in presenting his vision for this country, including and especially whats going on in iraq
and now north korea ( the nyt has a piece on kerrys stance on this in tomorrows paper)

[seabeyond]

15. i agree. that is four, five monthsfrom now.

there is a lot of things he isnt privy to. anything he does give to us is subject to change cause who knows what he is going to find when he gets in

i am so with you. i have felt this has all been silly for the longest of time. but...........we do know what bush has done and is doing. it is like what clark said, kerry, congress gave the power to go to war if all criterias were met, bush bush alone gets the responsibility of what he did with the power. and the decisions since. it is once again, shifting blame from bush to someone else

he owns nothing