Now for the dumbest Boston Herald attack on Kerry ever!

[karynnj]

Howie Carr has a column attacking "liveshot" Kerry for not attending the Commerce committee's hearing on the TSA procedures that was held at the exact time a SFRC hearing for some nominations. The article actually mentions the SFRC hearing, but complains that he missed for the "most televised" hearing for a boring one.

This is hilarious as it completely contradicts the "live shot" smear. If he were aiming to get on tv, he would have canceled his hearing - inconveniencing many people and gone to the "most televised" hearing. Kerry is the best person, in either party, grilling witnesses. But, there were plenty in the committee to ask all the obvious questions - and those there and not there can submit written questions.

The fact is that most televised is not most important - and Kerry was also in SMART meetings before and after the hearing.

[Mass]

1. He could have asked somebody else to chair the hearing. This said, the claim is highly dumb,

but it is Howie Carr, so why should we expect better.

[karynnj]

2. Sure, he could have - but the point is that had he done this and gone to the high

profile TSA meeting, Carr might have had some justification in saying that he was a publicity hound. Looking at who is on that committee, there is no doubt, if Kerry's goal was tv face time, that he could easily be by far the most dynamic person at that hearing. That hearing is important, because it should provide more insight into balancing privacy rights with security needs. Carr destroys his favorite long time "liveshot" charge by showing Kerry doing the exact opposite - and he is too dumb to see it. The questions that needed to be asked were pretty obvious - and several Senators, on each side of the aisle, were there to ask them.

Instead Kerry was in some ultra important behind the scenes START meetings and a committee hearing that I don't think even CSPAN covered. The job that Carr mocked as unimportant - isn't. He will monitor and provide accountability for all the moneys spent in places like Pakistan. The START treaty is important too.

A day later, I realize that unlike previous Carr attacks, this one actually did get a response from Kerry's office and they included it - rather than what so many did in 2004, which was to imply that his not being at a hearing meant he was not working.

[TayTay]

3. Howie Carr is an idiot

and is incapable of understanding what the START treaty means. He is tweaking Kerry on the TSA meetings because the TSA is a hot topic right now. (This is because of the "sexy" strip search thing that is in the news.)

Carr's readership and radio audience does not have the attention span or intelligence to understand what START means. If carr had two brain cells to rub together he would understand that getting loose nukes and nuclear material under international control has a direct relevance to national security. TSA, ostensibly, was created to help with securing airports and making sure that the country is safer from threats, including the importation of dangerous material, dirty bomb-making material.

This is higher reasoning. Carr is not capable of it. Furthermore, his salary depends on getting his audience upset about simple and obvious things that you can fit into a soundbyte. You can't fit the START treaty or the idea of controlling dangerous, bomb-making material, into a soundbyte.

Carr and his audience are a lost cause. They have never liked Kerry and never will. They believe what they believe and are impervious to facts, logic or common sense.

[Mass]

4. But this is not what Carr argues here. He argues that Kerry, who is rich and uses private planes

is not connected to what real people go through. That he does not understand ordinary people (hence the Manny Ortez at the end, another sign for Carr that Kerry is a fake).

Obviously, this is absurd, but this has nothing to do with "liveshot" and all to do with Brown understands people, Kerry does not (implicitely, given Brown is not part of this article).

This said, I agree with TayTay, Howie Car is an idiot. He hates Kerry and this makes what he writes irrelevant.

[TayTay]

5. Agreed in full

There are going to be several votes next year in the Senate that will pit tax cuts for the rich against cuts in services for everyone else. Attacks on Kerry now on these types of idiotic non-issues are a way for Carr and others in the RW in boston to innoculate Brown against charges that he is not interested in working people.

Yes, this makes no sense. John Kerry routinely votes in favor of the rights of working people and to advance the causes of working people. The RW in boston finds it essential then to make Kerry a "limosine liberal" who is out of touch with the very people he routinely votes for, whereas Brown, who routinely votes against the interests of working people is "one of us" because he wears a brown coat and drives a borrowed truck. Yes, this makes no sense at all, but this is the strategy. Innoculate Brown by making sure Kerry stays branded as an elite.

It will work for those for whom it already works.

[karynnj]

7. Got it and understand that it does work for those it is intened for

Is it better to fight the Brown side of it - pointing out his actions and the discrepancy between the myth and reality? (I particularly hate the meme that he "reads all the bills" - given that he rarely can discuss many of them in any depth. That contrasted with saying Kerry doesn't is just very unfair and untrue. It too is part of making Brown a Mr Smith goes to Washington independent.)

[ObamaKerryDem]

6. I know...it was/is RIDICULOUS!

It's so obvious that they seize upon each and EVERY opportunity to attack him, even if that opportunity is a BIG stretch, at best. Their personal vendetta against Senator Kerry is so transparent, it would be downright laughable if it weren't so obnoxious..and fueled by lies and smears.

The Herald=trash. Plain and simple.

:thumbsdown:

[wisteria]

8. I saw that, the whole commentary was absurd and stupid. n/t