Interesting DKos article on Kerry and DSM

[TayTay]

Here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/6/5/123520/3279

This is very interesting. Kerry might be speaking as early as tomorrow on the DSM. The Rethugs have used the advance notice to go diving into the Congressional Record and pull out Kerry quotes that they can rip from their original context and use to beat Sen. Kerry with. You can look up original speech in context at:

http://www.senate.gov/pagelayout/legislative/g_three_sections_with_teasers/legislative_home.htm

This takes you to the server for the US Senate.

Go to the entry marked 'Congressional Record'

On the next screen go to the 'New CR Search' entry at the top of the page.
Select the 105 Congress as the session (Top of the screen)
In the next 'Word/Phrase' box, type in: 'Iraq weapons'
Select Senator: Kerry, John F. (MA)
And I always go lower on the screen and sort the results by date.

You are looking for comments from October 10, 1998. These comments are what Rethug speakers will try to use to prevent Sen. Kerry from getting any traction from his speech on DSM tomorrow. The Diary at DKos lists the counter-arguments that Dems should use.

The game is on. This should be interesting.

[TayTay]

1. What do you mean you don't have time to read this?

Are you actually telling me that there are people who don't enjoy doing research on Sundays into the Congressional Record? (Can this actually be? There are people in the world who would rather not ever go into the Congressional Record and look up speeches from 7 years ago. Well, I'm just flabbergasted. How could anyone not relish this wonky chance to see the material without filter?)

In brief, this passage from the Congressional Record details a past Congressional Authorization for the US, under Pres Bill Clinton, to get tough with Iraq and press Saddam to comply with UN Weapons inspection demands. Sen. Kerry forcefully argued that Iraq was not in compliance, that they were unlikely to go into compliance without a convincing military threat from the US and that the Senate should ratify what Clinton wanted to do. (i.e., authorize some missile strikes, get tough language and note that Saddam was trying to threaten his neighbors with his weapons of mass destruction.)

Better? The Rethugs are going to quote from Kerry (1998) to counter Kerry (2005.) That these are not the same thing and that one presses for action to disarm Saddam and put him in UN compliance without a massive show of military force or an occupation by US forces matters not at all to Rethugs. Any statement that Sen. Kerry has ever made that is even remotely sympathetic to forcing Saddam Hussein out of Iraq, even pulled and distorted out of context, will be used. (These are Rethugs after all. Using something in context or actually paying attention to the point of the speech is beyond them.)

[TayTay]

2. That was recursively fast

Ahm, I got quoted in the DKos thread. The internet sometimes moves too fast for me.

Anyway, get acquainted with the arguments (Even lightly.) Kerry bringing up the DSM gores the Rethug Ox in a major way. (Any Senator bringing up the DSM will piss them off, they just especially hate Kerry.) They will fight back with all deliberate speed. We have already seen articles that have said Kerry is calling for impeachment, which is a flat-out lie. (Not misleading, not dishonest, not misunderstood. It is a flat-out lie.)

I do not, in all honesty, think that Senator Kerry intended this to balloon into some sort of showdown tomorrow. (The original reference was too casual. He meant to talk about KidsFirst, the DSM mention was an aside.) But you have to play the hand that's dealt you. He now almost has to talk about it on the floor. (Though I still submit that the major action will be off stage. A whole bunch of Senators have to be persuaded to stand together on this. That is just beginning, and Kerry can play an important part. A floor speech will be nice and make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but the real work will have only just begun.)

[whometense]

3. Small world.

I didn't realize the commenter on my blog was DKos's MH in PA.

At least we're all talking to each other - even if the lines of communication are a little disorganized.

[karynnj]

4. Very interesting - seems almost a 180 degree shift in how to treat Kerry

It has seemed to me as though both the MSM and the Republicans have ignored from Kerry, things they have highlighted when said by other Democrats. This seemed especially true on the Bolton stuff. The MSM has seemed to mention Kerry more through some of the unfair untrue RW frames of the election rather than cover what he has been doing.

From this article, it seems like they will be trying to intensely attack Kerry on his past position (s - from their point of view), but in doing so, they are likely to call attention to what he is saying now. What's good is that Kerry's various Senate speeches, editorials, and all his 2004 comments are basically consistent. (Except the obviously misheard Grand Canyon comment which may come up again.) What's bad is that the media may be even less fair than it was when he was the candidate.

Because the leading newspapers (Washington Post and NYT) themselves were co-opted into pushing the lies, knowingly or unknowingly, they could well react by using the RW provided out of context Kerry quotes to attack Kerry's arguments. The problem for the RW is that the Kerry quotes don't counter the basic charges - Bush lied to Congress, the nation and the world. A huge number of people saw Kerry in the debates and in some campaign coverage, where he did talk about Bush lying us into war.

Kerry's spending his time on Kids' First, veterans benefits, small business legislation etc. may work brilliantly with taking a high profile role in exposing Bush's corrupt administration. While he is speaking out about the biggest issue of this decade, Preemptive war, he is identified with programs that are positive, caring, human and reasonable. The later act as a counter to claims that he is a sore loser obstructionist. (What's strange is that he has proposed solutions to more problems then the administration - and the US has no norm of a shadow government.)

I wonder how widespread the sentiments of the MA paper's "What could have been" editorial are nationwide. If Kerry is given more coverage, those sentiments are likely to increase. Kerry's ability to express outrage intensely and passionately while appearing totally in control, sincere and earnest has to work to his advantage here. If he can assign the guilt to Bush and others acting against the constitution and the (informed) will of the people, he might motivate people to vote Democratic in 2006 just for more checks and balances.

If it signals a more aggressive stance on Iraq (pre-war and now),
it could play either way for his 2008 choices, but even if he felt it did, he might be in a similar position as he was in 1971 - where speaking out was not the safest political move, but he felt it was necessary. It's interesting that even with the Kos people anticipating a speech they asked many Democrats to make they still question if Kerry has the "guts" to make a stand. (Ignoring that he has done so throughout his career - in a way that none of his critics have.)

[ginnyinWI]

5. Everyone's expecting a floor speech

And the repubs are lining up quotes--wouldn't it be funny if Kerry faked them all out and didn't speak, and instead got somebody but Biden or Reid to stand up. All he said was that he would raise the issue in Washington, not the Senate floor. That leaves a lot of wiggle room.

[whometense]

6. I was thinking the same thing.

He didn't specify in what way he would bring the subject up. I'm very curious to see what he does. It's impossible for him to disappoint me, but I'm loathe to predict what he'll do these days. A fakeout is not out of the question, though it would probably bring the wrath of the fainthearted crashing down upon his head.

[TayTay]

7. No, it's too good, he will speak

This is a golden opportunity, no matter how it came about. I think he will speak. But the advance notice emans that the Repukes will also speak. I'll hae some popcorn ready. This could get good.