Wash. Whispers - Kerry and Cleland have plan to help 70 Iraq Wars vets win

[Mass]

office.

http://www.usnews.com/usnews/politics/whispers/articles/060313/13whisplead.htm

For Kerry, It Feels Like 1972 Again

The February political footnotes included this little item: Sen. John Kerry in less than 24 hours last week raised $250,000 in an E-mail to his fans for three Democratic Iraq war vets running for Congress. But Kerry's effort wasn't a fire-and-forget for his comrades. Insiders say Kerry and his war pals Max Cleland, former Georgia senator, and fellow ex-Swift boat skipper Wade Sanders, have hatched plans to help some 70 Democratic Iraq war vets win office.

Over a Georgetown dinner this month, the trio reminisced about Vietnam and how, as young men, Kerry and Cleland returned to run for office. They recalled how the Nixon White House tried to divide vets between those who supported the president and those who didn't, and they vowed to stop that from happening to Iraq war vets. "Blood is thicker than water," we hear Kerry said. " Karl Rove's gonna come after these kids hard. It's Richard Nixon all over again. We're gonna make sure these vets have the ammunition to shoot back." Their plan: Raise $500,000 for a "Fight Back Fund," campaign for candidates, and even endorse vets in primary races--a rarity.

GOP spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt, however, warned vets away from Kerry, who in the 2004 election got tangled up in his conflicting positions on the Iraq war. She urged them to avoid "a senator who has a proven record of playing politics with national security."

[sandnsea]

1. We might have one too

Someone just posted that the guy who headed up Vets for Kerry south of me is going to announce on Tuesday to take on the only Republican Congressman in the state. That'll make 4 in that primary, I'm waiting to see whether he's going to be one of these Fighting Dems to make a final decision on who to help out in that race. If Max and JK and Wade Sanders are spearheading this country-wide campaign, then I think that's something to get excited about again!!

[kerrygoddess]

10. We've had about 6 or so

post in our comments on Dem Daily in recent weeks. I think this is good thing that JK, Max and Sanders are doing this. JK's half way to the $500 thousand Whispers reports he wanted to raise, perhaps he'll raise a million with more publicity!

[FreedomAngel82]

2. Oh if this has the GOP worried that's good

Hurray! I'm so excited. I'm so proud and excited that the canidate in my district is a supporter of Kerry's. :)

[karynnj]

3. What do you think she means by,

She urged them to avoid "a senator who has a proven record of playing politics with national security."

Does that mean that he actually demanded that they secure the ports? That he fought for for his country heroicly? That he did more against terrorism in th e80s and 90s than anyone else? If the GOP put this out, he needs to counter it - they're the ones who terrorized people in NY and elsewhere with their changing terror codes.

The only thing I can think of is that he ran against Bush.

This is a very interesting effort on their part.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. Well also perhaps she means

him mentioning the Vietnam war and all that? :shrug:

[karynnj]

5. and staying within the law on domestic spying

Isn't is strang that they postulate that they are the party of law and order - but break the law time and again when it suits them.

[fedupinBushcountry]

6. Exactly

and to me it seems like they use particular phrases to rip at Dems, when in reality it is exactly what they do. They play politics with every issue.

[karynnj]

7. The cool thing is that with Kerry, they have an opponent

who very clearly respects the law.

[ProSense]

8. What's a Republican doing

warning anybody about anything. Change the last sentence to:

She urged them to vote for Bush...


Not exactly known for their good judgment.

[k j]

9. Max is the man...

who I wish had been/will be Kerry's veep. Thanks for this, Mass.

[wisteria]

11. What nerve, suggesting that JK plays politics with our national

security. She apparently is confused, actually it is Bush and Rove who have been playing politics with our security- starting right after 9/11 and continuing even now.