Rachael Maddow said this morning:

[ginnyinWI]

She read the statement by David Wade about Rove, and that was good. But then she made the comment that it would have been better if Kerry himself had said it! This really bugged me, so I wrote her about it.

Back me up here: isn't it true that JK doesn't respond to personal attacks when they come from underlings like KKKarl? Seems to me if a staffer makes the attack, a staffer should answer. This has happened before, right?

On the other hand, if it is somebody like Ann Coulter and she is attacking somebody else (the 9/11 widows), Kerry jumps to the defense personally. It's just that if it is about him, he lets the staffers answer another staffer.

So that's what I wrote. Think I was correct?

[blm]

1. You're right. You should send what Kerry said about Bush and VN/Iraq

the other day.

[ginnyinWI]

2. I think she was playing into the "Dems are weak" meme

And that's why it bugged me. We don't need progressive talk shows to do it, too!

[karynnj]

3. I think what you wrote is correct

He did strongly defend himself when Cheney (and I think Bush) critisized him on veterans day last year. (There were coordinated RNC commercials as well). He also defended Murtha on several occasions.

I also think that Kerry cannot say the types of things Wade can. The Wade statement would likely be controversial if the Senator said it. Kerry indirectly responded to Rove (and the other chicken hawks) with his air conditioned conference room comments. I think people know Kerry and Murtha are veterans, would likely handle themselves far better if attacked, and see that Rove considers the war to be like a video game - I assume he can walk past the VN memorial without thinking. At some point people and the media need to be the ones calling him on this.

[ginnyinWI]

4. exactly

I can just see the headlines: "Kerry calls Rove a 'porcine politician'!" And all the RW pundits would pile it on. "Oh how unfair!" "Kerry stoops too low!" "Kerry is pathetic!" "Kerry is just trying to grab the spotlight!" :eyes: And Rove chuckles with glee at having scored a good one.

[TayTay]

5. David is the Senator's press sec.

Geez, what more do you want. I think if he didn't say it right, he'd be looking for another job. Geez.

[karynnj]

7. I assume he said exactly the kind of thing Kerry wanted him too

I loved when he called Limbaugh "donut eating". It was hillarious, but when Limbaugh reacted to it he looked silly. He didn't get he was being ridiculed. If everyone did this he loses a lot of his power - the same with the porcine Rove.

[ProSense]

6. That's a good point!

I hate these "why didn't Kerry say it himself" comments. What the hell would he need a spokesperson for? They act like Kerry is the only one with a staff. If Wade didn't feel it his place to respond, he would say so. His response is certainly on behalf of Kerry.

[ray of light]

8. Frankly, responding to KKKarl should be handled exactly as it was...

no matter which Dem is on the line.

No need to bother the big guy to swat a fly! AND it is much more sincere to defend another person than to waste time and play into their hands on a personal attack.

i love Rachel Maddow, but she's wrong about this.

(And we all know that I'm the only one allowed to be right....right?!!!)