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Home Front: Politix

Kerry sez Bush wrong to force Aristide out

2004-03-07

Had he been sitting in the Oval Office last weekend as rebel forces were threatening to enter Port-au-Prince, Senator John Kerry says, he would have sent an international force to protect Haitiâs widely disliked elected leader, Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

Keep saying stupid things like that, Jean-Pierre.

"I would have been prepared to send troops immediately, period," Mr. Kerry said on Friday, expressing astonishment that President Bush, who talks of supporting democratically elected leaders, withheld any aid and then helped spirit Mr. Aristide into exile after saying the United States could not protect him. "Look, Aristide was no picnic, and did a lot of things wrong," Mr. Kerry said. But Washington "had understandings in the region about the right of a democratic regime to ask for help. And we contravened all of that. I think itâs a terrible message to the region, democracies, and itâs shortsighted."

When they start out being democratically elected, that's a good thing. When they turn into dictators they should be thrown out. We shouldn't send troops to protect Bob in Zimbabwe when the people show up with pitchforks and torches, either.

Posted by:Dan Darling

#11 "I say we send Maxine Waters, Charlie Rangle, et al down there for ten-twenty years and they can show us how it should be run. On their money of course."

I'd support a tax hike to pay their way.

Posted by: B 2004-3-7 11:31:00 PM

#10 I think JBA would be an excellent prime time speaker at the Democratic National Convention.

Posted by: Shipman 2004-3-7 6:53:28 PM

#9 You know, I'd love to see the Dhimmicrats take a proactive stance on an issue- just once, even, merely to show they're capable of doing it. Just once, tell us what should be done BEFORE Bush takes action, instead of waiting until after he's acted and then carping from the sidelines.

Then again, the "sidelines" is exactly where I'd like the Dims to go. And stay. Permanently.

Posted by: Dave D. 2004-3-7 2:59:01 PM

#8 While most of us had our eyes focused on our troops in Baghdad last April 8 Bill Clinton, the icon of the Democratic party, was in Haiti having a love fest with Aristide.
Here's what a WSJ journalist had to say about Clinton's visit and his relationship and support of Aristide as well as the Haitian disdain for both.

Posted by: GK 2004-3-7 2:38:23 PM

#7 Kerry is an ass, running as an ass for the presidency of the United States for the party of the asses. He knows he can say anything he wants, without being held accountable for his words, either those he's uttering now or those he's uttered in the past. He is the worst type of politician, and an absolute disaster for a Democratic party trying to regrain any national relevancy. Not to worry, though, he reflects perfectly the goals, aspirations, and assumptions of the donkey leadership. The only sad thing is that there are millions of people who will vote for this jackass simply because he's got a "Democrat" label.

Posted by: Old Patriot 2004-3-7 1:41:16 PM

#6 Damned if you do....

I guess Bush can't do anything right(so say the Left Leaning Loons).

Posted by: Raptor 2004-3-7 7:04:39 AM

#5 JFKerry, scion of Boston's ruling class and dictator protector. He has shown a remarkable affinity for the likes of Aristide, Saddam, Ho Chi Min, and Pol Pot. They're not bad people. They just need hugs. Who will he genuflect to next? Mugabe? Khameni? Kimmie? How about someone closer to home, like Castro or Chavez in Venezuela? Has he ever met a despot he won't give a hummer to, or set up his relatives in business deals?

Posted by: ed 2004-3-7 5:52:13 AM

#4 Y'know, I supported Clinton's decision to reestablish Aristide back in '94 for the following reasons: 1) Aristide was democratically elected and the Haitian people, as in any democracy, should be made to suffer for their poor decision. 2) It would avert a refugee crisis.

After Aristide's election fraud of 2000 however, which even imbecilic Jimmy Carter knew was rigged, Aristide is no longer a democratically elected psycho marxist priest president. That cancels Reason #1. #2 still exists and I'm glad Bush saw it that way and got Aristide out of there before troops went in so we're not seen as "legitimizing" the bastard.

So Clinton and Bush are both right. (It's a floor wax AND a dessert topping!)

I say we send Maxine Waters, Charlie Rangle, et al down there for ten-twenty years and they can show us how it should be run. On their money of course.

Posted by: JDB 2004-3-7 5:08:00 AM

#3 "I would have been prepared to send troops immediately, period," Mr. Kerry

Very slick and Clintonian. Kindly note how in his 'nuance' he failed to state he would actually send troops.

Get ready, folks, to dismember whatever Kerry sez the next few months. We will need to dissect every syllable to see how he will try to play to the middle while dragging his heavy leftists chains with him.

Make no mistake. Kerry is NOT taking both sides of the issue. He is saying he would simply be prepared to send troops. What Kerry will actually do is to pin a note to an aid to remind him to send troops and then tell the aid to take a coupla weeks off.

I promise his leftist advisors and allies understand the differences.

Y'all notice Kerry skating ever so graceully passed the salient fact that Aristide was Clinton's pet Carribean project?

Posted by: badanov 2004-3-7 12:32:01 AM

#2 Kerry is simply incapable of taking a single position on an issue. We should have defended Aristide even though he was "no picnic" and "did a lot of things wrong." As in, ran a thugocracy.

I guess this is what the NYT means by Kerry's "nuances." Blah.

Posted by: Steve White 2004-3-7 12:20:17 AM

#1 Coulda. Woulda. Shoulda... Aristide's out! And so are all those millions of Capitol Hill lobbying dollars!

Posted by: Jack Deth 2004-3-7 12:19:37 AM

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