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| Republicans demand apology from Kerry for remarks |
| 2004-03-11 |
| WASHINGTON -- Republicans demanded an apology from Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry for comments they criticized as "unbecoming of a candidate for the presidency." Kerry created a stir Wednesday in Chicago after he spoke via satellite to labor leaders meeting in Florida. When a supporter urged him to take on Bush, Kerry said, into a still-open microphone: "Let me tell you, we’ve just begun to fight. We’re going to keep pounding. These guys are the most crooked, you know, lying group I’ve ever seen. It’s scary." President Bush’s re-election campaign demanded an apology for "this negative attack." "Senator Kerry’s statement today in Illinois was unbecoming of a candidate for the presidency of the United States of America, and tonight we call on Senator Kerry to apologize to the American people for this negative attack," campaign chairman Marc Racicot said in a statement. "On the day that Senator Kerry emerged as his party’s presumptive nominee, the president called to congratulate him. That goodwill gesture has been met by attacks and false statements." The Kerry camp tried to explain the remark by suggesting it was not, precisely, about Bush himself, but rather about GOP critics of the senator in general. ??This is language you don?t ordinarily use in public,?? said Kathleen Hall Jamieson, an authority on campaign rhetoric with the Annenberg Public Policy Center. Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said Republicans have a record of smearing their opponents and that Kerry intended the comment to show that he will fight back. "Four years ago, John Kerry saw what the Republican attack machine did to John McCain. Two years ago, he saw what it did to Max Cleland," Cutter said, recalling the Arizona senator who challenged Bush for the GOP presidential nomination in 2000 and the Georgia Democratic senator turned out of office in 2002. "What he was saying is he’s not going to take it." The Jackass Party Candidate has obviously adopted Dubya’s pre-emptive attack policy - he’s just confused as to who is the real enemy. To quote Stephen den Beste: "I want to know what he really stands for. (And it better not be E Pluribus, UN.) ... I don’t know what Kerry stands for, and I’m not sure there’s any way for me to learn what it is, or to believe that I’ve discovered it. I’m not completely convinced Kerry stands for anything, except that he’s standing for election." |
| Posted by:.com |
| #12 From where I sit, Kerry is getting a daily free pass by saying something outlandish, then getting free media to report it, which keeps him in the papers and not diminishing his smallish warchest. If the President gets up and takes a dump today, Kerry will come out and labast him for spending too much time in the bathroom, "while union toilet paper jobs get outsourced to Canadians". He will run out of potshots about mid-May, I suspect and will have to start recyling them. His handlers must stay up late working on tomorrows meme. As an aside, funny how Daschle and Pelosi have been keeping their dribble mouths zipped recently... |
| Posted by: Capsu78 2004-3-11 2:46:07 PM |
| #11 This is a reasonable response from the Bush team. Kerry too oten is getting a free pass from the mainstream press. By raising the issue, they have forced the press to actually repeat what Kerry said to generate the complaint, which is all the highlight they need. |
| Posted by: john 2004-3-11 1:57:35 PM |
| #10 If I was on Bush's team, I would have simply dug out Kerry's statement from last week where Kerry made an offer of no negative campaigning and, by making that 'liars' charge, Kerry has simply flip-flopped one more time. |
| Posted by: Raj 2004-3-11 12:55:58 PM |
| #9 The business about lying is one thing. Misrepresentations occur all the time. However, the 'crooked' allegation is something else. The Bush administration has been essentially completely clean of financial misconduct. I would think a few liberals ought to realize this and point it out to Mr. Kerry. |
| Posted by: mhw 2004-3-11 12:55:21 PM |
| #8 I don't think demanding an apology would be an effective technique. Too many individuals/groups are quick to demand apologies when they feel the least bit slighted. I'd have simply stated that Kerry's comments have been noted and filed away for future reference, and said nothing more. If Kerry wants to issue an apology on his own, fine. If not, then he has no complaint when the counterpunch comes. |
| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-3-11 12:32:18 PM |
| #7 or looking at Network News. |
| Posted by: dataman1 2004-3-11 10:59:24 AM |
| #6 Hiryu must be watching a different campaign. |
| Posted by: Robert Crawford 2004-3-11 10:43:45 AM |
| #5 HA HA HA HA There goes his plan to label Bush a 'negative campaigner'. Now we just need to catch him calling New York himey town. |
| Posted by: Henry E. Pankey 2004-3-11 10:16:45 AM |
| #4 Oh thank you, inscrutable Hiryu! I was lost, and now I'm found! All is revealed! Lol! That is pretty lame stuff, y'know. No one is clean and mud-free, agreed. But in this election season the Dems have been the attackers - for months. It's hysterically funny to hear them screech about Bush, since he's been taking it on the chin all this time - without responding in kind by any stretch of the imagination. I assume you are not in the US. I don't know if you're American. If you are, I hope you get yourself an absentee ballot and participate. One thing seems clear, however - you are not seeing the campaign coverage I'm seeing, or you're being a disingenuous ass baiting people for a fight. Thank you so very very very much for your input. |
| Posted by: .com 2004-3-11 9:45:20 AM |
| #3 Nothing says you have to like Kerry but he simply stated a truth about the party that made attack politics a fine art, and that is all the administration has going for it this year. Why should you administration supporters be so worried anyway? If it turns out that Kerry is going over the line he'll be punished come November when it really matters. |
| Posted by: Hiryu 2004-3-11 9:30:19 AM |
| #2 I don't think demanding an apology would be an effective technique. At least not as effective as laughing at him would be. |
| Posted by: Phil Fraering 2004-3-11 8:51:39 AM |
| #1 I want to bitch slap the next person that whines about the attack ads on Cleland and McCain. They were not attack ads they just presented their records in the Senate. McCain really should evaluate which side he is on and quit with on again/off again love affair with the Dems. And Cleland is starting believe that he is something he is not (a great legislator). He also comes off as a full fleged nutball! I guess that makes him a mainstream Democrat. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2004-3-11 8:50:23 AM |