Just read this and enjoy -- wonderful, wonderful article about Kerry

[beachmom]

http://www.lonestaricon.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=1174&z=113

The complexity of John Kerry cannot be simplified in a column. John Kerry is a good man, a great man, perhaps one of the greatest leaders in modern American history. He can dazzle you with his knowledge, but he can also bore you with detail and amaze you with inconsistency. When at a recent Senate hearing, Condoleezza Rice, defending the Bush administration’s Iraq policy, smugly told Kerry, "Elections don’t mean democracy, but I’ve never seen one begin without an election," Kerry responded: "Actually, the American democracy began with a revolution, not an election." Rice, a former provost of Stanford, was left speechless. During the 2004 election campaign, as his advisers debated what position Kerry should assume over the war, Kerry, who had been listening silently for a while, interrupted: "It’s gut-check time, folks," he said. "This is not about whether it’s politically expedient. This is a fucking war. Kids are dying out there, and this president continues not to tell the truth… There was no WMD, no imminent threat, no ties to Al Qaeda. The answer is no. Anything else is crap."2 The man who had authorised the president to use force decided, within minutes of self-reflection, that he would be an antiwar candidate. This tendency was best explained by Kerry himself in a recent op-ed in Washington Post: "There’s something much worse than being accused of "flip-flopping": refusing to flip when it’s obvious that your course of action is a flop… I’d rather explain a change of position any day than look a parent in the eye and tell them that their son or daughter had to die so that a broken policy could live."3

Since conceding his 2004 campaign Kerry, despite all the bad blood, was considered a serious candidate for the 2008 election. He toured the country, campaigning, among other things, for universal healthcare and an end to the war in Iraq; delivered speeches criticising the President’s foreign policy and offering his own, sensible alternatives; aligned himself with the more liberal wing of the party, organising a (failed) filibuster to oppose Justice Alito’s appointment; visited Iraq several times, even venturing out of the secure "Green Zone" to assess the situation firsthand. John Kerry became an unlikely combination of a popular politician and a thoughtful statesman. It is depressingly sad that a leader like John Kerry could—and quite possibly will—ultimately be remembered by historians as a politician who scuppered his presidential chances by telling a bad joke badly. A man who should be at the forefront of history might end up as a mere footnote to it. Solecisms have never cost anyone more.

But this is where Kerry, the eternal Comeback Kid, might surprise us all. He re-emerges when you least expect him to. He was written off in 1972, only to stage a comeback. In 1996, learned pundits claimed he was bound to lose his Senate seat to Bill Weld. Bill Weld now runs a law practice in New York. In 2002, no one in the media even bothered to notice John Kerry. By 2004, they were making desperate calls to the Boston Globe to get some information on the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee. Those who underestimate John Kerry do so at their own peril. He may not be able to change the course of history as America’s president; but he can affect the course of the presidential elections.

Read the whole thing -- it's awesome.

P.S. -- this was written by George W. Bush's hometown paper The Lone Star which had controversally endorsed Kerry in '04.


Edited to add: a hat tip to the Kerry blog, where a poster named Kerryfollower gave this link. This is a really good post, btw, of the roundup of Kerry on all the blogs re: the swiftboater ambassador nominee.

http://blog.johnkerry.com/2007/02/jk_on_the_blogs_special_editio.html#comments

[blm]

1. Wait till this writer learns more about Kerry's uncovering of IranContra and BCCI.

.

[MBS]

2. thanks so much!

I noticed he's writing a biography of John Kerry. If this oped piece is any example, it should be good.
Ah--I'm now cleansed from the Boston Herald nonsense, and can get to work.
It really is a wonderful piece. Thanks again.

[TayTay]

3. I love this quote

"This is not the struggle of one day, or of one war. It’s a struggle, and an effort, and a sacrifice, and a contribution, which we make for the rest of our lives."

Yeah, or as the good Senator said on the campaign trail quoting Warren Zevon: "I'll sleep when I'm dead."

I agree. It is a lifetime commitment, because somethings take a lifetime.

[europegirl4jfk]

4. Right

That was the line, when I watched Going Upriver for the first time, that touched me deeply. That was the moment when I realized that John Kerry never stopped fighting and never will, and that the world is blessed to have such a man.

Tay, tell me, you've known the guy your whole life. Does this feeling of being overwhelmed ever go away? I mean, I know about him since a few years know, have met him twice, but whenever he does things like grilling Fox yesterday or when I read something like this article about him, I still feel totally overwhelmed, it's almost unbearable. Does this ever go away? Can you ever get used to JK? Hmm... maybe not, and maybe that's a good thing...

[TayTay]

5. He is, as the Glob columnist observed, a fairly fascinating guy

So, no, there is always something interesting going on. I think that it will get more interesting, especially with the committees he has now. Some of this will be very US specific, but some of it, well, stay tuned. This is not a person who has ever gone along with the herd or who shys away from the really interesting stuff.

[wisteria]

7. Warren Zevon! I have a quote by Zevon on my desk, "Enjoy Every Sandwich".

"I'll sleep when I'm dead" is another great one. Zevon IMO, was the Oscar Wild of our time.

[whometense]

6. Great story.

Thanks, beachmom.

I had to look twice - there was a long profile of Kerry in the New Yorker in - I think - 2003 with the exact same title. (No, 2002, actually, and by Joe Klein , of all people. Link: http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/articles/021202fa_fact1?021202fa_fact1)

I found this part most intriguing:

A Kerry endorsement would come with a solid fundraising network, an existing campaign fund of millions, and a dedicated army of volunteers and grassroots activists who possess a trait not normally seen in today’s politics: loyalty. Who will receive Kerry’s endorsement? It is, for now, a speculative question. But my guess is that Hilary Clinton and John Edwards can be, for very good reasons, ruled out of the equation.

And his use of the words "encouraging, endearing and appealing" show that this person actually has spent some time with Kerry and understands who he is.

It's always a good day when you discover someone-who's-not-us who "gets" Kerry.

[karynnj]

10. I'm glad that someone noticed that - other than people in the blogosphere

The CW that no one really liked him is beyond annoying, because it says we don't exist. I like those 3 words - especially "endearing" because it really suits him and I can't think of another politician that it does. It's true from reading the journal passages he wrote in Vietnam to all the quirky catnip stories.

I do think that he has made too much of the joke - from what happened with the Fox hearing, you can see again the truth that it is more that from the reaction to the joke Kerry could see how willing major parts of the MSM were to lie about him still. With the joke, they printed Schumer's timeline -telling Kerry he had to apologize on Thursday - when in fact Kerry had already apologized the day before and the way they made it seem like he was totally excluded from the leadership - when he actually had some powerful committee assignments. With the Fox hearing, every story spoke of "unsubstantiated charges". This would have been the right thing to say in April 2004. Now the charges are both unsubstantiated and shown to be untrue. The difference is major. (Fox having the nerve to have O'Neil whine that Kerry is attacking the SBVT is actually less significant than that.) The fact that the MSM still only refers to them as unsubstantiated is extremely unfair.

[wisteria]

8. We get a pat on the back too in this article and take a look at what the writer is working on!

Kapil Komireddi, a freelance writer who has contributed to various publications, is presently working on a compendious biography of Sen. John Kerry. He can be reached at: [e-mail]




"...a dedicated army of volunteers and grassroots activists who possess a trait not normally seen in today’s politics: loyalty." :yourock:


Thank you, Beachmom for posting this wonderful article.

[Firespirit]

9. I hope this person is right

People will see an entirely different Kerry—free from media’s distortion, unburdened by the considerations of another presidential bid, speaking his mind, encouraging, endearing and appealing. There will be a sudden surge of media interest in John Kerry; political units will, despite Kerry’s recent announcement, try to re-draft him. John Kerry will re-emerge, perhaps not as a serious contender for the nomination but as significant voice which can have a meaningful impact on who gets the nomination.

I don't see it happening, though. Not the way things are shaping up. There are too many people within the party that despise him, and, let's say, are doing everything in their power to damage him as a voice of influence.

This business is beyond disgusting.

[MH1]

11. Yep, the only thing I disagreed with, was that rosy optimism expressed there.

I think our friend is in for a rude awakening. :(

[Mass]

13. I disagree. I think Kerry will be an important voice.

He will not be on the ticket, of course, but many people are influential without being on the ticket. Do not tell me that people like Kennedy are not influential.

I am not sure why this pessimism is necessary. Something is escaping me.

What I do not see is where this comes from. I have seen several post this morning with the same negativity about Kerry, as if being on the ticket was the only thing that matters.

[MH1]

16. Let me be more specific.

People will see an entirely different Kerry—free from media’s distortion...

Just look at what they did with the Fox hearing! In what universe is that going to stop happening, just because he isn't running for president? If it was going to stop and the media were suddenly going to start reporting on him accurately, then why aren't they?

[wisteria]

20. It is difficult for those of us who had such high hopes of Kerry running for President in 08.

Maybe those of you from Mass can't quite understand it, but it is real and it does hurt. He is still your senator- for us- well he unfortunately is not considered a national figure any longer and we miss his comments and fighting spirit on behalf of us all- not just Mass.

[Mass]

22. It is hard not to see Kerry run for me as well, but he is still fighting

for all of us as well as for MA. I would prefer to see him run as he is so much better than those who run.

However, he remains a national figure. His assignments on various important committees insure that he stays a national figure. Sure, he will not be in the race, but he could be an important factor in this race (presidential or congress). Do not underestimate his potential role. This is all the article meant though I agree with MH1 that the media will not stop to attack him. And this is good. If they did not, it would mean he has stoppped being a national figure.

[blm]

12. Yep - the Coverup wing of the Democratic Party.

.

[TayTay]

14. I see.

So, perhaps we should pursue the 'pack it up, quit, decide to be depressed and do nothing approach' and just call a day. It's not like we weren't told this would happen, 14 months ago, point-blank, to our faces by 'certain people.' 'Certain people' who understood to a certainty that this would happen because 'playing ball' with some others involves the sacrifice of principle in order to get along. Has that been forgotten already? We were told, point-blank, to our faces, that this was happening and would happen.

Yes, of course it's hard. It's about power, who has it, who wields it and who is trying to get it. That entails bad feeling, bad blood and, in many cases, hatred. Since another run for the Senate has been announced, I assume that 'giving up' is not in the cards. So, fight it.

Is the fight worth it to you? If not, pick someone else and advocate for them and for your issues. This is what a lot of people do when one avenue appears to be 'closed.' That is an honorable choice.

[Noisy Democrat]

15. Bravo!

What you said, Tay. We've known all along that people are out to get JK, and he's been charting his course with courage, skill and grace under pressure. The least we can do is continue to have his back. Nothing new about the fact that JK has enemies and lots of 'em. But then, if he didn't, it would mean he wasn't doing anything worthwhile.

[MH1]

17. I don't think that was what Firespirit was suggesting.

But I think we have to acknowledge that the media is not going to suddenly start reporting accurately about John Kerry.

[Firespirit]

19. Yes, that's what I was intending

My apologies if it looked like something else.

But what we've seen even now is strong evidence that, no matter what he does, as long as this man exists on earth he will have the same people after him. I hope the blogger is right, but I'll be surprised.

[TayTay]

21. No, they are not.

Because they have a vested interest in continuing the current system and discrediting any voices on the Left, particularly any voices that got 59 million votes in a national election. This is what they do. This is why they have assembled a multi-billion dollar media enterprise to do. They smear, the lie, they insinuate and they condescend. We know this. We have seen it first hand.

We have also seen Democrats who are little better than Republicans. We saw it recently with Barack Obama who bought the spin about Bill Clinton selling the Lincoln Bedroom thing and using it to discredit Hillary. This is 'our side' using the talking points to devour each other. Of course this happens. It has happened since time immemorial and will happen forever. This is about power, money, influence and the future direction of the nation. Billions, if not trillions of dollars ride on what happens in DC and in those halls of power. Nasty things happen when stuff like that is on the line. It was ever so. (Ever read about the insane abuse that Jefferson got? How about Andrew Jackson who believed the press coverage of his marriage is what killed his wife before his inauguration? Lincoln was crucified by the press. History is replete with instances of public people behaving badly when it comes to power. So it is now.)

Again, what is the proper response then? Give up? Acknowledge that it is difficult and try to divine a way to move on anyway? Doesn't anyone remember this happening to Al Gore? Doesn't anyone else remember the intense insult that Gore got in 2001 when people decided that it was better that he wasn't in office when 9/11 happened because, 'we needed a tough guy.' Gore was crucified from 2001-2003 when he took himself out of the 2004 race. He went to work, he went back to doing what he believed in and what was close to his heart. He did not quit or surrender to despair and innuendo. He went back to work, putting one foot in front of another, day by day, person by person until he found a receptive audience. Because that's how it's done.

Yes, the system sucks. But it is the only system we have. It sometimes breaks your heart because it is unfair. It is a hell of a lot more unfair to lose your house in a hurricane and have an insurance company, with govt blessing, offer you half the compensation you should be getting for it. It's unfair to lose a child or a spouse or a parent to a war that should never have been fought in the first place. It's sucks beyond the telling to be 55 years old and told that your job is going to another country and that you should 're-train' for another job that, oh by the way, might be shipped out to another country in 5 years. Lots of things in life suck beyond the telling.

It is quite another thing to see the abuse, understand that it doesn't let up because monied interests are behind it and that the fight is long, difficult and that credit for positive actions may never come and to fight it anyway. Yes, politics sucks sometimes. So does real life. I still double down my bet on those who choose to fight anyway, despite all the problems, because that is how change eventually comes, from people who understand that it's not, at it's root, about them. It's about what they believe in.

[whometense]

24. THAT was inspiring.

And it's true that in the past month or so I haven't felt much like keeping up the fight. To my own discredit. When I look at what JK is doing, at the fire he's drawing, I feel ashamed.

But everyone does what they can do. No one signed a blood oath. We who are still here are here because of our admiration of and support for Kerry. I personally dislike the world of politics more and more each day. But I'm doing what I can do - blog. Talk (and you would not believe how many comments my John Kerry for President button still draws). And - for the time being, at least - refuse to give a single penny to any person or organization who has knifed JK in the back, or who has refused to stand up for him.

[TayTay]

28. The fight is not about me, it's about what I believe in.

Sen. Kerry could have decided that he had truly had enough and just didn't want to put up with the bullshit anymore. No one would have begrudged him this. He could have retired to a cushy life as a lecturer and perhaps to the halls of academia. Maybe he could have done what Repubs do when they retire, go on the Board of Directors of a whole lot of companies and rake in the dough.

It was the Senator's choice, despite the bullshit, despite all the crap he has to put up with and despite the huge number of false friends he has to deal with every day, to do this again. He re-upped for the Senate of his own free will. This is a person who has access to a 'cushy life' that few people on the planet have. He chose to continue to fight, when he, above a whole lot of others, had a lot of choices as to what to do. Massachusetts has a deep, deep Democratic bench. He could have decided to retire and just tell everyone to 'go f*ck themselves, I've had it.' He didn't. I am glad he didn't. While we could get another Senator for Massachusetts, *this* Senator brings irreplaceable skills and talents to the job that would be sorely missed.

The majority of human beings on this planet get by on $2 a day. That's it. $2 bucks a day. There are a small number of human beings who seem to 'get this' and to understand that the rest of us who get up every day in a house, with clean water and heat and clothes on our backs and healthy children and so forth are the luckiest beings on the planet. There are a few people who understand that ending wars because they are immoral is worth taking some hits in the press and from 'colleagues.' There are some people who understand that some causes will make you deeply unpopular because you are advocating things that upset the current order and bring change. (Nothing is more cetain than change. Nothing is fought against with more money and vigor than change.) They understand this and choose to do it anyway. And yeah, the hits just keep on coming and life is anything but a walk in the park. Yet, somehow, they do it anyway. My dear Lord, such people are indeed national treasures. And hell yes, I am there to help. Such people need all the outside help they can get.

Again, it's not about Sen. Kerry. It's about what he considers worth it. It's about what he believes in and is willing to take the bullshit in order to change. It's about a life that has been spent trying to make it better and about not giving up, not even when it is a very bad time. What it's not about is him, personally. If it was, he wouldn't have re-upped for another six year term that will have more than it's share of bullshit and bad times.

[whometense]

29. I get that about him.

I'm just acknowledging that some of us are not - ahem - the man JK is, and some of us need to whine a little. I think that's okay, as long as we keep the proper perspective and remember what is truly important.

I also think that for people who love JK but are relatively unschooled in the ways of politics, and DC politics in particular, this past month has been a difficult and steep learning curve, and that it's okay if everyone isn't dragged along at the same speed. It's inevitable that a lot of this will feel personal and discouraging to the politically inexperienced. I assume that after an appropriate length of time we'll all get there.

There's a reason there's only one JK, and that's because he travels a very rough road, one that's lined from beginning to end with snipers. I think he'd be the first to understand if his fellow travelers occasionally need to duck for cover - and contemplation.

[TayTay]

30. I get that too!

I think most of us do. That's why we haven't dropped anyone from this group.

It's like that old song says, "Lean on me." At need, I can carry some for a while. It's okay, my turn will come when I need that.

[Democrafty]

36. I think it's also important to remember

how much we have all gotten out of this fight.

A lot of us are hurting because our investment in what has happened to Sen. Kerry isn't fleeting or shallow. It's not always easy to remember, but there are good things that come with that: a sense of purpose, a confidence in our collective ability to affect change, the knowledge that our values are being represented.

This article mentioned the loyalty of Kerry supporters. The same supporters got a shout-out in the Herald, and our appearance at JK's birthday party scrolled underneath Olbermann's head the next night. We should feel really, really good about that. Not because we should enjoy the publicity for ourselves, but because most people don't get to open up the newspaper and read that they are making a difference. So, in spite of all the political sturm and drang, or maybe because of it, we have really provided ourselves with some amazing opportunities. Stunning, even ;-)

And if this seems Pollyannaish, let me just say that 12 hours ago, I was lying in bed, too depressed to sleep, complaining to my husband that nothing I do in life seems to make any difference to anybody. Today, I read this article, and I felt like I'd been wrong. Or, at least, that I'd been reminded of why we do some of the things we do.

[beachmom]

38. Thank you for your inspirational posts!

My take on the whole thing is this: what's the goal? Is it being president, or is it helping people and stopping unnecessary wars? The presidency was merely a MEANS to that goal. And if you look at history, you will find all kinds of people who changed the world who not only weren't president or king or prime minister; they weren't even a senator. So here we have someone who believes in these higher ideals, and he's still in the Senate!!! What a blessing to our country. As far as the Mass./non-Mass. resident, I don't think that's it. I'm not a Mass. resident, and I think I rebounded fairly quickly, because of my belief in "the goal", not the position Kerry holds. As Whometense mentioned, we're all individuals, and everyone has dealt with this thus far emotional 2007 differently. For me, I was sad, but still ready to fight immediately, maybe because in my view, the goal hadn't changed.

Yes, the media sucks big time. But not ALL of it. WE'RE the new media, and Kerry got positive coverage two days ago on that new media. And a lot of real Democratic activists saw what happened and were very impressed with his prosecutorial skills. That's a good reminder to people of what he is capable of, because I think there are going to be very important investigations happening, and he's the top prosecutor in the Senate, make no mistake about that.

[Luftmensch067]

26. Thanks for this, Tay

I still double down my bet on those who choose to fight anyway, despite all the problems, because that is how change eventually comes, from people who understand that it's not, at it's root, about them. It's about what they believe in.

That remark (bolded section mine!) gives me some courage I needed and I thank you for writing it.

[wisteria]

18. He has received some very important and influential committee appointments and

he did receive assistance the other day when he grilled Fox from fellow senators- even Coleman. It may not be the same, but he may get more of a message out there with these committee positions and no second guessing why he is doing something.

[karynnj]

25. I think you misread Coleman

He passed on questioning - likley as he had no questions. His summary though said in short that we can't hold giving political contributions against someone up for an office. Obama's great response was recognized that SBVT was NOT ordinary politics.

[wisteria]

32. I wasn't implying that I thought he was there to just support Kerry,

However, he did relinquish his time to Kerry,and he must of been there to initially question Fox, so he wasn't opposed to the line of questioning Kerry was going with. And he did mention in his summarization that he agreed to a point about the ugliness of the attacks and personal smears in politics recently.
I never thought there was a point where Coleman wouldn't of confirmed Fox and was just doing Kerry a favor.

[karynnj]

23. I think he is overly optimistic also

I don't think there will be an effort to draft him and the media has clearly made no effort to listen to him. It is discouraging that there are so many in the party and media who are so set against him. I have been shocked at the sheer nastiness of some people towards a person who seems to be a very nice person.

The biggest problem is that he has not given them much ammunition to damage him with. One badly executed joke can only account for so much. I would hope that some of the people he helped elect will back him. All I know is that after the last couple of years, he is the only one in politics I trust very much.

[ginnyinWI]

35. well it's happened with Gore.

And I would not have thought he'd be so popular with the grassroots now. So who knows. A little further down the line, maybe Kerry will begin to look very appealing to people--if not in '08, later.

Considering his age, though--I'd love him to get a veep nomination this time, or a major cabinet assignment. He deserves a promotion.

[Democrafty]

37. I thought it was really moving at the Oscars

that people like Melissa Etheridge spoke with such feeling about how much Al Gore had inspired them. It was nice to see people who hadn't been affected by the bad press and the bad feeling and just, for whatever reason, really felt that it was okay just to believe in him and his message no matter what.

It's a good reminder that impressing the pundits is about the least important thing a politician can do. Having good ideas and a commitment to people is way more valuable than popularity in the media.

[rox63]

27. Wonderful article, horrible-looking cartoon of JK n/t

[wisteria]

33. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention something about the cartoon. n/t

[ProSense]

31. Awesome article.

I didn't seen any reference by the writer implying that the media was about to change its portrayal of Kerry. The reference was to the people who will meet him in person. If the media is bent on selling a false portrayal, I would think it's impossible to rely on the media for a accurate measure of how Kerry is perceived by most Americans. There were hundreds of thousands of people who went to see Kerry during the 2004 campaign, and while these weren't intimate meetings, I suspect those who attended these rallies didn't buy into the media portrayal. Those who have met in person know that the media-created persona is false.

Hey, the media sucks. Fighting media distortion has always been about setting the record straight, and doing so for the benefit of those who will never meet him in either of those venues. The writer is implying that there will be many opportunities for people to see Kerry outside the media lens.

[Democrafty]

34. I agree.

I appreciated that about the article - the writer seems to acknowledge that people are more important than the media - not as influential, but more important.

[cadmium]

39. this writer gets it. rare n/t