The Shadow President . . .

[merh]

The Shadow President
22 January 2005

While others in his shoes have retreated from the public eye, John Kerry still has a job to do in the Senate. He could shrink back from the fray and work quietly for a time until the heat dies down from what has been perhaps the most divisive election in history, but John Kerry has decided to leap into the fire and take a stand.

In a story in tomorrow’s N.Y. Times, Sheryl Gay Stolberg suggests that Kerry is setting “himself up as a kind of shadow president, a leader to the nearly 58 million Americans who voted for him.” I have heard this echoed around the internet for the past few weeks by the loyal Kerry supporters who believe that Kerry will rise above the fray and take hold of the Democratic Party in this fight against the Bush administration.

http://www.lightupthedarkness.org/blog/default.asp?view=plink&id=255

[TayTay]

1. Fascinating.

There are so many subtle things going on now. I think we will know a lot more in the next two week, or at least by Feb. 12th. Hmmmmmm.

[merh]

2. What is the significance of the 12th?

I do like this author's take on this.

[TayTay]

3. DNC Chair vote

I just happen to think there are hints of a lot on interesting things going on behind the scenes. Who will endorse who, what issues are going to predominate, who is setting the agenda and how the grassroots are going to get involved. Interesting times indeed!

[merh]

4. Very interesting indeed.

Thanks for the info.

[angrydemocrat]

5. When are they suppose to start debate over Condi

I have seen them talk about everything but.

[merh]

6. email from Barbara Boxer

URGENT: Tell your friends about Tuesday's Senate debate on Condoleezza Rice

Last week, more than 70,000 concerned citizens like you came together to sign my petition and demand the truth from Condoleezza Rice. Your support emboldened me during Dr. Rice's confirmation hearings to ask the tough questions that Americans deserve to have answered. I can't thank you enough, and America can't thank you enough.


Perhaps even more importantly, the groundswell of support you created forced the Republican Senate leadership to give us what we wanted -- not a rubber stamp of Dr. Rice's nomination by voice vote last Thursday before the Republicans dashed off to Inaugural parties, but nine full hours of debate on the floor of the United States Senate.


With your support, our voices are being heard -- in the halls of Congress, in the White House, and across the country. So today I ask for your support once more:


Help me add thousands more signatures to our petition to hold Condoleezza Rice accountable. Tell your friends, family, neighbors, and colleagues to sign our petition, so that when I stand up on the Senate floor Tuesday and Wednesday, I'm speaking with the power of tens of thousands of Americans behind me.


White House Chief of Staff Andy Card has attacked me as "small" for seeking the truth. But I won't allow this Administration to try to sweep the facts about our failures in Iraq and the war on terrorism under the rug. I'm taking the "advice and consent" role, granted to the Senate in the U.S. Constitution, seriously.


During the full Senate debate over Condoleezza Rice's nomination tomorrow, I intend to take the floor, joined by many other of my Democratic colleagues, to express my frustration about Dr. Rice's lack of candor during the confirmation hearings -- her unwillingness to level with the American people about the misleading statements she made about aluminum tubes, mushroom clouds, and connections between Saddam Hussein and Al Qaeda to try to justify the war in Iraq.


Condoleezza Rice refused to come clean about the actual number of trained Iraqi forces on the ground. And perhaps even more disturbingly, she refused to tell us why she personally intervened to kill an anti-torture provision in a recent intelligence bill.


I refuse to let these misstatements, misjudgments, and poor decisions go unanswered. So I ask you one last time, before the Senate debate Tuesday and final vote on Wednesday, to tell everyone you know about our petition. Help me find thousands more Americans who are willing to sign our petition and stand with us.


I can't thank you enough for everything you've done over this past week. Now, in these final 48 hours before the vote on Dr. Rice's nomination, I ask for your help once more. Join me as we continue to fight for what's right -- because the process of democracy is as important as the outcome.


In Friendship,

[TayTay]

7. I think Kerry is working with Dean

All those phone calls to Howard from the Middle East when Kerry was on his trip. I think they were cutting deals and making plans. I think Kerry will endorse Dean. The Newsweek article mentioned that Kerry is very interested in the whole internet/grassroots revival that is so in the wind these days. Howard can be Chairman and not run again in '08. Kerry can learn how to coordinate better with the DNC and help in the grassroots movement and everybody is happy.

Except some of St. Howard of Burlington's more pure followers who might not like this. ABC had a political schedule up and Kerry is doing a fundraiser with Clinton on Feb 10th (in DC, I think.) The fundraiser is for Terry McAuliffe, probably his parting dinner that is meant to raise money for the DNC. Interesting stuff. The Clinton's do not want Dean to be Chairman, but I think he is going to be Chairman. I think cutting a deal and getting in now is a good idea. It's a win-win for both, right?

What say you to my pure conjecture?

[angrydemocrat]

8. Oh Yeah I Almost Forgot

Kerry will be on Meet The Press this coming up Sunday for his first time since the election ended.

BTW Check your inbox.

[whometense]

9. Hmmmm...

that should be very interesting. He should be real loose and relaxed. Maybe we'll get a good peek into the Master Plan? Oh, only what he feels like revealing to Russert, of course.

[angrydemocrat]

12. I Have Been Thinking About That

I think it will depend on what all he does tomorrow as to what kind of questions Russert will have planned to ask. But Kerry will be ready for anything Russert throws at him. It should be a good one to say the least.

[ginnyinWI]

26. you know what day that is, as well--

the day of the elections in Iraq. So doubtless there will be some talk about what JK saw while he was over there.

[TayTay]

10. OMG, that was my guess

either that or an ABC primetime special. (Maybe that will come later.) Good, Kerry has always done well when he is on with Tim Russert. I look forward to the re-emergence onto the national press scene.

Yeah!

[whometense]

11. There's definitely something up between him and Dean.

All those phone calls, like you said - and it's hardly like they were best buddies before that.

I have a theory about Dean I'd never dare spill outside of this forum. What do you say to this: I think Dean enjoyed his run before the primaries, but never in a million years expected to catch on the way he did. I think he wanted to steer the party in a stronger direction. But I don't think he ever really wanted to be president. The whole of last January was like one colossal self-destruct, and my belief is he did it either deliberately or semi-deliberately.

Dean was in no way prepared to be president, and I think he knew it. I really think getting as close as he did threw him into a panic.

[angrydemocrat]

16. I have had thoughts like that myself

Because some of what he did was plain foolish and Dean is not no dummy to say the least. But he made foolish remarks that you will never get me to believe he didn't know would get under peoples skin. Like the Confederate Flag remarks to start with.

[Pirate Smile]

41. I never really got the outrage. Hasn't it been proven true that we need

to try to get those voters also?

Maybe, he didn't say it in the most PC way but I knew what he meant and now that is what everyone is saying - fight everywhere for every vote.

[TayTay]

17. I hid my Dean idea behind another post

I guess I was worried too about the Deaniacs on DU. (Not Dean, his followers.) It just makes sense. One of the Middle East trip articles mentioned the heavy phone use. What the hell else could they have been talking about. The cover story on this was that Kerry wanted to ensure that any new Chairman was candidate neutral in '08. Yeah, okay, but I suspect more intrigue than that. I suspect that Iowa and New Hampshire are on the table for primary placement and I suspect that Kerry wants in on any grassroots involvement. It just makes too much sense.

The Deaniacs will go nuts. That would be so much fun.

Edit: I agree with you on Dean not really wanting to be Pres. I think Trippi said this too last summer. I think he self-destructed too easily as well.

[whometense]

19. I agree that

driving Deaniacs nuts would be a highly pleasurable by-product of such an alliance. DNC chair is much more up his alley anyway. Dean has good ideas, but he ain't no diplomat.

[merh]

20. Gosh, I love this idea!

And oh what fun we will have watching the deaniacs go bonkers!
Thanks for sharing this concept. What a wonderful idea.

(btw- I wasn't impressed with the fellow Chris Heinz supports for DNC. I can't even remember his name.)

[Pirate Smile]

42. I don't think Dean ever thought he was going to win and when it looked

like he might, he wasn't prepared.

I'm a Kerry and Dean fan so I get uncomfortable when people attack either one of them.

I have been glad to see people differentiate between Dean and some of his supporters who act like jerks (the squeaky wheels gets the most attention, of course). I've enjoyed scolding some of them and telling them what they do is extremely counter-productive to Dean, Kerry and the Democratic Party.

Luckily, they have both been quite supportive of each other since Kerry won the nomination and after the election so I don't have deal with the two of them bashing each other. (My brain has banished certain things from during the Iowa caucus and following Primaries to its dark recesses to make my life easier;-) )

I have also been happy to see a lot of people, who didn't like Dean before but have now taken a fresh look at him and see that he can be a positive force within the Party.

I hope he wins DNC Chair because I think he will be good and, if he doesn't, it will be SO UGLY around here and so many people will be disillusioned - people that weren't even Deaniacs.

[ginnyinWI]

28. I've seen that theory out there

and it does make sense. Trippi has said that they were not prepared to run as a front-runner, and the campaign couldn't hold up. Dean also made some gaffs--don't know whether intentional--it wouldn't seem likely to me. He is just outspoken, that's the way he is. I honestly don't know if he'd be good or bad as chair. I saw him on ABC This Week and he seemed to have some good ideas. (or as he would say, "idears" :))
Has anyone noticed that JK will say "ideas" when he is focused, but then will lapse into the New England "idears" when he is less careful? I think it's cute! :)

[Withywindle]

43. This jibes with my gut feeling too!

I'm wondering if Dean wasn't running for similar reasons to Kucinich and Sharpton--both of whom knew there was no way in hell they were getting the nom, but they had issues and ideas that they wanted to impress upon the Party and the public, and they were all pragmatic enough to want to do it within the Party rather than be a spoiler in the wilderness like Nader.

But Dean found his ideas about organizing and mobilizing were so solid they were starting to come close to working. Did he really, really want to be President? I have my doubts--especially as he might have started thinking deeply about what that would really entail!

That's not a slam on him, by the way. In no way. I think running for office to get a point across is perfectly valid.

I wonder about some of those "gaffes," though. The Confederate flag thing--too bluntly phrased for national politics, but I honestly don't see it as a gaffe. Didn't Moseley-Braun defend him on that? She knew what he was getting at. Being a Southerner, so did I. (Hell, Confed flags on pickup trucks are pretty standard-issue where I come from, just like those mudflaps with the silhouette of the busty chick. Most of those guys aren't conscious racists, just big Skynyrd fans.)

[LittleClarkie]

15. Touch nookies to the more pure followers

I think it would be a good fit. And I've liked what Kerry has done with his internet mailing list so far. The article says he's gotten good response so far when he's called for action.

I thought for a moment that he and Boxer might be competing with their online petitions. But then they seem to be friends. Maybe they're just both learning to use the grassroot internet community.

Actually, I think Dean and Kerry get along too. Have you seen pictures of them together? Kerry's lousy at faking if he doesn't like someone. There's a picture of them laughing together where you can tell they rather like each other.

Perhaps people like Boxer and Reid and Kerry and the other Dems are learning to work together. I hope.

[elshiva]

24. Dean likes Kerry and that's great

This thread is a little down on Deaniacs (but pro-Dean). I love both men and feel that they want what is best for their party.

[LittleClarkie]

25. It's down on a subset of Deaniacs who go alittle wild in their support

All the candidates have some of the more narrow supporters who attack the other candidates a bit too much for my personal liking.

I wandered over to the Dean group a couple of weeks ago and got a nice reception from Madfloridian (freak me out) and a nasty reception from someone else who acted like I was an invader. It depends. The "Dean is your only hope, you must accept him" people are a bit hard to take. But then I never did like the hard-sell. (I hated being a telemarketer for Kerry for that reason. Esp during the day when I was expected to call the seniors. I felt like crap bugging an 80 year old person. And then there was the guy who said "You're going to have trouble reaching her. She's dead." "So...if she were alive, would she vote for Kerry?" Hate, hate, hated being a telemarketer for Kerry.)

I just wish we'd stop fighting primary battles. Some are trying to start primary battles for 2008 already. Such a waste of energy in my eyes.

I do appreciate folk like you, Elshiva. Open-minded folk who have room in their hearts for more than one Dem at a time.

[elshiva]

27. Thanks, Little Clarkie (Blush, Blush)

I love the Democratic Party. Anyone who truly loves the Democratic Party understands that Hillary Clinton, Clark, Dean, Clark, Edwards, Kerry, Kucinich, etc. ARE NOT DINOS, but are working together to try to make this a great party.

[ginnyinWI]

29. how do you think a Kerry/Dean ticket would have done?

[elshiva]

33. Dig the picture, but Kerry/Dean I don't know

if it would have made any difference cos of the election fraud issues.

[ginnyinWI]

36. yes, and on second thought

Dean wouldn't have wanted to do it, probably. And Kerry wouldn't have wanted to ask him, after some of the things Dean said about him. At one point he called Kerry a Republican. So, yeah.

[elshiva]

37. yes, but there were no hard feelings in the end.

Kerry said some silly things about Edwards like the diaper comment, but all was forgiven after the nomination.

[GRLMGC]

18. Wait, wait, wait

So if Kerry endorses Dean, will the Kerry-hating Dean lovers turn against Dean? haha

[ginnyinWI]

30. lol--their heads will explode, I guess...............n/t

[Laurab]

13. Great quote here:

"It is imperative that we all work together to make a difference. It is time for the unity to begin and the divisiveness within the Party to cease. We do not all have to agree on every little thing, but we do need to step up to the plate and support those who have the power to make things happen. John Kerry has that power. He showed his grace under pressure on Thursday. We could all take a lesson from his refusal to disappear behind the scenes."

I couldn't agree more.

[whometense]

14. Who said that?

Was it Dean?

[merh]

21. Looks like a quote from the article linked in the original thread.

The author is Pamela Leavey.

[Laurab]

23. Damn

you're quick! :)

[merh]

31. Ah shucks!

:evilgrin: I just didn't want Dean to get credit for something he didn't deserve. I am still mad at him for having that speech on the same day as Conyers hearing. That was rude.

[Laurab]

22. No, I'm pretty sure it was the author of the article

quoted in the original post. I believe the author was Pamela Leavey (I found it at the very bottom of the article). If I'm mistaken, please correct me.

[LittleClarkie]

32. It's one of the "Light up the Darkness" folk

And well said it was too.

I followed one of their links over to johnkerry.com just for kicks. Edwards is slowly being erased from the site. He's not completely gone, but it's slowly becoming just John's site again. Kind of sad in a way.

Speaking of JE, I hope him and the missus are doing alright.

[ginnyinWI]

34. she posts here in the JK group under another name

sometimes. I don't know if she wants to be "outed". ;)

[JohnKleeb]

35. could you tell me who it is via pm

[Sydnie]

38. me too please

I had a mystery like this -- you simply MUST share! :D

[JI7]

39. i think Chris Heinz does that also

he posts under his real name at times. but he has another name he posts under regularly when he wants to remain anonymous.

i think it's great how both of them have interest and participate on DU even though Elizabeth Edwards and Chris knew their husband and step dad were not very popular on DU as compared to some others. and it's especially nice they continue to come on even after the election.

[Pirate Smile]

40. Really! PM me too. I can keep a secret. I promise.

;-)

How do you know this?

[karynnj]

44. Do you think he'll speak out on Gonzales

I hope he gets to speak when it's brought to the Senate floor. It would seem a natural tie to his 1971 testimony - although others have talked about how torture destroys America's reputation, it also has to impact the soldiers that are pushed into doing it or ignoring it. Kerry at 27 addressed very similar issues (and the Geneva Convention) and spoke with more integrity and morality than could be found in the combined brains of Bush, Rice, Cheney and Gonzales.