Hey Democrats, Got Spine? –updated below–
| This Daily Show clip fills in the rest of the picture. |
It that picture doesn't piss you off then you're not a Democrat.
If you don't
get what this is after seeing the picture then you must be a Republican.
They're
mocking John Kerry, because the troops get the gaffe. But they wouldn't be doing even this if they didn't have some help,
not from Republicans, but from Democrats.
Meet Harold
Ford, Jr., Jon Tester and Ben Cardin. They're an illustration in how to
lose, not the election (though that's yet to be decided), but the argument, sound bites and image war.
Senator
Hillary Clinton said the comments were “inappropriate.” No, Senator,
it was a botched joke. Trying to sound like St. John won't get it done either.
John McCain knew exactly what Kerry meant, but with his eyes on the '08 prize
he fragged his former friend.
Distancing yourself from a decorated Vietnam veteran who happened to stumble
over a very bad joke isn't the way to present strength less than a week out
from an election. It's abject cowardice, not to mention the very defeatest attitude
that got Democrats in this position in the first place.
It's how to lose.
How many times do Democrats need to learn this lesson?
John Kerry delivers up a gaffe, and what to Democrats do? Some validate the
Republican talking points by chastising one of their own, who just so happens
to be a decorated soldier himself. They run for cover with their donkey tails
hiding between their legs, because they still haven't shed their own image of
Democrats post-Vietnam era. News flash: that's not today's Democratic Party.
We don't need to apologize for anything. If you don't want Kerry's comment to
be the distraction dream of George W. Bush, the Republicans and wingnut radio,
don't amplify it with your own cowardice.
Eric
Massa gets it.
Congressional candidate and 24-year Navy veteran Eric Massa today responded
to the current flap over Senator John Kerry’s remarks about the war
in Iraq, and to a request from his opponent, incumbent Randy Kuhl. The Kuhl
campaign this morning called on Massa to disavow Kerry’s remarks, and
to return any money donated from Kerry’s Political Action Committee.Massa said, “Randy Kuhl's so-called challenge is nonsense. Our fighting
men and women in Iraq are the finest force in the world, but they’re
stuck with weak and dishonest civilian leadership. Randy Kuhl has done nothing
to support the troops, and just toes the Washington line about 'staying the
course.' General John Batiste characterized Kuhl and his position as 'uninformed'
and 'lacking moral courage.' Enough said.”Massa added, “George Bush and John Kerry and Randy Kuhl have had their
chance and failed to bring home either victory or the troops. It's time for
a change down in Washington, and change is coming on Tuesday.”
Sherrod
Brown gets it.
Rep. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat leading in late polls in his bid to unseat
Republican Sen. Mike DeWine, said Republicans are merely trying to change
the subject. “The people who should apologize are George Bush and Mike
DeWine for sending our troops into battle without body armor and without examining
the cooked intelligence,” he said.
Democrats like Clinton, Ford, Tester and Cardin are caving in to some outworn
Republican talking point from the Vietnam era, which Bush and his party are
trying to resuscitate in hopes it will carry them over the finish line in 2006.
Believe me, this isn't about Kerry or his badly mangled joke. What this is about
is seeing a point of weakness in the Democratic Party armor, which is a scar
from days of old. It's about targeting that weakness and driving the dagger
all the way in, with the help of some of our own.
The only people who can make Kerry's comment hurt are Democrats. Some are falling
in line by showing no spine whatsoever. Democrats who throw over a veteran who
simply made a bad joke are no better than the Republicans trying to recast the
modern progressive Democratic Party as the same as we were in the 1970s – 1980s.
Take a look around you. Look at all the vets running. Listen to the new Democrats
and the progressives in this fight. Anyone distancing him or herself from John
Kerry is still haunted by a ghost that the progressives in this party excised
long ago. They are playing into Republicans' hands.
When you're playing defense you're losing. Offense is for winners. Keep fighting
back.
This isn't about John Kerry, who isn't even on the ballot. That is it wasn't, until Tester, Ford and Cardin, even Clinton, caved in and accepted Republican talking points, ponying up their criticism of a fellow Democrat.
Many are now buying in to the storyline being put forth by the oppostion, because they think it saves their own precious political neck. In the midst of a war going horribly wrong, if Democratic candidates and party elders cannot pivot and attack on Iraq then I've got only
one thing to say. They aren't going to be worth a damn to any of us in Congress.
John Kerry voted for the Iraq war then came out and openly admitted his mistake. He works tirelessly for veterans and Democratic candidates, including Ned Lamont. You didn't see any of these cowards now attacking Kerry working for Lamont or admitting their wrongs on the war.
If we cannot hang together, we will certainly hang separately. Republicans like George Allen will be happy to supply the noose.
UPDATE (1:45 p.m.): Republicans and their Democratic co-conspirators win. I'll get you a link when I see one online.
As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: my poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and never intended to refer to any troop.
I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member, or American who was offended.
It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don’t want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops.
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