Wa Po: 'Fired Up' Kerry Returning to Senate

Aides Say He Wants to Act as Counter to Bush, and Possibly Run in 2008

By Mike Allen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, November 9, 2004; Page A02

Democrat John F. Kerry plans to use his Senate seat and long lists of supporters to remain a major voice in American politics despite losing the presidential race last Tuesday, and he is assessing the feasibility of trying again in 2008, friends and aides said yesterday.

Kerry will attend a post-election lame-duck Senate session that begins next week and has said he is "fired up" to play a highly visible role, the friends and aides said...

...Kerry fueled talk about a 2008 bid during remarks at a Washington restaurant Saturday night. He provoked a thunderous reaction by reminding about 400 campaign aides and volunteers that Ronald Reagan twice sought the Republican nomination for president before winning it in 1980.

"Sometimes God tests you," Kerry told the crowd at H20, a restaurant on the Potomac waterfront, according to an aide. "I'm a fighter, and I've come back before."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A35224-2004Nov8?language=printer

(I hope he enjoyed his dinner. But if he doesn't fight now I suspect he can forget 2008. JMO.)

He had his chance and blew it.

Time for new blood.

I think Kerry would make a great president. I would vote for him again.

the biggest failing is that we didn't have the backup, on a power level.


we needed the media on our side, we needed a strong governmental influence ont he lower levels, we needed a capable DNC, we needed attack dogs.


we got schrum and mccauliffe.

He should talk to Al Gore, Walter Mondale, Bob Dole, about how easy it is to run again after you've been defeated in a long campaign battle. No way the Democrats will let him win again....unless if course he's somehow running as the incumbent. He had his shot, so if he still wants the presidency, he better speak up now. It ain't going to be there for you in '08 John, so be aware of that.

If he tries to fight for it now.

Win or lose, he has to SHOW that he's a fighter, not just say so.

If he fights for it now, I would support him again in 2008. I'll support whichever candidate supports the vote in action, not just word.

It doesn't look as if that will be Kerry, but the show ain't over yet.

There could always be a November Surprise.

is fighting for himself....not us.

"No Surrender" was his theme song. Ironic!

John Kerry, we worked our ass off....and all we got was a lousy consession speech.

I almost have to ask myself......are you really a fighter, or just a lousy poseur?

I don't like what I saw during the "crunch" time....when it really counts!

Sorry....but that's my view!

There are legitimate reasons not to vote for Kerry in 2008, but the fact that he didn't file a lawsuit because he lost is not one of them.

probably someone we haven't even considered.

-------------------------------------------------------
Help expose the 2004 Election Fraud!
http://geocities.com/greenpartyvoter/electionreform.htm

I am open to suggestions for alterantes of course....

regardless of whether it's winnable, I won't support him in 2008.

I supported him from the beginning of the primaries, I thought he'd be a great President. But if he doesn't support investigating the voter fraud, I won't support him again.

whether Kerry is a viable candidate in 2008 is not at all the point ... too many have become so blinded by electoral politics that they are unable to see the big picture ...

the picture you're seeing is only based on this: "Kerry fueled talk about a 2008 bid during remarks at a Washington restaurant Saturday night."

but the more important picture is based on these statements:

"Democrat John F. Kerry plans to use his Senate seat and long lists of supporters to remain a major voice in American politics ..."

"Aides said Kerry is relishing the prospect of renewed combat with President Bush, fighting such measures as the president's proposal to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling."

The point is not to worry about four years from now. The point is that we need as much strong leadership as we can get and we need it NOW. If Kerry can be a strong voice speaking against bush, if he can rally democrats who voted for him to stand against the right-wing tyranny, and if he can stop or at least slow down the evil that is surely coming our way, we need to stand with him, not against him ...

There will be plenty of time in early 2008 to battle over who our next nominee will be ... for now, we support all who will speak for us and we stand together as a party united ...

Between him and Pelosi this week, I feel like I'm in church.

I'm not the most subtle man, so I don't always have the best political ear. Kerry has been at this for years. He remains one of the most liberal Senators in the Capitol and I suspect that that will continue. I'm always amazed at folks who deride the man in our party who actually achieved the nomination from our diverse bunch we call Democrats. If these folks know of someone, then bring him (or her) on! Let that person compete in our party's nomination process and then let's do everything we can to support our nominee. That's how the system works. If folks can't abide that then they should opt out and get behind their own notion of a coalition or party, like the Greens, who I admire but haven't been compelled to support. I'm a dead dog Democrat and I wouldn't give an elephant's ass to any republican candidate. Never have, never will.

The foremost thing that this partisan Democrat learned when we elected Bill Clinton was that it does make a hell of a positive difference, all throughout the levels of our government, when we elect a Democrat for president. Whoever from our party elects will always need to fill their new positions with competent officials, and that always drains the resources of our vast, diverse party until we have the best that America can offer representing our country's interests and concerns with Democratic integrity.

John Kerry represents the some of the best values and integrity that our party can offer and I would be proud to support him if he does indeed become our nominee again.

under the radar. NO WAY he could do it out in the open. NO WAY! We will not know about it until he's ready to act, officially ... no way we'll know. Nor should we know about it.

So, until I have proof that he's not working to get every vote counted (or RECOUNTED, in the strange cases of Ohio and Florida) I am going to assume he is.

He's well aware of the voting problems ... it's up to him (and Edwards) to do what they're going to do.

Till I have the aforementioned proof, I'm staying off his back.