Bush team asking for an apology for Kerry remarks. What do you think?

For the record, I've watched the tape of Kerry several times and I think it's clear he didn't know the mic was hot when he made the remark that Bush/Republican attack machine were a bunch of liars and crooks.

Bush camp is demanding an apology, saying that this the kind of dirty campaigning Kerry has been playing against Bush all along. This is reminiscent of Campaign 2000, when Bush played every dirty trick in the book against McCain and then Gore, and then screamed bloody murder when countered with a taste of his own medicine.

My gut instinct is that NO, Kerry should not apologize for his remarks. Bush is not getting a free pass with the media like he was in 2000, at least not yet. This is going to be a long and dirty campaign, and it's too soon to start worrying about the little things like this. I don't think this comment that Kerry made while caught off guard will hurt him in the long run, and we all know it's true anyway.

My only reservation was how it plays to swing voters, but I don't think it will make a lasting negative impression, considering that Bush has a negative image in truth telling right now anyway.

Recall the slip Bush made in campaign 2000 to Cheney and into a hot mic, about journalist Adam Climer being a major league asshole? This may have been before DU was around, but I remember it well. That didn't hurt Bush at all, and I don't believe he apologized for it

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49622-2004Mar11.html

"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 Wednesday. "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."

In response, 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."

this afternoon. I felt like cheering. I really hope that Kerry keeps it up. I'm becoming more impressed with him.

Cry me a River....what a bunch of Bovine Excrement! One never needs to apologize for telling the truth! If one is going to apologize, then let's see Bush get down on his knees and beg for our forgiveness, for all the lies he has told us, for all the soldiers he has "lead" to their deaths, to all the lives which will never be the same because of the injuries suffered in this war, for all the people who's lives have been wrecked because of job loss........I would say that this man will never get up from his knees again!

But F*CK no ....

The truth hurts, eh ? ...

Bout time someone said it ...

politics. Kerry should have an aide come out a say JFK would apologize if Bush apologizes for those race baiting Wille Horton ads and Lee Atwater's "Southern Strategy" in general, those lying anti-McCain ads in 2000 primary as well as dirty "push polling", exploiting 9-11 for Tv ads, etc ad nauseum.

Kerry does not blurt stuff out. His campaign aide said he knew the mic was on, so even if that's not true, it's a sign he stands by what he says.

It doesn't have legs.

If WE want to bash Bush as a liar, and if WE want to support Kerry's comments in general: then we shall ...

I was answering the question posed: Should Kerry issue an apology? No, he should drop it (the discussion of an apology). The story doesn't have legs. Geez!

Sorry: .. I could SWEAR you were asking US to 'drop it' ... the object of your comment wasnt clear ....

I guess it could have been more clear. Sorry for the confusion. I'm all for letting people speak their minds.

Bush* would look whiny if he keeps insisting for an apology.

:)

He should tell them to take their bruised feelings and shove them up their collective ass!

Edited for spelling

during the 2000 campaigne the same thing happened to bush. what was said and about who?

And said "He's a major league asshole."

Recall the slip Bush made in campaign 2000 to Cheney and into a hot mic, about journalist Adam Climer being a major league asshole?

asshole. What a hypocrit

I happened to see part of Imus this morning (can't stand him, but at least he is anti-Bush now) and he said hell no and they (republicans) should stop being wusses (I think that's the word he used).

I heard him say he, "loved John Kerry" on a show a couple of weeks ago. If he does, he better decide now if he's going to stick up for him or not cause this "crooked lying gang of criminals" will do what they can get away with. It's really funny that they have the balls to be offended. Like a child molester being offended by nudity.

That Sen. Kerry meant it...about the ENTIRE BUSH ADMINISTRATION, that is!:mad:

B-)

He can call them liars and crooks and not spend $50 million of taxpayer's money to do it.

Kerry should tell them that he will apologize after every member of the House and the Senate that was in office from 1992 to 2000 apologizes for what they said about Clinton, and when the RNC puts together a fund to reimburse taxpayers for the money they spent on lawyers who were trying to figure out if Clinton lied about Whitewater.

Whiny ass babies! :cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity::nopity:

and that is all Bush* has to go on about Kerry. Kerry meant what he said and it was accurate - no need to apologize.

with specific examples.

No apolgy is necessary. In fact he should stand behind his words and offer specific examples of their crooked behaviour. I hope this story has legs.

I think not.

Rather, the burden is on Bush and the reThuglicans to demonstrate (not just say, but prove) that Kerry's statement is untrue.

before they can prove Kerry's comments were untrue.

They'll be waiting a looooooooooooooooooooong time before that happens,




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Dave (AmyStrange.com) Ayotte
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And that's just for starters. How many other lies can we add to the list that they'd need to "prove" ? This could get interesting.

Scripted Repug attacks against Kerry is trully a pack of lies.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x454384

They can't handle the truth! :nopity:

I am glad these sorry asses are keeping it in the media though LOL. Fools!

Heck I wish Kerry would apologize for not saying it more!

He shouldn't apologize. In fact, if asked, he should reiterate that he said it and he meant it. They are a bunch of liars and crooks and it's about time he called them on it publicly.

Hell NO! That would be the biggest mistake of the election, we would never hear the end of it!

they should take a fucking hike.

:kick:

Everyone knows it's true. The Repukes do this all the time, like with the Move On Hitler ads. Fuck 'em, it's time we stood up to them.

people for lying to us virtually every time he opens his mouth.

I don't have an opinion. But I think Kerry should apologize to US for doing something so stupid as expressing this opinion in front of an open microphone. This has happened to a number of politicians over the years, and it is always embarassing for their followers.

Why can't they realize that if they are in public they should watch their mouths??

hurting Kerry and ruined his campaign?

Oh, wait. Kerry won.

Just another reason for Bush to sweat.

GO TO HELL!

I am not one of Kerry's fans, but when I heard him say that, he moved up a few notches on my favorability monitor. He should *never* apologize for telling the truth. It wasn't a slip or a gaffe, it was the most truthful thing I've heard a politician say in a very long time.

ROFLMAO

collective butts ********
They're such whiney babies!

To put it plainly. They have spent entire campaign seasons making shit up about people including McCain, Gore, Dean, and now Kerry. Fuck them.

Oh and the difference between the two is so night and day just from this comment! Bush is a gutless coward who swears about people and then runs in his oval office to act all dignified or something and Kerry says something and sticks by it.

Besides there was not a shred of false statement in what he said. The entire Republican party and their enablers like Fox and MSNBC are liars and should be taken to task for it. Fuck them all, if I haven't already said that... oh yeah I did... :)

Rp

eom

He should repeat the charge daily, hourly: it has the sovereign asset of being true, and in accord with what a great number of people believe already, as well as being something even more can and must be swayed to agree with.

As Mr. I. Analyst has suggested, it should be couple with declarations the enemy is simply seeking to distract notice from their failures and crimes by complaining that they are, Heavens forbid, being criticized by those who seek their defeat, and a statement that they will not be allowed to succeed in this effort to distract, and a restatement of the failures in the economy and war.

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

And HELL NO. If he apologizes, I'm going to die. Hasn't the DLC learned anything. Never apologize. Bushco will just turn around and call him a weak, flip-floper, if he does. Take it to a higher level. Say I'm sorry I called them crooked liars. I really mean't to call them "the WASP Mafia. Let them talk about that for a day or too.

apologize for the truth????

How quickly they forget Willie Horton, smearing McCain and Cleland, push polling, calculating the timing of the Iraq war to be a mid-term election issue, and shrub's hysterical rants in 2002 that "the Democrats aren't interested in protecting the American people" because they wouldn't pass his politically loaded Homeland Security Bill. The re-pukes will hold no punches and stoop to the lowest of the lows and then cry foul when you tell the truth. Hannity, has become the biggest cry baby whiner over the last few weeks about nastiness. It's astonishing that someone who is constantly launching acerbic smears would be crying foul. I'm cautiously optimistic but those who have been walked all over these facist thugs have come out swinging and blinded sided Bush and Co. Like his father in 92, it seems like Shrub may have have lost credibility and every move looks like desperation. It's a long race so we have to keep hammering away and not let up.

the one where Prez Bartlett "supposedly" did not know the camera was still rolling and made a comment about how his opponent was, um, not too bright (forgot the actual quote). The other campaign gets mad and demands an apology but the Bartlett staff stands by the fact that it was an accident but at the end of the show, you find out Bartlett knew all along and was shrewd enough to get the message out there without technically looking like he was on the record.

Come on, I'm not the only one who's seen this episode, right?

about Kerry's intentions.


WAY TO GO JK! Pummel those pricks!

:evilgrin:

Kiss my senatorial, Democratic, OBSTRUCTIONIST ass. :evilgrin:

:evilgrin:

Keep up the good work! :bounce::toast::bounce:

I love it. He has gone up immensely in my eyes over the past two days. Let's just hope this McCain for VP stuff turns out to be nonsense.

Kerry should repeat the charge loudly and often!!

And Kerry did announce this afternoon that an apology would NOT be forthcoming!

One should no more should apologize for calling Bush and his aides crooks and liars than one should apologize for saying the Japanese planes bombed Pearl Harbor.

It's a firmly established fact.

Kerry didn't do anything wrong except tell the truth

n/t

"I have been thinking that I would make a proposition to my Republican friends... that if they will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them."

:evilgrin:

on their answer?

I don't see one comment in this thread explaining why Kerry should apologize, yet there are 5 votes that say he should.

Why? Why should he apologize?

Some sour grapes that people don't want to own up to publicly? Why no public explanation for such a vote?

were by lurking freepers who would get tombstoned if they actually revealed their identity.

which is the more likely answer.

I'm a liberal and I thought it was great. I don't see any liberal objections to Kerry telling the truth about the busheviks.

The only thing that I've seen liberals objecting to is the possibility of John McCain being chosen as running mate, an objection that I share, but that's a completely different kettle of fish, and very unlikely anyway.

Kerry should tell them to stuff it.

As Wes Clark says, "Give 'em hell and never retreat."

swinging

I know some folks will say it isn't Deanesque, but you could make a case for it, but that's neither here nor there.

The important thing is that Kerry didn't apologize.


And an interesting little sidenote is my take that Kerry didn't say ALL republicans (some repubs should be dems in my opinion), and he didn't mention Bush specifically. I don't understand why Bush is asking for an apology? Basicly, what Kerry said was, "liars like you". Now if you're NOT a liar, than that's a compliment. It's kind of similar to saying symbolically, "liars like Jesus". I don't think anyone could think that Jesus was a liar - atleast not a majority of the people anyway.

If you complain about it then that means you are worried that people will think you ARE a liar, which could be interpreted to mean that YOU are afraid of being found out.

Just my take on things,

!!!! GO KERRY !!!!




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Dave (AmyStrange.com) Ayotte
Please, regularly check the One Missing Person (is one person too many) searchable website for the latest (and archived) missing person news stories:

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Serious Serial Killer discussion:
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(EDITED he for Kerry)

he fucked up.

If its true, say its true else appologize and pay attention to your mouth.

not apologizing is the same as saying IT'S true
imo

if I rah rah for Kerry now
I can't be blamed if he loses

but TODAY Kerry deserves
a rah rah






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the Republican attack machine, in your opinion?

Was he referring to Bush? If he was referring to Bush, was he mistaken? Is not Bush, and camp, liars and crooks? If so, what should Kerry apologize for?

You say "nobody believes he was referring to the 'attack machine'".

I'm not sure from the looks of this thread that is true. I personally believe he WAS referring to the Republican attack machine as opposed to Bush himself, and I'd rather he were referring to Bush personally. But if you think he was referring to Bush personally, why do you think he should apologize for that? Why do you think that is a fuck up?

Are you only saying Kerry should apologize insofar as he should reiterate his statement more strongly and specifically that Bush himself is a liar and a crook, or that Kerry got caught off guard saying something that you consider something out of line in this campaign?

I am anxious for your response, arewethereyet.

Is it considered sexual harrasment if I say, "I think you're cute."

I've never seen you. I really don't know what sex you are MD or even if you're not just a shell account for Al Franken.

You have an interesting MO (modus operandi) and that you listen to what people say. I know that sometimes you pretend that you don't, but I appreciate that you do listen.

And that's what I think is cute. When you do nice things and don't make a big deal about it, but downplay it by saying things like

"Vote for who you want, spare me the bullshit"

that is just so cute,

d

He spoke the truth. Why apologize?

Go Kerry!

stating a fact, plus the repukes are all "assholes, bigtime". :evilgrin: