Found myself searching the archives over at Kos today

Just to see what folks had said about his attitude toward Kerry in the primaries and into the General Election. Not quite as bad as I thought.

But I found a musing as to whether Kerry had lost his last pundit when Eric Alterman from "The Trial of John Kerry" fame (http://www.truthout.org/docs_03/121003A.shtml) deserted him when he started "gloating about his IWR vote after Saddam's capture."

So I went looking for said gloat. I can't find it.

Here is what I did find though.

http://www.moderateindependent.com/v1i16captured.htm

"Senator John Kerry (D-MA) found himself in the position of not only having to issue a statement, but to sit through a previously scheduled appearance on, of all places, FOX News Sunday. How did the Senator handle it? He stressed the "opportunity" of this moment, setting up, in effect, a direct challenge to the President.

"This is a great opportunity for this President to get it right for the long term. I hope he will.... use this as a moment to transform the entire operation in Iraq," by reaching out to the UN and the rest of the world... I always knew we wanted to get rid of Saddam... but I wanted to do it right. I still believe the challenges of Iraq, the challenges of the transformation, the $87 billion that Americans are being asked to pay, the targeting of American soldiers who are being lost daily or weekly... I think you could transform this effort... and begin a major transformation of the War on Terror."

He added that, "This administration now has its 4th major opportunity," to internationalize this effort, and that he hoped the President would get it right this time."

Does anyone else have any other quotes from Sen. Kerry from when Saddam was captured?

It's interesting and instructive for me to go back to before I was paying attention and find out what was going on when I was a vague Clarkie and not a Kerry supporter. Filling in the cracks from when I was a semi-asleep sheeple.

For those who think I'm doing a primary rehash, that's the reason. I wasn't here for this stuff. I wasn't even awake for this stuff.

Please indulge me and give me your take of what was going on in the campaign at this precise moment when Saddam was found.

Thanks.

Kerry has made a number of statements pointing out Bush's missed opportunities.

He said something similar after the Iraq election. The thing I find funny is that they gloat and throw out what Kerry said whenever one of these fake turning points happens. The way they carried on about the capture of Saddam was ridiculous, as if somehow the situation was going to magically change. It was as if capturing Saddam vindicated Bush for starting an illegal war and all the other crooked crap he's done.

In Washington, Senator John Kerry, a Democratic presidential candidate, said "it's a magnificent opportunity for the president of the United States to shift gears and reduce the burden for America, reduce the burden on our soldiers, and get the world involved."
-- Channel News Asia 12-14-2003


Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., said the fight was not over, and the United States stands to benefit if other countries were to share in the burden.

"The president, I think, has a great moment here to bring people to the task of getting more people on the ground, reducing the risk to American soldiers, reducing the overextension of our forces," Kerry, a candidate for the Democratic nomination to replace Bush, said on NBC News.
-- KATA KERTESZ Associated Press Writer 12/14/03


Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who supported the Iraq war but has become increasingly critical of its aftermath, also looked to the future.

"Capturing Saddam Hussein and ensuring that this brutal dictator will never return to power is an important step toward stabilizing Iraq for the Iraqis," Kerry said in a statement from Iowa.
-- DAVID PITT Associated Press Writer 12/14/03 (Story was focused on Iowa voters, and contains a glaring error, IMHO.)


Massachusetts senator John Kerry, a veteran of the conflict in Vietnam, who was part of the senate's unanimous support for the war in Iraq, said that capturing Saddam "and ensuring that this brutal dictator will never return to power is an important step towards stabilising Iraq for the Iraqis".

He went on: "Let's also be clear: our problems in Iraq have not been caused by one man and this is a moment when the administration can and must launch a major effort to gain international support and win the peace. We need to ... make it clear to the world that Iraq belongs to the Iraqi people."

"Today is another opportunity to invite the world into a post-Saddam Iraq and build the coalition to win the peace that we should have built to win the war."
-- Financial Times 12/14/03



I have the articles that can give you a snapshot in time of Dec 2003. I am a little reluctant to post them, as they are also ripped out of their time and would need to be set up properly. Otherwise, they just don't read right anymore.