Couric Gives Kerry a Pass

Before I accuse Sen. John Kerry of lying about the percentage of kids who graduate from high school I want someone to give him a chance to explain himself. I've backed a President who isn't known for his outstanding use of words. The least I can do is give Senator "I lost in 2004 but am sounding like I'm running again" a break. That someone can't be Katie Couric because she blew her opportunity.

"Katie Turns Off BS Detector as Kerry Trumpets Bogus Stats"

Kerry: Troops "Terrorizing Kids"

Serving in the armed forces never made Sen. John Kerry sympathize toward them (at least when it didn't serve his personal political gain). On Face the Nation Kerry told Bob Schieffer, "And there is no reason, Bob, that young American soldiers need to be going into the homes of Iraqis in the dead of night, terrorizing kids and children, you know, women, breaking sort of the customs of the--of--the historical customs, religious customs.
From Kerry's words you'd think American soldiers were running willy-nilly into Iraqi homes to rape and pillage. No, they are going into Iraqi homes in search of insurgents and Islamist terrorists who are killing American soldiers and Iraqi civilians. Could things be done better? Probably. But I'm not about to claim soldiers are terrorizing Iraqis. I'll leave that to the demogogues like Kerry.

Captain Ed writes Kerry deserves no benefit of the doubt:

Had Kerry not shown a long track record of this kind of rhetoric in the past -- and had to answer for it repeatedly during last year's presidential election -- one could possibly believe it came out as a slip of the tongue. However, he obviously has never stopped believing that the American fighting man and woman represents the same relative evil as the Viet Cong, the Khmer Rouge, and al-Qaeda.

Before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1971 Kerry said he heard stories of American soldiers in Vietnam acting "in [a] fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan." Those stories were from the Winter Soldier Investigation. That "investigation" turned out nothing but lies.

"John Kerry: American Soldiers Are Terrorists"

UPDATE: Oxford at InkDog writes in a lengthy post, "I would have worded it differently, but all Senator Kerry said was that women and children have felt terrorized by the troops entering their homes." I'd give Kerry the benefit of the doubt, but he has a track record or ripping on U.S. soldiers for political gain.

Another Kerry Run?

Prepare for the return of Kerry's House of Ketchup. That assumes he runs for President again and stays married to Teresa. I'm sure he's really considering running again or else why would he even bother telling Tim Russert that he would sign Form 180 and release his military records?

"Mark that Date!!!"

Too Little Too Late

It looks like John Kerry is being brow beaten into giving up some of his post-election cash.

Two advisers who have spoken to Kerry about the money said he likely will donate a substantial amount to Democratic committees and candidates for the 2005 contests and 2006 congressional midterm elections.

That may ease Kerry's conscience, but it won't assuage critics who wonder what the outcome could have been had Kerry spent everything he had.

Because of this flap, Michael Dukakis would have a better chance at winning the 2008 nomination. Take a good final look at Kerry because he'll be fading into obscurity.

"Kerry to Give Dems Leftover Campaign Cash" [via Captain's Quarters]

Quarters for a Cad

Ann Althouse digs out John Kerry's concession speech. At the time I thought it was classy and dignified. Now, in light of the news that he didn't spend all the campaign money he asked supporters to give, he comes off as a cad.

"Can that Kid Get His Quarters Back?"

Nix Kerry in '08

When a candidate is given their party's Presidential nomination he's just not a Presidential preference. The nominee becomes the leader of his party. Losing may not be tolerable to those Bush bashers who hate Jesusland, but the seasoned, smart Democratic players could understand that defeat is possible. What the Democrats won't be happy with is a leader who failed to help his party when he had the opportunity to do so. John Kerry still has $15 million in the bank for his general election campaign. If he wasn't willing to spend all that on beating the President he could have giving it to his party's Congression election committees. Instead they had to borrow $13 million in total.

It makes me wonder if at some point in the race Kerry thought he wasn't going to win. So he held back his money to save for 2008 when Hillary Clinton is presumed to run. Kerry used Bruce Springsteen's "No Surrender" as his campaign's theme song. It would be ironic the candidate had already given up.

What we can be sure of is Kerry will have to answer some tough questions (unfortunately in private) about how his campaign was run. Even if he offers satisfactory answers any chance of him picking the next DNC chairman got flushed down the toilet. (Who would Kerry's pick be the abrasive Tad Devine?) This news helps Howard Dean, the anti-Kerry. But are Democratic leaders dumb enough to do that?

"Democrats Question Kerry's Campaign Funds" [via Captain's Quarters]

Interview with a SwiftVet

If for some odd reason you're still undecided between Bush and Kerry, read this interview of Steve Gardner who served with John Kerry in Vietnam.

"From Kerry's Own Boat: Interview With Swift Boat Vet Steve Gardner"

Kerry's Qa Qaa

The al Qa Qaa story may have run out of steam for Sen. Kerry. That's what Wizbang's Paul thinks.

"Kerry Steps in Deep Qa Qaa"

Kerry Jokes

John Kerry had this quip at the Madison Kerry rally featuring Bruce Springsteen:

When George Bush heard the Boss was playing, and was going to be here with me today, he thought they meant Dick Cheney!

Kerry should leave the bad anti-Bush humor to Jon Stewart and Michael Moore.

"The Boss Brings out 80,000 for Kerry"

Nothing to Brag About

The Chicago Tribune's Frank James has a story today on what Sen. Kerry has been avoiding throughout the campaign: his Senate record. In the story, we find Kerry didn't get much legislation passed. Bush says five pieces, Kerry says 56, and FactCheck.org counts 11. There's quantity, but then there's quality. Here's how James describes some of Kerry's legislation:

Kerry's 11 pieces of passed legislation included a bill signed into law in April 1994 to better protect marine mammals, especially from commercial fishermen, and another, a bill amending the Small Business Act to allow the federal government to fund non-profit groups running projects that helped women business owners.

At the Democratic National Convention, Kerry told viewers to "[J]udge me by my record." His legislative record has little addressing the critical issues facing the U.S. There's nothing about the military, entitlement reform is non-existent, and there's zero about addressing the need for smaller government.

Where Sen. Kerry was most successful was his investigations of corruption, international drug smuggling, and Vietnam POWs/MIAs. However, do we really want a President who is constantly investigating instead of acting? I have a terrible suspicion that if a terrorist attack would occur during a Kerry Presidency that too much time would be wasted making sure enough evidence was gathered to "convince" France and other AINOs (Allies In Name Only) that military attack was justified. That's why I and others have hammered so hard on Kerry's mention of a "global test." That term fit well with Kerry's history of over-the-top internationalism.

Another aspect of Kerry that's been AWOL in the campaign is his strong environmentalist streak. An editor for the Boston Globe speculates Kerry could be the most friendly President toward the environment since Teddy Roosevelt. Do we have an AlGore in Brahmin's clothing?

"Kerry's Senate Record"

All the Pro-Kerry News Fit to Print

Let's end all pretenses (what little intelligent readers still had) that the NY Times cares about getting the story right. That newsroom is so sloppy and Kerry-centric that they ran a story blaming the Bush administration for something it had no power over.

The paper accused the administration of failing to guard very powerful explosives that Saddam had in his arsenal. What New York's smelliest rag didn't bother to check was whether the explosives were there when U.S. troops arrived last year. All they would have had to do was ask NBC News who had embedded reporters with troops at the Al Qaqaa site.

The story gave Kerry plenty to bash the administration with today calling the failure to guard the explosives "incredible incompetence." Instead of having to answer for a full-blown lie about his pre-war vote discussions with the U.N. Kerry got to go on the offensive.

"NBC Blows a Hole in the Kerry Attack about the Explosives" [via Wizbang]

Called on a Pointless Lie

Kerry is like AlGore in that both men's desire for the Presidency is so great that they engage in embellishments that only do themselves harm. Kerry would still be in striking distance of knocking off an incumbant President if he describe his U.N. meetings accurately. What this lie does is force his campaign to go on the defensive wasting time on this when he could be getting his message out. In both men's case obtaining the Presidency trumps truthfulness with the electorate. That's especially troublesome when John Kerry constantly criticizes the President for being untruthful about the Iraq War.

"Security Council Members Deny Meeting Kerry" [via Wizbang]

Now, THAT's a Good Plan

Michele found one John Kerry plan I can totally support.

"Get Out the Vote"

Teens Speak

Kerry Edwards and the Democrats may sneak their way to victory in less than two weeks, but they may have lost an entire generation.

[via Instapundit]

Teresa Apologizes

I have a feeling as soon as the words "real job" left Teresa Heinz Kerry's lips she knew she'd regret it. She came back and apologzied quickly. Laura Bush accepted the apology through a spokesman, but Karen Hughes decided to make political mincemeat out of the gaffe. Give me a break. Teresa graciously said she was sorry, and Laura accepted. There was no need for Hughes to shoot off her mouth. Now there's just one apology left: Hughes to Teresa, but even I'm not expecting it.

"Teresa Heinz Kerry Apologizes for Laura Bush Comment"

Another Teresa Tantrum

Teresa Heinz Kerry opened her mouth and inserted her foot...again!

Q: You'd be different from Laura Bush?

A: Well, you know, I don't know Laura Bush. But she seems to be calm, and she has a sparkle in her eye, which is good. But I don't know that she's ever had a real job — I mean, since she's been grown up. So her experience and her validation comes from important things, but different things. And I'm older, and my validation of what I do and what I believe and my experience is a little bit bigger — because I'm older, and I've had different experiences. And it's not a criticism of her. It's just, you know, what life is about.

What does Teresa consider to be a "real job?" Running a multimillion dollar charity operation? That's something most Americans can really relate to.

The battle-hardened Kerry Edwards campaign didn't let Teresa in on bit of wisdom: "Know thy enemy." If they had, Teresa could have done a quick Google search to come up with this about Laura Bush:

She then taught in public schools in Dallas and Houston. In 1973 she earned a master of library science degree from the University of Texas at Austin and worked as a public school librarian in Austin. In 1977 she met and married George Walker Bush. They are the parents of twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, who are named for their grandmothers.

I guess working in a public school doesn't qualify as a "real job." Somebody better tell the teachers that back Kerry Edwards so strongly.

Will a non-apology apology to Mrs. Bush come faster than the non-apology apology about John Kerry's Mary Cheney remark? That will be interesting to see.

"The Real Running Mates"

Kerry's Internationalism

Kevin Holtsberry returns to his old haunt and pumps out a very good piece contrasting Sen. John Kerry's "global test" with President Bush's international approach.

"The International Global Truth Standard Test?"

Get It Right

John Kerry messed up another Wisconsin icon. The Packers must put him on a list of people never allowed to watch a home football game. First, he doesn't know where the games are played (it's "Lambeau" not "Lambert" Field), and second, he'll try ordering a "braaat" (as opposed to "brahhht") and the concession worker will just stare at him in disgust.

Next thing you know Kerry will declare that California makes better cheese.

"Kerry Actually did Mispronounce "Brat"!"

"Give the Guy a Break"

Comic Relief

Scott Ott found some levity in John Kerry's Mary Cheney quip.

"Kerry Sorry for Remark About Cheney's Lesbian Child"

Teresa on Children's Privacy

Teresa Heinz Kerry made an interesting quote on her children's privacy:

If some god of taxes would want to come in and look at all of my portfolio, I'd let them...but I don't think I have the right to put my children's privacy out into the open.

However, her husband can use Mary Cheney's sex life for political gain.

"No 1040s, but More Navy Records"

Kerry's Demogogery

Sen. Kerry is not only trying to scare homophobic, waivering Bush supporters, but is also scaring the gay and lesbian community. In The Advocate he's quoted as saying:

The difference between me and George Bush will be the difference to gay and lesbian couples and individuals across this country - whether rights are afforded them or whether or not they are discriminated against. If people take a walk on those things, life's going to be worse.

"Kerry Lesbian Remark Angers Cheney"

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Independents Pick Kerry

Good news for Kerry Edwards. In the second debate, he won over independents. But since it was on a Friday night and there's hardly any talk about the debate today not much should be made of anything from the second debate.

"A Second Look at the Second Debate"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #27

It's been a few weeks, but the greatest, most stupendous, most scintillating linkfest devoted to the windsurfing Senator is back! Since the last KHoK we've endured two Presidential "debates" and one Vice Presidential "debate." These events are glorified dual press conferences when the goals are to spit out the talking points and to not embarass yourself on live television. If the debates wouldn't take place the polls would still be pretty much were they are. If they actually debated each other then we'd have something, but I'm not holding my breath.

Enough of my debate bashing (I watched all of them so far so I shouldn't complaing at all) we need to know who the markets think is winning. On the Iowa Electronic Markets we see John Kerry making a comeback. Either traders think he did well in the first debate (he did) or they think Bush was going to high--a case of "irrational exuberance." On TradeSports.com, President Bush leads 58.4 to 40.7. Both markets think Bush will win, but the gap has narrowed.

Now we come to the best part of KHoK. Here's what some of the blogosphere is thinking:

• Much is being made of material in Sunday's NY Times Magazine. Here's Althouse's interesting take using Kerry's past as a prosecutor.
  

• Mitch Berg noticed what kind of water Kerry drinks.
  

• Based on the same story, Jay Reding wonders how much terrorism a President Kerry would tolerate.
  

• Varifrank noticed Kerry hasn't said the v-word.
  

• Kerry still talks about internationalizing post-war operations in Iraq, but knows no one will come even if he's elected. He better find a Plan B.
  

• John Kerry's been claiming he would be more conservative than President Bush in a few respects. Roger Simon found one that isn't flattering to the Senator.
  

• The Senator's call for 40,000 more troops is more complicated than simply signing up a lot of new recruits. A reservist also points out a portion of Kerry's Senate record he wants you to ignore.
  

• Kerry Edwards has talked a lot about reforming the intelligence community, but they didn't even bother to vote on Bush's nominee to run the CIA.
  

• Speaking of voting, Kerry's voting average is well below the Mendoza Line.
  

• Kerry is taken to the woodshed over Tora Bora.
  

• And there's another Teresa Tantrum.
  

• What kind of "Chinese assault rifle" does Kerry own?

• Tonight, I'll be watching some football. If I ran a team I wouldn't want Kerry as my starting QB.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Another Teresa Tantrum

What's worse: Teresa Heinz Kerry saying the Iraq War was because of "greed for oil" or the fact she spoke for almost an hour? Listening to her for almost an hour? That requires stamina. Kerry Edwards backers must really hate the President to put up with that. I'm not sure if I should be impressed or sympathetic.

"Heinz Kerry Says Husband Would Be Cautious" [via Drudge]

The Duelfer Report and Kerry's Own Words

No one is opposing the conclusions of the Iraq Survey Group on whether Saddam's Iraq had WMD. What's interesting and scarry is how quickly Saddam thought he could restart his weapons programs once international sanctons were lifted (via Power Line):

Saddam asked in 1999 how long it would take to build a production line for CW [chemical weapons] agents, accordingto the former Minister of Military Industrialization. Huwaysh investigated and responded that experts could readily prepare a production line for mustard, which could be produced within six months. VX and Sarin production was more complicated and would take longer. Huwaysh relayed this answer to Saddam, who never requested follow-up information. An Iraqi CW expert separately estimated Iraq would require only a few days to start producing mustard—if it was prepared to sacrifice the production equipment.

Imad Husayn ‘Ali Al ‘Ani, closely tied to Iraq’s VX program, alleged that Saddam had been looking for chemical weapons scientists in 2000 to begin production in a second location, according to reporting.

It doesn't matter if vast quantities of WMD weren't found if production could be easily and quickly started. After a few months, Saddam could have passed on WMD to Islamist terrorists. Then who would have been a victim, Israel, Great Britain, the U.S.? How about Saddam blackmailing the U.S. to remove all military forces from the Middle East so he could become the dominant player? As a U.S. Senator said in 2002,

Who can say that this master of miscalculation will not develop a weapon of mass destruction even greater--a nuclear weapon--then reinvade Kuwait, push the Kurds out, attack Israel, any number of scenarios to try to further his ambitions to be the pan-Arab leader or simply to confront in the region, and once again miscalculate the response, to believe he is stronger because he has those weapons?

And while the administration has failed to provide any direct link between Iraq and the events of September 11, can we afford to ignore the possibility that Saddam Hussein might accidentally, as well as purposely, allow those weapons to slide off to one group or other in a region where weapons are the currency of trade? How do we leave that to chance?

The Senator who said those words was none other than Sen. John Kerry. He was correct then. What does he say now? "You don't make up or find reasons to go to war after the fact." In 2002, Kerry believed the same conventional wisdom as Bush that Saddam had WMD. Kerry was just as wrong as the President, yet he hasn't admitted he was wrong. At least the President has. Kerry has the audacity to claim Bush and Cheney "won't face the truth about Iraq." He won't even face the truth of his own words.

But Kerry can't say he was as wrong as the President. Agreeing with your opponent doesn't give voters a reason to dump the other guy. Through the Democratic primaries and into the general election we've seen and heard John Kerry take multiple positions on issues to win his party's nomination and to best position himself against Bush. The political posturing continues.

"Saddam Worked Secretly on WMDs"

"U.S. Report Finds Iraqis Eliminated Illicit Arms in 90's"

"Bush, Cheney Concede Saddam Had No WMDs"

"President Bush Shares Hopeful Vision After Seeing America's Spirit Through Good Times and Bad"

"Lambert" Field Billboard

If John Kerry loses Wisconsin much of the blame could lay on him incorrectly pronoucing the home of the "Frozen Tundra." It would be ironic that Kerry could be the candidate who's damaged by a faulty mouth.

MSM: MIA

Last night, John Edwards told voters not to believe Bush's and Cheney's positive words about Iraq. Instead, he wanted them to simply believe all they read in the newspapers and saw on television news. But knowing that the MSM isn't reporting the whole story certainly ruins what Edwards said.

"Iraq Missions that Work Out are Missing from Mainstream Media"

UPDATE: Tim Chavez has not admitted he was wrong in his column linked above. Pretty much ignore this whole piece since I have nothing at the moment to support my claim. Move along. Nothing to see here. Thanks to Lis for pointing out Chavez's correction.

"Mea Culpa: I Was Wrong When I Wrote of Samarra Success"

TAM: "Pathetic"

Now, I can add "pathetic" to "loon" as Lefty descriptions of me. And John Edwards probably thinks I've lost my mind.

Here's some advice to Kerry Edwards: insulting voters is not the best way to win them over.

"Foot/Mouth"

Not Renouncing "Global Test"

Thanks to Poliart I learned Kerry Edwards has released an ad to counteract President Bush's fruitful addition of Kerry's "global test" to his stump speech. The ad declares Bush a liar, but doesn't say what he lied about. More importantly it doesn't explain what Kerry meant by a global test. The ad doesn't renounce it or call it a verbal mistake like when he said he voted for the $87 billion military aid package before he voted against it. It's safe to assume Kerry would require a global test before acting in the nation's defense.

Poliart writes,

The reason this is most disturbing is that Kerry could have come out and said the American people that he misspoke. He could have restated, as he did in his commerical that, "the president always has the right to pre-emptive strike." This would have the an honest approach to the situation. Now, why did Kerry not do this? My belief is that the Bush ad is true. Kerry does want to outsource our authority to declare war to other nations. Kerry must keep up this facade to the public that he is both against but for the war. While listening to the radio, watching television, and talking to people since the debate, it is clear why the Kerry campaign won. I have heard from those on the left that Kerry will pull out of Iraq as quickly as possible and end this illegal war, and I have heard some say that he will stay there as long as we need to be there and help to internationalize the cause. Kerry is effectively putting out two messages. If you are an anti-war Kerry supporter you believe that he will get us out of their quick. If you think we should finish the job in Iraq, he is talking for you as well. It is really quite amazing to see this man talk out of both sides of his mouth, and not be called on it.

It's interesting how what isn't said is so much more important that was is said.

Questions for Kerry

What did John Kerry mean when he said, "And we got weapons of mass destruction crossing the border every single day, and they're blowing people up." Are the WMD mention a metaphor for terrorists? Or are nukes and nerve gas bombs going off in Iraq and the MSM isn't telling us? If Kerry actually means the nuclear/chemical type WMD, then does he believe they're crossing the border from Syria? And if so were they originally in Saddam's Iraq thus giving Bush justification for invading?

Another question: During the discussion on Darfur Kerry said he wouldn't send in U.S. troops. However, moments later he said, "But I'll tell you this, as president, if it took American forces to some degree to coalesce the African Union, I'd be prepared to do it because we could never allow another Rwanda." Which is it, Senator? Kerry's answer would be, "both."

One last question (for now): what subways closed during the GOP convention?

UPDATE: Blaster noticed an interesting Kerry comment. Was Kerry willing to bribe and coerce to get a favorable resolution through the Security Council?

And I have another question. Kerry only mentioned Vietnam once but made reference to his military service. About that war he said, "It reminds me it is vital for us not to confuse the war -- ever -- with the warrior. That happened before." Will Kerry back down from his 1971 Senate testimony?

Lights, Camera, Complain

Kerry Edwards aides want signal lights removed from the lecterns before tonight's debate. Captain Ed calls it a "temper tantrum." (Gee, was there a Teresa sighting?) I wonder how many viewers would have even noticed them. Now, the press will point out focus of the pre-debate scuffle. More will pay attention to the lights. If the Kerry Edwards' strategy was for Kerry get away with being long-winded then the complaining aides made a boo-boo.

"Debate Panel Nixes Kerry Campaign Request"

Drinkin' With Voters

Karl Rove may have started his victory dance too early. John Kerry may have finally gotten the message and figured out how to connect to average Joes:

Susan Lampert Smith, a columnist for the Wisconsin State Journal in Madison, was sprawled on her couch in Mount Horeb on Sunday afternoon, like so many others in her state, watching the Green Bay Packers and looking forward to a nap.

Suddenly, as she tells it, the phone rang and her friend Mary was on the line. "John Kerry's at the Main Street Pub watching the Packers," Mary told her.

"I just thought she was pulling my leg," Smith told E&P Monday. Smith had written a column for that day's State Journal challenging the pointy-headed Kerry to visit a small-town Wisconsin beer joint, watch the Pack and buy a round for the bar, because, as she sees it, he's "got to start acting more like a regular guy. Bush is really good at acting like a regular guy even though he's not."

Then Smith heard some chanting in the background. Suspecting there might be some truth to her friend's story, she headed to the pub, where she found gawkers, cops and Secret Service types.

Sure enough, Kerry himself emerged, waving and shaking hands as he made his way up Main Street to Schubert's café. Apparently Kerry picked up a chocolate malted there and then left town, after the 40-minute stopover.

When Smith entered the tavern, a place she and her family frequent for Friday night fish fries, she spotted a copy of Sunday's State Journal on the bar. She was told that Kerry came for the kickoff, bought a round, and split. "It was a little freaky," she told E&P. "I have no power in real life; I can't make my kids do anything, but I can make a presidential candidate buy a beer."

Kerry even has some good taste in beer. He neither went for the home state Miller or the enemy brew Budweiser. Instead, he drank a full-flavored, Chippewa Falls Leinenkugel's.

Underestimate Kerry's campaigning skills at your peril.

"In Wisconsin, Columnist Suggests, Kerry Complies"

Wrong!

John Kerry didn't advocate pre-emption against Iraq in 1997, and the Washington Times biffed it. Sloppy journalism is bipartisan.

"Kerry Circa '97: Corrected Edition"

The Return of Sen. Zoop!

Wizbang's latest caption contest reminds me of Kerry's "Zoop!" moment:

He folded his lanky frame, sat on the floor and opened "Abiyoyo" by Pete Seeger, a book about a giant tamed by an African boy and his father, whose magic wand makes the giant disappear. Mr. Kerry, whose daughters are long since grown, kept neglecting to show the children the pictures.

Luckily, he was sitting at the feet of a former first lady.

"John, make sure he can see that," Mrs. Clinton prompted at one point.

"John, turn it around one more time," she said later, asking the children, "Can you see?"

Mr. Kerry obliged, but still seemed to have politics on the brain as he narrated the story of the magic wand — "Zoop!" — making things disappear.

"I could go zoop! and Republicans would disappear," he said.

A few moments later, Mrs. Clinton provided a graceful exit.

"We have to disappear," she told the boys and girls.

Right now, I'm sure there's quite a list of people Kerry would like to zoop:

• John O'Neill and the SwiftVets
  
• Bill Burkett
  
• Dan Rather, Mary Mapes, and CBS News
  
• Karl Rove
  
• Zell Miller
  
• John McCain
  
• Rudy Guiliani
  
• Teresa Heinz Kerry whenever she opens her mouth
  

Anyone else?

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Burkett Accuses Lockhart

Bill Burkett claims ex-Clintonists, now Kerry operative Joe Lockhart wanted the documents. Be very very skeptical of anything Burkett says. First, he passed on phony documents to smear the President. Then, when called on it he claims a woman named Lucy Ramirez gave them to him. Ramirez hasn't been found.

If Burkett's claim is true that would put a black mark on Kerry Edwards, but would exonerate them as the prime movers of the forgeries. Why would Lockhart want the documents if the campaign was already behind the forgeries?

"Controversial Texas Rancher Defends Release of Documents to CBS" [via PrestoPundit]

UPDATE: Captain Ed doesn't buy Burkett's story.

Kerry Blasts Allawi

If John Kerry were elected President his demeaning comments on our allies will certainly hamper his ability to execute his foreign policy. He's called our allies in Iraq the "so-called coalition of the bribed, the coerced, the bought and the extorted." Today, he practically called Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi a schill for the Bush administration to put the "best face" on the situation in Iraq. What didn't he just call Allawi "Bush's Puppet" and get it out into the open?

Kerry expounds often that as President he would get international help to stabilize Iraq and fight the Islamist War. But all he's said is that he'll get international support. He doesn't acknowledge the help that already exists, but also won't explain what he will do when France and Germany tell him to jump into the Mekong Delta because Iraq is America's mess. On foreign policy, he has no Plan B and a very sketchy Plan A.

More importantly, Kerry has insulted the allies we do have. I thought President Bush was the cowboy. A Kerry Presidency would leave the U.S. quite isolated in the world.

"Kerry: Allawi's Take on Iraq Unrealistic"

Kerry's Smart Move

In finding a place to prepare for the upcoming Presidential debates, John Kerry decided not to go to any of his vacation homes. He's not going to Idaho, Nantucket, or even France. He'll be spending four days in Spring Green, Wisconsin.

This is smart because 1.) Wisconsin is a battleground state Kerry has to win; 2.) he won't have to worry about the media taking any pictures of him windsurfing.

"Kerry Plans Pre-Debate Spring Green Stay"

More Democrat Desparation

Why do the work when Kevin's done it for me? By the way, the Dems' tactics were so pitiful a week ago that I declared the race over. It's now like watching a NASCAR race with the leader two laps ahead of everyone else. You still watch to see if someone crashes into the wall.

"Desperation Time"

Which Ever Way the Wind Blows

Bush-Cheney's latest ad is hard-hitting, yet funny. It goes after John Kerry's voting record and mocks his love of windsurfing.

Latest SwiftVet Ad

The SwiftVets don't pull any punches. At the end of their latest ad bold letters declare that Kerry "Betrayed His Country."

[via PrestoPundit]

Two-Way Kerr-ay

Someone, stop my head from spinning. I can't keep track of John Kerry's Iraq stance. He voted for the war; voted against the $87 billion in additional funds (before voting for it); called Howard Dean "irresponsible" for saying the U.S. wasn't safer with Saddam removed from power. Last month, he said he would have still voted for the war even knowing all that he knows now. Now, with his candidacy on the ropes, Kerry said that Saddam just being an awful dictator wasn't a good enough reason for invading. There's just too much nuance there for me to know how he can square this with last month's statement or his pro-war vote.

"Kerry Says He Wouldn't Have Ousted Saddam"

Paris, 1970

Another part of John Kerry's past has garnered MSM attention. Fox News is running a story on his meetings with the North Vietnamese during the Paris peace talks. At the very least what Kerry did was a slap in the face to his fellow soldiers. Back then he told stories of atrocities and war crimes committed. Today, he prances his "Band of Brothers" around currying voters' favor.

"Kerry Visited Vietnam Peace Talks"

Navy Ends Inquiry

The Navy isn't getting hip-deep into the SwiftVets questions surrounding Kerry's medals. Probably for good reason. The Navy won't win. Whatever they did one side would scream. Plus, 30+ years is long time to reconstruct events:

Conducting any additional review regarding events that took place over 30 years ago would not be productive.

The passage of time would make reconstruction of the facts and circumstances unreliable and would not allow the information gathered to be considered in the context of the time in which the events took place.

Our review also considered the fact that Senator Kerry's post-active-duty activities were public and military and civilian officials were aware of his actions at the time. For these reasons, I have determined that Senator Kerry's awards were properly approved and will take no further action in this matter.

So the most the Navy will say is the proper procedures were followed. That's fine with me. Kerry could have been the greatest solider in American history, and that still wouldn't make up for his war protesting lies, his dovish Senate votes, and his incoherence on Iraq.

I think the SwiftVets realize the war service story has run its course. Their latest ad deals with Kerry's ribbon/medal tossing when he was an anti-war agitator--an action, Kerry admits, he's still proud of.

"U.S. Navy Inquiry Concludes John Kerry's Vietnam War Medals Legitimate"

Move Over Mario

Wonder what you would do if you were John Kerry in a swift boat in 1969? Well, you can get a glimpse of what those soldiers had to do in Kuma\War's latest re-creation. One thing's for sure holding up a CD at a campaign rally just doesn't look as cool as holding one of these. At least they didn't put Kerry in Burgertime. Someone should. The game is ketchup-less.

When will we see the first blogospheric fiskings of a video game?

"John Kerry, Action Hero"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #26

The Killian memos have hogged the spotlight in the blogosphere making this edition of KHoK more challenging. But I'm here for you guys.

First, a look at some numbers. The Pew poll says the race is a dead heat. The Gallup poll says Bush has a healthy lead. Bill Hobbs doesn't think either of them are right. Electoral Vote Predictor is giving Kerry a sound thumping. KHoK's fave, the Iowa Electronic Markets goes along with that showing a Kerry nosedive.

Now, on to the blogosphere:

• To understand what how a John Kerry foreign policy would operate compare Iraq to Sudan.
  

• Bob Dole chides Kerry over MoveOn.org's latest ad.
  

• And Kerry wonders why he's been successfully tarred with the "flip-flop" label.
  

• John Kerry showed off his economic plan. Captain Ed reports. Expect a different one next week.
  

• John Cole asks a question: "What do George Bush, Al Gore, and John McCain all have in common?"
  

• Kerry seems to think the election is between him and the Vice President.
  

• Mark Noonan analyzes Kerry and his Catholic faith.
  

• John Kerry wrote a book. [No, I don't mean that one or that one.] Varifrank reviews The New War.
  

• Where's John Edwards? JustOneMinute has a theory.
  

• PunchtheBag thinks Kerry is getting back on track.
  

• Why people are ripping on Teresa Heinz Kerry's latest curious statement, I don't know. Maybe it's the snooty air surrounding her. I can't rip on her saying something I might have said.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Krauthammer Speaks

Charles Krauthammer reinforces my belief that a Bush victory is a done deal. Oddly, if Kerry would have stuck to his dovish instincts Howard Dean probably would have been the nominee, and Bush would be crushing him even more. In hindsight, the Democrats didn't have much of a chance to win with such an anti-war base.

"Nowhere Left to Flop" [via Vodkapundit]

"Lambert" Field

While other factors have something to do with it, Kerry's "Lambert" Field gaffe may be one reason he's down eight points in Wisconsin. The Washington Post looks at the gaffe's effects and offers this nugget:

Perhaps Lombardi, the Hall of Fame coach who put Titletown on the map in the 1960s, is working from the beyond the grave to trip up the Massachusetts senator. After all, Richard M. Nixon considered Lombardi as his running mate in 1968. There's one problem with this: Lombardi was a Kennedy Democrat. In fact, the Kennedys' connection to the Green and Gold runs even deeper. In 1955, Packers Coach Lisle Blackbourn flirted with a talented young pro prospect in Massachusetts: Ted Kennedy, who now plays offensive line for the Kerry campaign.

If Teddy would have become a Packer he certainly have been able to keep up at the Green Bay taverns with his teammates.

"Kerry Drops Ball With Packers Fans"

Stick a Fork in Him

John Kerry's done.

Kerry supporters threw a haymaker and missed with the charge that President Bush wore ribbons he shouldn't have. Well, that's not the case. I didn't need this desparate reach to come to the conclusion that John Kerry will lose the election. I didn't even need to see the widening gap on the Iowa Electronic Markets. What convinced me was that somebody tried to pass off forged memos. Such desparation is not a sign of a strong, winning campaign. Kerry supporters are scared and know they're behind. When one gets scared and desparate, they do stupid things. Trying to make 1970s memos using 2000s technology is stupid.

Bush backers, don't get cocky or into a lull. No parties until after the polls close on Election Night. Work still needs to be done to assure the President his victory. Plant a lawn sign in your yard, put a bumper sticker on your car, and tell your friends why they should vote for President Bush. Hugh Hewitt is right when he says, "If it isn't close, they can't cheat." Also, the bigger the margin of victory the easier it will be for Bush to fight the Islamist War.

"Operation Fortunate Son Self Destructs On Takeoff"

Kerry Document Published

The After Action Report of the incident that earned Kerry a silver star is now available on the internet [I've posted pics of them below]. Here's the key portion:

PCF 94 beached in center of ambush in front of small path when VC sprung up from bunker 10 feet from unit. Man ran with weapon toward hootch. Forward M-60 gunner wounded man in leg. OINC jumped ashore and gave pursuit while other units saturated area with fire and beached placing assault parties ashore. OINC of PCF 94 chased VC inland behind hootch and shot him while he fled capturing one B-40 rocket launcher with round in chamber.

Kerry was the OINC (what that stands for, I don't know) for PCF 94. Based on this, what Kerry did was heroic. The swift boat was ambushed. A Viet Cong (VC)soldier with a rocket launcher jumps out of a bunker. One swift boat gunner wounds him, and Kerry gives chase. Kerry shot and killed him as he fled. Did he shoot him in the back? Probably since the report says the VC fled even though Kerry denies this. But at a moment like that there's no telling whether the VC would have just turned around and launched his rocket at the swift boat. Unlike his political career, Kerry had no time for nuance and killed the VC. It sounds like a good soldier killing the enemy before he killed him or his men.

Does it rise to the level of a silver star? I don't know. What I do know is Kerry did good that day.

UPDATE: Captain Ed analyzes the report and writes:

When you look at the action on the spot report, it reflects well on the young Lieutenant Kerry. Although it's difficult to see how this action should have resulted in a Silver Star, it would seem a commendation of some sort would be appropriate. It's all of the exaggeration, lies, and paperwork alterations after the fact that calls Kerry's character into serious question.

"Silver Star Spot Report Surfaces"

Kerry on North Korea

John Kerry made no mention of Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and their failed attempt at stopping North Korea's nuclear weapons program. Instead, he blasts President Bush for taking "his eye off the ball, wrongly ignoring this growing danger." Ironically, Bush is using a multilateral approach that would put a smile of Kerry's face if it were applied to Iraq. This time it isn't a flip-flop, but it sure is an inconsistency. Or should I say nuance?

"Kerry Criticizes Bush's 'Massive Failure' on North Korea"

Inside the SwiftVets

Knight Ridder does an expose on the SwiftVets, how they got together and how they're operating.

"Anti-Kerry Veterans' Group Now Political Machine with Big Budget" [via PrestoPundit]

Kerry's House of Ketchup #25

We're now in the nasty part of the campaign. Democrats have had enough of the successful attacks on the core of John Kerry's campaign--his service in Vietnam. The SwiftVets attacks along with a GOP convention where America's security was placed before voters has shaken Kerry. Clinton operatives have joined the campaign and the Massechusetts Senator is even more incoherent than ever. (I'll buy someone a dozen Krispy Kremes if they can explain Kerry's Iraq position that takes into account his Bush-sounding pro-war rhetoric along with his Howard Dean-sounding anti-war statements.)

The polls have shown Bush getting a small convention bounce. I guess the electorate isn't that locked into a candidate. On the Iowa Electronic Markets Kerry hasn't been this far behind since July, but the short-term trend is favorable to him. That's probably because of the new focus on Bush's National Guard service.

As always, the blogosphere is more interesting than me. Let's see what they're saying:

• Last Thursday night, John Kerry attacked Dick Cheney for getting five draft deferments. That's different than what he said about Bill Clinton's draft finagling.
  

• Is it really wise to call one of the most popular politicians in America a "liar?"
  

• Is it also wise to rip on someone because of their accent? Where's the sensitivity?
  

• Kerry advisors urge him to tone down the "commander-in-chief stuff." Well, we are at war, and he was the one who ran so long on his military service.
  

• Arlen Specter says Kerry was always talking about Vietnam.
  

• Now, everthing is "wrong" about the Iraq War. Then why did he vote for it?
  

• Bill Hobbs shows Kerry the difference between the federal budget and the economy.
  

• Kerry is not getting his <i>The New Soldier published this campaign season. However, that's not stopping some people.
  

• Robert Musil speculates on why Kerry is seen doing lots of physical activities.
  

• DJ Drummond gives us the historical trend of the Gallup Poll. It doesn't bode well for Kerry.
  

• Erick Erickson notices somethings "dogging" Kerry.
  

• Dave Winer goes off the deep end and thinks Bush is leading us toward a civil war.
  

• At the GOP convention Matt Margolis interviewed the man behind Bush Country Ketchup. Then we find out Oschisms lives below the W Ketchup guy.

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

O'Neill Interviewed

John Kerry's 30+ year nemesis, John O'Neill is the subject of John Hawkins' latest interview. (Whew! That's a lot of Johns.)

Criminals for Kerry

Kerry has the whore vote, the juvenille delinquent vote, and now has (by default) the support of the MOB. I smell a Teamsters connection.

Thanks Google Ads. Not only are they funding TAM, but offering inspiration too.

A Jeopardy! Answer/Question

"Petty."

What did Mort Kondracke and Steven Taylor think of John Kerry's quick response to President Bush's acceptance speech?

Here's another one:

Desparate

What is Kerry Edwards feeling after a successful GOP convention and weeks of attacks on your #1 issue?

SwiftVets Ad #4

The lastest SwiftVets ad deals with Kerry tossing "his" medals. It's ok. It's no where near as powerful as when the vets speak for themselves. It will keep them and their attacks on Kerry in the news.

[via PrestoPundit]

Booing Babes

Either the MTV crowd didn't think the Video Music Awards were the place for politicking or they think the Bush twins are hotter.

"Back to Basics"

"Kerry Daughters Booed at MTV Video Music Awards"

Very Potent

The SwiftVets' first ad finally makes the front page of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. No, chief political reporter Craig Gilbert doesn't examine the SwiftVets' charges and Kerry Edwards' counter-charges--leave that to the blogosphere. Instead, he reports on "how much bang for their buck" the SwiftVets got. For $500,000 and only one-thousandth of the total campaign ad traffic, the SwiftVets have transformed the entire Presidential race. Professor Ken Goldstein asks, "Have you ever seen anything in a presidential campaign just take control for 10 days?"

"Swift Boat Ad Has Outsize Impact"

The New Soldier

A Kerry ally is threatening legal action against those who post or link to the cover of The New Soldier. Don't be surprised at legal action to stop the electronic distribution of the book. (Since Kerry has dragged on the SwiftVet story for this long, he'd be dumb enough to draw attention to his anti-war book.) I'm glad I downloaded my copy. It may be the most interesting reading on Kerry I've done yet.

[via Little Miss Attila]

Now He's Done It

It's one thing for a Presidential candidate to look like a dork by wearing a cheesehead, but to mess up Lambeau Field means you don't deserve a Packers fan's vote.

"The Frozen Tundra of ... Lambert Field?"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #24

And August is supposed to be a slow news month. Maybe it is, and that's why so many of us are all over John Kerry's four-month stay in Vietnam. The GOP convention starts in a few days with Kerry's new Band of Brothers ready with counter-zingers to a tightly-scripted media event.

New polls show Bush is on the ups. As usual, KHoK is interested in what the Iowa Electronic Markets think. Kerry has taken a steep dive in the Presidential Winner Take All Market and in the Presidential Vote Share Market. The SwiftVets just might be doing damage.

Remember some guy named John Edwards and how was the answer to the Kerry campaign? He's vaporized into the background noise like all Vice Presidential candidates do.

Let's see what some of the blogosphere thinks:

• Along with siccing lawyers on the the SwiftVets with an FEC complaint, Kerry's defended himself by going on The Daily Show (and here).
  

• Erick Erickson is correct that asking for lots of debates isn't a sign of a candidate's confidence.
  

• You know Kerry's losing when one of his spinners went off the deep end. (Is she a former Deaniac? That would explain it.)
  

• Tutakai examines the Democrats' new appreciation for John Kerry's Vietnam War past and how the press has let them get away with it.
  

• At Bastard Sword there's a really, really long piece on the events of 03.13.1969.
  

• The letter Max Cleland tried to deliver to President Bush is at odds with John Kerry, the anti-war protester.
  

• Two more war heroes speak up against Kerry.
  

• Petrified Truth finds Kerry eagerly jumping to a conclusion while those who have deeply studied the issue come to a conclusion that's completely different.
  

• Either Kerry lives in a parallel universe or he committed a Bushism. Where's Slate when you need them? Although Kerry could try the parallel universe theory to explain Christmas in Cambodia.
  

• James Joyner delightfully fisks Eleanor "McLaughlin Group Punching Bag" Cliff on her attack on the SwiftVets.
  

• SwiftVet ad #4?
  

• In an example of overly-heated rhetoric, Catholic Kerry supporters compared President Bush to the anti-Christ.
  

• Political Wire links to Dick Meyer who tries to smear both Bush Presidents.
  

• Varifrank is done writing about Kerry but notes, "You sir, are a loser. You will go down in history as the man who made Dukakis look good."
  

• "Seared" is a common word in Kerry's vocabulary.
  

• The War Liberal wonders what's in Heinz ketchup and created a new double entendre. I'll never look at that condiment in the same way again.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Swiftvets Strike Again

The latest ad deals with Kerry in near next to Cambodia.

"New Swift Boat Ad: Kerry's Own Shipmate Calls Kerry a Liar" [via Drudge]

POWs Against Kerry

On the heels of the Swiftvets is Stolen Honor a new documentary on what former Vietnam POWs think of John Kerry. The clips are powerful. These men give us a glimpse of why they oppose Kerry. It isn't so much the medals, although that's a part, it's his anti-war actions that they think hurt others and the country.

Carlton Sherwood is producing the documentary. I'm doing some digging around on him to see if I can find more information about him besides being a Pulitzer Prize and Peabody Award winner. You know Media Matters and their ilk will be doing the same if they're not already.

Post-Vietnam Kerry

The Swiftvets have a new ad. It's better than the first one because it's not a he said/he said debate. It's just Kerry's (in)famous Senate testamony in 1971 and the Swiftvets' reaction. These men were hurt and demoralized by Kerry's words. Also, it focuses on Kerry's barely-covered anti-war activities and his inability to appologize for "language [that] was sometimes excessive."

As the Washington Post reports, the Swiftvets are getting under Kerry Edwards' skins. One spokesman said, "Maybe if George Bush had seen combat up close his hired-gun mouthpiece wouldn't be so flip." Another took a page (or film cell) from Michael Moore and said, "Mr. McClellan needs to understand that John Kerry is not the type of leader who will sit and read My Pet Goat to a group of second-graders while America is under attack." These statements support the Bush campaign's notion that Kerry is "losing his cool."

If this ad gets people wondering about Kerry's anti-war efforts the next logical step would be to hammer on his Senate voting record on defense and intelligence issues. Bush is running radio ads in Wiscsonsin attacking Kerry for his lack of attendance at Senate Intelligence hearings. Steven Taylor has been writing about how little attention has been placed on that key information as to what policy would be in a Kerry Edwards administration. What happened in Washington, D.C., not Vietnam is where this election will be won.

[As a sidenote: The Washington Post also reports that the Swiftvets raised $300,000 through the internet (TAM's as cool as Wired News). Those Deaniac pioneers must sick to their stomachs that their techniques are being used against them.]

"The New Swift Ad"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #23

Last week, golf became a higher priority than politics. This edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup is short and sweet. I'm also highlighting some weblogs I've rarely or ever linked to help you broaden your blogospheric reading.

• The Swiftvets are getting under Kerry's skin. So, he harshly denounces them as doing Bush's "dirty work" and as nothing but a"front for the Bush campaing." Are they anymore of a front for Bush as MoveOn.org is for Kerry?
  

• Kerry doesn't just have an abortion problem (that's gotten little coverage) but a religion problem too.
  

• Beldar summarized Kerry adviser Richard Holbrooke's view of a Kerry administration's foreign policy, "If elected, John Kerry (and his likely secretary of state) will return us to the posture we were in on September 10, 2001."
  

• Max Boot finds Kerry's foreign policy a "muddle." [via No Left Turns]

• A Kerry quote in the Washington Post is just loaded with multiple levels of meaning and insight into the candidate.
  

• If you're having trouble following all the Swiftvets angle's (like me) Penraker has a summary.
  

• According to Jay Reding, Kerry Edwards isn't dealing well with the Swiftvets.
  

• Russell Wardlow found another Teresa Tantrum.
  

• John Hawkins fisks John Kerry's GQ interview.

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Crack in Swiftvet's Story

Swiftvet, Larry Thurlow, claims Kerry's bronze star award was "totally fabricated" because his boat wasn't under fire when he was patrolling with Kerry on March 13, 1969. Thurlow's bronze star citation says otherwise. Thurlow's explanation is "It's like a Hollywood presentation here, which wasn't the case."

"Records Counter a Critic of Kerry"

Read Kerry v. O'Neill

For those of you who didn't get to see the 1971 Kerry/O'Neill debate on C-SPAN, PrestoPundit found a transcript.

The Olympic Spirit

If you're reading this you're probably not in Athens competing in the Olympics. If you feel bad about this don't fret. You can help John Kerry in the Flip Flop Olympics.

That Makes Two of Us

Stephen Green is "thorougly confused" about the whole John Kerry-David Alston link. So am I. If the two of us, both fairly intelligent and cogent enough to attract more than two readers, are confused imagine Joe Schmo who may only casually glance at the Kerry's possible imbelishments/lies about Vietnam while watching the Olympics. We're seeing lots of research being done in public in the blogosphere (start with Captain Ed), but no one has collected all the scattered bits and presented them in a way the public can understand. Until that happens this story will have little effect on the election.

Frustrated

NRO's Kerry Spot would be spot on as a great weblog, but there's no permalinks. Since it looks like a weblog and reads like a weblog, then they should go all the way. It's not like NRO doesn't know anything about weblogs.

Kerry: Fullbright Scholar

In the running subplot of the election, Kerry Sisters vs. Bush Twins, Vanessa Kerry scored a major accomplishment.

"Kerry Daughter Receives Fulbright Grant in Medicine" [via OTB]

UPDATE: Thankfully, Steven Taylor, a Fullbright Scholar himself, nips the "Vanessa doesn't deserve it because she has a rich family" quip in the bud. Let us also realize that even though Vanessa's stepmother is a billionaire she has no legal or moral claim on the Heinz fortune. We all have to take off the cynical, partisan glasses sometimes.

Kerry vs. O'Neill, Round 1

C-SPAN has only grown more impressive in my eyes. They've done a great public service by broadcasting the John Kerry/John O'Neill debate on The Dick Cavett Show in 1971.

Unlike the yap fests we're stuck with on cable news channels, this was a real, serious discussion on the Vietnam War. Both Kerry and O'Neill were articulate and passionate about their views. Kerry looked like graduate student making precise points on his anti-war stance. O'Neill, while not looking as intellectual as Kerry, countered with well-informed arguments of his own. There were only one or two moments when both men talked over each other. Crossfire, this wasn't.

Kerry's Vietnam stories during his post-Vietnam and Senate years were far different in texture than his Dick Cavett debate. Kerry was ripping off details about conditions in Vietnam and Laos as well as quotes from officers who fought there. He sounded like he knew his stuff. Today, we're suppose to believe that Kerry's fudge on where he was in Christmas is understandable since the events were so long ago. For a man who was so confident in the details of the facts he presented in his 1971 debate it's hard to accept that his mind has changed so much in 30+ years.

Upset with Kerry

Since any letters to the editor page is only representive of the host of letters received, John Kerry disappointed many of his supporters by saying he'd still would have voted for the Iraq War authorization. Here's one letter:

To the Editor:

Re "Kerry Says His Vote on Iraq Would Be the Same Today" (news article, Aug. 10):

As a strong supporter of John Kerry, I felt my heart sink when I read that he would still have voted to authorize the war, even given what he knows now. He missed a perfect opportunity to say, quite simply, yes, I voted for it then, based on information that President Bush supplied, but when this information proved to be false, I realized that I had made a mistake.

Admitting to a mistake can be an act of courage, as when Mr. Kerry denounced the Vietnam War, which he had fought in, when that war proved to be a mistake.

Admitting error is a kind of courage our president seems incapable of.

Sanford Gifford
Cambridge, Mass., Aug. 10, 2004

It remains to be seen if this will tick off the anti-warriors and the Deaniacs. It could end that Kerry does worse on Election Day than the polls say because of a lot of voters who are anti-Bush don't bother to go to the polls.

Fisking Rassmann

Beldar fisks Jim Rassmann and noticed that Rassmann names the Swifties' group the "Swift Boat Veterans for Bush." Interesting that the error got past WSJ editors.

I didn't think such a point-by-point rebuttal was needed. Rassmann didn't really say much other than the Swifties are horrible because they used the same ad firm that attacked Sen. John McCain in 2000. Like I wrote in the post below this feels like something written (or heavily influenced) by Kerry Edwards people.

"Fisking Rassman's WSJ Op-Ed"

Morning Read

Toast is great in the morning. So here's Steven Taylor's latest Toast-O-Meter.

Vet Responds to Swiftvets

Jim Rassman has an op-ed in the today's Wall Street Journal calling the Swiftvets' charges "false" and "fabricated."

I'm sure Rassman deeply stands behind these words and his defense of John Kerry is honest. However, the piece feels like it was written by a Kerry Edwards spokesman. None of the Swiftvets' charges are addressed. Rassman's strongest argument that the accusations are false is that Sen. John McCain said they were--and he was farther away from any of the events than anyone.

"Shame on the Swift Boat Veterans for Bush"

Kerry the Veteran

Two comments I heard/read on Kerry the Vietnam War veteran.

First, on C-SPAN this evening, Ben Stein made a great point about John Kerry. He became famous, not for winning the silver star, but for trashing his fellow soldiers when he came back home.

Second, David Carr comments on the irony of Kerry preening as a war hero in front of the hard-core Democrats:

Stange is it not? The very same people who would have been spitting at John Kerry and calling him a "fascist baby-killer" in the 1960's are the same ones who are now getting all misty-eyed and choked up over his Vietnam war record.

"He Only Killed Grown-Ups"

Christmas in Cambodia

Thanks to super-sluth Glenn Reynolds we know John Kerry claims he was in Cambodia in 1968. [What, he only needs a key to get into the library? I guess the University of Tennessee doesn't believe in security alarms.] The Swiftvets claim otherwise. Kerry Edwards and their supporters will have to do a lot more than ad hominem attacks to get him off the hook. They can't just send out a bunch of lawyers. They're going to have to actually address the Swiftvets' claims.

There are other, more damning parts of Kerry's past. What I think has not been talked about enough are the war crimes claims he made when he returned from Vietnam. Kerry has said he may have made some exaggerations, but he's not renounced the Winter Soldier lies he perpetuated. Then there's his being on the wrong side of the Contra-Sandinista war in Nicaragua. How about his advocacy of a "nuclear freeze?" Even more importantly are all those votes to kill a host of weapons. There are a lot of questions John Kerry has to answer.

UPDATE: John Cole lays out a lot of context to better weigh the Swiftvets' claims and Kerry Edwards' counter-claims.

Advisors Disagree with Kerry

The Kerry Edwards energy plan calls for "energy independence." One of John Kerry's best received stump speech zingers targets the Saudis. However, even campaign advisors think the promises are "irresponsible, asinine." Even if Kerry Edwards could somehow keep the U.S. economy chugging without a drop of Middle East oil, we'd still feel the effects of any regional instability there. NY Times reporter, Neela Banerjee explains:

The problem is that for the next 10 or 20 years, perhaps more, perhaps as long as the United States uses oil, it will be tied to the Middle East, which holds two-thirds of the world's oil reserves. Oil prices are global, determined by bidding for barrels mainly on exchange in New York and London. So even if the United States did not import any oil from the Middle East, a disruption of oil exports from there to Japan, for instance, would still result in a price shock in the United States as Japan's scramble for oil drive up prices everywhere, industry experts said.

Also, such Saudi bashing may not serve a Kerry administration's diplmatic efforts. Many in the Saudi government see Kerry's brash remarks as "what you find on a bumper sticker," but it could be used anti-U.S. groups in the Persian Gulf nation.

"Kerry's Goal of Independence From Middle East Oil Divides Advisers"

Ketchup Korrection

It was pointed out to me that the story about Kerry dumping Teresa was a parody. I pointed out the error in the House of Ketchup.

Get Better Handlers

When John Kerry was in Milwaukee, Monday, he skipped the BBQ and frozen custard joints he told his audience he couldn't miss or "I'm in trouble." Instead, he went to Pieces of Eight. Yes, Jim Stingl is correct that the resturant is "a bit more upscale" than a rib place or custard shop, but it shows Kerry's handlers have no taste. Pieces of Eight may have an upscale price, but it's not a popular place to eat even though it's right on Lake Michigan.

To Kerry's handlers here's the list of the top 30 resturants in the Milwaukee area. There we're sure to find a place for John and Teresa to go the next time they stop in the Brew City. One of the places probably serves chili.

"Kerry's Comments Hard to Swallow" [via The Hedgehog Report]

More Desparation

Sen. Kerry attacked President Bush for not moving fast enough when he received word that the World Trade Center was being attacked. Bush waited a few minutes until a teacher finished reading a story to group of children. An immediate exit would have saved zero lives and may have frightened the kids. Serious and reasonable people know this, but not the Bush bashers.

Kerry said, "I would have told those kids very politely and nicely that the president of the United States had something that he needed to attend to, and I would have attended to it." Would a President Kerry have rushed to a window, tore open his shirt like Superman and flew out of it to battle al-Qaeda? Or would President Kerry have quickly found a phone and began micromanaging the rescue efforts in New York City and Washington? Maybe he would have used some of those "secret plans" he's talked about.

If this is the best he can do to sound tougher on the war than Bush, then the President should just stop campaigning and take another long Crawford vacation because the race is over.

"Kerry Raps Bush on Initial 9/11 Inaction"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #22

Welcome to the bounce-less edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup. The "Duel in Davenport" never materialized, but Kerry did end up looking corny. That's good that nothing happened because the "Maurauding in Milwaukee" made Bush supporters look like twits, Kerry backers like thugs, and Teresa like that hysterical woman on Airplane.

Some Washington Post reporters watched Kerry's acceptance speech with undecided voters. Here's how the reporters put the reaction: "When it ended, they all said they liked what they saw and now will consider him seriously as a candidate -- although none said he closed the deal." Boston Globe columnist Thomas Oliphant wrote, "Kerry essentially blew an opportunity."

Since Kerry officially has the nomination, he can only use the $75 million of public funds to run his campaign. President Bush can continue to spend from his massive war chest until he accepts public funds in September. But don't feel sorry for Kerry. The Democratic Party will be spending millions for Kerry, and then there are those Soros-funded 527s. Plus there's that Bush-bashing concert tour.

Reuters found some Republicans who will be voting for Kerry. When will they run a story on Democrats (other than Zell Miller) backing Bush?

As for the economic benefits of the DNC convention in Boston: there weren't any. In other economic news, the Bush recession (which actually started under Clinton) may not have been a recession in the first place.

In an interview the day after accepting the nomination, John Kerry said he preferred that a captured Osama bin Laden be tired in an American court. Me, I prefer he not make it out of his cave alive. He also reiterated his belief that human life begins at conception but doesn't have the gumption to turn that into pro-life policy.

When it comes to the polls one things for sure. Kerry got a very weak bounce out of the convention. Looking at KHoK's favorite measuring stick, the Iowa Electronic Markets, Bush's lead over Kerry has increased since the convention in both markets. [For further discussion on how good these prediction markets can be, read B. K. Marcus' essay.]

Behold! The links:

• The endless drone about his service in Vietnam may bite John Kerry in the tush. It's not well known, but lots of men that served with Kerry think little of him. There's also an ad.
  

• James Joyner found lots of blogosphere reaction to the speech. He did the work so I don't have to. He also found a bunch of comparisons to Kerry's salute.
  

• Despite James' work, I must point out this quote from Lefty weblogger Matthew Yglesias: "To put it politely, I thought that was crap."
  

• Kerry Edwards: the team that will unite the "Two Americas" gets a close-up look and decides to order out.
  

• A paranoid Kerry spokesman, knowing how embarassing the bunny suit photos are, told Fox News the pictures were leaked.
  

• Kerry's said a lot about what he'd do if elected, but all the good, juicy stuff is secret.
  

• Professor Bainbridge's post reminds me of the adage: "Nobody ever got a job from a poor man."
  

• Jonah Goldberg realizes that Kerry's constitutional philosophy with regards to gay marriage is incoherent. Or is it just nuanced?
  

• Pat reminds us that in Kerry Edwards World (far different than Bushworld) alliances don't really exist unless France and Germany are a part of it.
  

• Donald Sensing noticed one omission in Kerry's acceptance speech. I'll note another: abortion.
  

• Matthew Hoy's post points out a huge flaw in Kerry's foreign policy. What if the countries opposed to U.S. action reject Kerry's overtures?
  

• Kevin Holtsberry finds Kerry's foreign policy promises to be unserious because they don't "take into consideration the reality on the ground."
  

• Robert Clayton Dean predicts a small Bush victory.
  

• Oh god! Kerry Edwards just published a policy book. Snooze.
  

• When you're done with that (if you get done) the American Conservative Union has a Kerry book of their own.
  

• Lisa doesn't need someone like Teresa Heinz Kerry to be a role model.
  

• You know we're knee-deep in the silly season when a NY Times reporter actually wrote a story on the possiblity of Kerry dumping Teresa[via The Agitator]. [Me bad. I wasn't paying enough attention and didn't know this was a parody.]
  

• Steven Taylor thought up a good bumper sticker for Kerry Edwards.
  

• John Kerry, the video game. If only it was available for the GameCube.
  

• Alexandra Kerry's mentioning that Kerry saved her hamster reminded me of this.
  

• But wait! We also have the Kerry Hamster dance. [via a small victory]
  

• I'll give the Kerry fans some ammunition. Bush won the bobblehead vote.
  

• WARNING CHEAP SHOT: Kerry throws like a girl (or a Frenchman).
  

• For a good time visit the Kerry Fairy.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Praising Teresa

Thanks go to Kevin for helping me find these great quotes of praise for Teresa Heinz Kerry's Milwaukee moment:

I tell you, I absolutely love that woman.

She's such an awesome person.

I like Teresa and the fact that she speaks her mind.

Then there's my favorites,

It is so incredibly refreshing to have a smooth, balanced and thoughtful person -- that says what we are ALL thinking.

Oh, I wish I could make this stuff up.

How Many Can She Fit Into 750 Words?

Here we have typical Maureen Dowd. Since she's so fixated with metaphors here's one: she's like cotton candy. Reading her can be sweet, but there's so much air that nothing's left after her words melt away. I just want to know if Dowd took her Gilligan's Island line from the blogosphere.

"Can He Float Your Boat?"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #21

This is another special edition of your favorite condiment connection, Kerry's House of Ketchup.

Is it just me or are the convention webloggers just offering mildly interesting pictures and "what I did today" stories? So far, not so good when David Weinberger considered covering the convention via C-SPAN instead of the Fleet Center.

John Kerry: kinda pro-war--it depends on what time of day it is. Democratic delegates: strongly anti-war 24/7. Here's even more proof.

Here's a scary quote from defense analyst Loren Thompson:

If you look at the people around Kerry. what you see is the Clinton national security team.

In Newsweek, Bill Weld ran a tough race against John Kerry in 1996. He thinks Kerry's strategy will be to straddle a host of issues. Time outdoes that with a good, intimate photo essay.

Kerry got another endorsement. Along with the Communists, the Socialists are backing him. Plus, the original "Two Americas" speech was delivered before the Socialist Workers Party Convention. [via PrestoPundit]

Speaking of "Two Americas," we can't forget John Edwards. He's speaking tonight. I wonder if he'll try to defend his record as a trial lawyer from the blistering critique of John Stossel?

We have a Dukakis sighting.

On a sad note to you pro-Bush Natalie Portman fans. She's backing Kerry.

Jonathan Last comments on Bill Richardson's introduction of Jimmy Carter:

By way of introduction, Bill Richardson says that President Carter gave us "a strong America." Hmmm. Now I'm just asking, but will John Kerry's "stronger America" be like Jimmy Carter's "strong America," only more so? Don't say you weren't warned.

Now, on to the links (and I don't mean you should pull out your driver):

• There's lots of love for Barack Obama [here, here and here]. I have three words for them: Harold Ford, Jr.

• Kyle Sing caught Obama in a lie.
  

• Orrin Judd has more on Kerry's abortion problem.
  

• Kerry's Vietnam movie: real or fake? Captain Ed ponders.
  

• Daniel Drezner jabs Kerry's lack of management experience. He then offers some polling data on how the public perceives the leadership qualities of the two candidates.
  

• A GOP-made Kerry video on his Iraq flip-flops might be helpful to him.
  

• And Kerry's still clueless about terrorism.
  

• Dispite Bill Clinton's claim that the Kerry would run a postive campaign, the California Yankee finds that Kerry ran a negative ad way back in September 2003.
  

• Jeff Jarvis thinks Kerry's rushing to turn the Sept. 11 Commission's suggestions into a political plaything. And I thought Kerry was a member of the "world's greatest deliberative body."

• Rita at Res Ipsa Loquitur looks the goings on at a Leftist women's gathering.
  

• David Frum points out an example of Kerry's arrogance. John Edwards must just love playing second fiddle. Oh, the price that must be paid for power.
  

• You can be sure Kerry Edwards made sure none of these Democrats spoke before the convention.
  

• The Big Trunk makes a literary connection between John Kerry and Henry James. It's not flattering.
  

• Mama T?
  

• The Family Circle bake-off between the candidates' wives is a fraud. Teresa Heinz Kerry says her pumpkin spice cookie recipe isn't her's and she doesn't even like them.
  

• Low Culture examines body language.
  

• Robert at the Llama Butchers is quite sure Kerry shouldn't have a career as a sports analyst.
  

• Like AlGore, the Washington Post wants to replay of 2000.
  

• Here's too much fun with that weird Kerry photo. [via Allah]
  

• Should Kerry lose in November, he will have a job entertaining kids. [Note the ketchup bottle.]
  

• And have you seen these two in the same place at the same time?
  

• There's a rumor that Kerry might show up early to the convention.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Quick Hits

Will John Kerry make any smart-ass remarks about President Bush falling off his bike again?

"Bush Takes Another Tumble on Mountain Bike"

---

You can bring cannoli into the Fleet Center but not bananas. There's a Bill Clinton joke in there somewhere. Can you bring in Krispy Kremes? How about cigars?

"Leave The Banana. Take The Cannolis"

---

I put up with Bill Clinton's speech for about five minutes. He's not nicknamed "Slick Willy" for nothing. The smooth polish, the down home demeanor, and the self-deprecation put a shiny veneer upon a speech of revisionism, class warfare, and disingenuous.

And oh do I hate Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop."

Kerry's House of Ketchup #20

Welcome to a special edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup. Normally to maintain the sanity of my readers and myself KHoK is published once a week. But this week we have the Democratic National Convention. Democratic dignitaries will be honored, the base fired up, and John Kerry will be unveiled to the American public. With so much media scribbling and yapping focused on the election the blogosphere is filled with related chatter. Thus, I have to give these links to you before they overflow my bookmarks folder. Enjoy.

• A few Democratic candidates will not be spending all their time in Boston. They want to avoid being associated too much with the liberal Massachusetts Senator.
  

• Here's the picture of that pizza joint owner who closed up shop until the convention is over.
  

• On the eve of the convention, Andrew Sullivan offers an de facto Kerry endorsement.
  

• John Kerry certainly knows how to rake in the dough. Steven Taylor notes that the press weren't so lauditory when President Bush was raising record amounts of money.
  

• Teresa Heinz Kerry blew her top. Oliver Willis think it's understandable.
  

• The Evangelical Outpost theorizes Clintons and the timing of Sloppy Sandy's investigation discovery. Maybe Berger was covering up for his own inadequacies?
  

• Kerry jokingly called for abolishing the New York Yankees.
  

• Journalists and baseball historians are trying to find out who "Manny Ortez." John Kerry is a big fan of his. But is favorite Red Sox player of all time is Eddie Yost, a man who never played for the team and was really good at drawing walks.
  

• Team Bush struck at a Kerry event in Ohio.
  

• The Kerry Edwards website has turned into a memory hole. Someone contact Stephen Hawking!
  

• I hope Snoop Dog is never seen on the Bush-Cheney weblog.
  

• Allah made a poster for Kerry Edwards.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Oops!

John Kerry may want to connect with the average American voter--he does need their votes. While not having anything against blue collar Joe Sixpack-types he and his campaign remain tone deaf towards them.

For example, this past week Kerry went to Detroit, the heart of America's auto industry, to speak before the Urban League. Workers are very loyal to their employer's cars and to American products in general. The press badge for the trip proudly displayed a product of German construction, a Rolls-Royce 100EX. It could have been any car in the world, but it had to be 1.) a German automobile (imagine if it had been a Pugeot?); 2.) something complete out of reach to most Americans. He could have gotten away with a Chrysler Crossfire, an American coupe that look and performs like it's Mercedes-Benz cousins.

It's not as big a deal as partisan yappers make it out to be (note auto worker Sam Burwell's over-the-top comments), but it is telling in how out of touch Kerry Edwards is.

"Kerry Camp Spins its Wheels"

UPDATE: From The Onion's farce-or-fact department, in February they published "Kerry Makes Whistle-Stop Tour From Deck of Yacht." [Kudos to Glenn Reynolds for the idea.]

UPDATE II: There's some confusion about where the pictured Rolls-Royce was made. The Times story says the 100EX was built in Munich. BMW bought Rolls-Royce in 2003 and has a plant in Great Britain. I'm guessing design work takes place in Germany while the production cars are made in Great Britain.

Kerry's House of Ketchup #19

Welcome to the 19th edition of the most stupendous John Kerry linkfest of the entire Internet. (If Sandy Berger can claim he was "sloppy" in handling classified documents, I can be sloppy with my hyperbole.) There will be lots of stuff here to help you with the breaking news about "Sloppy Sandy" as well as other good Kerry-related tidbits.

In non-Berger-related news, a San Francisco Chronicle editor has been suspended for donating to the John-John ticket.

On the Kerry Edwards weblog is this mocking rendition of the GOP platform. Who wants to do a (funnier) satire of the Dems document?

If you got tired of John Kerry's constant refrain that he served in Vietnam then don't watch the Democratic Convention. They'll be everywhere all talking about Kerry the war hero.

The whole Kerry/Heinz ketchup thing has gotten carried away with the two(!) pro-Bush ketchups waging a verbal war. I'm sticking with Heinz.

It's still too early to really care about polls. Most of them have Kerry leading. On the Iowa Electronic Markets we have a different prediction. In the Winner Takes All Market Bush has widened his lead since Kerry chose Edwards. In the Vote Share Market Bush continues to lead. In a related note, a pollster told GOP governors that Kerry is doing a better job talking about the economy.

Let's get to the good stuff. Here are your lycopene-filled links:

• If you hit your head recently and have no idea what Sandy Berger has been accused of Kevin gets you started. For more links there's Steve Verdon.
  

• The NY Times treats the Sloppy Sandy story like it's part of the political horserace instead of the criminal investigation that it is.
  

• Kyle Sing thinks Kerry Edwards and the Dems are wasting their breath by insinuating that this is all a Republican plot (the Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy strikes again!).
  

• Citizen Smash knows the consequences of damaging national security.
  

• Hindrocket recalls how seriously the State Department took classified documents. I guess such seriousness didn't occur in Berger's National Security Advisor's office.
  

• And what's with the socks? If you were working for the National Archives would you really want those documents back after you knew where they've been?
  

• To use Kerry's own words: He "didn't have a clue."
  

• A bumper sticker read, "Kerry is bin Laden's Man." The California Yankee has "mixed feelings."
  

• Kerry's pulling a Bush by going on vacation. It's another flip-flop.
  

• That's understandable because he's worked so hard for Massachusetts in the Senate.
  

• Then Sen. Kerry has the gall to complain about a "political" speech by Gov. Mitt Romney.
  

• The prettier half of Kerry Edwards wasn't much of a worker in the Senate either.
  

• John Hawkins has a few questions for Sen. Kerry.
  

• We have an academic who says a Kerry victory is certain if the election were held today. Don't even bother with the out-of-touch nature of that claim. Remember that a Yale economist has already predicted a Bush victory.

• Sloppy Sandy isn't the only Kerry advisor with a problem. Don't forget Joseph "Yellowcake" Wilson.
  

• Charlie Sykes notes that there are "Two Americas."
  

• Another division could be the Sam's Club versus Costco.
  

• Stiffing Sen. Hillary Clinton a starring role at the Democratic Convention was bad enough, but Kerry's solution was even more degrading.
  

• How liberal is John Kerry? Well, he was almost as liberal as the late Paul Wellstone, and no one's claims he was a centrist. But does the "liberal" label even matter anymore?
  

• Bashing Sen. John Edwards as a "sleezy trial lawyer" doesn't look like a winning strategy for Team W.
  

• Stephen Green gets into the "strategery" of Kerry Edwards pulling ads in Missouri and Arizona.
  

• Bush may win the red states, but Kerry has the "red" vote. [via Knight of the Mind]

• Kerry Edwards aren't ashamed of their "closeness." [via Right Thinking from the Left Coast]
  

• Then Michele discovered the two were once a feature of Saturday Night Live.
  

• Allah found out what was keeping Kerry too busy for a terrorism briefing.
  

• Just in time for the convention there's Kerry bingo. [via Accidental Verbosity]
  

• Jeff Goldstein gets behind the scenes and documents this "touching" moment between John and Teresa.
  

• The "1st Edwards Lawyer Brigade" has already landed in Florida to prepare of any legal manuvers.
  

• Then Glenn had to do it. He had to tempt me with a ketchup post. He conducted a ketchup taste test between Heinz and W. Two problems: 1.) it wasn't a blind taste test; 2.) where's a Kerry's House of Ketchup link? For a guy who's not fond of the whole Kerry/Heinz shtick he put some effort into this.

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

"Liberal" Still a Bad Word

While not doing a great job holding down the expansion of government, conservatives have done a great job putting a negative connotation on the term "liberal." The Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) has come out defending John Kerry as not being a liberal. They'd only do that if they knew voters cringe at them. This is a reversal of the 50s and 60s when liberals effectively bashed Right-wing candidates as "conservative."

Sean's First Rule of Argument is "He who controls the definitions wins." At least the Right is winning that battle.

"John Kerry Not Liberal, 'Centrist' Democrats Insist"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #18

Ladies and gentleman, boys, girls, and political spinners of all ages, I present you the 18th edition of the blogosphere's coolest, hippest, and sometimes most head scratching-est linkfest around. Behold, Kerry's House of Ketchup.

I'm warning you right away. This may not be the best House of Ketchup you read. I've been a little distracted with a question that needed to be asked this silly season: Who's hotter, the Kerry sisters or the Bush twins? My concentration might be off. Sorry.

We learned that John Edwards was on Kerry's VP list as soon as Edwards dropped out of the Presidential race. Here's some advice for pols who want to be a VP candidate: Do whatever the nominee-to-be wants you to do and look good doing it.

David Gelernter doesn't think Edwards' "Two Americas" schtick will work for long on the campaign trail because Edwards' achievement contradicts his message.

If Kerry follows Jonathan Rauch's advice he'd emulate his hero, the other JFK, by going to the Right on defense and making that the centerpiece of his campaign. Rauch probably hates Kerry's recent mushy talk about "values."

If you're a long-time reader of KHoK, you know I'm fond of the Iowa Electronic Markets as a predictor. I think that a whole different thought process happens when real money is on the line. In the Winner Take All Market it's neck-and-neck between the Republican and the Democrat. In the Vote-Share Market, Bush still leads. This may not bode well for Kerry. Picking Edwards gave him a lot of good press, yet those with money on the line think it's pretty much an even race. No big bounce for Kerry Edwards. Maybe the Democratic convention later this month will do it. That should make David Freddoso comfortable with his prediction of a big Bush win.

One last thing: no more anti-Heinz ketchup.

Now, on to the blogosphere:

• John Kerry could have been briefed about terrorist threats to the U.S., but he hasn't had time. Oliver Willis puts the damning quote in context, but it doesn't help.
  

• We now know that Kerry is against the war, but believes voting for it was the "correct vote." Such nuance!
  

• Kerry didn't read the entire National Intelligence Estimate before voting FOR the Iraq war. Yet he's challenging Bush on if he read the whole thing.
  

• John Kerry shows up late to a Sep. 11 memorial dedication, lets cameras film it all, and ticks off some family members. Real smooth.
  

• Keeping an eye on the Kerry Edwards campaign is the Bush-Cheney war room
  

• John Edwards used to be a trial lawyer. His most important backers are trial lawyers. Scary.
  

• Robert Musil has returned to the states and comments on the Edwards pick:
  

  Despite the media's easy, recurring infatuation with John Edwards, by many important measures he is clearly a weak choice. He is a man who won exactly one primary - in the state of his birth. He was failing in the polls in North Carolina when he decided not to run for re-election. His "two America's" stump speech was cast in a polarizing tone generally viewed as appropriate at most for primaries, and not for the "tack back to the center" needed to win the general election and contained a much-criticised and embarrassing belaboring of that ficticious little girl "somewhere in America" who "will go to bed hungry, hoping and praying that tomorrow will not be as cold as today, because she doesn't have the coat to keep her warm." John Edwards' tendency to embellish fact makes Al Gore's truth-extensions that many commenters believe hurt so much in 2000 seem benign in comparision. Then there's his lack of "gravitas" and his nearly Hillary-esque ability as a trial lawyer to incite the Republican base to open their wallets and storm the polls (although the Man Without Qualities views any Republican thought that the November election can be moved significantly by appealing to a putative general public hostility to plaintiff lawyers as mostly an indication that too many Republicans have lost touch by spending too much time surrounded only by people who hate plaintiff's lawyers). And, of course, the John-John ticket has so far not materially advanced the Democrats in the polls.

  
  

• OxBlog's Patrick Belton thinks Edwards' lack of foreign policy experience is a good thing.

  
  [I]t seems to me nonetheless that presidents without foreign policy backgrounds - Clinton, the current President Bush, and to this category add Edwards as a vice presidential candidate - come much closer to reflecting the broadly held assumptions of the American people about, for instance, the role democracy and human rights should play in foreign policy, than do the foreign policy professionals.

  
  

• For Michael Moore's use of video in Fahrenheit 9/11 to make it appear President Bush was in shock after hearing about the WTC attacks, Matthew Hoy found a John Edwards moment where he showed zero leadership. He got spanked by Tom Clancy.
  

• Kyle Sing offers a brief comparison of Edwards vs. Cheney.
  

• By picking Edwards, Kerry "is going to re-energize key segments of the GOP base who might otherwise have wavered. Doctors. Small business owners. The US Chamber of Commerce. The Business Roundtable and the National Association of Manufacturers. All part of Bush's base, but all wavering due to Bush's free spending ways, Iraq worries, the economy, etc. All of those folks, however, have a deep animosity towards trial lawyers."
  

• The Brothers John got out of voting for or against the Federal Marriage Amendment. They were the only two Senators who didn't vote.
  

• John Kerry plays the race card and employs a myth.
  

• Are NY Times reporters advising Kerry? Are reporters at the Washington Post jealous?
  

• Speaking of pro-Kerry bias in the media, Evan Thomas, Assistant Managing Editor of Newsweek acknowledges the media "wants Kerry to win."
  

• If Kerry's elected and he keeps his campaign promises he'll end up being a bigger spender than President Bush. (That's not a complement to G.W.)
  

• Teresa Heinz Kerry might have quite an embarassing tax problem.
  

• Last week, Kerry Edwards had a fundraiser filled with Hollywood stars vulgarly bashing Bush. In an obivious bit of political jujitsu, Bush added it to his stump speech.

• Viking Pundit thinks Kerry will not accept federal campaign cash (and their spending caps) and blame Bush for doing so.
  

• The scores of academics advising Kerry Edwards gives them the propellerhead award and shows their technocratic streak. (Is John Kenneth Galbraith somewhere in that egghead hoard?) But Daniel Drezner notes,
  

  The party out of power is always going to have the bigger policy team. The campaign policy team for a sitting President or VP should resemble the current Bush arrangement -- ensuring coordination with the relevant economic policymaking bureaucracies.

  
  

• A Wharton academic doesn't seen the economy helping Kerry to victory.
  

• Captain Ed doesn't think much of Swift Boat Veterans for Truth digging into Kerry's Vietnam War past. Some anti-Democrats can't accept the fact that a Democrat, even a liberal Democrat like Kerry could be a war hero. Sad.
  

• Virginia Postrel thinks the pro-Kerry leanings by some libertarians are an attempt at staying "cool." Jacob Levy responds.
  

• I'm going with the "John-John" or "Kerry Edwards, the bad soap opera actor" as nicknames, but John Cole asked for some good ones.
  

• I bet you no one knew John Kerry was the Jolly Green Giant in a past life.
  

• No one should be surprised that Kerry wrote bad poetry in his youth.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Show the Tape

Will the Kerry campaign give in to the request by Bush-Cheney campaign manager Ken Mehlman to show what happened at last week's Kerry fundraiser in NYC? Mehlman has pledged "to refrain from using audio, video or transcripts of the event for any television, cable, satellite or radio advertising." The weasely thing to do would be to make an Internet-only ad. If the tape is released I hope that doesn't happen since it would turn an embarassment for Kerry into a disengenous broken promise by Bush.

Poor John

Teresa Heinz Kerry said this on the campaign trail:

I have to say that John Edwards is beautiful. And my husband's very smart."

Ouch!

"Gov't Search Engines Link to Kerry Critics"

Kerry Sister Speak

This is speculative, third-hand info so take it with a grain of salt:

Top three things said by Kerry's daughter, Alex, and overheard by our correspondent:

1. "I’ll need to become addicted to some drug... if I want to survive this campaign."
   
2. "I’ll kill dad if he doesn’t win this election."
   
3. "I have the biggest crush on John Edwards."

Don't tell Mrs. Edwards.

"From The Trail"

The Real Kerry Edwards

Kerry Edwards is a real person. No, not a soap opera actor but a bail bondsman.

"Bonanza!"

UPDATE: This is the 4000th TAM post (not including the months I hand coded my weblog on Angelfire). Who knows how many words that comes out to. I'd like to thank the academy, but there isn't one for weblogging. Instead, I'll thank my family, my friends, the Lord above and the guy who invented the Krispy Kreme doughnut.

Kerry's House of Ketchup #17

Welcome to the greatest political linkfest since...well ever! But enough of the lack of modesty there is news to cover.

The most exciting story surrounding Sen. John Kerry's campaign is the selection of Sen. John Edwards as his running mate. It's Kerry Edwards, the John-John/bad soap opera actor ticket.

Mustard is seen as the accompaniment to ketchup but I've been unable to make a Edwards-mustard connection. Carolina barbecue uses a vinegar-based sauce that doesn't resemble mustard. Edwards doesn't sport mustard-blond hair (although Kerry quipped that the Democratic ticket tops the Republicans in the coif category). Edwards isn't the more sour of the two so there goes that angle. If you can figure out an Edwards-mustard link that's funny but not stupid (tough to do as shown by my linkfests) let me know. I may need to make a new logo.

After all the swooning over the Edwards pick hopefully the media will see the abortion problem Edwards and Kerry both have. Kerry told an Iowa newspaper that he believes human life begins at conception but "can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist."

Boston Globe columnist, Eileen McNamara took Kerry to task. She understands a pro-life activist better than the Democratic Presidential candidate.

So, Kerry's conscience is not at odds with church teaching, just with his voting record? By any measure, that is an odd definition of conscience. Forget church teaching for a moment. Conscience is a moral concept, as well as a religious one, after all. If you believe that life begins at conception, doesn't your conscience compel you to vote in concert with that belief? Just as, if your conscience tells you capital punishment is state-sanctioned murder, you would vote against the death penalty? Or if you believe that gay marriage is a fundamental civil right, you would vote against a constitutional amendment to ban it?

Edwards' abortion problem comes from a winning trial 19 years ago where he stood "before a jury and channeled the words of an unborn baby girl." Two NY Times reports went on to describe Edwards' closing argument:

Referring to an hour-by-hour record of a fetal heartbeat monitor, Mr. Edwards told the jury: "She said at 3, `I'm fine.' She said at 4, `I'm having a little trouble, but I'm doing O.K.' Five, she said, `I'm having problems.' At 5:30, she said, `I need out.' "

But the obstetrician, he argued in an artful blend of science and passion, failed to heed the call. By waiting 90 more minutes to perform a breech delivery, rather than immediately performing a Caesarean section, Mr. Edwards said, the doctor permanently damaged the girl's brain.

"She speaks to you through me," the lawyer went on in his closing argument. "And I have to tell you right now — I didn't plan to talk about this — right now I feel her. I feel her presence. She's inside me, and she's talking to you."

For Edwards, did the unborn only speak through him then, or do they still cry out to him now? Does he believe like he appears to have in 1985 that the unborn can feel pain and suffer in the womb, or was it just a cynical plucking of a jury's emotional heartstrings?

Big media may not dig into this issue specifically, but Reason's Charles Paul Freund thinks Edwards' "media bubble is bursting."

Since Election Day is still too far away, polls don't really matter. However, I want to point out that despite Wisconsinites low rating of Bush's efforts in Iraq he leads Kerry by 4%. (That's within the margin of error.) At the Iowa Electronic Markets the Edwards pick moved Kerry even with Bush for a day in the Winner Take All Market. Bush then bounced back ahead of Kerry. In the Vote Share Market the spread between Kerry and Bush has narrowed but not as much as in late May.

Now, onto the links.

• John Cole isn't excited by the Edwards pick (if he was Bush would be in a whole lot of trouble) and would have preferred Sam Nunn. For Cole, Edwards doesn't solve Kerry's main problem: "NO new ideas."
  

• Kerry better get asked often why he thinks Edwards is qualified enough to be one step away from the Presidency but didn't think Edwards was qualified to be President during the primaries.
  

• One half of Kerry Edwards may have the initials JFK, but to the Neophyte Pundit the ticket is "anti-Kennedy in many ways."
  

• The Viking Pundit sees the pick as politics over substance. He then stumbles upon a good slogan: "John Kerry is an unserious candidate during serious times."
  

• I hope Rush Limbaugh doesn't use this lame campaign slogan much.
  

• Stephen Green links to a Dick Morris column where he suspects Edwards may have campaign finance issues.
  

• One Fine Jay thinks that Kerry made a mistake. Edwards is "a sweet poison that will slowly shut him down as time slowly and excruciatingly passes by, sapping the identity and strength off of Kerry until it will seem that it is John Edwards running for president."
  

• Edwards' work in "helping the little guy" by suing doctors in cerebral palsy cases has ended up increasing malpractice premiums that increase health care costs and hurt the "little guy."
  

• I should like John Edwards as The Breck Girl. He is pretty...too pretty. But who even remembers what Breck is anymore?
  

• Kerry is opposed to illegal immigrants getting drivers licenses. Michelle Malkin calls this a "Sister Souljah moment."
  

• By opposing the Northeast Milk Compact, Kerry is pandering to Wisconsin--a state he needs to win--and taking the Northeast for granted. Smart move since there's no way states like Vermont will go to Bush.
  

• Paul at Wizbang thinks the abortion comment typifies Kerry's approach to all issues.
  

• Kerry wants more troops but opposes the Pentagon's efforts to get experienced ones. This is a flip-flop in mid-thought. It might even be a new record for him. James Joyner then fisks Kerry's Washington Post op-ed.
  

  
  Robert Garcia Tagorda read the same op-ed and writes, "So the administration has done just about everything that Kerry wanted. Yet he's moving the goalposts without properly acknowledging our progress. That's not fair, is it?"
  

• The Vatican doesn't want the Catholic Kerry to receive communion. U.S. Bishops decided to let local bishops make that decision.
  

• McQ doesn't think Kerry is a traitor and harps on those who think he is.

• W Ketchup. Nice idea, but it looks like a bottle of Hunt's with a patriotic label slapped on it. I'm sticking with Heinz.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Problems in Kosovo

Someone tell John Kerry that U.N. and NATO cooperation don't ensure a successful nation-building operation.

"Insurgency in Kosovo"

Ketchup and Mustard

Sen. John Edwards is Kerry's pick for running mate. We now have the John-John ticket (the John-Boy ticket?). This smart decision isn't a surprise. During the Democratic primairies Edwards was lauded by party activists while Kerry won almost all the elections. Edwards ran on a positive, populist "Two Americas" that especially conflicted with Kerry's view on free trade. The traditional mission of the VP candidate is to be a pit bull and attack his opponents. Dick Cheney does that well. If Edwards goes on the warpath how does he square that with the emphasis on positive campaigning he took during the primairies? More importantly, will the media hold Edwards accountable?

The RNC is already on the warpath attacking Edwards for being "a disingenuous, unaccomplished liberal and friend to personal injury trial lawyers." Most interesting are Kerry's quotes about Edwards' lack of political and foreign policy experience. Also interesting is the non-partisan National Journal ranked Edwards as the fourth-most liberal member of the Senate. He was more liberal than Ted Kennedy and Barbara Boxer.

Maybe even more biting to Kerry is the new ad from the Bush-Cheney campaign about Kerry's "first choice" for running mate.

Steven Taylor thinks Edwards was picked for his charism, energy, and to boost the base. "Like the GOP excitement over Jack Kemp in 1996, this situation serves to underscore how un-exciting the nominee is."

James Joyner writes that Edwards' inclusion in the race won't be what hands victory or defeat to Kerry.

Andrew Sullivan calls it a "very smart pick" because of "the profound weakness of Kerry's candidacy - the man himself." That's a back-handed compliment if I ever heard one.

The result of this pick will be a significant bounce in Kerry's poll numbers. He should also narrow the spread in the Iowa Electronic Markets. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 5-10% lead through the Democratic convention and into the GOP convention in September. That lead will evaporate then, and it will be a dogfight until Election Day. I won't make a prediction--way too soon--except that will be very close.

One more thing: is it just me or does "Kerry Edwards" sound like the name of a bad soap opera actor? Just an observation.

"Blue-Blooded Kerry Taps Edwards's Southern Charm"

Watch Kerry Stage Dive

At a John Kerry event in Wisconsin a punk rock concert broke out.

"Kerry to Announce Running Mate in E-Mail"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #16

Welcome to the July 4th Weekend edition of the blogosphere's favorite (and probably only) John Kerry link-fest. Find a flag and wave it proudly. Read the Declaration of Independence or learn a little about the founding fathers when you're not watching a parade, having a picnic, or viewing fireworks. No House of Ketchup last week because I was on vacation (or Iraq?) so you'll find some posts that are a little old (in Internet time) but still interesting.

Gov. Bill Richardson joins Sen. John McCain as those who don't want to be Kerry's running mate.

TAM's favorite indicator, the Iowa Electronic Markets continues to predict a Bush victory. The polls give Kerry a popular vote victory but an electoral vote defeat a la 2000. Then there are the propellerheads who think Bush will win big.

Reason's Jeff Taylor has an idea for Kerry so striking "Karl Rove would have a coronary."

And now, the blogosphere speaks.

• There's a little brouhaha over how much of a hunter Kerry is. John at Discriminations had too much time on his hands for such an extensive analysis that was easily put down by Oliver Willis.
  

• Josh Chafetz finds finds the Kerry campaign's reaction to a Bush ad "disgusting." [via Cranial Cavity]
  

• John Kerry flip-flops on picket lines.
  

• When it comes to college tuition costs, Kerry doesn't know what he's talking about.
  

• Teresa Heinz Kerry's fortune is $1 billion, double what all reports said it was. Christopher at Legal XXX already has the title for Michael Moore's first documentary exposing "Big Tomato."
  

• Michael Moore can claim Fahrenheit 9/11 isn't a defacto endorsement of Kerry, but who do you think he'll be voting for in November?
  

• Kerry's best strategy seems to be the stealth candidate, but James Joyner points out that's only "enough to get someone elected to the town council or the school board."
  

• Jeff Jarvis, in a self-described "duh" moment, realized the Kerry campaign is anti-Bush instead of pro-Kerry.
  

• TaxGnome writes, "In essence, George W. Bush is running for his former job unopposed."
  

• Kerry's strategy is sure bringing in the dough.
  

• Because of problems with Catholic bishops and a religion advisor who was knee-deep in the WTO riots in Seattle, the Kerry campaign is avoiding talking about religion.
  

• More than dumping the Bush tax cuts are needed if Kerry wants to pay for all his proposed health care spending.
  

• Professor Bainbridge points out that some of Kerry's proposals aren't business friendly.
  

• There is this unseemly desire to want to look at Kerry's divorce records. Many are already public.
  

• "A caged hamster"? I just hope it has nothing to do with the Hamster Dance.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Kerry's Arrogance

Clay Whittaker notes that Sen. Kerry is distressed that female college students aren't proportionally represented in math and science. There's no reason to get into whether men and women are hardwired to excell in different subjects. What should really disturb freedom lovers is this passage as quoted by Whittaker:

If elected president, I will help children know whether they want to get a scientific degree by nudging them in the correct direction.

Call me a constitutional literalist, but I find nothing in that founding document giving the President the power or responsibility to decide what citizens should study in college. In this time of the Islamist War, budget deficits, an entitlement situation ready to implode, and other problems whether there are "enough" people with XX chromosomes studying math and science should be near the bottom of any President's priority list.

Then there's also the arrogance that Kerry knows what the "correct direction" is for an individual. Even with the intellegence Kerry possesses he cannot have the time nor the ability to collect and evaluate the information needed to make those kind of decisions for people he knows little about. He can certainly "nudge" his children and close friends since he's more aware of their individual situations, but to advise Jane in Michigan whether to major in math instead of theater or business or education is worth little more than the guess it is.

I link often to F. A. Hayek's essay "The Use of Knowledge in Society" (possibly the most important economic work of the 20th Century) because it's insights are so profound. This has to be required reading for Kerry.

"Kerry's Ignorance"

Kerry's Problem

I'm sure people have seen some of John Kerry's commercials where he tries to paint himself as an optimist against a patriotic backdrop. Problem is, he's not really an optimist. He's more of a flip-flopping fussbudget.

The Kerry campaign, for its part, wants to emphasize that their candidate not only shares the same concerns as average American, but is also able to identify with them. That's why Kerry is talking about his childhood, trying to show he wasn't born a tall, occasionally aloof senator.

I think your problem is right in front of you Senator. I don't really care about your childhood or that you look like Lurch, more often than not, you talk the optimism game, but in your speeches, you do whatever it takes to take down Bush....and America in the process. We are certainly are a nation of optimists, I just don't think you are one of them.

Kerry's deficit problem.

Kerry's House of Ketchup #15

Your favorite good-natured condiment-fest took a hiatus last week due to Ronald Reagan's death. If Bush and Kerry could lay off the political hammering, I could too. The House is now back to satisfy your lycopene cravings.

The "restless and relentless" Democratic campaigner, "a weird mix of both the very refined taste of elite schools and all that but also eating Hostess cupcakes and watching dumb comedies on TV" is back on the stump. Something seems wrong with a campaign where the candidate still has to tell voters why he's running for President this long into the process. Maybe part of it is because we will all soon be trapped in All Bill All the Time as Bill Clinton hawks his book. Thankfully, Bill will toss in an occasional plug for Kerry while he sucks the media energy out of campaign coverage.

It's still too early to care about polls--even the extremely flawed LA Times one. Instead, by taking a peek at the Iowa Electronic Markets we see the GOP leading the Democrats in the Winner Takes All Market and President Bush still leading Sen. Kerry one-on-one.

Now, onto the links...

• Kerry's most important decision right now is who will be his running mate. He ensconced himself in some private meetings with congressional possibilities "only steps away." A few weeks ago, a rumor had it the list was down to three with Iowa's governor Tom Vilsack and Sen. John Edwards in the running. Too bad for those who like their politics a tad weird Sen. John McCain will NOT be Kerry's running mate.
  

• Maybe Ralph Nader can run with Kerry. Then they can be "Glum and Glummer."
  

• The Comedian doesn't want the job either.
  

• Kerry tried some optimistic rhetoric, but Mickey Kaus found it wanting (scroll down to 06.08). [Can the man please use permalinks?] [via Betsy's Page]
  

• Bill Hobbs noticed that the Kerry weblog found a way to fit both Ronald Reagan and Ray Charles into a post. As Bill put it, "weird."
  

• Somone help Steven Taylor make sense of the source of Kerry's "decisions in public life."
  

• Steven earns himself a second link by being amazed at how Kerry can stretch a dollar or a tax hike on the rich.
  

• Massachusetts Republicans want Kerry to step down from his Senate seat. He's not doing much to represent the people that elected him. For example, he missed a vote on an anti-bioterrorism bill while campaigning on that very issue.
  

• What would a President Kerry foreign policy look like? Deacon of Power Line wonders.
  

• Kerry as Carter II? That gives me the willies.
  

• Zombyboy doesn't fret a whole lot about a Kerry administration.
  

• But Tim Cavanaugh is sure that won't happen. "Bush is going to kick his [Kerry's] ass all over the United States."

• Massachusetts' junior Senator is ignoring economic reality for political benefit such as this good news.
  

• Oh when will Democrats be for Kerry instead of just against Bush? I'm blaming this on the Deaniacs.
  

• Kerry sees more U.N. action and international involvement as the solution to Iraq's problems. The U.N. is on board, but NATO is balking courtesy of Jacques Chirac.

• Kerry has a problem with abortion. It's both political and moral.

• Who knew John Kerry and George Lucas were so close? [via VodkaPundit]
  

• Last but not least, ScrappleFace reports that Kerry wants to use a Democratic time-honored approach to increase the middle class.

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice." Cheap gimmick not endorsed by Glenn Reynolds.]

Kerry on Reagan

Sen. John Kerry has suspended campaigning for a week because of Ronald Reagan's death. He also had some wonderful things to say about the 40th President:

Free men and women everywhere will forever remember and honor President Reagan's role in ending the Cold War. He really did believe that communism could be ended in his lifetime, and he helped to make it happen.

and

Perhaps President Reagan's greatest monument isn't any building or any structure that bears his name, but the absence of the Berlin Wall.

and

Because of the way he led, he taught us that there was a difference between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship. in the face of new challenges, President Reagan's example reminds us that we must move forward with optimism and resolve.

There is also this statement from yesterday:

Ronald Reagan's love of country was infectious. Even when he was breaking Democrats hearts, he did so with a smile and in the spirit of honest and open debate. Despite the disagreements, he lived by that noble ideal that at 5pm we weren't Democrats or Republicans, we were Americans and friends. President Reagan and Tip O'Neill fought hard and honorably on many issues, and sat down together to happily swap jokes and the stories of their lives. The differences were real, but because of the way President Reagan led, he taught us that there is a big difference between strong beliefs and bitter partisanship.

He was the voice of America in good times and in grief. When we lost the brave astronauts in the Challenger tragedy, he reminded us that, ‘Nothing ends here; our hopes and our journeys continue.’

Now, his own journey has ended-a long and storied trip that spanned most of the American century-and shaped one of the greatest victories of freedom. Today in the face of new challenges, his example reminds us that we must move forward with optimism and resolve. He was our oldest president, but he made America young again.

Our prayers are with his family, and the wife he loved in a way all the world could see. And to the end, she loved him with courage and complete devotion. She helped all of us better understand the cruel disease that took him away before it took his life, and what we must do to prevent and cure it.

Teresa and I and our family extend our deepest sympathies to Nancy Reagan and the Reagan family. Today, from California to Maine - ‘from sea to shining sea’ - Americans will bow their heads in prayer and gratitude that President Reagan left such an indelible stamp on the nation he loved.

Very classy.

"Kerry Suspends Campaign Events in Honor of Reagan"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #14

Welcome to the latest edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup mildly admonished by Glenn Reynolds.

Memorial Day is the unoffical start of summer. The weather gets warmer, school's out, and outdoor activities and vacations are scheduled. Conventional wisdom says people will turn off from watching the election battle. That's only partially true. When you're at the beach working on your tan, wizzing through Disney World with your kids, or contemplating the proper tactic in landing a lunker walleye the last thing you'll want to think about is what Sen. John Kerry or President George W. Bush thinks about the Patriot Act. However, I don't think that many people have been turned onto the election even before the summer started. The President's poll numbers have been sinking due to events in Iraq. Kerry hasn't taken advantage of those faltering numbers. He has a lead in most polls and a bigger lead in the more important electoral vote count. It is interesting to note traders in the Iowa Electronic Markets aren't sold on Kerry yet.

More importantly, Kerry is having trouble with important parts of his base. Some anti-warriors haven't committed to him. Instead, they're with Ralph Nader. There is tension with minority groups because Kerry's staff isn't diverse enough. With the election close, energizing one's core supporters will be the key to victory.

Ex-editor of the NY Times Howell Raines comes to rescue with an op-ed that denigrates all who have voted for President Bush. They're "greedy" and "deluded." Raines' advice is to get a message even if it's "disinformation" then "say it over and over again."

HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson went for the ketchup humor (that Glenn Reynolds is tired of) with this from last week's Wisconsin GOP convention:

"I know one thing about this man -- he knows who he is," Thompson said of Bush. "He is one tough dude." Bush's vision "stands in stark contrast to the 57 varieties of John Kerry."

Finally, a publisher's note. During the week of 06.20, I will be on vacation in an undisclosed location far away from Dick Cheney. No Net access means I won't be able to publish a KHoK. If some intrepid weblogger wants to fill in for me, I'd really appreciate it. Just leave a comment or send off an e-mail.

Now, onto the posts.

• On the above mentioned Raines piece Captain Ed lets loose.
  

• By giving Kerry some advice on gun control, Matthew Yglesias ends up insulting rural pro-gun types.

• Joanne Jacobs finds Kerry may be giving in to teachers union pressure on pay-for-performance.
  

• Democrat Mayor of Chicago Richard Daley wasn't pleased with Kerry's "training wheels" remark.
  

• Steve Verdon isn't impressed with Kerry's energy plan.

• Kerry doesn't see the spread of democracy (I'd call it regimes of liberty) as an American priority. James Joyner notes that Bush isn't shoving freer governments down the throats of Saudi Arabia or Pakistan. The California Yankee rebuts Kerry's view.
  

• Daniel Drezner points out that to help Kerry flesh out his foreign policy bigger is better.
  

• Hindrocket at Power Line looks at Kerry's possible move to Bush's right on the Islamist War.

• For the wonks among us here's a post on a Kerry health insurance idea.

• Kerry's says, "We rushed off to war." LisaS replies, "A rush to war he says. How many times did they try to enforce resolutions on Saddam's Iraq and for how many years? Here's a hint: You [need] more than two hands to count them."

• "Let America Be America Again" is the Kerry campaign's slogan. It's from a Langston Hughes poem. The line looks mildly bland out of context, but the poem as a whole is quite an angry, depressing read.
  

• Ryan Lizza of The New Republic points out that a "senior Kerry advisor" hasn't been paying attention to what the candidate has been saying.
  

• Kerry's calling in the Democrats' big gun, Bill Clinton. [via Viking Pundit]
  

• This past weekend, Rolling Thunder, Harley-riding Vietnam vets roared into Washington, D.C. and endorsed President Bush.
  

• Ralph Nader is pulling more voters from Kerry than Bush. Who, other than Nader, thought otherwise?
  

• Note the source, but Kerry flipped off a jackass Vietnam vet.

• Kerry appears to have the strip club vote.
  

• Gather the family and play a wholesome game of Kerryopoly. [via Betsy's Page]

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice."]

Ketchup Review

Well, what do we have here? Not only does TAM get an Instalanche and a mild rebuking ("I'm tired of the ketchup stuff."), but Glenn Reynolds also gives us a ketchup review. Not quite on par with Professor Bainbridge's wine reviews (maybe not always, but this one is good), but it is only a condiment.

Now, to defend Kerry's House of Ketchup. Other than my periodic linkfest, I rarely link John Kerry to Heinz Co. or ketchup. That's because Kerry's wife nor any member of the Heinz family work for the company. Teresa Heinz Kerry has Heinz stock. That's it. I've noted in the past that Bush supporters should lay off the company because it has nothing to do with Kerry and actually backs Bush. I'm not as harsh on Kerry as I was on Howard Dean who I endlessly call "Howard the Duck" and published the periodic Duck Hunt.

Kerry's House of Ketchup should be taken as a bit of levity. The links to other blogosphere posts are chosen for substance over bombast. I could fill KHoK with nothing but anti-Kerry screeds. I don't because reading all those would bore me, and I don't think it adds any value for my readers. Does that mean I link to something unserious or whimsical that shouldn't be classified as serious? Yup! Because politics should not be all seriousness all the time.

The name will not change. Sorry, Glen, but since I'll never be as cleaver with the humor as ScrappleFace, I'm going to run with what I've got for as long as I can (Hopefully, until the day after Election Day).

Kerry's House of Ketchup #13

[Welcome InstaPundit readers. Since Glenn was critical of the name of this weblog's periodic feature I've posted a response. After that, browse though all that TAM has to offer. 06.01.04]

With Memorial Day festivities approaching what better addition to the brats, hot dogs, Italian sausage, and hamburgers everyone will be grilling than a big, tomato-y edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup? Did you know KHoK goes great with beer? How do you think I can get through this every week?

First, some articles of note.

Kerry has a campaign theme: "Let America Be America Again." What does this mean? It must be full of nuance that only a French intellectual can understand.

Kerry thought about going to his party's nominating convention and not accepting his party's nod to be better positioned financially against the Bush money machine. That ticked off local Bostonians and threatened to turn the convention into an event only seen on C-SPAN. The idea got nixed yesterday. Another flip-flop?

Charles Paul Freund has an interesting piece on political intimacy and how Kerry used his war experience to give himself "a personal narrative sufficiently powerful to overcome his stylistic and rhetorical weaknesses."

His "personal narrative" might not be enough in Ohio. One local union president said, "There is some uneasiness there. He [Kerry] does not come across to working class people as well as some did." Another local union president points out that Kerry voters are the ABB (Anyone But Bush) type: "The enthusiasm may not be there for Kerry, but there is a great enthusiasm for getting rid of Bush, and that is going to send Kerry to the White House."

Enough of me. Let's see what other webloggers are saying about Senator Zoop:

• Paul at Wizbang wonders how Kerry's new wings will help him better relate to us little people. When showing off the plane to reporters he couldn't help himself and made a Vietnam reference. It's an uncontrollable tick for this man.
  

• Robert Garcia Tagorda finds Kerry lacking in his response to President Bush's Iraq speech on Monday. [via PoliBlog]
  

• Senator Kerry tried to use Truman and Wilson as examples of Presidential nominees who delayed accepting their nominations. Too bad, he got his history wrong [and here].
  

• Bill Hobbs notes Kerry's (and Reuters') ignoble replies to Bush falling off a bike.
  

• Glenn Reynolds compares Kerry to Nixon, and it has nothing to do with Watergate or scandal.
  

• Anti-Bushies want Kerry to win so badly they're urging people to move to "Bleeding Ohio."
  

• At Ipse Dixit, we have Kerry waffling on Supreme Court justices. Don't forget Steven Taylor's take.
  

• At Oscar, Jr., we have evidence of Kerry waffling on Cuba.
  

• At Viking Pundit, Kerry might waffle on the Patriot Act. [Somebody get me some syrup. Just not from this guy's "endangered" state.]
  

• Senator Kerry (at least technically since he doesn't seem to represent Massachusetts much in Congress) missed another vote.
  

• John Cole points out that Kerry's campaign is raking in the dough.
  

• Power Line looks at the weirdness of a Kerry-McCain ticket.
  

• Letterman helps Kerry with his VP pick.

• Erick Erickson, along with his take on the lame campaign theme ("compassionate conservatism" wasn't much better for Bush), has a Kerry-ketchup joke. That pretty much guarantees a link in the KHoK.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice."]

Anti-Nader Ads

This is not a good sign for the Democrats. If a Democratic outfit feels so threatened by Ralph Nader that they have to run commercials against him what does that say about their confidence in Kerry?

"Concerned Democrats Launch 'Don't Vote for Nader' Ad"

Looking for Competition

Rosemary is looking for a Bush version of Kerry's House of Ketchup. For there to be one requires Kerry fans (and I use the term loosely) to have a sense of humor instead of anti-Bush shrillness. But if there is some linkfest out there I'm interested in it too.

Kerry's House of Ketchup #12

Behold, another cache of links about my favorite condiment candidate. Not everything John Kerry says or does is bad. He is wise enough (politically and practially) to support President Bush's request for $25 billion for Iraq. It's part of his strategy to ride the Iraq hurricane into office.

Now, find some fries (I'll wait) and dip into some of the best in Kerry posts.

• The Onion introduces John Kerry to America.
  

• McGhee writes, "For such a tall guy, he sure is a small man" because of this incident in Topeka.
  

• Speaking of Topeka, that's where Kerry echoed John Edwards.
  

• John McCain still isn't going to be Kerry's running mate.
  

• Even if McCain says he doesn't want to be a VP candidate it isn't stopping Democrats from yapping about the possibility. David Cohen thinks this is a sign the Dems are panicking.

• Joe Territo thinks the poorly run Sept. 11 commission will hurt Kerry. "Bob Kerrey may lose the presidential election for John Kerry."
  

• Steven Taylor can't figure out where Kerry stands on gay marriage.
  

• Zombyboy found a funny, French, and fake Kerry commercial. The best line: "He's like Ted Kennedy only thinner." Oh, those funny French.
  

• Roger Simon points out that as of last week Kerry was barely leading Bush in California. His explanation: "it's the media."
  

• Rosemary has Kerry's first commerical endorsement. It sure beats Bob Dole and Viagra.
  

• Here's another cartoon and some commentary on the political rumor that won't die. Hillary Clinton WILL NOT be nominated at the convention.
  

• Kerry's constant Vietnam drone is old hat.
  

• Kerry was in favor of higher gas prices until he could use them as a weapon against Bush.
  

• In a rare HoK double dip, Viking Pundit gets another link for this story on Kerry's more than two-to-one edge in campaign contributions from professors.
  

• Vietnam vets are organizing an anti-Kerry rally in Washington, D.C. for September. [via Country Store]
  

• Power Line notes the work National Review's Mackubin Thomas Owens is doing to illuminate Kerry's anti-war record. Kerry's past is why many vets are so upset with him.

• Kerry's 10 million jobs claim has no economic theory and little history supporting it.

• Finally, we have Alexandra Kerry. John may want to think of taking her on the campaign trail to court the soft porn/Howard Stern vote.

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice."]

Kerry's House of Ketchup #11

There is a substantial drop off in Kerry posts in this edition. Abu Ghraib sucked much of the blogosphere's energy away from the election. But there is other interesting Kerry news. Alan Reynolds comments on Steve Jobs and Warren Buffett becoming economic advisors to Kerry. On Abu Ghraib The New Republic's Lawrence Kaplan criticizes Kerry's "blame-the-mission-more-than-the-perpetrators stance" that feels like a continuation of his Vietnam War protesting.

• About Abu Ghraid, last Saturday, Kerry said, "This is not about politics. This is about our country. This is about how we're going to be stronger." Good words, but as Michele noticed, his campaign's actions said something much different. Citizen Smash observes this too.
  
  
• Kerry's campaigning prevented him from voting to extend unemployment benefits. The legislation lost by one vote--Kerry's. This segues nicely to "The Brothers Judd 2004 Kerry Resignation Prognostathon."
  
  
• Political Wire links to a story about Kerry's chances in Ohio. Simply put: tough. Then Taegan Goddard has a strange Kerry quote of him trying to appear to be a plebeian. What does it mean to "hack around" anyway?
  
  
• Brainfreez has an interesting campaign poster. [via Hit & Run]
  
  
• In John Kerry's mind, his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry is immune from criticism no matter how much pap she dishes out.
  
  
• Paul at Wizbang notices a glaring inconsistency in the Kerry supporters/Lefties: How can they support a man who admits to taking part in self-described war crimes while calling for the head of Don Rumsfeld directly and the Bush indirectly?
  
• Not to be outdone on his own weblog, Kevin Aylward catches Teresa Heinz Kerry in a very hypocritical moment.
  
  
• In another Teresa Heinz Kerry post, Viking Pundit writes about Heinz Kerry only paying 14.7% of her income in taxes in 2003. Will Kerry call his wife a "Benedict Arnold?"
  
  
• Pollster John Zogby thinks Kerry will win.
  
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice."]

Info Needed

When I first saw this picture I only noticed Kerry's obsession with really, really bright colors when it comes to sports apparel. I now noticed he's wearing a UW-Milwaukee t-shirt. Was Kerry biking in Milwaukee? The scenery behind him doesn't look like anything there. My guess is Kerry received the t-shirt as a gift and wore it while at another stop on the campaign trail. But the cynic in me could explain it as as cheap ploy to kiss up to Wisconsin voters. Anybody have any details about the location of the picture?

Kerry's House of Ketchup #10

Sen. Kerry's bad luck continues. He tried to critique President Bush's education policies only to be upstaged by Vietnam veterans who declared Kerry "unfit" to be President (even if I've found no evidence of Reuters even covering the story). Kerry's lack of message (I'd argue his inability to control the media message) has some Democrats worried.

Now, let's see what others have been saying:

• Deacon at Power Line notices that Sen. Kerry doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to the Pentagon's reaction to the Iraqi prisoner maltreatment.
  
  
• Norman at Tutissima Cassis found that Kerry's plan on stopping offshoring would end up being a weird import tax against American firms. [via Cafe Hayek]
  
  
• Kevin finds that we have to thank a dead President for allowing us to know so much about Kerry's anti-war past.
  
  
• Citizen Smash writes, "But if Kerry is going to continue to highlight his service in Vietnam, he had better be prepared to answer questions about his subsequent 'Change of Heart' about the war, and explain how it is relevant to him today."
  
  
• Who will be Kerry's VP pick? The Command Post reports that Kerry went on the campaign trail with four possibilities.
  
  
• A Village Voice writer wants Democracts to dump Kerry.
  
  
• Steven Bainbridge isn't impressed with Warren Buffett and Steve Jobs signing up to help Kerry get elected.
  
  
• Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. thinks Kerry's "too-white" (only in Democrats' eyes) campaign managers would not draw out much-needed minorities voters. Jackson then did a subtle version of one of his father's shakedowns by telling the campaign, "The senator should remedy this very quickly." Letting Al Sharpton speak at the convention won't placate these people.
  
  
• The strategy of "compassionate conservatism" appears to be working for the President. Kerry isn't seen as "likeable" or "compassionate" as Bush.
  
  
• Since Kerry wants to keep bringing up his past, Joe Carter considers if Kerry threw his medals ribbons while still a military officer.
  
  
• Cam Edwards posts about a doctor who treated a would that got Kerry a Purple Heart. The doctor also notes that Kerry had high aspirations back in his swift boat.
  
  
• Jane Galt questions Kerry's political smarts for bringing up Bush's National Guard past. Doing so has shown light on his own Vietnam-era skeletons.
  
  
• A Kerry spokeman said the Senator "is not the kind of guy that people see through the TV and feel compelled to go out and vote for." It's also safe to say he isn't such a rah-rah guy in person either.
  
  
• Bill Hobbs think Kerry should have toughen it out after his bike accident.
  
  
• Michele found a John Kerry-Ted Rall connection.
  
  
• Is President Clinton's book release in June a plot to help his wife and hurt Kerry? [via PoliBlog]
  
  
• Frank J offers Kerry some advice. First suggestion: "Get Rid of the French-Lookingness."
  
  
• Steve at The LLama Butchers let's us know is deja vu all over again.
  
  
• Researchers think they can use stem cells to grow teeth as bright and shiny as John Kerry's.
  
  
• Kerry's love of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches stems from his tour of duty in Vietnam. No, I'm not making this up.
  

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for the Sen. Zoop's "voice."]

Kerry: Dog Protector

Even a liberal Democrat like John Kerry knows the limits of the federal government:

Kerry effortlessly fielded questions ranging from "How do you stop planes from flying into tall buildings?" to "How can you make sure we learn our ABCs?"

But he was stumped when one boy asked: "Can you make sure dogs don't get run over by cars?"

"That's a hard thing for a president, but I'll try," Kerry promised.

"Kerry Hits Bush for Shortchanging Education Policy"

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Veterans Oppose Kerry

As of mid-afternoon, the Reuters page on Yahoo has made no mention of today's press conference of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth. (A "527." Take that Sens. McCain and Feingold.) The same can be said for Reuters' politics page. But the day is long. At least Fox News has reported on it, and both Insight and CNSNews.com have stories.

As for the veterans' claims, they feel a bit bitter and like sour grapes. But I might be bitter too if a man I served with in battle went home only to protest the war I was fighting and claimed I was committing horrible war crimes.

The problem we find with Kerry is he's only backed down from the style of his anti-war statements not the substance.

James Joyner calls this "not a startling revelation" and links to a John O'Neill WSJ op-ed.

"Vietnam Vets Slam Kerry"

"Kerry Was a 'Loose Cannon' While in Vietnam, Says Ex-Commander"

Too Busy to Be a Good Historian

One may argue that Douglas Brinkley's neglected lines of inquiry in his biography of John Kerry, Tour of Duty, are because Brinkley is a partisan hack. He has publically stated, "I think Kerry will make a good president." However, I think some of the problems with the book have to do with Brinkley's numerous projects. In the last year, he's put out Wheels of the World, Tour of Duty, and edited The New York Times Living History: World War II : The Allied Counteroffensive, 1942-1945, edited The Penguin Encyclopedia of American History. While working on books, he runs the Eisenhower Center for American Studies. He's also a professor of history at the Univesity of New Orleans, so presumably he teaches. Plus, he's an editor for an American history magazine. The man has a lot of on his plate. Probably too much judging from the lack of some important research in Tour. Let's call it Stephen Ambrose syndrome after the late popular history who's non-book projects and speaking committments led to plagerism charges.

"Historian's 'Duty': PR for Kerry?"

Flower Power

Allah has a Kerry daisy sighting. Forget the medals/ribbons business, I want to know the dirt on that nick-knack.

Sharpton Comes Alive

One way to counter the charge that only white people are running Kerry's campaign would be to hire some minorities. Kerry's way will make for a more interesting Democratic convention:

In what may be a surprising move to some political circles, Democratic Presidential Candidate Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts) has issued an invitation to former Democratic Primary rival Rev. Al Sharpton to address this summer's Democratic National Convention in Boston.

At least one night won't be boring.

"The Sound You Hear"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #9

This is a time for giving. My favorite tax-and-spend liberal Senator is certainly giving out vibes that he's losing it. His Good Morning America appearance and post-interview whine show a candidate without confidence. Still, events can and will occur that will lift up his spirits and poll numbers. This will be a close race all the way until Election Day.

This past week, I've discovered a gut-churning fact from the Green Bay Press-Gazette:

If the Redskins lose or tie the game before the presidential election, the party in the White House gets ousted. A Redskins win is a win for the incumbent party, too. At least, that’s how it has played out in the past 18 presidential elections.

My Packers play the Redskins two days before Election Day. Who do I root for? Who does Oliver Willis root for? We may have to swap teams (but not candidates) for a week.

Now, on to the posts:

• Since you can't get much higher than the Divine, Allah leads with Kerry's attempt at snagging the youth vote.
  
• Blaster quotes Kerry as saying, "No matter who wins the presidential election, the terrorists will lose." Good words, but we're just not sure how he'll do it. I don't think he is either.
  
• Kerry is making a push to the center. Kevin isn't buying it.
  
• A past anti-coal vote may cost Kerry West Virginia. In a close race, every electoral vote counts.
  
• Kerry may have trouble in Michigan with his "Union worker crippling 36MPG" agenda.
  
• Captain Ed has put together a picture of Kerry as a political relativist. Kerry ranks a stable Iraq above a free Iraq.
  
• JustOneMinute is holding the NY Times and the Kerry campaign to task over John Kerry's year's of military service and demonstrates that he was an anti-war protester while a Naval Reserve officer.
  
• Orrin Judd points out how important Teresa Heinz Kerry is to financing her husband's campaigns.
  
• Cracker Barrel Philosopher adds to this with Kerry's astonishing claim that he doesn't own an SUV. It's his family's.
  
• Wonkette explains it by declaring Kerry a "Zen master."
  
• Democrats are known as the party of the non-white. Those running Kerry's campaign buck that sterotype. He better watch out for a Jesse Jackson shakedown.
  
• Steven Taylor puts it succinctly: "This isn't shaping up as a particularly well-run campaign."
  
• Hindrocket at Power Line notices Kerry's color-coordination. Could he become the first metrosexual President?
  
• 30 years ago, Kerry was "opposed to abortion." My, how has he changed.
  
• John Kerry: savvy wealth preserver or greedy tax dodger?
  
• Steve Verdon explains Kerry's waffling and flip-flopping: "there is no real John Kerry."
  
• From the Kerry weblog, it seems Women for Kerry are very, very young.
  
• Finally, pick a Kerry ketchup t-shirt, any t-shirt. Now, where are the matching thongs? [I had nothing to do with this.]

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[Thanks go to the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center for Sen. Zoop's "voice."]

Either/Or

Here's a message from Iraq.

[via Venomous Kate]

Missing the Point

The hoopla over a minor story like whether John Kerry threw medals or ribbons over a fence in 1971 misses a bigger point. Wasn't his action thoroughly despicable? Doing what he did is on par with burning an American flag, legal but reprehensible. The day before, Kerry had his chance to petition his government by speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He told of rapes, torture, and other war crimes. But being the center of American news wasn't enough for Kerry. He had to shock the public. By throwing medals and ribbons he thumbed his nose to the government he admirably defended. He also thumbed his nose to those people (including fellow veterans) who supported the government and felt Vietnam was a noble and necessary cause.

After Bill Clinton's two terms we know character is an important aspect for whoever wants the Presidency. Hyper-defensiveness on comments from 20 and 30 years ago is understandable. I might not be able to defend stuff I've written two years ago. The more important question surrounding Kerry and his Vietnam War protests is does he still support his statements and actions? If he could step into the way-back machine what would Kerry change? From what he told CNN, he wouldn't change a thing:

I'm not going to back down one inch on what I've fought for and what I've stood for all of these years.

Here we get to the crux. Kerry didn't support the war then, and doesn't regret anything he did to protest it. No regrets for calling soldiers war criminals. He doesn't regret calling the U.S. "paranoid" about "so-called communist monolith." If he wasn't serious about the threat of expansionistic communism then, how can we trust him to combat the relentless death cult of Islamism? After all, in January, Kerry said fighting terrorism was "primarily an intelligence and law enforcement operation."

UPDATE: Steven Taylor [via OTB] writes of Kerry's muddling of the medals issue: "The issue is that a candidate who is already perceived by many as a waffler, now appear incapable of setting forth a simple, clear statement on an event that ought to be quite easy to describe." Steven then goes on to write, "In short: if Kerry can't get this right, is it any wonder we are all unclear on his Iraq policy?"

It's more than muddled thinking and bad communication. With Kerry it's just coming to poor conclusions. For example, Kerry wants a greater role for the U.N. in Iraq. That won't happen until the country is better stabilized. Plus, with the stench coming from that institution because of its awful handling of the Oil-for-Food progam no reasonable person would trust it to build a free Iraq.

Looking Good II

Peggy Noonan adds to Fineman on why Bush still leads Kerry:

I think Mr. Bush is admired and liked after three years of war, terror, strife and recession because people have eyes.

They look at him, listen to him, and watch him every day. They can tell that George W. Bush is looking out for America. They can tell he means it. They can see his sincerity. They can tell he is doing his best. They understand his thinking because he tells them his thinking. They think he may be right. They're not sure, but at least they understand his thinking.

Then on Kerry, Noonan writes:

So far he doesn't seem like a possible president. He seems somewhat shifty, somewhat cold, an operator. He has a good voice but he seems to use it most to slither out of this former statement or that erstwhile position. It's OK that he looks like a sad tree, but you can't look like a sad, hollow tree. And it looks a little hollow in there. As if Iraq is an issue Kerry feels he has to handle deftly, and not a brutal question we have to solve, together. As if homeland security is an issue, or civil defense, or preparedness. They're not issues. They're life and death. Mr. Kerry doesn't seem to know.

"People Have Eyes"

Looking Good

Howard Fineman comments on the Presidential horserace. Even with the strong resistence in Iraq and questions about President Bush's approaches to terrorism prevention and the war "the fact is that Kerry has lost ground — ground he has to make up if he hopes to win in November." Fineman then lists some reasons Bush is doing all right despite the current problems.

It'd be hard for anyone to win the Presidency when their claim to fame is being a long-time Senator. The last man to go straight from the Senate to the White House was John F. Kennedy, and he narrowly beat Richard Nixon in 1960. The problem running as a Senator is they're not perceived as leading. Instead, they're part of the messy, convoluted process of making law. It's not that voters don't appreciate Kerry's efforts in his years as Senator. It's just that many don't see the skills developed there as that applicable to a President. A Senator can't will a bill into law. That person has to guide it through committees, past special interests, and around that body's intricate rules. That's far different than an person in an executive branch ordering the police to investigate an incident or dispatching the national guard. Dealing with so many people with their own agendas and interests, a Senator seems more qualified to be ambassador to the U.N. or Secretary of State than commander-in-chief.

"Why the Race is Looking so Good for Bush" [via Milt's File]

Lots to Do (Literally!)

He should just quit the campaign now. I'm sure he's a few thousand behind "The Stilt."

Insert lots of jokes in the comments.

One Good Ketchup Company

Stop picking on Heinz, Co. They make the best ketchup and neither Sen. Kerry or his wife run the company. Blast Kerry for his hypocritical "Benedict Arnolds" remarks, but don't complain to the company. They're one of the good guys by donating only to President Bush.

"Heinz Co. Is Campaign Weapon for Bush" [via Drudge]

Finally Inspired

All it took was Kerry talking to some kids. Make your own and send me an e-mail. A good one might make a Kerry's House of Ketchup.

[Added to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.]

Kerry's House of Ketchup #8

Hey boys and girls, it's time for another adventure onto the campaign trail of a man who may or may not have committed war crimes in Vietnam. It's time for Kerry's House of Ketchup. And now we have the "voice" of the Senator himself gracing this fine periodical. There's more clever "ads" at the John F. Kerry Media Relations Center.

• Stephen Green is confused about Kerry's Meet the Press interview.
• The ketchup man made the cover of a French magazine. They love him over there. Maybe he should run for president there?
• Kerry wants to turn a lot of authority for reconstructing Iraq's polity over to the U.N. Kofi Annan has declined. As Glenn Reynolds points out, the U.N. can't even get their act together in "that multilateral non-paradise, Kosovo." That puts a wrench in the works.
• ScrappleFace reports on another Osama bin Laden tape offering a conditional truce. He also reports on Kerry mixing up his twin religions of Catholicism and modern liberalism.
• Kerry-bashing webloggers have commenced a "waffle" Google-bombing campaign (shock and awe blogosphere-style). Things could get ugly if Kerry were elected. News of the prank has even made the USA Today.
• Another anti-Kerry prank was twisting a Kerry campaign website's webpage creation tool into something almost post-modern. If you don't like that, make your own Kerry sign. Jeff Goldstein did.
• From the "I Can't Make this Up" File is John Kerry talking to some children.
• Changing to a more serious tone, four months before the Sept. 11 attacks, Senator Kerry received information that a terrorist attack could be launched Boston's Logan Airport due to poor security. Kerry's belated response was less than stellar.
• It seems the American public doesn't know much about John Kerry. (Did you know he fought in Vietnam?) That might be his explanation of why he's tied (or nearly tied) with President Bush in the polls. Maybe the real explanation is the more they find out about him, the more they don't like him. His new short-term strategy is introducing himself to the voters. Putting out a Deaniac-style ad declaring that Halliburton invaded Iraq won't help. For more there's Stephen Green.
• Is John Kerry afraid of black people?
• Pejman Yousefzadeh smacks Kerry on the definition of patriotism. The Iraq War Reader, not sympathetic to President Bush, thinks Kerry needs to lay out a positive agenda on what he would do to fix the Iraq situation.

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Outrageous Ad

John Kerry has dove head first into the Howard Dean pool of wackiness. Power Line got wind of an ad on Salon claiming Haliburton invaded Iraq. Where's FactCheck.org when you need them?

"Learning from Teddy" [via OTB]

Wizbang Strikes

You know this will make the next House of Ketchup.

Kevin, if you really wanted a link, all you had to do was ask. You wife must just love you. She just has another kid and you're busy geeking out with anti-Kerry tech.

Who Knew?

Is it a coincidence that MoveOn.org ran an anti-Bush ad contest that included some Bush-as-Hitler ads and one of the MoveOn.org guys hooked up with the Kerry campaign? Based on this web page, it might not be.

Relax, I know it's a joke. Kerry is too lathargic and uninspiring to ever be a megalomaniacal would-be world conqueror.

Kerry's House of Ketchup #7

It's awkward engaging in a bit of partisan frivolity while our boys and girls are risking their lives to bring peace, stability, and liberty to Iraq. Our troops aren't just fighting for Iraqi freedom, they protecting us as well. A stable, free Iraq will reduce the threats against the U.S. In a roundabout way, our soldiers are fighting to make sure we continue to have the ability to choose our leaders. Pray for them in this time of struggle. Now, on to the entries.

• For a moment, Sen. Kerry was sympathetic towards Iraqi radical al-Sadr.
• Heinz Co. is tired of being picked on even though John Kerry and Teresa Heinz Kerry have nothing to do with the operations of the condiment giant.
• In a Pennsylvania poll, Kerry's numbers have dropped like a rock (or keystone?).
• Rosemary found Kerry is promising to think about breaking his campaign promises. It's all that "nuance."
• Robert Prather looks at the same story and thinks Kerry is doing the politically smart thing by promoting spending caps.
• More "nuance." This time on steel tariffs. For Kerry, campaigning is like playing with a daisy while saying, "I'm for it; I'm for it not."
• Steve Verdon notes that Kerry is not nuanced enough when it comes to high gasoline prices. (Steve gets bonus points for his "Somebody should tell Kerry not to snort so much ketchup" line.)
• To prove I'm an equal opportunity linker, here's Ed Cone on why Kerry needs a serious Iraq and terrorism plan.
• Mark Kleiman dreams about a speech he wishes Kerry would give.
• A French-born medical anthropologist thinks Kerry will lose because he's too French. Clotaire Rapaille recommends the Massachusetts Senator "Go to K-Mart, buy jeans and cowboy boots... Dress like you are going into a bar in Kansas to drink from the bottle." Sen. Kerry, please take his advice. Please.
• Kerry might be as bad as Bob Graham when it comes to numbers.
• Prof. Bainbridge discovered Kerry's plan for more fireman is a boondoggle.
• James Lileks gets his first HoK link for his response to Kerry's MTV appearance. [via Ranck and File]
• Eric the Viking Pundit gives notice that a weasley MoveOn.org guy has joined Kerry's campaign.
• Jim the Unix Dude gives us a tour of John Kerry's homes.
• Kerry is making sense on Iraq. Oops wrong Kerrey.

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Kerry's House of Ketchup #6

I can taste the tomato concentrate made from red ripe tomatoes, the distilled vinegar, the high fructose corn syrup, the (ordinary, I guess) corn syrup, the salt, spice, onion powder, and natural flavoring (Aren't salt et. al. "natural?"). Oh, to have a hamburger or hot dog right now. Ketchup is more than just a yummy topping to meat products a french fries. It's also a "natural source of the antioxidant lycopene." But enough with the good things about ketchup. The only reason I care is because Sen. John Kerry wouldn't have the Boston house he put in hock to fund his then-slumping campaign if it wasn't for his wife, Theresa Heinz-Kerry. And Mrs. Heinz-Kerry would have her fortune without ketchup. With that it's time for the latest edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup.

• Kerry as M*A*S*H's Frank Burns? Ed Driscoll thinks so.
• Steve Verdon can't make Kerry's budget numbers add up. FactCheck.org backs him up.
• Tyler at Pardon My English reports on Kerry's union thugs attacking Bush supporters in Boston.
• Since Steven Taylor has a Ph.D. in political science, I'm surprised he just discovered the superpowers a person gets when they become President.
• Hindrocket started the Kerry flower power yapping with this post.
• Another investigative report from Protein Wisdom found the top 10 things found in Kerry's pocket (#9 is my fave).
• Mickey Kaus got tipped that ex-girlfriend, Morgan Fairchild might have some ill will toward the Senator. Is Kerry one of those cads who always leaves the seat up? [via PunditFilter]
• Kerry's recent gas price photo op screwed up traffic. Then the "Average Joe" had the "gall" to say he was "very positive about the economy."
• Jay offers his artistic "skill" to Kerry.
• "John Kerry: Post Turtle"

Join in the fun by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

Quote of the Day

H.J. Heinz Co. wants to squash the idea that ketchup sales with help or hurt Sen. John Kerry. A company spokesman had this laugh-out-loud comment:

It's just crazy. We haven't been involved in politics since Morris the Cat ran for president in 1988.

"Heinz Seeks to Disavow Kerry Connection" [via Drudge]

If You Don't Know Then Shut Up

Sen. John Kerry blasted the White House for character assassination on Richard Clarke. You'd think that such a bold remark would come from some serious thinking. You'd think Kerry looked at Clarke's inconsistent statements. If you thought that, you'd be wrong. Here's what the AP's Nedra Pickler (That has to be a made up name) wrote near the end of the story:

Kerry, who spent much of the past week on vacation in Idaho, said he had not heard or read any of the testimony before the commission.

He nevertheless criticized the administration for having "stonewalled" the investigation.

"Kerry Slams White House Attack on Clarke"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #5

March Madness not only hit the basketball court but also Sen. Kerry's tomato-filled campaign. He took a break from campaigning and "meeting" with his foreign backers to ski. It was weird enough seeing a 60-year old man snowboarding, (but not weirder than an 80-year old man skydiving) but then we find out he called one of his Secret Service agents an "expletive" (to use the NY Times' word) for knocking him over on the slopes. Now, on to the posts.

• Eric the Viking Pundit points out that Kerry is a bad Catholic.
• Bill Hobbs found out Kerry has a math problem--common ailment for most politicians. If Sen. Bob Graham gets the VP nod, then we could have the most inumerate ticket in American political history.
• For our enlightenment and to reaffirm our belief in the existence of a liberal media Ricky at North Georgia Dogma linked to this testimony of a Kerry coaching session.
• Dick Morris, like him or not, is willing to make bold predictions. James Joyner comments on his claim that we'll see a blowout in November.
• Using Spain as an example, Pietro illustrates why Kerry's "justice and intelligence" approach to terrorism won't make America safer.
• Sing along with Charles Austin to a lovely rendition of "JohnKerryVille." [via Michele]
• Michele then earns herself a link with this rip on Kerry's public statement priorities.
• Jeff Goldstein, Mr. Protein Wisdom, gets my pity link. I forgot to get his series "Candid Kerry" into KHoK #4. Read them all. Sorry, Jeff. Hope I made it up to you.
• Robert Bidinotto gives us plenty of Kerry nuggets to help us better know the Massachusetts Senator. [via Vodka Pundit]
• Betsy noticed that Kerry may be squeezing as much as he can out of his Vietnam veteran past, but during the Senate hearing that first made him famous, he called American soldiers murderers. As an added bonus, Kerry might have broken the law during the peace talks.

Join in by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

Open for Submissions

Tomorrow, the next edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup will be unleashed upon the world. Send me your submissions. If I like them I'll link them. If I don't like them, try again next time. Jeff at Protein Wisdom, I won't forget you this time.

Some GOP Humor

The RNC offered this limerick on St. Patrick's Day:

There once was a man from Nantucket,
Whose misstatements could fill up a bucket.
Oft the truth he has bent,
Like his "Irish descent."
Of his record he says, "I'll just duck it."

"A Wee Bit of Mischief From the RNC…"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #4

Consider this latest edition the pre-NCAA basketball tournament edition. It's also for me this is the pre-Cactus League edition since I'll be headed down to Phoenix tomorrow to watch lots of baseball during the day (Go Brewers!) and lots of basketball at night (Go Badgers!).

• Bill Hobbs doesn't play on my sports theme, but he has determined that Kerry wants to be like the Baltimore Ravens when they won the Super Bowl: all defense, no offense. [via Power Line]
• The California Yankee comments on a new Bush ad blasting Kerry for voting against funding Iraq War efforts last year. Also read the post where Colin Powell wants Kerry to "put up or shut up."
• Follow that up with Glenn Reynolds' post on Powell taking Kerry to task over Libya.
• Power Line is on top of the GOP's successful use of Kerry's "visits" with foreign officials. Maybe Kerry was just doing some visualization technique sports psychologists recommend?
• Like Ted Williams' swing, Kerry's politics are very "nuanced." John Cole has some gaffes examples.
• With the way Kerry is so aggressive towards Bush and the Republicans you'd think he was part of the New England Patriots. However, Steven Taylor links to a Bill Safire column calling him "phony tough."
• Like a good crossover move Kerry has been caught moving side-to-side on Cuba.
• It's not SportsCenter material, but Michele enjoys one of Bush's latest ads.
• Ed Moltzen fisks Kerry on his homeland security plans. [via Michele]
• Viking Pundit has a swell Kerry Quote of the Day.

Join in by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

UPDATE: I changed the date of this post because it was posted today. I was working on it yesterday when my web hosting company had a system outage. This post is also linked to OTB's Beltway Traffic Jam.

Submit to Ketchup

In the next day or two I will be posting another edition of [begin big, booming music] Kerry's House of Ketchup [end big, booming music]. This time, in addition to scouring my blogroll looking for good stuff, I'm opening it up to submissions. Send me your best Kerry-critical post from the past week. Let me state this up front: Kerry's House of Ketchup isn't a linkfest free-for-all like the Carnival of the Vanities and all its offspring. Like the NCAA basketball selection committee, I make the final decisions. Send links to ketchup@theamericanmind.com or leave a URL in the comments.

On Kerry's F-Bombs

A virus is a strange explanation for the f-word being found on Sen. John Kerry's website.

A spokesman for Kerry said he believed the Web site was struck by "a virus'' yesterday. He then promised to get back to us with a better story, but never did.

Maybe some yet-undiscovered virus struck both Rolling Stone and Men's Journal just at times when Kerry articles were being written.

Kerry's spokeman either has no idea what pages on the website Drudge wrote about or is an imbecile.

"Kerry’s Web Site Keeps FCC on the Run"

Kerry's House of Ketchup #3

Welcome to another edition. We have almost eight months of campaigning to put up with but already the gloves are off. President Bush let loose his first barrage of ads, and Sen. Kerry's Democratic allies went balistic. They complained Bush was "exploiting" Sep. 11, but these are the same types that had no problems using a racial murder in Texas to tar Bush [via The Chicago Report].

The big news today (to me) was the big meeting between Kerry and Dean, M.D. Dr. Duck's statement after the meeting was as boring as a political statement could be. What most struck me was Duck, M.D. not backing away from his bombastic campaign rhetoric. At one point Dean, M.D. said, "I think Senator Kerry is clearly not the person to carry the banner of the Democratic Party because he has acted so much like a Republican". No recanting today. Going from zero to hero back to zero took so much energy out of the doctor. Oh, and by the way, Kerry called Republicans "crooked." Will Collier has a great response.

Now, onto the blogosphere:

• James Joyner on a Kerry/McCain ticket. [via Professor Bainbridge]
• Pamibe worries that a Kerry White House would start coddling the autocratic Iranian mullahs.
• Cassandra "discovered" a photo of Kerry, possibly America's "Second Black President." Paula Diane Harris, founder of the Andrew Young National Center for Social Change begged to differ.
• Deacon at Power Line called Kerry the "silly candidate." Read it. There's substance there to back him up.
• Stephen Green finds something "fishy" about Kerry's Vietnam record.
• Michael Costello points out that Kerry has North Korea's support.
• Fritz has my favorite entry in Wizbang's recent Kerry Photoshop contest.

Join in by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.

Kerry's House of Ketchup #2

Welcome to the Super Tuesday edition of Kerry's House of Ketchup. For you last-minute undecided voters, Joshua Muravchik writes about "Kerry's Inner Dove." Mark Steyn is gathering a list of weapons systems Kerry's voted to cut. Then, National Journal reports Kerry is the most liberal member of the Senate.

For some more reading, here's material from the blogosphere:

• It's bad enough being the most liberal Senator, but Kerry has missed all 22 roll call votes in the Senate this year. More at Power Line.
• Howard Owens wonders if Kerry admitted to being a war criminal in 1971.
• Steve Verdon looks at Kerry's Medicare plan and finds little of substance. [He gets bonus points for making a ketchup referrence.]
• The New Criterion's fine weblog Armavirumque notes that Kerry isn't a "big fan" of Haiti's former thug-in-chief Jean-Bertrand Aristide.
• Viking Pundit found out Kerry can bash companies and accept their campaign contributions at the same time.

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Kerry's House of Ketchup #1

I can't resist gimmicks involving mediocre photoshop skills. Kerry's House of Ketchup will be a periodic gathering of interesting John Kerry posts throughout the blogosphere. I hope I don't put the hex on the Kerry campaign like I might have done to Howard Dean, M.D.'s. Sen. John Edwards is a tougher opponent for President Bush.

On to the posts:

• Matthew Yglesias thinks tit-for-tat is all right when critics question Kerry's foreign policy views. [via Balloon Juice]
  
• Steve Verdon pan's Kerry on outsourcing.
  
• Viking Pundit wonder if voters will buy Kerry's back-seat driving.
  
• Want to know what Kerry said to the Congress in his war-protesting days? Bill Hobbs has a link for you.
  
• Rosemary posts what Garry Trudeau thought of Kerry in those war-protesting days.
  
• Tim Blair gets the Quote of the Day Award: "If consistency is the hobgoblin of small minds, John F. Kerry’s mind must be freaking enormous." [via OTB]
  
• Hindrocket takes second place: "First, John Kerry is a simply awful candidate. His record is both long and bad, and worse, he has all the personal magnetism of a root canal."
  

Join in by linking to the House of Ketchup. If you have an MT-powered weblog, just trackback to this post, and it will appear below. If your weblog software is incapable of trackbacks use Kevin's Trackback Form.