KERRY'S CAMPAIGN JUST CALLED ME -- My Response

[matcom]

a young women just called me from the Kerry Campaign (i have volunteered for him in the past)

She: "Will you support John Kerry for his Presidential election?"
Me: "I would be happy to BUT I want some answers FIRST"
She: "What are your 'concerns'?"
Me: "I want to know where Kerry stands on the issue(s) of the war in Iraq and why he hasn't spoken out on his giving Bush carte-blanch to Pre-emptively striking the Iraqi people."
She: "Are you supporting Howard Dean"?
Me: "At THIS moment I am but that really has little to do with John Kerry"
She: "I have had A LOT of this same feedback and we are requesting that Kerry make a statement"
Me: "I WOULD vote for John should it come down to He and Bush, I am just a little dissapointed that he has not addressed the issue to date"
She: "I understand completely. May I keep you on our list"?
Me: "ABSOLUTELY"
She: "Thank uyou for your time."

[wryter2000]

1. Well done, Matcom

No need to give up on Kerry, but it's good to give him that feedback. I'm sure he'll listen. Let's hope the DLC starts listening, too.

[w13rd0]

2. All the campaigns would be wise...

...to get that same kind of back and forth feedback from their supporters. We've got an ideaologue in office presently that dictates his will.

[RevolutionStartsNow]

3. Interesting

was she from his national campaign or a local group?

[revcarol]

4. Good of you to press for a real answer.

What I have heard on this so far sounds suspiciously like weaseling.

[welshTerrier2]

5. Beautiful

i've given money to kerry in the past ...

i've received around 5 fundraising calls from kerry and gave pretty much the same pitch as you gave ...

i did not, however, receive the same response ... perhaps kerry is getting the message ... let's hope so ... or perhaps only his campaign workers are ...

i will never vote for any candidate who cannot understand that authorizing war for any reason except self-defense is just plain unacceptable ... if mr. kerry comes to his senses, and only if he does, i will consider supporting him ...

i'm not holding my breath ... he's made it arrogantly clear that he ain't changing his position on iraq ...

[revcarol]

6. He offended all the rich people today, I'm sure.

Entered an amendment that would have postponed 1% of the wealthy tax cut for several years, to pay for the troops and reconstruction in Iraq.(So nice to see that the money is more of an issue than going to war, or maybe he's trying to make amends?)

Of course, with the number of $2000 a plate fundraisers he's had so far, he's probably tapped them out already.

[Cha]

7. Bravo! Oh, that more of us could be called from someone from

"the Kerry campaign" and be allowed to ask those questions!

[jburton]

8. impressive

It's pretty good of the Kerry camp to do this. Some campaign phone operations just hang up once they find who you are for/against.

BTW, what state do you live in?

[Octafish]

9. Two questions.

1. What did Dean DO to stop the invasion? He has talked a lot about it. He's especially talked about Kerry being "Bush-lite" regarding the invasion.

2. What else could Kerry DO in the circumstances, other than vote to do what he thought was in the national security interest of the United States? "Mushroom cloud over one of our cities..." is how somebody connected to Cheney put it.

PS: I got issues with Kerry, too. They have zero to do with his politics, some of which, including the Iraq war (which, to me, resembled the Anschluss), I disagree with. They concern Kerry's inability to "connect" with the majority of voters. It should be there, but, evidently, it's not.

[gristy]

11. I think matcom's point is that Kerry should more clearly address

his error in voting for the resolution. He should state that he should have demanded PROOF of the danger of Saddam and his WMDs. That he should not have been so gullible. That he made a terrible error in not doing these things before making up his mind to vote for the resolution.

[Octafish]

12. Understood, gristy. The thing is Kerry is a Senator.

Please know, DU Friend gristy, I am not being melodramatic in saying that Kerry had to put the interests of the country ahead of his own. His obligation, first and foremost, is to upholding the Constitution of the United States.

Many on DU knew it was a mistake. Looking back, most everyone can see it was a mistake.

Kerry, though, has to do what he sees is best, at the time. He, and the rest of Senate, had been getting the word that Saddam was ready, willing, and able to go nuke. Not just from the Little Turd from Crawford, either. Clinton and Deutch were saying much the same thing since the embassy bombings in 1998. After the events of 9-11, Kerry said our nation could not afford to err on the wrong side again.

Now, should Kerry now apologize, his political opponents in both parties would tear him up and down from now until next November. It's nearly a lose-lose situation for him.*



* "There's always a way, sir." — Jeeves.

[ShaneGR]

10. That's a very good campaign worker

She kept her cool and it looks like she listened to your concerns.

Very good.