Joe Wilson endorses John Kerry

[JI7]

no surprise

"CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - Former Ambassador Joseph Wilson, who accused the Bush administration of manipulating intelligence to exaggerate the threat from Iraq, endorsed Democrat John Kerry for president on Thursday.

In a conference call with New Hampshire reporters, Wilson said he and Kerry, the Massachusetts senator, have shared the experience of challenging their government - Wilson when he questioned the ``rush to war'' with Iraq, Kerry when he challenged America's role in Vietnam.

Speaking from Washington, Wilson said Kerry's actions, coming when he was but 23-year-old Vietnam War veteran, makes him stand out in the Democratic presidential field.

``John Kerry did the same thing after he came out of Vietnam, I did it at the age of 53 ... with a long and distinguished career behind me,'' Wilson said. ``John Kerry did it at the very beginning of his career.

``I know how these sorts of things test one's mettle,'' he said. ``To have stood up and said what he did, at the time that he did, in my judgment, sets him apart from the other candidates.'' "

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uslatest/story/0,1282,-3300747,00.html

[Wetzelbill]

1. Wow! Now that is an endorsement!

[annxburns]

2. Good for Kerry ....

that is a good pickup. I'm sure Wilson can provide plenty of ammo. Go John.

[HFishbine]

3. Indeed

A meaningful endoresement to be sure.

[blm]

4. I, too, think that was a show of character, but...

I think his work to investigate and expose the government's role in BCCI, IranContra and CIA drugrunning was by far the most courageous and significant action he took for the American people. That was bucking the GOP and Dem powerbrokers, CIA, FBI and the media who helped their masters.

Standing up to conventional wisdom and advocating for gays to serve openly in the military as far back as the mid80s is no wuss move, either. I think that allowed for further advocacy for gays to occur.

[NewJeffCT]

6. but...

Him standing up for gays openly in the military in the 80s may also come back to haunt him in the general election in regards to the "average" American.

[blm]

9. His testimony in front of Congress in 93 was pretty strong.

So, he's already on record. He handles it very well, so it doesn't concern me. Especially when the military is in a position of NEEDING anyone willing to serve. That will be the reality they'll be faced with after this military action in Iraq.

[Stephanie]

10. Not likely

The average American supports gay rights. The average American is fair-minded. Only RW extremists would view this as a polarizing issue, and none of them would vote for Kerry anyway.

[HootieMcBoob]

27. there have always been gays in the military

there always will be gays in the military. I'm sure there are plenty of gays over in Iraq right now. Do you think they should be sent home?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

5. All these endorsements fly in the face of the rising Dean tide

and I say more power to 'em- because cooler heads must harness the powerful emotions out there in the right direction.
You go John!

[WilliamPitt]

7. I raised this issue a few weeks ago

The power of the Dean brigades is incredible and impressive...but if he doesn't pick up the endorsements, he will be in trouble. Kerry, very quietly, grabbed the endorsement of a 500,000 strong firefighters union, a bunch of officials in NH, and now Wilson. This is incredibly important.

[blm]

12. While you were gone, Will...

The BBC reported on Wilson's backing and also mentioned that many in the intel community were lining up behind Kerry. I thought then there is way more going on from the inside and that the intel community has every intent of bringing down the Bush administration in their own political coup.

I think they chose Kerry because he knows how to build a case and sees the connections from BCCI, IranContra and the funding of terrorism to 9-11 and Iraq. They know HE knows and he knows THEY know.

[Wetzelbill]

17. the Rand Beers defection was big too, that speaks volumes, IMO

[HFishbine]

21. You mean like this?

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20031023/ap_on_el_pr/labor_dean_3

[phillybri]

8. Awesome pickup....

Well done, John....Good choice, Joe....

[Jackpine Radical]

11. Geez--does it bother anyone else, even slightly, that

all these spook-types head straight for Kerry?

I mean, after all, the CIA brought us the Shah of Iran, the bogus Missile Gap, Operation Northwoods, maybe the Kennedy assassination, Saddam, the overthrow of Sihanouk in Cambodia, illegal operations all over South America, the overthrow of Allende...

The enemy of my enemy is (at best) my temporary ally when it comes to the CIA. Remember who they named their building after.

Maybe some of the old-line global control freaks have decide that the Bushies are out of control and have to go, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm gonna like who they replace them with.

[WilliamPitt]

13. Oh for God's sake

Wilson was an ambassador, and a damned good one, not a spook-type. Are we inventing stuff to be worried about now? I think it is safe to say that you won't be happy with Bush's replacement, no matter who it is, because your requirements for happiness are beyond the possible right now, sadly.

Might be because the spook-types don't like being used and then scapegoated. And because they've been working with Kerry for years during his tenure on the Foreign Relations committee and the Intelligence committee. Hm?

[NewYorkerfromMass]

14. Not when I see

who heads straight for Dean.

[blm]

15. If you're going to fight the BFEE

why not go with the guy who fought them for almost 20 years? Kerry connected and exposed BCCI, IranContra, CIA drugrunning, and the govt. funding of terrorism. Why WOULDN'T those agents choose someone they can trust to fight who also understands the fight and can battle armed with encyclopedic knowledge?

[phillybri]

16. Here we go again...

:eyes:

[Wetzelbill]

20. It's good to look into these actions but....

don't outthink yourself. Kerry is a good man.

[sangh0]

25. The CIA didn't bring us those things

the Presidents and Parties that ordered the CIA to do those things are the one who Brought us those things.

[JI7]

38. yup

amazing how some can't see that the current case of wilson's wife and the bush administration is a perfect example of this. the bush administration is the one that is the bad guy, not the cia agent who is wilson's wife.

[sangh0]

39. It's partisan politics. Even the candidates do this

http://www.cnn.com/2003/ALLPOLITICS/10/14/elec04.prez.kerry.dean.ap/index.html

"I find that quite amusing that Senator Kerry, who's been on every side of this issue, would even have the nerve to say that, but I suppose if you have the nerve to cover your own vote and then try to pretend you didn't vote that way you'd have the nerve to do anything," the former Vermont governor said. "The fact is, we wouldn't be there if it weren't for Democrats like Senator Kerry."

According to some, the Iraqi invasion was the Democrats doing, not Bush*'s

[Bombtrack]

18. Kerry's endorsements are better than everyone else's combined

You've got Teddy, Dukakis, Garey Hart(who represent our prominent past, and some of the party's leading women(Fienstein, Shaheen, the NM lt.governor) and alot of it's future(people like Harrold Ford).

As well as RFK jr, Max Cleland, and many more.

Well he doesn't have Ashton Kutcher so there

I definetly want Kerry to win the NH primary, with Edwards getting a strong and close third, but it will be tuff

[chimpymustgo]

28. Agree, Bombtrack. LOL re Ashton Kucher! Great news for Kerry.

nt

[Octafish]

35. The Kennedys like Kerry.

Sen. Ted Kennedy endorsed Kerry a long time ago.

Robert Kennedy Jr. endorsed Kerry recently.

They're Liberal Democrats, by the way.

Why Kerry? It's because Kerry is a good man and a good Democrat.
And the Kennedys only support the best and the brightest.
Here's another Kennedy Kerry was acquainted with:



John Kerry, left, sails with President John F. Kennedy
aboard the 62-foot Coast Guard yawl Manitou
in Narragansett Bay on Aug. 26, 1962.

[CWebster]

19. Kerry is the establishment candidate

who has been privy to the inner workings of this military-covert branch for years.

What a surprise.

Dean has the people. Guess they don't count for much.

[blm]

22. No...but why assume that Kerry has no people?

Many of us have been longtime workers for charities, the homeless, and children's issues, and have been fighting the right for 10, 20, 30 years, yet many Dean supporters who are patting themselves on the back for being NEW to the fight dismiss manyof us who have been battling continually for years.

For perspective, Perot brought in millions of voters who ignored politics previously, too.

[sangh0]

23. Funny how the people trying to bring down the establishment

are establishment people themselves. I guess they're anti-establishment establishmentarians.

[WilliamPitt]

24. I think my brain just broke

[sangh0]

30. Then I look forward

to your continued participation in the candidate war threads! Don't worry, you're not handicapped. You just gained an edge!! :-)

[Tansy_Gold]

26. that's assuming there's only one monolithic establishment

maybe there are more????

Tansy Gold, just throwing some pebbles in the water

[NewYorkerfromMass]

29. Ha ha ha. The original word was:

antidisestablishmentarianism

[Jackpine Radical]

31. Well, ya got establishmentarians,

disestablishmentarians, and antidisestablishmentarians.

[ModerateMiddle]

36. Dean has a LOT of people

but he doesn't have ALL the people.

[T Bone]

32. It just gets more interesting all the time

:kick:

[blm]

41. And it means that Wilson isn't going away.

He intends a high profile because it's probably what is keeping his family alive.

[HPLeft]

33. A Patriot Endorses A Patriot

A beautiful symmetry.

John Kerry - the candidate for serious Democrats, and patriots of all political persuasions.

[Tatiana]

34. Smart choice.

Kerry's campaign has been disappointing, honestly. That still doesn't sway me from thinking that regardless of personality or "likeability," he is the man that SHOULD be President.

[ModerateMiddle]

37. Amen

He is the right man to be President at this time in our country's history.

[sangh0]

40. You got it!!

Kerry might not be the photogenic choice, but he's the one who would be the BEST choice.