Kerry Nails An Interview On NPR

[DrFunkenstein]

Kerry: I'm exactly on the schedule that I want to be on. I think Americans are really interested in the country. People are out of work. We've lost 3.1 million jobs. People are hurting. People don't have health care. People know their kids aren't getting the best education. People are worried about terror. They know that homeland security is not what it ought to be.

And everywhere I'm going, people are coming out to listen and hear about the future. And they're not looking for just a frivolous, happy-go-lucky pass-off on this. They're looking for serious solutions to real problems facing our nation. This is a serious time. And I think while happy-go-lucky or whatever may have passed before, people are going to look for real leadership this time.

And I'm just going to run as the person I am, a person who for 35 years has fought hard to make our country stronger and better, who stood up for principles, fought for my nation and is fighting now to make our country stronger and safer.

And I think there are better choices on almost every issue facing the country, on health care, on children, on education, on the environment, on transportation, on long-term care, on Medicare, on prescription drugs, on our relationship in the world... You name the issue, there is a better choice than the Bush administration is offering us today.

<[>]

MONTAGNE: Sen. Kerry, if you are nominated what is going to keep the Republicans from painting you as another liberal from Massachusetts?

KERRY: My record. If providing health care to all Americans instead of giving the wealthiest Americans another tax break, if making sure kids have after-school programs, if being protective of the environment and not going backwards on air quality and water quality like President Bush, if being responsible about the budget is all called liberal, let them call me what they want, because labels don't work.

What American want is the truth. They want someone who's fighting to take this country in the right direction. And they want somebody above all who has the experience and the leadership skill to make America safer and stronger and more secure in the world.

Listen to the full interview to give it real justice.

http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/democrats2004/kerry.html

Transcript:

http://www.npr.org/programs/specials/democrats2004/transcripts/kerry_trans.html

[XanaDUer]

1. Thanks for the great article, Dr F!

Really appreciated!

[George_Bonanza]

2. Keep the positivity coming

[ProfessorPlum]

3. I'm rooting for Kerry to bring it to Bush, Doc

and much of what he says in this interview is right on (I especially liked what he had to say about worker/CEO salaries), but man, he sounds like he's asleep. Wake up, John! He did show some more signs of life there at the end - he needs more of that. But he has that same kind of somnolence in his speech that I've learned to be wary of - I heard it when Gore talked, and Dukakis, and Lieberman, and Mondale (though not in Mondale's last campaign so much).

Also difficult to hear him talk about the Patriot Act. Did he at least vote against Ashcroft's nomination?

You know what else is going to piss me off forever? Even Renee Montagne said "He voted for the war in Iraq". Is that a legitimate phrase for what he did or isn't it? The nuances around that vote, and the shorthand for it, are such a minefield. If reporters keep saying that "Kerry voted for the war", how will Kerry be able to turn it around and make it "Bush's War"(TM) as it ought to be?

Otherwise, great interview.

[library_max]

4. Think ahead to the general election.

How could Bush possibly gain any advantage by pointing out that Kerry voted for the war? Kerry can point to Bush's disastrous mishandling of the aftermath, freezing out the UN, etc. Bush can't paint decorated veteran Kerry as soft on defense. It defuses the whole issue.

Remember, the general election won't just be held among Democrats. There are a lot of people who still support the war, or aren't ready to admit that they were wrong about it. The economy, civil liberties, other domestic issues, and general competence are issues with more widespread resonance among voters in general than the war, and they all favor any Bush opponent.

Hanging the war around Bush's neck and harping on nothing but that won't necessarily win it for us. It might lose it for us.

[ProfessorPlum]

5. hanging the war around Bush's neck

is only one part of this nutritious breakfast. But you make some good points.

I think Kerry and Dean both choose politically viable responses to Bush's war, and each are playing them out. What a disaster for this country it is, though.

[tpub]

6. another great pic of JK--n/t

[blm]

7. Great answers, JK.

Smooth as satin. Sincere with a lifetime record to back up every word.

[ProfessorPlum]

10. You know what's sad, blm?

That I can't take any joy from your being happy for your candidate. I look around this thread at the other posters and it is a pleasure to see people backing a Democrat and a progressive and I know they are people of goodwill who want the best for this country. And it's because if this were a Dean thread, you would show up and drop one of your tired stinkbombs on it. Oh well.

[blm]

13. By using

Dean's own words and actions? Those are stinkbombs to you?

When are you and your gang going to stop targeting me on such a personal level?


This is a political board, and I do not smear Dean with any lie, any cracks about his personal life, his family, his physical characteristics. I post about his POLITICAL actions and his POLITICAL self.

[ProfessorPlum]

14. subjectively

.

[blm]

16. Isn't it all subjective whenever

anyone adds their two cents? Do I start threads with an entire essay built on a strawman argument? That's your standard of objective?

Why am I being singled out? I have played this fairly in the political realm for well over a year here and without resorting to smears. Why do you find that so objectionable?


Even when I take the occasional poke at a specific poster it is a banter established by a long back and forth. I would never harangue someone for the sake of haranguing them or try to make them feel they are unwelcome here and should leave. I don't even have anyone on ignore.

[helleborient]

19. You smear Dean with lies about corporate press support

You couldn't answer it yesterday with anything credible and I doubt you can now.

[blm]

20. Baloney....

my conclusion is valid, and I daresay that plenty of others who support Kucinich, Edwards, Graham and other candidates have come to the same conclusion or are deeply suspect.

[ProfessorPlum]

22. there is another equally valid way to look at the evidence

which doesn't require a tin foil helmet.

I just wish you didn't take such pleasure in dumping on other people supporting who they think is the best candidate. It kind of takes away my desire to wish you well in supporting yours, you know?

[blm]

23. Why assume there is any pleasure involved?

After what happened to Gore in 2000 I am very keenly aware of any dishonest tactics used against my Dem candidates. That's ALL.

If Dean hadn't attacked the others dishonestly to benefit himself back in January, then you wouldn't even notice me, because I'd be as quiet as possible except for the occasional word of support for his candidacy, just like I do with the other candidates.

Y'know...did you judge yourself as harshly over the threads YOU and others started against Kerry?

[ProfessorPlum]

24. Let's lay this to rest right now

I have never lied about Kerry - early on, I needed to get his war stance straightened out so that it made some sense to me, and so I needed to discuss it. And I got a lot of excellent help in that regard. I also got a load of crap from Nick about how really what Kerry had done was trap Bush into rushing to war and killing a bunch of innocent people, and how that was a great development for Kerry because it would allow him to spring some kind of legalistic trap on Bush.

I thought that if that strategy was really Kerry's, then it was stupid, reckless, and inhumane. And I didn't think that that was Kerry's strategy at all - it painted him in an incredibly unflattering light. And so I started that thread by saying "Let's suppose this is true" and then laid out Nick's argument. Everybody showed up and denounced it, as I was hoping they would. It reassured me that Kerry wasn't the kind of monster who would risk a trick like that on the dead bodies of innocents.

It was a straw man argument because I didn't think it was actually the case. I have nothing against Kerry except I worry about him being able to fire up the voters to get rid of Bush. If he shows he can do that nationally, then I'm all for it and happy he is in the race.

I will look to you to hold the other candidates to the high standards for truthfulness that you are holding Dean to, but I honestly don't expect it.

[ProfessorPlum]

25. Here's another thing about Dean "attacking" the other candidates

his complaint, and mine, for that matter, is that as a whole, the national Democratic leadership capitulates to the Bush administration way too often and on matters too important. I agree with that. I also share his frustration with the seeming impotence of the Democrats to win elections, retain control of any of the three branches of federal government, etc.

Several of the other candidates are members of the national leadership. Is it or isn't it fair for Dean to ask them why haven't they held Bush's feet to the fire? Because from my perspective, that question was like a wake up call - I'd been asking the same thing for years.

As far as the media are concerned, they don't have a dog in this fight. Any Democrat is going to be a McGovernik pinko in their eyes, so why use Dean. Why not use Lieberman, whose record for rolling over and playing dead for the kleptocrats is already well-established?

[blm]

26. His complaint was about the 4 candidates

and he called them Bushlite while lying about their records.

He attacked the party, too, but, he's one of the Democrats who LED the party to the center by his endorsement and USE of the compromise/centrist message for ELEVEN YEARS! Just because he suddenly switched to take advantage of the antiwar crowds, you are ready to believe him where there are many of us who do not.

[ProfessorPlum]

27. I think that the point is that

compromise itself is not necessarily a bad thing. Capitulation to the reich wingers who are destroying this country is probably a bad thing. See the difference?

Unless you think that the four congressional candidates raised as much holy hell about the disastrous policies of the Bush misadministration as they possibly could have, then I think you have to admit that Dean had a bit of a point. Certainly they've been tiptoeing around the subject. Lieberman just flat out says that everything Bush does is pretty great.

[blm]

30. Why? They were following their duty and did

the best thing they could for the better outcome. They didn't capitulate and Dean knows that. If B-L had passed would that have meant Dean capitulated? No. And this IWR wasn't capitulation either.

Dean also told audiences that the 4 of them voted for Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest. NONE of them did.

[ProfessorPlum]

31. well, I guess they've provided the best possible leadership and

loyal opposition that they could have - in which case, Dean's complaints will not stick. After all, he was the one creating the illusion that Democrats were being beaten and cowed and losing elections to this radical junta, wasn't he? If we're all happy with that, then we can just go on the way we are going on.

[DJcairo]

28. How can u say only Kerry gets corporate press uspport when Dean

was featured on the covers of both Time and Newsweek in teh same week in August. Your claims don't ring true. At least admit that Kerry deserves some free press in the leadup to his official announcement. What he says and the way he says it is truly exciting to lots of us.

[ProfessorPlum]

29. you might look at it this way

the magazines were responding to and reporting on Dean's surge in fund raising and support, not creating it.

Kerry will I'm sure get lots of good press (after all, he "hasn't started campaigning yet - really") and when it happens I won't be spouting conspiracy theories. I'll be happy for him and all of us.

[polpilot]

32. BLM. There's always 2008.

Dean '04

[TheDonkey]

8. He did a good job on Lou Dobbs as well.

It was another good interview with him.

Now he just needs to concentrate on "hipping" up his image and sexing up his hair again. ;)

[sandnsea]

9. He's great the way he is

He just needs to keep talking and keep it as simple as possible.

"He looks forward to the debate over the next several months." He is a class act, no bashing, no snide comments. A true statesman that this country can always be proud of.

[valniel]

11. Thoughtful, competent & consistent

interview, as always, serves JK well. :)

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

12. Was the "interview" wearing a blue dress?

[kwolf68]

15. YES baby

If providing health care to all Americans instead of giving the wealthiest Americans another tax break, if making sure kids have after-school programs, if being protective of the environment and not going backwards on air quality and water quality like President Bush, if being responsible about the budget is all called liberal, let them call me what they want, because labels don't work.


Brilliant answer. He didn't run from the Liberal label...He basically said, "Here is what I believe in...this is what I'll do...What the Reich calls me doesn't concern me."

This IS THE WAY we will win. Just be yourself, take your stands and go to bat. Kerry is the best I've seen so far, hands down (other than DK).

[blm]

17. DK and JK are liberals with responsible lifetime records

to be proud of...I know I am.

They bode well for this nation's future and the future of true progressive action.

[DrFunkenstein]

18. Kerry As Corporate Crime Fighter

"I'm going to cut the loopholes that make it attractive for companies to move to Bermuda to avoid their tax burden in America. I'm going to shut those loopholes down. I've called attention to those for a number of years. I wrote a book six years ago called The New War in which I laid out the international criminal conspiracy that helps launder money and provides a lack of accountability for the tax structures of companies of countries all over the world. We need accountability in those systems.

Secondly, I'm going to cut excess within the budget. John McCain and I have put forward a commission idea that begins to look at the true pork that exists within the federal government and see if we can't begin to whittle down some of those subsidies. There are about $150 billion worth of subsidies to 100 different kinds of corporate entities where we pay, for instance, Dole and Pillsbury Foods $70 million in order to advertise their products overseas.

These are the kinds of sweetheart deals that I think are undermining people's confidence in Washington and government itself and they make the workplace a very unfair place. I'm also going to crack down on the kinds of unfairness we have in the corporate relationship with workers. We've got corporate executives still feathering their nests for retirement and pay even as they're cutting workers, laying people off, squeezing down retirement benefits and health care.

I don't think we've seen a workplace as unfair as this one in a long time in America and the divide between haves and have-nots is growing. If we were to make that more fair, we would have considerably more revenue to be able to deal with some of the problems of America."

That's not class warfare, that's the bitter truth.

[molly]

21. I've got to say that I LOVE THIS PICTURE OF KERRY!

his honor, his depth, his intelligence and his compassion show thru!

(His hair looks great too!)