Did Kerry and Kennedy plan the DSM release this way?

[merwin]

Seems kind of funny that everybody was talking about how Kerry was going to give the speech (prompting some we-hate-Kerry articles by the media), and then Kennedy steps up and gives the actual speech.

Seems like a good plan to me. Fake right, go left.

----------------

Edit: OK, OK, not a speech... just a release from him that reads like a transcript.

[sniffa]

1. kerry sucks!!

i hate him sooooo much.
i'm just scream, arrrggghhhh!

[second edition]

34. Who cares what you think!

I think he is great!

[rhett o rick]

43. He let the Nation down. He voted for IWR. n/t

[LittleClarkie]

44. But he doesn't swallow

:evilgrin:

[sniffa]

47. .

[LittleClarkie]

49. Good point

Thanks.

[bunny planet]

48. Snooze to you sniffa.

[sniffa]

50. isn't that against the ruLes?

tsk tsk

[Dr Ron]

2. Actually Kerry hadn't said he was going to give a speech

Kerry just said he was gong to take this up when he returns to the Senate. There are many possible course of action--including possibly getting others to speak out on this.

[merwin]

4. The articles were saying that he was going to present it to congress.

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/2235942822

[Demit]

14. They were paraphrasing (and getting it wrong) what he told the

editorial board at the New Bedford Standard-Times. They were all echo-chambering--was it NewsMax who had it first? Disgraceful, really.

Here's the original article: http://www.southcoasttoday.com/daily/06-05/06-02-05/a01lo167.htm

[FreedomAngel82]

28. Exactly

He never came out and said "when I get back I'm going to give hell." Everybody was expecting Kerry to but then Kennedy does it. :) Like a game of checkers or something.

[Lerkfish]

3. if so, well done.

about time we started doing that "stategerizin".

[Stand and Fight]

5. Speech?

Link please.

[Goldeneye]

8. not a speech...but a message released from his office

http://rawstory.com/news/2005/Kennedy_speaks_out_on_Downing_Street_Memo_Twisted_intelligence_Distorted_f_0607.html

[Stand and Fight]

9. Thanks, I read that earlier today.

Did he give a speech on the Senate floor?

[merwin]

11. Ah yeah. In any case, it reads like a speech :-)

[Goldeneye]

13. its good enough for me...

:applause: :-)

[merwin]

15. Both Kennedy and Kerry have been telling it like it is lately.

To be fair, Kennedy usually always does :)

[Dr Fate]

22. But NOT good enough for swingvoters who dont go to websites.

I speech in front of a camera- or better yet- an appearance on a TV interview show would be closer to good enough for me.

[merwin]

26. Do you think the swing voters watch CSPAN on a regular basis?

Speech or press release, it's going to be ignored by the media either way.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. The only people who watch CSPAN

Are either people who don't trust the news or political junkies like myself. If you think someone like my dad watches CSPAN that's too funny. My dad hardly has time to watch any news.

[Dr Fate]

36. No, but news shows show clips from CSPAN more than they quote websites.

And besides, I'm saying that Top DEMs need to go on interview & debate shows and local news interviews to talk about this.

[Dr Fate]

32. No- they watch regular TV and read the papers.

Top DEMs could do interviews, debate shows, local Op Ed pieces, local news affiliate interviews.

A paragraph from a website wont generate as much interest as saying it on a TV show or in an interview. A CSPAN appearence would be more likey to be shown on a talking head show tonight.

It would work better if it were Kerry or Dean instead of Kennedy as well.

[Goldeneye]

29. ....it could happen yet.

They've only been back one day and we've already got Kennedy and Feingold working on it. I thought I saw something about Boxer too. And Kerry did say he'd bring it to the floor.

[Dr Fate]

20. Pretty useless unless it's "on the TV."

But now DEMs asking for money can say "NOOOOO we fought Bush over the memo- didn't you read the website?"

[Goldeneye]

27. Ah, give em' a chance.

:)

[Dr Fate]

38. I've been giving them chances since 2000. They blow it every time.

They think they can satisfy the Base by being low profile on the most controversial issues- it wont cut it anymore.

"Releasing" things wont do- they need to SAY IT- ON TV.

[lynne]

40. FOUR SENTENCES -

- is all the DSM minutes warranted???

That's both discouraging and disappointing, IMO.

[Goldeneye]

6. The pugs were all ready to attack Kerry...

then Kennedy steps up...they weren't ready to attack him. It really was a good way to do it.

[FreedomAngel82]

33. I think so too

And if other democrats join they can't attack them all. I hope Kerry and Kennedy do get Boxer and can also get Reid.

[Dr Fate]

46. Actually, unlike a Kerry or a Dean, Kennedy can be easily ignored.

Kennedy is "liberal fringe" and "says this kind of stuff all the time anyway."

Which is fine with the GOP and probably most DEMs.

This was not a good way to do it form our POV- but a great wat to act like you are doing somthing w/o stirring anything up.

CONTROVERSEY is the only way to give this story legs.

Having Kennedy "release" a sentence or two on website will not generate any response from anyone.

If it had been Kerry- at least the attacks against him would give the story a higher profile.

[deadparrot]

7. I think they've definitely discussed it.

They're friends and co-senators, so they almost have to have had some sort of contact concerning it. :shrug:

[paineinthearse]

10. Kennedy's position, from his campaign website, posted this morning

"We never should have gone to war for ideological reasons driven by politics and based on manipulated intelligence. The Downing Street Minutes provide even more proof that this is exactly what happened on Iraq. The Administration’s dishonesty, lack of candor, and lack of planning have brought us to where we are today, with American soldiers dying, Iraqi civilians living in constant fear, and with no clearer picture of our strategy for victory in Iraq than when we started. ”

Read full release at http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x1835227

[FreedomAngel82]

35. Nice statement

And I liked how he didn't call it a memo but a minutes. Good! :)

[TayTay]

12. Isn't anything ever simple around here?

I think both Sens had some down time. I think both Sens had staff send them stuff to read they hadn't gotten to yet because they had Bolton-on-the-brain and judicial-filibusters to worry about.

I think Sen. Kerry read his staff press clippings and notes on things he missed on account of being busy (He is a Senator you know. I realize that most people do that sort of thing for the perks, but some of them do occasionally phone in and at least get their messages.) Then I think Sen. Kerry told a reporter for a smallish MA newspaper, hey, I saw this great stuff. I oughta mention it when I get back to the old salt mines in DC. What do you say, thinks it's a big story?

I think Sen. Kennedy did the same thing. (Bless his soul. He is rather bright, you know.) Sen. Kerry has staff reseraching a big speech. Sen. Kennedy has campaign staff researching an e-mail. Bully for both.

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

16. Do you happen to know...

exactly when Senator Kennedy spoke? (I have taped the morning session!)

[merwin]

17. Actually, turns out it was a release by him that just reads like a

transcript.

[Sick_of_Rethuggery]

24. Thank you...

[wiggs]

18. Kerry voted for IWR....

...I think his Iraq War Resolution position has always been defensible based on his comments and qualifications at the time, but he has mysteriously never been able to effectively articulate why he voted the way he did and why he did not vote for war. Kerry can bring up the congress conditions (which Bush never met) that were necessary for war authorization, the lying of the adminsitration to congress in briefings (drones in 45 minutes), the cooked intelligence (and DSM), etc etc. but never has really pulled it together.

So because of his unwillingness to fight back against the previous attempts at spinning his IWR vote, he is vulnerable now. I think it is wise to have others break the ice on the DS memo...he can jump in soon.

...and I really like that Kennedy phrased his speech in a way which does not rely soley on the memo, but hints at reams of other evidence all pointing to lying, deceipt, and at an illegal, uneccessary war.

Now that Kennedy has introduced this thing, TIME FOR EVERYONE TO JUMP ON!. Gore, Clintons, Reid, Byrd, etc..

Let's go!!

[FreedomAngel82]

37. I think that's what they need to run on

How Bush and Blair both lied to us all and manipulated things. If you haven't you should see this video:
http://www.overcast.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/warofterror/iraqtonytruth.htm

You need real player or window's media player. But I think that's the angle they're running on. How Bush lied and manipulated intelligence for his own policies.

[wiggs]

41. Amazing. Have you posted this in original thread on GDP? nt

[wiggs]

42. Just finished this incredible video

Please do post this repeatedly elsewhere.

Not only should our dem leaders see this, all of America should as well. Moreover, someone needs to make a similar video of the American side of this, using THE FULL RANGE OF EVIDENCE that is available to show that this the war/invasion is trumped up.

WHAT ISSUE IS MORE IMPORTANT TODAY THAN THIS ONE???

[LittleClarkie]

45. Do tell

What does that have to do with introducing the DSM?

[wiggs]

51. Well...

During the election, the GOP found ways to frame Kerry's positions that put Kerry on the defensive. It's fair to say he did not battle well from that position on the IWR vote, the 87 billion, the lack of WMD found, etc. I thought his IWR vote was well reasoned and somewhat justified, at least as I understood it...his defense of it was lacking. Many people still do not understand his position on the war and his votes.

If Kerry alone were to come forward with the DSM stuff, we'd hear all that same crap again...as the GOP and their media slaves would have it, he and his previous words would become the issue instead of the content of the memo.

I personally think it is a great opportunity for senators (including Kerry and including republicans) who were directly lied to in WH briefings and who were fooled by cooked evidence to express their outrage. I want those senators to do it who can express it best and for whom the focus will be on what they say not who said it.

Now that the subject is out there, I hope many senators, including Kerry, begin to demand answers forcefully, so that the focus isn't on any particular one of them. I also think they could have done this much earlier, since evidence of Iraq deceipt is quite extensive.

[Chicago1]

19. Is the speech on cspan yet? Does anyone have a link to listen to online?

If anyone has a link or knows if cspan has it up so I can listen and see the speech, it would be greatly appreciated!!

Waiting for the IMPEACHMENT WHILE THE SCANDALS KEEP UNFOLDING
America's Work Stories
http://usaworkstories.blogspot.com
[e-mail]

[TayTay]

21. There have been no speeches yet

There have been newspaper mentions and an e-mail. That is all.

[Chicago1]

23. Thank you

I didn't want to miss it.

Waiting for the IMPEACHMENT WHILE THE SCANDALS KEEP UNFOLDING
America's Work Stories
http://usaworkstories.blogspot.com
[e-mail]

[merwin]

25. Actually, Kennedy did release something this morning.

Just no speech.

[TayTay]

30. An e-mail

It was from his campaign site (for '-06, not his senate.gov site.)

Kudos to Senator Kennedy for mentioning this and trying to get the media to pay attention. Kudos as well to brave Sen. Boxer, whom I like enormously. And Kudos to Senator Kerry for talking about it last week.

Next Senator to step up will be?

[Dr Fate]

39. Big deal-we have been "releasing" info on DU for weeks.

DEMs need to stop "releasing" thngs and start SAYING things, ON TV.

[kerrygoddess]

52. You tell the right wing controled tv stations that.

Okay. Thanks. Because they're not interested in what Dems are saying and they hold all the cards.