ABC just handed us the election and we can thank Kerry

[genius]

In a story that included a discussion of war hero Kerry, ABC gave in-depth coverage to Bush's AWOL status. It included the favoritism and the fact that the commanding officer in Alabama did not recall ever seeing Bush report for duty. The story appeared to be a neutral presentation of information but it made Bush look really bad.

I'm not backing Kerry but this is one of the ways in which his candidacy could help with defeating George W. Bush.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. You mean Jennings did not cover for *?????

Can you give me some details?

:dem:

[Clark Can WIN]

33. CLARK AND MOORE were the ones who brought that up

Thank you very much. It was one of the many times in the last 3 weeks we were declared DOA.

I know Kerry will be fine taking the credit for it......... whatever.

[Doctor_J]

35. Hartmann said today

that Jennings' bringing it up was no accident.

[blm]

39. I think Jennings did it FOR the right reasons.

.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

52. Jennings served up a nice fat one for Clark to hit (twice!) in the debate

and Clark barely fouled them off. He and Kerry can now hit it out of the park.

[Ficus]

50. i remember Clark distancing himself

from those accusations. I'd give credit to Moore, who Clark wouldn't even back up.

[JasonBerry]

2. Heard ABC was looking at that

I missed it. I'm glad they told it like it is.

[Dookus]

3. actually...

we can thank Michael Moore and Peter Jennings.

[abburdlen]

4. Can't wait for the day

when I hear Peter Jennings report on the Bush AWOL story

[dobak]

5. yes!

It will come out during the election.

[krkaufman]

6. You mean, of course, "Thank you,Michael Moore" n/t

[blm]

7. We always knew this was going to happen.

The DNC spokespeople were not going to push it until they were certain Dean was not the nominee. If they made a big deal out of service then Dean's medical deferment would be spun by the GOPers.

Once it became apparent Kerry was the guy they took the opportunity presented by Moore at that Clark event and Jennings questioning.

I wouldn't doubt if Jennings asked that question FOR the issue to get out there. I can understand why he sounded like he didn't believe it. Imagine if he had asked it straight up...the RNC would be up in arms against ABC.

[NNN0LHI]

12. Had Jennings phrased the question any other way than he did...

...he would have been fired the next day.

Don

[blm]

20. exactly.

That's what I meant to say. ;))))

[Tim_in_HK]

49. Wait . . .

Let me get this straight . . . so you are saying that the incredibly snide and rude way that Jennings asked the question to Clark was really . . . a way for Jennings to bring up the question (because he is such an anti-Bush reporter) in such a way as not to raise the ire of the RNC?

Yeah, that makes sense . . .
:tinfoilhat:

If we're gonna go conspiracy theories, I think I'll ignore yours and go with the one that says Jennings was gunning for Clark b/c Jenning's wife left him for Clark confidante Dick Holbrooke. That one is at least grounded in some semblance of reality.

[lastknowngood]

8. Yo thank Clark and More that is where it started

don't give Kerry credit for other peoples words.

[genius]

16. The story started with a discussion of Kerry's war hero status

ABC mentioned that with a war hero as the nominee, it would become a campaign issue. They might have done the same if Clark were ahead. I'm just glad it's coming out.

[AntiCoup2K4]

9. Kerry had nothing to do with it.

Clark did, in a peripheral sense, since Traitor Jennings asked him about it in the last debate. But the credit should go to Michael Moore, though the story itself has been out there for a long time, just ignored by the corporate media whores.

[Bucky]

13. 'Traitor' Jennings? Hasn't this name calling gotten a little silly?

Name calling to hurt others is the sign of a feeble mind. Exhibit A is Freeperville. Let's not make ourselves into Exhibit B.

[Terwilliger]

17. I guess you never saw the Nader threads

[Dhalgren]

41. Nader doesn't count because he isn't human.

I thought you knew that? Nader was created by the God, Satan, to torment the Righteous Democratic Chosen. So, you can call him names.

[wildwww2]

24. Jennings could be here right now. And I`d call him worse than that.

To his traitorous face. I guarantee that wuss would not be able to debate me. He would run and hide. Like the cowardly Bu$h Co. employee that he is. Just like his master he would not be able to take the heat coming from a real liberal minded person like myself. I will not stop calling them names until they admit that being liberal is a good thing. (Hell, isn`t Bu$h Co. trying to convince us now that liberating people is why we went to the war crime in Iraq.) Which it is good thing. But they never will because Republicans have to blame someone else for the huge mess that has been made since they usurped the constitution to gain power.
Peace
Wildman
Al Gore is My President

[wabeewoman]

18. You're wrong about Jennings....

He has consistently been the fairest voice out there. He got the question out. Michael Moore saying it would have been ignored just like everyone else was who tried to raise the issue. Peter Jennings asked the question in a national debate. I was pissed at him at the way he asked the question but I realized if he had asked it any other way he would have been the story and not AWOL bush. Jennings is Ok and deserves credit for bringing it up.

[AntiCoup2K4]

23. It was the WAY he brought it up.

He said that there was absolutely no truth to the deserter story, with the implication that Michael Moore was lying and that Clark should be ashamed to associate with him. That doesn't sound like the "fairest" voice out there. I don't believe that Jennings is Junior's biggest fan, but he had a perfect opportunity to take a shot at the Chimp on live TV and he instead, turned it on Michael Moore and tried to turn it on the General.

[blm]

26. Any other way and he would have been fired. BushInc would have made sure.

.

[KC21304]

30. It was the way Moore phrased it that was the problem.

He should have said AWOL, not deserter. I think Jennings knew what he was doing.

[TheDonkey]

10. suprising, wish i could have turned in.

[DrFunkenstein]

11. Want To See The First Nail In The Coffin?

[KC21304]

34. I agree with you on this.

On that day in May when most were saying it was going to be a great campaign commercial for Bush, I said no, it would come back to bite him. And it is biting him every day.

[G_j]

14. I had a different impression

as did many others. It seemed to me they were trying to cover for Bush. There was a discussion in GD and most folks felt that was the case.

[Cocoa]

27. I didn't see it

but I seriously doubt ABC would cover this story well. They seriously suck.

[Egnever]

15. LOL

You guys are friggin hilarious.

We can thank michael moore if anyone.

[DrFunkenstein]

19. Michael Moore Is Running For President?

That is funny!

[Mobius]

21. Kerry stole Clark campaign

Whose supporter in whose campaign brought out the AWOL/DESERTER issue? Wesley Clark's campaign that's who. Somehow Clark gets ridiculed for discussing it, and Kerry is cheered for it. Kerry also gets the credit for it, when it was NOT Kerry's campaign that was responsible for bringing the issue to the forefront? How does that work? :shrug:
Yes Kerry was a Lt, but Lieutenants take orders and 4 star Generals give orders and make and question policy on administrative levels. Yet Kerry is somehow the military expert? I don't get how that works either. :shrug:
Clark had made a history of 34 years of acting on policies he didn't agree with, that's why Shelton and Blackhead (Schwartzkopf) made the ridiculous unfounded statements about Clark that they did. Clark has proposed and executed real solutions to almost impossible situations for 2 decades. Unlike Kerry, he didn't just talk about doing them, because he was too busy already doing them.

[blm]

25. Sorry, but Max Cleland has been bringing it up on the campaign trail

since last summer at every vet group he speaks to. Kerry first brought it up to help Gore in Nov. 2000.

This was always going to be an issue one way or another. Moore happened to get the camera shot that got the play.

Clark and Kerry and the DNC always knew this was a hot play and the candidates had to play it cool.

[bain_sidhe]

22. Once again, Clark takes the bullet & Kerry gets the credit.

:sigh:

[AntiCoup2K4]

28. Hey, why not. He's stealing all of Dean's ideas.....

...why should the General get left out? Next thing you know, Kerry will be swapping the "Department of Peace" from Kucinich. Of course, he'll have to rename it something else to get DLC approval.

[LiberalTexan]

29. When the well dries up

and Kerry is out there in this race alone vs. Bush, then whose ideas will he steal? It's only February and I'm already sick of Kerry.

[grisvador]

36. Loving that visual!

[blm]

45. That's just not true. If you ever LISTENED to Kerry over the last 30 years

you would know that it was Dean stealing from Kerry's ideas and longheld liberal positions to transform himself into a candidate to attract the left.

[DrFunkenstein]

31. Um, Why Do People Still Insist Kerry Is Stealing Clark's Idea?

Can anyone name one instance where Kerry says anything that can even remotely be construed as appropriating Clark/Moore's idea?

The rancor against Kerry doesn't seem to rise much above petulance and sour grapes.

And as far as stealing Dean's ideas, Dean was running on the same populist schtick that Trippi and Bob Shrum have been peddling for more than a decade. Dean just added the anger to the mix, which was right in keeping with the indignation that so many felt about the 2000 election and Iraq railroading. But it's not like Dean is some brilliant strategist or whatever. He just throws a little self-help language into Populism Redux and whammo - insurgent on a mission.

[LiberalTexan]

32. Any Kerry original ideas?

I can't name one.

[Auntie Bush]

37. clark has original ideas on

How to get us out of Iraq and a great tax reform plan.

[Lurking Dem]

43. "The Real Deal" ring a bell?

[Guaranteed]

38. Thank KERRY????

Are you frickin' KIDDING ME?????????????? GODDAMMIT

[LuminousX]

40. How short memories are... it was MOORE who brought the issue up

Just another position Kerry never took but is willing to take credit for, that frigging bastard.

[underpants]

42. But Clark and Kerry wouldn't kill it off

Yes it was Moore's "Genreal vs. the deserter" statement at a Clark rally that started it and then Jennings asked Clark about it at the last NH debate. Then, naturally, reporters asked Kerry what he thought of it and they both said basically the same thing-~'I don't approve of calling anyone that name/accusing the President of that.....but I don't know the facts"

Both of them took the high road AND let it live. They basically peaked interest in it without offering a conclusion so that people would look it up or at least continue to talk about it. They both handled it well in my opinion, you don't have to make a statement to stear the conversation towards where you want it.

I understand that many wanted someone other than Kerry but give him his due on this, he could have "killed that snake" but he didn't.

[blm]

44. You're wrong, LX...Kerry first brought it up in Nov. 2000

to help Gore. He's had Cleland and other vets talking about it at vet group meetings all over the country for the past year. It was even brought up at his announcement speech in SC last Sept. I know - I heard it there myself.

Moore got the camera shot, that's for sure. Clark was hit with the question about it. Noncommittal response - Good. Kerry got hit with the question next. Noncommittal response - Good. They handled it the right way to keep the story out.

To try to smear Kerry over this is ABSURD and a reach of major proportions.

It's also STUPID because the issue itself is more important for Nov. 2004 then who said what first.

[LuminousX]

46. What's STUPID is trying to give credit to one person

when it is obvious that it has been due to MANY people that this issue has been kept alive.

[blm]

48. No problem with that.

But smearing Kerry as following a lead of another or stealing his lines is ABSURD and demonstrably false.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

54. That's what we said. eom

[Raya]

51. I remember it in 2000. But Gore was not credible pressing the issue

[genius]

53. Kerry is a war hero. He was the reason the media brought it up.

If Clark had been ahead, they might have also brought it up.

[CWebster]

47. Will it?

Just visited another mixed forum and the discussion is about how "Kerry got a Silver Star for shooting a dying Viet Cong guerrilla who had already been shot up badly by his troops.

Mysteriously, he got three wounds in four months--thus qualifying himself for a transfer--although he had never been hospitalized for them.

It seems likely that he faked his wounds in order to get the transfer."

Does the story have legs?