Kerry steals another line

[BeyondGeography]

This time, Clark is the provider:

Speaking in Charleston, S.C., Bush defended his decision to go to war.

"Knowing what I knew then and knowing what I know today, America did the right thing in Iraq," the president said.

But Democratic presidential candidates said Tenet's speech showed that Bush misled Americans.

Democratic front-runner Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Bush and other officials "were playing politics with our national security."

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGADADQXBQD.html

Clark supporters know this is a signature line of the General's. One example:

"I know what a real coalition is. We had it in the Balkans. We had it in the first Gulf War. This is not a real international effort. But to hear the President, you'd think that all was well in Iraq. That the transition to an Iraqi government was going smoothly. that's not leadership. That's playing politics with national security."

http://clark04.com/speeches/035/

I don't see this as an earth-shaking issue, by the way. John Kerry's my number two choice and I'll have no problem giving him my full support in the fall. But his constant pilfering of opponents' material (he ripped off Edwards' Two America's routine the night he won in Iowa; the Dean supporters' have their own catalogue) shows a disturbing lack of original thinking.

At the very least, you have to admit the man benefits from competition. Without all this other material to draw from, he might be stuck saying "Bring it on," and "don't let the door hit you on the way out," from here until November.

[KissMyAsscroft]

1. Typical Kerry..

Im ABB but I wonder how much of an improvement this guy really is.

[edzontar]

2. Kerry voted to "bring on" the war and is responsible for that vote

Which should have disqualified him as our nominee.

[RetroLounge]

3. No surprise at all.

People talk about a Clark/Dean or Dean/Clark ticket.

If you listen to Kerry, you might think you have one.

Anything he hasn't stolen?

[THUNDER HANDS]

4. my god

throw him to the gallows, he stole an extremely common political accusation. <gasp>

[BeyondGeography]

8. Like I said, it's not earth-shaking

but the pattern is undeniable.

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. what's the point though?

That Kerry has political instincts and knows a good line when he hears it?

I think you people should consider it a compliment. By the end of the nomination process there should be a little bit of every candidate inside of John Kerry.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. Does the man

have any original thoughts? That is pretty pathetic.

Go Wes!

[emulatorloo]

6. "playing politics" is a cliche

Do a google and see what find.

[HFishbine]

7. It's a common pharse that's been around for a while

Clark "stole" it from Linda Chavez (1)

Who stole it from Alan Caruba (2)

Who stole it from Joe Biden (3)

And so on, and so on...



1) http://www.townhall.com/columnists/lindachavez/lc20031112.shtml

2) http://www.americanpolicy.org/more/failedcongress.htm

3) biden.senate.gov/press/statmts/092499r1.htm

[BeyondGeography]

10. Sorry, Clark is the only candidate who has consistently used this

on the campaign trail. And he has taken MAJOR heat for it from the Fred Barnes Flamethrower crowd. He has said the whole Iraq war was politically motivated from the get-go. Now that David Kay comes out and says, "we were all wrong," it's safe for the more calculating polticians like Kerry to come out and say the same thing.

That's the real deal, John.

[HFishbine]

13. You're right

If you want to make the argument that Dean and Clark made it safe for certain politicaly calculating candidates to stand up, you are correct. But to say that Kerry stole a Clark line, when in fact it's a common phrase, is silly and diminishes your point.

[blm]

9. Kerry said as much in November 2002.

In an interview after the Nov. elections commenting on Max Cleland's loss.

I just can't recall what network it was on, but that has been a consistent theme of his throughout.

I also think that the more tired the candidates are on the trail the more likely they will slip in phrases heard unconsciously. They all do it.

No biggie.

[bigtree]

12. There are multiples of the phrase when you google it

From Democrats and republican sources. I'll bet that the expression goes back a long, long time.

Of course, I won't accuse anyone of plagerism. Check it out:

http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?srch=105&FORM=AS5&q=playing+politics+with+our+national+security.%22

[michaud]

14. How can anyone vote for Kerry!!!

[THUNDER HANDS]

15. it's rather simple

When you walk into the voting booth there's this little lever, you pull the lever and the curtain closes. Then you flip a little latch next to Kerry's name, pull the level back to it's original position, and step out of the booth.

That's how you vote for John Kerry.

:)

[BeyondGeography]

16. I'm sure 98% of DU WILL vote for Kerry

or some such number. But the man is rhetorically challenged at times (as are most of our candidates). His victory speech the other night in Washington was a total snooze. As have most of his speeches been recently. Once he moves away from the veteran-related remarks, which are always moving and effective, Kerry's stump speech is just a bore.

I want the best Kerry possible. There was a story the other day in the NYT about the "bring it on" line, which was composed by a Kerry speech-writer last September, rejected as too strong, and only dusted off in at the Democrats dinner in Iowa in December when it became clear that he needed to do something dramatic to inject himself back into the race. He needs to keep that edge going.

Kerry says he always treats politics as if he is the underdog, but he's clearly capable of falling into ruts. He's benefitting from the Clark/Edwards rivalry right now, and he's apparently coasting to victory. What's worrisome is when he starts to coast mentally as well.

[THUNDER HANDS]

17. Kerry's one advantage though

is that he becomes significantly more focused when he's being attacked.

Once the GOP opens the floodgates on him, I think you're going to see Kerry rise to a level few thought him capable of.

I'm itching for this fight because I know what Kerry can do. I just can't wait until the rest of the country sees it for themselves.

[LuminousX]

18. Was Kerry FOR or AGAINST the Iraq War?

Would he change anything he did leading up to the war or does he think we were on the right course all along?

I think Bush isn't the only person playing politics with our national security. Kerry needs a mirror.

[xultar]

19. Also stolen, "Last Resort" :grr: n/t

[incapsulated]

20. Kerry didn't invent the line "Bring It On!", either

But no candidate in their right mind would lift it, they aren't that stupid and neither is Kerry.

He isn't going to lift lines that are well known slogans from another campaign. No, he will take lines that others have used to good effect, but that only their supporters or those who follow the campaigns closely will know are standards for that candidate, in speeches and even in debates. He also knows that they can't complain about it without being called sour grapes losers.

It's a clever form of minor plagiarism.

But it's revealing even so. It's exposes his arrogance and lack of originality. Laziness, even. But what does he care? He has been anointed by the DNC and the media and is already in the coronation parade. Fuck everybody else.

[dansolo]

21. If Kerry had said this a year and a half ago

Then his good friend Max Cleland may still be in the Senate. Kerry was completely unwilling to speak of the political manipulation of this administration when it mattered most, in the time preceeding the 2002 elections.