Lowell Sun: Kerry's Choice 1/29/07 (Wait, it's not bad.)

[TayTay]

01/29/2007 02:12:04 PM
EDITORIAL: Kerry's choice

Published Date: January 29, 2007
Author: The Sun, Lowell, Mass.

Jan. 29--There are few who doubt that U.S. Sen. John Kerry made the right decision last week by announcing he will not seek the Democratic nomination in 2008. The hope now is that he will truly focus on his current job -- representing the residents of Massachusetts and their interests in the U.S. Senate.

He came close to the presidency in 2004, narrowly losing to President Bush, and we know that was a tough loss for him to swallow. However, it's unlikely Kerry would have won the nomination a second time, particularly not with such well-known candidates as U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois already having announced.

Kerry has promised to remain in the Senate to focus on developing a plan to extricate the U.S. troops from Iraq. In fact, Democrats intend to begin debate in the Senate this week on a nonbinding measure declaring Bush's planned troop increase in Iraq to be "not in the national interest," according to Majority Leader Harry Reid. So Kerry, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, can quickly get to work on at least one of his promises.

Kerry has declared he will run for re-election to the Senate next year, dashing the hopes of many ambitious Bay State congressmen, including Marty Meehan, Edward Markey and Barney Frank.

We give Kerry credit for finally knowing when it was time to bow out and leave the field open to those with less baggage and whose message might resonate more with voters.

War is terrible, and Kerry -- a Vietnam veteran -- certainly knows that. However, disengaging from war is just as important as waging one. Kerry can best serve Massachusetts and the entire nation by remaining in the Senate to work in a bipartisan manner on finding the best resolution to the Iraq war.

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There is a comment field, btw.

[Blaukraut]

1. A pretty decent article

The only part I would argue with would be the part about the other candidates having less baggage. John Kerry has/had as little or less baggage than any of those still in the running. The GOP smear machine will attach baggage where there isn't any, so nobody is immune. But hey, time to sit back and watch them learn that lesson the hard way.

[cadmium]

6. This is a helluva lot better article than the formulaic Globe

articles in which they all have to frame their comments by saying that he is driven by ambition. This is projection because these columnists are all driven by ambition and for some reason feel that they have to try to diminish John Kerry's work to fit in at the Globe. As far as baggage goes--If you dont have baggage in the ugly worlds of war, government, politics, and policy you aren't doing your job.

[PresidentObama]

2. Yes, war is indeed terrible.

And Senator Kerry is going to do everything in his power to end this war, and bring our men and women home safely! When you think about it, Kerry not running isn't a totally bad thing. It means he can roll up his sleeves, and stand up tall (really tall in his case) on issues of importance like the IWR--instead of focusing on Presidential campaigning and the high demand of running for the Presidency!!

Kerry will show America what you can do even without the Presidency, and I look forward to seeing his leadership shine through the Senate for years to come!

[TayTay]

3. Oooh, one more article from the Worcster Gazette.

Ah, somebody post that pic. (Glasses.)

http://www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070125/NEWS/701250440

Thursday, January 25, 2007
Kerry announces he will not run for president in 2008

Senator to seek re-election, work to end Iraq War

By David Weber THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

SNIP

Another possible Senate aspirant was Rep. Edward J. Markey, D-Malden. He did not comment on his own future plans, preferring to focus on Kerry.

“John Kerry’s run for the White House in 2004 enhanced his stature in the Senate and in the nation. There can be no doubt today that the state of our union would be vastly improved if Senator John Kerry had been elected President Kerry two years ago,” Markey said. He said Kerry’s decision to stay in the Senate was a disappointment to the “legion of supporters” who wanted to him to try again for the White House, “but preserves one of the most influential voices in the U.S. Senate.”

Gov. Deval L. Patrick has ties to Sens. Barack H. Obama, D-Ill., and Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., both of whom have announced their presidential candidacies, but Patrick had pledged to support a Kerry candidacy.

“Had he decided to run, I would have been with him,” Patrick said. “I was with him last time early. I think very highly of Senator Kerry as a man and as a public servant. I respect him.”

Patrick declined to say who he will endorse now.

“Eventually, but not yet. I’ve got work to do,” he said, referring to his duties as governor.

Yeah, glasses. And it a big pic.

[TayTay]

9. Nice pic, really.

We haven't had a good reading glasses pic in a while.

[wisteria]

4. Well, everyone is entitled to their own opinions. n/t

[sandrakae]

5. I hate when they say he had baggage. What baggage?

He didn't have baggage, thats why then went back 35 years to say oh you didn't deserve those medals.

And please. Hilary has less baggage. Give me a break The Clinton baggage is what has me leary of her.

[TayTay]

7. Ah, this was from the Lowell Sun

Ahm, the Lowell Sun is one of the meanest, nastiest newspapers in the state. They endorsed Bush in 2004. They made John Kerry's life a living hell both when he ran for the Congress in 1972. They friggin stirred up so much 'he's a commie' passion against him that people were still going after him when the race was done.

Ah, ask KarenDC's husband about the Lowell Sun someday and how out-and-out nasty they were to Kerry.

Ah, this, now this is nice. Seriously. It's a rave, in that, we hate everyone way that the Sun has. Honest-to-god, I am not shitting you, rave.

I despair of ever teaching anyone how to interpret the native Massachusetts lingo. Sigh!

[rox63]

8. As a Lowell native

I heartily agree with Tay - This is very high praise for JK from the Lowell Sun. The vitriol they've spewed about him for over 35 years is some of the nastiest poison ever to see print. So yeah, this a rave coming from them.

[sandrakae]

10. Well if thats the best they can do then their ink needs to dry up.

[rox63]

11. Unfortunately, it's the only paper in town

Trust me, for the Sun, this is progress. :)