Cillizza smearing Kerry....again.

[blm]

Adding Kerry to poll about 6 'showhorses' in the Senate who are overrated.

Total slime to include Kerry in that poll when his actual record of work is second to none, especially for its positive effect on this nation's history.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6759275

[beachmom]

1. Mass said it best. It is Chris Cillizza who is most overrated.

[karynnj]

2. That is ridiculous

Though the more ironic poll is voting for the most underrated. He provided a list - from that list the ones that will be picked as most underrated would be the ones with most name recognition. He provides no info on their (unheralded accomplishments.) So, in fact that vote was likely in reverse order.

Note that he biases things here by putting Kerry, who also has the highest name recognition first. Not to mention, from the list - who would Republicans vote for - most have not heard of Baucus. With Kerry it plays into the Republican lie that he did nothing - where in fact he was always a wonk and hard working.

[fedupinBushcountry]

3. Claire McCaskill

is the most over-rated by the media, her and McCain. Why? Because she has a small R by her name. I have seen some of her votes and lets see how she does with Kerry-Boxer bill, that should be interesting.

Of course the repubs doing the poll are going to pick JK. Cillizza is also over-rated him and Chuck Todd.

[beachmom]

4. Don't get me on how disappointed I am on Chuck Todd.

That dude has a brain in his head, and he has chosen NOT to use it. Just a shame.

As to McCaskill: interesting. I didn't realize she skewed that right. I was impressed with her at that newspaper hearing, but that wasn't an ideological issue.

What votes have especially disappointed you? As to climate change, heck we don't have Brown on board. I think that will continue to be a tough slog getting Dems on board.

[MBS]

6. what you said n/t

[beachmom]

7. Upon my own research, I think that's a bit harsh on McCaskill.

She is not an R. She simply reps a very conservative state that is also 75% dependent on coal. This diary is highly critical of her, but damn, look how she was treated at that town hall meeting:

http://wwww.dailykos.com/story/2009/9/13/781484/-Claire-McCaskill-Happy-About-Handcuffing-The-Public-Option

Progressives were upset by her "handcuff" remark. But what she was saying is that the public option needs to be self funded, and not subsidized by taxpayers. From everything I have read, that is precisely what it always was. She is also absolutely right about single payer. Kerry, although favoring it, said the same exact thing in that "hit video" by a single payer advocate that there is very little support for it in Congress. Those right wing jerks say "we don't trust you" to Ms. McCaskill re: single payer. How about trusting reality? Single payer is NOT being discussed in Congress, dimwits!!!

As to overrated/underrated, I think it's too soon for her. In her favor, she got elected in Missouri and she was a wonderful surrogate for Obama during the campaign. She certainly has had to walk a tight rope on a lot of these contentious issues, but you can kind of hear in her words, that she would like to go further but is unable to because of the constituents she serves. This Missourian explains:

She's as good as we can have at the moment (14+ / 0-)

In Missouri.

Until the old dinosaurs die off in out-state rural MO, we are stuck with conservative candidates. She is far better than the previous Senator...Jim Talent. And, far superior to our other one...Kit Bond. Those biblethumpers have to be catered to with kid gloves to ge their votes...and she does a good job at that.

I think she will vote for the public option in the long run. I hope so anyway. I've been calling her weekly, and had delivered real handwritten letters to her office.

She is not my idea of a progressive, but when you've been under conservative rulers for sooooo long...she is a breath of fresh air.

"Sometimes I worry about being a success in a mediocre world." -- Lily Tomlin

by Canaryinthecoalmine on Sun Sep 13, 2009 at 01:57:01 PM PDT

As far as the media goes, well, I avoid cable like the plague (and have lower blood pressure as a result!). What do we care what they think after all the non-stop Kerry bashing & ridicule for the last 5 years.

But I can't help but wonder what kind of Senator John Kerry would have been, if he were stuck representing Missouri or even Virginia, which seems to be on its way electing Taliban Bob governor.


Edit: And one more thing. Like Kerry, McCaskill was a prosecutor in her state. Unlike many of the female politicians in this country who rose to high levels, McCaskill actually had a real job that required knowing what you are doing prior to running for governor and then Senator. She has only served in private life for 3 years for her entire career. The rest of the time, she has spent serving publicly.

Final edit: And I'll just put this one last thought out there. Although my actions were on principle, I don't feel all that wonderful for having to vote against a female politician not once, but twice for President/Vice President in 2008. It is tough explaining to my daughter why there has been no woman President yet; meanwhile, Germany has a female Chancellor. So when I think about female politicians today and who actually has the chops and the background to be a credible presidential candidate, McCaskill is the only one I think qualifies (and that goes for the Republican side as well). Sure there are liberal darlings in the House and Senate who are female, but they don't have national appeal. So although I understand your frustration on the media's love of McCaskill, the flip side is we have a woman on our side who they like, and IF she decided to go for a higher office, she would have some of that media love to take with her. Probably won't happen, and we'll be stuck with male Presidents for years and years to come, but at least I can come up with ONE women who has personality and an impressive resume who COULD do it.

[wisteria]

5. Your Kidding me. Kerry overrated? No way. Seems like this is Kerry being smeared.

What even brought this on? Senator Kerry actually getting some attention and respect he deserved? Did Kerry ignore little Chris Cillizza is that what caused this ridiculous assertion?

And, I agree with everyone on McCasgill. She has become a real media darling in the short time she has been in the Senate. They give her way to much credit for getting elected in a red state.