Interesting comments from a Kerry interview with the NYT

[karynnj]

I don't have time to watch or except - but the comments here on Afghanistan and Edwards are good. http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/kerry-on-afghanistan-running-mates/

[blm]

1. Edwards affair wouldn't have happened had he been serving as VP.

I think the better part of Edwards' character would have survived intact.

Same for many others involved in 2004....not just Edwards.

[YvonneCa]

2. That was a great interview. It's nice to ...

...see respect given to the Senator at last. Thanks for posting this, karynnj.

[Luftmensch067]

3. I completely agree!

What a professional, respectful, but still hard-hitting interview. Wish we saw more journalists ask questions and listen to the answers with so much intelligence. There were a few interruptions, but mostly this was a terrific conversation.

[beachmom]

4. And the follow ups WERE probing. This was not an easy interview

just because John Harwood wasn't rude. Tough questions were asked and followed up to. But it was done in a way to get good answers from the interviewee.

I just finished watching. Excellent interview. And, frankly, regardless of what has happened over the years, the bottom line reason why I support John Kerry is because I have a similar world view as him. And the fact that you can trust his word.

[YvonneCa]

5. "And, frankly, regardless of what has happened over the years...

... the bottom line reason why I support John Kerry is because I have a similar world view as him. And the fact that you can trust his word."

AMEN, beachmom.

[Luftmensch067]

6. Right on

He's careful, but he's not SCARED of questions or of talking or of telling the truth.

[blm]

7. Exactly - and he doesn't use misdirection device that so MANY politicians use when

asked tough questions.

[karynnj]

9. I just finally watched it and I agree with all of you

I have always thought that Kerry is best seen in probing interviews. It is there that you get the fuller answers and the insight on the decision process. Like you, it is because I have a similar world view and because he is honest that I support him. (In addition, his comments on both John McCain and the Edwards really show what a completely decent and good person he is.)

[beachmom]

8. What did everyone think about what he said about HCR and the public option?

I thought he was 100% correct, but don't tell the stars of the netroots and their followers. It is clear now that John Kerry really did work with Olympia Snowe on the trigger, but as a "fallback position" in case all others failed. He gave an interesting bit of history: the Clinton Administration was not willing to agree to a fallback position in '93, and therefore, health care reform failed. President Obama is not going to repeat that mistake which is why he is allowing all positions to stay on the table. (I don't think it is a matter of Obama "favoring" trigger, as people misinterpreted press reports; more that Obama wants the reform to get through the Senate and is not going to engage in ultimatums for the left wing's benefit, which could kill the entire effort)

Not sure if you guys have followed what has been going on over at dailykos, but there has been major controversey because we learned a month or so ago that the two "star" health care diarists, nyceve and slinkerwink, are being paid by FireDogLake PAC to diary at dailykos. My main issue with it at the time was that I felt disclosure was not made on a regular basis where it can prominently be seen. Well, the controversey continues with some moderates on the site (moderates on dailykos means liberals who don't want to call fellow Democrats "traitors" if they don't agree) expressing frustration that an "FDL mentality" is taking over dailykos. I read through it all, and then for the first time in a long time went over to FDL to read it. OMG!!!! Nasty. Oh, and there was a Kerry hate thread in the recent past as well on what he said about Afghanistan. Basically, the comments were similar to freerepublic.com.

Although there are good progressives and progressive groups who are fighting for the public option to get in the final bill (well, I think it will definitely happen; it is simply in what form which is the question), the prominent "leaders" in the netroots for it are lefty freepers. These are radicals who celebrated when Democrats went down to defeat in Virginia and New Jersey. This is a highly disturbing realization for me, and there is really nothing we can do about it. The only thing I know for sure is that those lefty freepers are NOT going to hijack the debate on a climate change bill. Thank God we have RLMiller and A Siegal who have been blogging about it. They are realistic and actually make an attempt to understand how the Senate works (A Siegal has made mistakes in the past, but I think he has learned from them, and has written some great stuff this year).

[karynnj]

10. I have never felt the public option was the end all and be all of the reform

There has been so much incredible misinformation on what it even is and for many it was an intellectually lazy position - PO = good, no PO = bad. It bothered me when the issue arose that people could not understand the idea of being for something in a bill, but being willing to work on fall backs. It just seemed prudent to me - and not doing it is like tight rope walking without a net. I had read Kerry speak of the Bradley led effort in 1993 (which JK misspoke as 2003). The Clinton administration's arrogance really did cost decades in getting health insurance - something that the public option purists would repeat.

I hadn't heard that those two leading Daily Kos people were paid, but I really hated some of their rigid positions - as I admired their organization and thoughness in trying to get support.

[beachmom]

11. I get along with slinkerwink. I told her once I did not like the hardball

tactics, but in a non-confrontational way. And it was actually a good conversation. I have less problem with the diarists than FDL.

[wisteria]

12. That was a good interview, but .....

he was a tad bit too serious, he could of cracked a smile once or twice. Other than that, it was very informative.