Kerry has a piece up at TPM

[ProSense]

posted here.

[wisteria]

1. Thanks, but Kerry could use some support for his efforts of calling out Bunning and the Repubs.

It appears those who are posting don't give a damn about the unemployed they just want to have a go at Kerry.

[ProSense]

2. Some of the comments

are ridiculous. There is a lot of frustration, but some of the rudeness is uncalled for.

[beachmom]

3. While I was away from political blogs, I learned something:

anonymous comments posted on the internet are nasty and rude on just about any topic. Funny story: I have been listening to a lot of music lately and happened to hear a new CD that I thought was really good. I was looking at the Amazon page for this album, and noticed there weren't many reviews, so I decided to write a short review on my initial reaction to the record. My review was quite positive and seemingly, innocuous. So the next day I checked back, and there was a comment in response: the person ATTACKED my review and attacked me for not reviewing an accompanying DVD (which I hadn't seen) (he said: what kind of review is THAT?). I just was shocked. I thought since I was not commenting on a political blog, the nastiness would stop. But I was wrong. The funny part was that someone else responded to that guy defending me. So that was nice. Still, go outside the political realm and you will find not only the same nastiness but the same type of language we use in politics. Like when Apple revealed the iPad, the discussions on TechCrunch had people deriding folks who were excited about the device as mere "Apple fanboys" or syncophants.

It ends up people feel emboldened to be jerks on the internet. I think people feel freer to attack politicians but they will do that on just about anything. I am sure there is a fiery debate on how to properly bake a cake somewhere where insults are being traded right at this moment. Seriously.

[wisteria]

8. Good point. It is a shame it is this way, but some people just feel free to let lose when they will

not be found out or called out for their rudeness.

[Luftmensch067]

4. Now also up at HuffPo

Here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-kerry/not-a-game_b_482093.html

Just as many idiotic comments there, with the rare and shining exception...

[karynnj]

5. Reading them here and at TPM, I think they reflect that people are completely angry

More and more Americans are seeing that the lifestyle they had been brought up to think was theirs is completely out of reach. The only time I lived through with anywhere near this uncertainty and lack of faith in government was the 1960s. But, that was incredibly different because there was huge energy and positive activism (earth day) and strong beliefs that the situation was going to get better. The lack of faith in government was a hatred of Richard Nixon - and the perceived solution was to throw him out.

This is far more troubling and far more fundamental. I saw the excellent post that spoke of what Obama inherited. Intellectually, it was accurate, fair and it countered the posts saying that nothing was getting fixed. I think what we are seeing is that, unlike in the Bush years, where the solution was to elect a Democratic President and as many Democrats as possible, and we channeled the anger to meet those goals, we are now the ones in charge. Many had expectations that were too high for immediate change. (Most at HuffPo are angry, but few are directing the anger to Kerry specifically.)

I do think Reid needs to explain the process here - so that people know that he can and will call for a cloture bill and after a period of time and a vote of over 60, this bill will be passed.

[Mass]

6. I posted TPM's post about the way the Dems reacted here, and I totally agree with him

Bunning is not the only one responsible for that. They are refusing to call out the GOP. They are recompensing the GOP for their obstructionism by giving them presents (see Obama's letter concerning the healthcare bill). And they are surprised people don't trust them. People have been sympathetic for a while about the fact there were DINOs, but after some point, they stop being sympathetic. I appreciate senator Kerry's post on TPM, but should he not be on the MSM saying that? People on TPM know that already and some are starting to feel played.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x204886

[karynnj]

7. I think from the other thread that he was in Israel when that was posted

I know he has been carried remotely on FP trips before, but I don't think it ever was for something like this. (For some reason, his trip appears to be pretty low key - with just the local Israeli and Palestinian media covering it. (Het, if he took Brown along, the MA media would cover it.)

I agree with him that we need more people explaining what is happening there - and more explaining that the nuclear option in 2005 was NOT reconciliation - which the Republicans are claiming and playing Senate speeches by Democrats from then.