Okay, what happens with the DSM's?

[TayTay]

Seriously. I am thrilled that Senator Kerry is bringing these up. They are a legal stake in the heart of the Admin pablum that they did everything they could to uphold the law, inform Congress of their intentions and do everything they could to make war a last resort. (Treasonous bunch of unethical, blood-thirsty bastards.)

But I am curious as to what people in the liberal blogs expect from Sen. Kerry. (I suspect a giant misunderstanding is about to occur and I am very wary of it.) I think he can make a barn-burner of a speech and point out (as he did repeatedly in the campaign last year) that Bush is a lying sack of crap who doesn't give a shit about how he went to war, doesn't give a shit about how the war is going (because he only lets 'happy news' into the White House) and treats anyone who might bring up distressing news as a non-person. So what does Kerry push for? What is his goal and the goal of the Dems in pushing this? What comes of it? Is a let-down of libs inevitable when the entire matter doesn't lead to impeachment by the 4th of July?

My take, and I could be wrong, is that Kerry makes a nice speech that calls for oversight hearings. (And he signs the Conyers letter.) Then Kerry berates Sen. Reid behind the scenes to hold these unofficial Democratic hearings on the DSMs. Then Kerry, offline and in places where there aren't C-Span cameras, talks and talks and talks again to colleagues in the Senate and tells them to not let this go by the wayside. I think the DSMs are important, but I also don't want them to be seen as another thing that will bring down Bush. I think that is grossly unfair to Senator Kerry. (And a possible setup.) He is still just one Senator. His bringing this up is tremendous, but I am concerned about unrealistic expectations on the guy.

[politicasista]

1. I know what you mean

I don't know why I am afraid what would happen if DU's expectations aren't met. Maybe I am wrong too, but I don't like the up and down atmosphere when it comes to good Dems doing good things.:shrug: I don't want to jinx Kerry (LOL!).

[whometense]

2. Good question.

I get around a bit, and I don't have a strong sense of what people on the left are expecting. I think they're by and large grateful Kerry has picked up on the story because a.) it's a vitally important story and b.) this proves Kerry is paying attention to the needy internets.

b.) was a little flippant - but only a little.

My mental scenario goes pretty much like yours. I imagine the usual suspects (Teddy, Boxer, Durbin et al) will be happy to stand with him. Not so sure about those mushy middlers.

I'm noticing papers all over the world have picked up the John Kerry to call for impeachment of George Bush headline. Not true, but there it is. If you read the stories themselves, they are pretty accurate, but they all have that stupid, misleading headline pasted on top.

On a side note, I find it absolutely fascinating the way this tiny local interview spread around the world in a matter of hours.

[TayTay]

3. Ahm, 'felt needs' anyone?

Sorry, just couldn't help myself. (I am rather bad sometimes.) I think a hell of a lot of people really want that to be true, even though it is dopey as hell. (Impeachment is a very serious matter. * deserves it, but the case has to be made. Damn, this would all be so much easier if we could just prove that * got a bj in the White House. Where is Jeff Gannon when we really need him?)

[whometense]

4. If only.

I've got a strong suspicion that sex isn't *'s driving motivation. Then again, I wonder what is? He's the original Nowhere Man.

[wisteria]

5. I 'm thinking we are going to see disappointment and anti- Kerry

rhetoric hit the DU by Wednesday or Thursday. I really hope not. I agree entirely with you that it could be very likely, that short of a call for impeachment for Bush, Kerry could receive some very unfair treatment if this DSM doesn't produce the much hyped hoped for results. You are absolutely right, it is very unfair to Kerry. Daily Kos probably already has a "see, I told you so" post ready to go.

[Klimmer]

6. I hope Kerry goes Galloway on the President and Senate . . .

We know they rule the White House, the Senate, and the House of Reps, but in a passionate speech so much can be accomplished as Galloway has so wonderfully demonstrated. I hope John doesn't hold back and just speaks the truth that we (on the "Internets") and the rest of the world all know (well . . . with the exception of the ignorant sheeple that voted for the shrub. Now many are waking up).

I'm reading Micheal Ruppert's "Crossing the Rubicon,"

http://www.fromthewilderness.com

. . . and the veil over my eyes is being ripped away, and I'm a progressive liberal! Micheal mentions in the introduction that 40 Senators subscribe to his newsletter. I'm willing to bet John Kerry is one of them. And if so, then he knows how unbelievably corrupt, wicked, and murderous this administration is and more. 9-11 was an inside job. It was their call to war. Follow the $$$$$$.

President Kerry, use the good book against them ---

"See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of
justice; righteousness used to dwell in her -- but now murderers! Your
rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow's case does not come before them." Isaiah 1: 21, 23


Give them hell John! :patriot:

[TayTay]

7. I don't think Galloway accomplished a lot

He managed to deliver straight forward responses to a questions from that smarmy Cheshire Cat Coleman, but I don't think anything changed as a result of his speech. The liberals liked it, and it was nice to see someone speak their mind plainly and with great passion. But I don't understand what he accomplished. The Rethugs disregarded him immediately and the Dems found his testimony to be a bit over -the-top.

Speaking loudly and rudely to Senators or other people in power doesn't accomplish that much, except get you on TV for a few hours. What I want from Senator Kerry is a nice speech (actually a barn-burner) and then weeks of sustained work to get the issue to the foreground of discussion. I want hearings, press interviews and a number of Dem Senators to appear at a special hearing on oversight. (The cowardly Rethugs refuse to hold any oversight hearings that might damage their moron chief. This is an abrogation of their Constitutional Powers to hold the Executive to high moral standards. They are a disgrace to the nation.)

Again, I have no problem with Galloway but neither do I see this as having any actual consequences. It was a quick hit and will have little to no effect on the day to day operations of either * or the Rethug Congress. These bastards specialize in ignoring what they don't want to hear. It will take sustained efforts by American politicians to force these chickenhawks into anything even resembling an oversight commission. This is what I want from my Junior Senator, I want a speech that tries to shame them into exercising their congressional powers. (Though they have no shame or honor or sense of moral decency, so it won't work. Sigh!)

[TayTay]

8. As an aside, Kerry does have some uniques in being able

to talk about this. Kerry recently took some hits from the Left in his home state when he didn't endorse full-out Gay Marriage. This led to a lot of grumbling by the liberals that he is not fully behind the movement to secure Gay Civil Rights. (This is ridiculous, but perception matters.)

This does leave Kerry with room, in Massachusetts, to move left on Iraq. He can mend a few fences with a grumpy group of libs who are always looking for reasons to suspect that Kerry is going right to take another stab at the Dem Nomination in '08. (He has actually voted a near 100% ADA line this year. How the Boston Globe and lib groups can think he is going right is beyond me. But there has been some grumbling.)

So, the opportunity to really bash the hell out of the Admin is there. The Iraq war is very unpopular here and *'s numbers never get out of the 30's. The local press is actively pushing Kerry to come out much more strongly against Bush's War. He has lots and lots of cover for this at home and it would help in image repair (slight though the damage was) with the progressives. It might turn interesting next week.

[whometense]

9. I agree. Nothing but upside for him locally

on this. And, seeing the way his comments to a small local paper got the big megaphone treatment online last week, it's a near perfect setup.

Kerry just goes around talking to his own constituents while the whole world eavesdrops. I love it. God, he's so smart.

Now everyone is holding their breath waiting to see what he'll say next week. Genius.

[ginnyinWI]

10. I know

I hope people aren't like some on DU who think he's going to be like Moses parting the Red Sea. But these types are never satisfied anyway, and they will remain on the fringe.

What I'd like to see is Kerry giving the Downing Street Memo a kick down the road to give it added momentum and publicity. It needs to be investigated and thoroughly covered by the media. It needs to sink into the heads of those Repubs who have had to rationalize one damn thing after another to keep justifying this administration to themselves. All their reasons need to be ruthlessly stripped away, and * shown naked to the country! He has no shame, but there should be enough who value their careers who can put pressure on him to either clean up his act, become accountable to the people (ha!) or to get out.

I watched Washington Journal this morning on Cspan. They took calls from about two GOPers, and about three times as many Dems. The ones who still stick to the president and his story are very, very angry at everyone. (theory of displacement, anyone?) The guests on the left seem expecially clear and rational, and those on the right lately have been making the lamest excuses. It's funny to see. Steve Cobble (AfterDowningStreet.org) had to smile, then commented on his right-leaning counterpart's argument, yesterday by saying that you know you've really got them when they start using quotes by Clinton, Kerry and other Dems to make their points (as this guy was doing).

I'm sure JK knows the best way to handle his peers and the media on this one. He's a pro. And he's got the truth on his side, as usual. All he needs to do is tell it.

[rox63]

11. The JK naysayers on DU

They have no idea how the Senate works. Kerry isn't going to be able to change this all by his lonesome. He is an influential Senator, even more so since he was the '04 Dem prez nominee. But he is still just 1 out 100 Senators. If he can just sway a couple of minds in the Senate, that would be a lovely result. Someone or something (don't know exactly what) changed Voinovich's mind on Bolton, so it's not an impossible task. JK can be a passionate speaker when he wants to be. I hope he lets it rip tomorrow.