Tom Hayden on HuffPo backs Kerry

[whometense]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-hayden/kerry-steps-upwho-will_b_18713.html

Kerry Steps Up...Who Will Respond? (18 comments )
READ MORE: Iraq, Rep. John Murtha, New York Times, Hillary Clinton, George W. Bush

Sen. John Kerry's call for a withdrawal from Iraq, published last Sunday in the New York Times, is the strongest anti-war stand yet taken by a national Democratic leader. The anti-war movement should strongly demand that other elected officials support Kerry's position, and that of Rep. John Murtha in the House, if only to show that there is a public constituency for the politics of peace.

If Kerry, the 2004 nominee, can be isolated in his own party for favoring withdrawal, it will reveal the fatal decline of progressive Democratic politics and perhaps set the stage for the coming presidential primaries, with Kerry either as a conscience or a candidate. The same has happened with Sen. Russ Feingold, a more likely candidate at this point. Feingold's more cautious and conditional call for setting a deadline for withdrawal has gone nowhere among Senate Democrats, nor has his resolution censuring the President received much Senate support beyond Tom Harkin and Barbara Boxer...

...Will Kerry, a much more formidable candidate, take the same course? No one can be certain, but the primary winds are blowing in the direction of peace and progressive politics. Sen. Hillary Clinton, the seemingly invincible front-runner, is not likely to emerge from Iowa and New Hampshire unscathed. Her hardline support of the Iraq War is not only mistaken and immoral, but appears to many voters as chronic opportunism. Unless the war suddenly ends, her credibility will suffer severely in the primaries.

This is why the "Kerry factor" becomes important. As the former nominee, Kerry commands media and public attention. As an anti-war voice, he is in sharp contrast with the silence of the lambs. As a potential presidential contender, he is a credible foil to the centrist hawks and challenges the party leaderhip to make up its mind...

The comments could use some help.

[MH1]

1. Mostly good..and it's in GD

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=880638&mesg_id=880638

Thanks to kpete!

I take exception though, to Hayden's claim that Kerry was "vascillating" (sic) on Iraq during the 2004 campaign. I understood where he stood on Iraq all the time. But then, Hayden is a peace activist and if I'm not mistaken (am I?) never served in the military himself. Perhaps someone who has no clue about military considerations at all just couldn't understand what Kerry was saying about Iraq in 2004. (btw this is a new thought for me...I have to consider this possibility more...maybe that's why so many didn't understand. Hmmm.)

[sandnsea]

10. I come from a non-military family

Not to offend anybody who has a tradition of service in their family, but mine has the opposite tradition. We just don't do the graduate from high school and go in the service thing. We all understood Kerry's position on Iraq. Maybe that's because we understood the purpose of the vote, and then understood all the lies that came out after the invasion. But still understood the danger a chaotic Iraq would mean for the region.

And for me personally, also understood that the left criticized the containment policy all through the 90's. But also wanted inspectors in Iraq. Because he was a good guy who was proiding free health care to all. Or something. Oh, and "Out Now" doesn't really mean out right now. :crazy:

But I am glad to see Hayden say this, he's written supportive pieces for Kerry before. He doesn't seem to be putting his ego over the war, and that's pretty rare.

[karynnj]

2. Nice support from him

I really wish though that he had concentrated more on the plan than the political consequences of the plan. I wonder if Feingold is any more isolated than he was before the Patriot Act extention and the Censure. After each, Reid took the Senate floor to praise Feingold for his inelligenge, princibles, knowledge of the constitution etc. They are poles apart politically but there was support.

With Kerry, from the second he lost - elements of the party seemed to rush to signal that he had no claim to leadership. Clinton's critisisms just weeks after the loss were unnecesary. The party clearly didn't rally around him then. Then after Alito, he was suppose to be an outcast. Now, he's questioning if he will be isolated because of an anti-war stance. It seems to me that the elegant patrician from Boston is, and like always been, supported more by the people than the party elite. He is a populist.

I'll go over and write a post that may or may not be posted.

[ProSense]

3. The comments there seem to have

been written by deceitful, moronic, imbeciles or psychotics who skipped their last dose of meds.

[fedupinBushcountry]

4. Beachmom posted an article

by Hayden yesterday. I also posted what Hayden said about Kerry's speech in October.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=273x80207

The article from Hayden on 4/6 is a bit confusing, especially since he was for Kerry's insight in October. :crazy:

[ProSense]

5. So he

flip flopped twice in as many days?

[fedupinBushcountry]

6. Confusing, huh? n/t

[Dr Ron]

7. What's the deal with comments at Huffington Post?

I posted a comment there within the last hour, but it isn't showing up yet.

Last night I posted a comment in response to another pro-Kerry post there. I kept checking back and didn't see it posted. Finally I did find it today--but after the discussion had died down so it is unlikley to be seen by many.

Anyone know about their process for putting comments through and why it takes so long?

[karynnj]

8. Could they have a pro-Kerry filter

I actually thought I was doing something wrong as it was over 5 hours before my first one last week posted - and as you note, the crowd is gone.

[Dr Ron]

9. I see Pamela got thru

While my pro-Kerry comment hasn't appeared, a new one from Pamela did show up.

I wonder if they have a system where people who have posted frequently have their posts show up quickly, while those of us with only a handful of posts have to wait for a human moderator to review. I'm just guessing, but at least this would be preferable than a pro-Kerry filter to slow down our messages.

[karynnj]

11. That would actually make sense

so the "trusted" frequent responders get through with the human moderator. (Though seeing what is there, I'm not sure what would be off limits.

[Dr Ron]

13. I wish we knew for sure

If We knew that frequent responders get through, and assuming it wouldn't take a huge number, it might be worth posting a bunch of comments on various threads so that our comments get thru when there is a Kerry post where it matters. My comment on the Hayden post still isn't up.

[kerrygoddess]

12. I'm posting something on the Dem Daily Forum

Check there in few

[Dr Ron]

14. Finally showed up

I find my comment is now there.

Not only aren't the comments posted until the discussion is over, but they sort of get lost. My post made was placed based upon the time I posted, but by the time it was posted there were several posts below it. If anyone is following the discussion by periodically looking at the most recent comments, they would miss the comments such as mine which are delayed for hours.