Terry McAuliffe Lambasts Kerry Campaign in Scrappy Memoir(AP's Nedra Pickler reviews McAuliffe Book)

[papau]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/D/DEMOCRATS_MCAULIFFE_BOOK?SITE=OKPON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Jan 5, 8:03 AM EST


Former Democratic Party Boss Terry McAuliffe Lambasts Kerry Campaign in Scrappy Memoir

By NEDRA PICKLER Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Former Democratic Party boss and Clinton friend Terry McAuliffe is lambasting John Kerry's unsuccessful presidential campaign, calling his effort to unseat President Bush "one of the biggest acts of political malpractice in the history of American politics."

In his scrappy memoir, McAuliffe criticizes the 2004 campaign that he was responsible for defending but ultimately lost to what he describes as a more organized Republican machine. McAuliffe calls the Kerry campaign gun-shy, distracted and incompetent.<snip>

The book, "What a Party! My Life Among Democrats: Presidents, Candidates, Donors, Activists, Alligators and Other Wild Animals," goes on sale Jan. 23, but copies have already shown up in some bookstores.<snip>

He had an insider's look at the Clintons' marriage during the Monica Lewinsky scandal - going along on a chilly Clinton family vacation to Utah a month after the impeachment vote and watching Mrs. Clinton silently click through channel after channel reporting on her husband's infidelities before settling on ESPN. He wrote that the president described the period to him as "an absolute living hell."<snip>

McAuliffe said Kerry's camp was so afraid of offending swing voters that it didn't defend his record or criticize Bush. He said he was muzzled by Kerry's aides from assailing Bush's military record.

He said the campaign also ordered speeches at the Democratic National Convention to be scrubbed of any mention of Bush's name or his record - although McAuliffe privately encouraged firebrand Al Sharpton to go ahead with his attacks on the president in his crowd-pleasing speech.

"I thought the decision of the Kerry campaign to back off any real criticism of Bush was one of the biggest acts of political malpractice in the history of American politics," he said.<snip>

[Xipe Totec]

1. Oh yea? Well Terri is a, a, ah...

I got nothing :shrug:

As much as I wanted the big guy to win, it galled me to see him walk away from fight after fight with the Chimperor.

[papau]

3. I was at the 7 pm victory celebration in Boston - and felt lousy for a year -

actually, make that I felt more lousy than usual during the 6 years to date of Bush.

There is no way Kerry gets a second chance.

[turbo_satan]

2. I want someone to tell me how Bob Shrum keeps getting work

What is he in big races -- 0 for 9 now?

[papau]

5. Bob Shrum is a mystery to me - and although I like Donna Brazile - not all her advice but

I do think we need her at the table, her obvious plant of a demand that Clinton hire her (planting the comment in the media that DNC/Hillary staff is "shockingly white" - which is not true) (see http://www.washtimes.com/national/20061027-112931-2904r.htm - the Democratic National Committee is hiring more black advertisers, pollsters and grass-roots operatives...) is quite annoying.

This is at least the 3rd time Donna Brazile has planted such a story (my only proof that it was Donna that planted the story is the fact she has planted such stories in the past- so I jump to the conclusion she is at it again).

It must be hard to get a gig when you can't really give a lot of detail as to what you are going to bring/to add to the team.

[dflprincess]

4. Does McAuliffe explain why he did not have a

well oiled Democratic machine in place before the 2004 campaign even began? He should have had the state party organizations ready to hit the ground the day after Kerry was nominated.

[blm]

15. Terry is revising history because Dean proved the DNCs targetted state strategy

that they had in place in 2000, 2002, and 2004 was a failure that assured the votes Dem candidates earned couldn't get secured and counted.

Had that strategy STILL been in place in 2006, the Dems would still be the minority.

[Peace Patriot]

6. I don't believe a word Terry McCauliffe says. He's the bastard who colluded

with Christiopher Dodd, and the biggest crooks in the Anthrax Congress--Tom Delay and Bob Ney--to destroy our election system by selling it to Bushite corporations, to be run on TRADE SECRET, PROPIETARY programming code, fast-tracked throughout the country with $3.9 billion in boondoggle funding from the "Help American Vote For Bush Act" of 2002.

UNFORGIVABLE. This is the man whom we most needed to be vigilant over our election system. This is the man who screwed us, and may have destroyed American democracy itself. And Donna Brazille is not much better. TOTAL CORPORATE SELLOUT on the MOST important of our rights!

[rox63]

7. McAulliffe is the one who should have secured our voting system before 2004

He let the party infrastructure deteriorate so badly that the only thing that can save it is Dean's 50-state strategy. And while that has gotten a good start, it will be many more years until we have a strong party apparatus in all 50-states.

McAuliffe never wanted Kerry to win, because his loyalties lie elsewhere. If Kerry had won, his candidate wouldn't have been able to run in 2008. So he did everything he could to undermine Kerry's campaign, while still trying to look like a loyal Democrat.

McAuliffe is a snake - He never had the long-term best interests of the country or of party as a priority.

[wisteria]

8. McAuliffe is out to make money and get a nod from the Clinton's.

Why it has even been reported both of the Clinton's are throwing separate parties in honor of this so called book. The 04 campaign has been rehashed over and over again and McAuliffe obviously is hitting hard at Kerry on Senator Clinton's behalf.
Much of what he says can be refuted and one has to question why he feels he is an expert on running elections when he lost us the White House in 2000, the house and senate in 2002 and yes, the 2004 election. He was the head of the DNC back then after all.
McAuliffe would be wise to remember that many people followed the 04 election very closely and have come away with an entirely different and positive point of view about Senator Kerry's campaign.
IMO, McAuliffe is shilling for the Clinton's and bashing a good fellow Democrat- Kerry, who by the way, has not said a bad word about McAuliffe's poorly run DNC back in 2004.

[stillcool]

9. eff him, ...shoulda coulda woulda

that's so helpful now. I don't know...maybe it's just me...but I've had my fill of insignificant, nonsensical bullshit being cast about for reactions sake by a bunch of lousy has-beens. Who's he hawking his wares for anyway?

[Bumblebee]

10. I am not a fan of McAuliffe but Kerry did run a lousy campaign in

a race that was his to lose, big time. Edwards was frustrated with it too. Kerry people were so cautious, so non-confrontational, as to be almost willingly led to a slaughter. I kept watching the footage of the young Kerry and wished THAT Kerry was running instead of the current one.

[papau]

12. Looking back I agree - but at the time I thought Kerry walked on water -n/t

n/t

[lancdem]

11. I totally agree with his criticism of Kerry's campaign

I'm still pissed he didn't fight back enough. :mad:

[globalvillage]

13. Three Time Loser McAuliffe

should have quit while he was behind. What was McAwful's excuse for '00 and '02?

“This is all about *insert Dem sellout* selling books. And if he were just another Republican with a book, he wouldn't sell any. But a Democrat out whacking Democrats helps him sell books.

This is a blatant materialism for him to sell more books. Nobody cares what *insert Dem sellout* thinks.”

-Terry McAuliffe

[globalvillage]

14. Bring Me The Head of Terry McAuliffe

Democratic leaders need to look in the mirror when they ask why they lost the Senate. One much-needed quick fix: Replace the failed party chair.

By Arianna Huffington

November 7, 2002 | The Republicans got it all Tuesday night. They got the House. They got the Senate. They got at least 20 of the 36 governorships at stake. And they got a massive boost of political momentum -- just as those ever-unreliable polls were hinting at a leak in the president's high-flying popularity balloon.

The Democrats, on the other hand, got almost nothing -- other than a kick in the butt and, one hopes, a wake-up call. Heading into Election Day, the party leadership had been positively giddy. Democratic National Committee chair Terry McAuliffe even went so far as to guarantee a win in the Florida governor's race, crowing, "Jeb Bush is gone." He also gladly accepted Tim Russert's challenge to put his money where his mouth was by donating $2,000 to charity if his prediction of surefire Senate wins for Walter Mondale and Jean Carnahan didn't pan out. Get out your checkbook, Terry. And while you've got that pen in your hand, why not start jotting down your letter of resignation?

http://dir.salon.com/story/politics/feature/2002/11/07/...

[DeeDeeNY]

16. But Kerry actually did win

I agree he should have criticized Bush more.
But even so, if the voting was accurate, he would have won.
I'm just sayin.