Reply #1: That was a great article, I agree

[TayTay]

It was one of the best recent articles on Sen. Kerry as Chair of FRC.

I like Andrew Bacevich. His books can be a difficult read because Prof Bacevich is arguing from the point of view of an apostate to war. I am deeply heartened to hear that Sen. Kerry spent an hour or so alone with the good Professor, exploring his views.

Sen. Kerry is a "thinker." This is one of his best attributes and the one that leaves him open to criticism from his foes. The people who dislike the Senator dislike him precisely because he takes time to sort out what he is thinking and builds a solid foundation under his views. In this age of 24 hour news when the punditry wants everything now and wants all opinions now, it is rare to see someone who stops to think. Again, this is one of the great strengths of the good Senator from MA. It also makes him vulnerable to his critics. (DU is two-faced on this as well. The often heard remark that Kerry lacked fire in the 04 campaign and the surprise when someone actually listens to the Senator speak with conviction and purpose are part of that disconnect that wants a "man of action" not a person who thinks things through. The arguments are hypocritical and deeply anti-intellectual, btw.)

We saw Sen. Kerry become a force of nature against the Iraq War policies of George Bush in 2006. He was right. His speeches and focus during that time period were superb. The fact that he was right made him unpopular with members of his own party who did not want a moral voice dictating Democratic policy going forward. It is going to be completely fascinating to watch these hearings.

It is not interesting to watch someone like Reagan or Bush "deliberate," mostly because they don't do it. These folks found that action was virtue and that thinking something through was somehow "wimpy." This is the American anti-intellectualism in full bloom. It gets people killed, imho, but it is a part of the American character to admire action for action's sake.

(This is also an ironic discussion. Sen. Kerry also seems to be something of an adrenaline junkie who loves challenging sports and loves to compete. There are interesting competing strains in him, which is why he is so fascinating to watch.)