Reply #3: I suspect that that see the possibility of getting Kerry as a powerful advocate

[karynnj]

who could fight for them. Kerry IS on the super committee. The fact though is that Kerry really does not have the power to do what even Obama can't. It is particularly absurd to yell at Kerry that he "has to do something on climate change". What the hell do they think that he worked on harder than anyone last year?

I also have a huge problem with radicals ON EITHER SIDE that she compromise as evil - and inflexibility as a virtue. Now, I disagree with unilateral compromise, but the fact is that ANY proposal needs to be compared to the status quo (or to what will happen if there is no compromise).

The fact is that I don't think there are many legislators that the OWS approves of. I think Kerry understands this from his own protests. He said some pretty strong things to the Senators of 1971 - every bit as strong as what these people are saying. Like Kerry then, they had reached a point where they were speaking against intolerable situations. There were many on the SFRC who had been "better" on Vietnam - as Kerry is to most on the banks/income inequality etc. Yet, Kerry took his comments to them - far more publicly than these demonstrators. He also did not preface his comments on leaders who abandoned the vets by excluding those he was speaking to. It might have been that speaking to those with the most power AND who had some of the best records on the issue was done because they were the most likely to actually be moved (or troubled) by the truths he spoke.

Here, Kerry is powerful. Kerry's record is that of a social justice Catholic - and he should be more sympathetic to their calls than most. I trust that Kerry will aim to do what he thinks is best for the country, but I don't expect everyone to have that trust. In 2005 or 2006, in a Daily Kos diary, it was mentioned that Kerry spoke of the need for people to lobby their Senators on issues they cared about and spoke of how very few people spoke to him about Iraq. It is good that they are petitioning him on the issue.

That said, it would have been better to go to his office. Finally the Scary Kerry chant needs to go as it reeks of the same juvenile rhyme used by the RW. On the vast majority of votes, Kerry is voting exactly as they want.

As to why not Brown:
- They likely do not see flipping him as possible - making it a waste of time.
- He does not have the power Kerry does
- They likely see that Kerry will listen and to care about the concerns they raise.