February 12, 2004
PRESIDENT EDWARDS, I PRESUME? (via Paul Cella):
CAMPAIGN DRAMA ROCKS DEMOCRATS: KERRY FIGHTS OFF MEDIA PROBE OF RECENT ALLEGED INFIDELITY, RIVALS PREDICT RUIN (DRUDGE REPORT, FEB 12, 2004)
A frantic behind-the-scenes drama is unfolding around Sen. John Kerry and his quest to lockup the Democratic nomination for president, the DRUDGE REPORT can reveal.Intrigue surrounds a woman who recently fled the country, reportedly at the prodding of Kerry, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.
A serious investigation of the woman and the nature of her relationship with Sen. John Kerry has been underway at TIME magazine, ABC NEWS, the WASHINGTON POST and the ASSOCIATED PRESS, where the woman in question once worked.
If nothing else, we're likely to hear less about how he's the one candidate who's been in foxholes...
On the other hand, this would explain Mrs. Heinz insisting on a prenup.
MORE:
Job Seeker Is Model Constituent (Gayle Fee And Laura Raposa, Sept 2, 1998, The Boston Herald)
Question of the day: Who was the statuesque blonde strutting out of Sen. John Kerry's palatial Louisburg Square manse late Monday night when Kerry's wife, heiress Teresa Heinz, was on Nantucket?We are told she is a 22-year-old Harvard student and former model who, Kerry's people claim, was dropping off a resume.
Our spies on the Square say the stunning Southern gal, dressed in oh-so-chic black, arrived at Kerry's townhouse around 11:15 p.m. and left just before the clock struck 12.
Not unlike Cinderella.
Which leads us to ask: In the age of Monica Lewinsky, is it smart for a senator with presidential aspirations to be entertaining attractive women when the wife is away?
And here we'd always heard that Strom Thurmond had the best constituent services operation in the Senate... Posted by Orrin Judd at February 12, 2004 11:50 AM
And just yesterday we declared the Democrats' Clinton era over...
Posted by: oj at February 12, 2004 11:56 AMA week or so ago it was a dissapointment to the GOP that Kerry appeared to be the nominee instead of Dean. The past week of exposure to Kerry has lessened the GOP anxiety. Now will they be dissapointed if Kerry falls behind Edwards and Bush has to face Edwards?
Posted by: AWW at February 12, 2004 12:07 PMAnother point - if this is true and other Dems pulled the trigger is it because they were beginning to realize Kerry wasn't that great for November?
Posted by: AWW at February 12, 2004 12:09 PMMy question is: does this really matter? Didn't Clinton embed the idea that personal behavior doesn't matter? Are there enough people out there who still believe in marital fidelity?
Posted by: mc at February 12, 2004 12:11 PMThus cementing Kerry's image as Clinton-lite.
Posted by: Mike Earl at February 12, 2004 12:11 PMCan't this be good news for Kerry as a sign of life? It comes down to Teresa, doesn't it? How badly does she want to be First Lady?
Posted by: David Cohen at February 12, 2004 12:12 PMThis has the makings of a media feeding frenzy. The sharks smell the blood--er, ketchup, and we'll soon know if Kerry had a tomato on the side.
Posted by: Mike Morley at February 12, 2004 12:12 PMI’ll temper my enthusiasm until other news outlets report in more detail. I would also feel sympathy for Mrs. Heinz, and such sympathy will make her even madder than she already must be.
Posted by: Mike at February 12, 2004 12:19 PMHelp me if I have the facts wrong, but didn't Kerry have a marriage annulled after having two children by it? I mean, I never quite got the idea of annulment unless the marriage was less than a year old or so. This whole "annulment, not divorce" of a marriage with two children strikes me as patently absurd, and, dare I say it, another example of JK planting himself firmly on both sides.
And I have a gut sense that the GOP is getting used to JK, has plenty of ammo, and is going to sit very quietly until the nomination is all but foregone. In that sense, maybe we should all shut up and let them nominate him. The GOP attacks on Kerry seem sorta half-hearted at best (at least at this point.)
"Don't throw us into that briar patch.... pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaassssse!"
Posted by: Andrew X at February 12, 2004 12:37 PMNow I am confused. Isn't extra-marital activity a de facto Dem Nominee prerequisite?
Posted by: John Resnick at February 12, 2004 12:46 PMCan a president run for re-election un-opposed?
Posted by: BJW at February 12, 2004 12:51 PMBJW - don't worry, Hillary will coming riding at the last minute to save the party.
Posted by: AWW at February 12, 2004 01:22 PMWe know where his head his, but where's hers?
Dropping of a resume at 11 PM? At his HOUSE?
How about the next AM w/a note?
What did she think he was going to do, rouse someone out of bed to review it?
Posted by: Sandy P. at February 12, 2004 02:04 PMAnd here we'd always heard that Strom Thurmond had the best constituent services operation in the Senate...
There's a distinction between "constituent service" and "being serviced by your constituents."
Posted by: Mike Morley at February 12, 2004 02:05 PM"Foxholes" -- worth the price of admission.
Posted by: Charlie Murtaugh at February 12, 2004 02:10 PMMaybe this woman was recommended by Chris Lehane (via Bill Clinton).
I would actually watch "Crossfire" to hear Carville and Begala talk about this stuff.
At this rate, the Democratic nominee will be Dennis Kucinich, and the NYT will endorse him.
Posted by: jim hamlen at February 12, 2004 02:20 PMA good laugh can be had over at the Corner where all the columnists are moaning about how the GOP is going to be blamed for the story.
Posted by: Jason Johnson at February 12, 2004 02:25 PMJason - true, NRO strives hard to figure out how a story will hurt the GOP. It's possible if Kerry gets a boost from a) not appeared dead, and b) pulls a Clinton 'none of your business attitude". And of course if you think Edwards is a better candidate than Kerry then it could hurt the GOP.
Posted by: AWW at February 12, 2004 02:31 PMExcept that it was apparently Wes Clark who told reporters that Kerry was going to implode because of an "intern problem".
Posted by: oj at February 12, 2004 02:36 PMThe ideal situtation for the Stupid Party is for Kerry to wrap this up, then disappear into the same void that enveloped Dole in '96. Stuff like this not only might keep the Dems nomination process open, but gives JF***Kerry some free publicity. A scandal it won't be.
Worse, it gives JF***Kerry a chance to learn how to do damage control now instead of in October when people will be paying attention.
On the up side, this might make the Missus less likely to give the Ketchup Kid the advance on his allowance he's gonna need to fund this campaign.
To sum it up
1. Kerry= Bimbo eruption
2. Edwards= Bimbo
3. Dean= eruption
I don't get it. She's having it off with a presidential candidate, and it's in the open and she flees the country?
How is she going to cash in on all the TV appearances and stuff if she acts like that?
Posted by: Harry Eagar at February 12, 2004 05:21 PMElizabeth Ward Gracen, who was assaulted by Bill Clinton, did the same thing and she was an actress for cripes sake.
Posted by: oj at February 12, 2004 05:31 PMProbably because she didn't want to wind up saying Hi! to Vince Foster...
Posted by: Ken at February 12, 2004 05:50 PM