FRENCH DIP

Steak Raises Stakes for Kerry in Philly (Dana Milbank, Washington Post, 8/13/03)

If Sen. John F. Kerry's presidential aspirations melt like a dollop of Cheez Whiz in the sun, the trouble may well be traced to an incident in South Philadelphia on Monday.

There, the Massachusetts Democrat went to Pat's Steaks and ordered a cheesesteak -- with Swiss cheese. If that weren't bad enough, the candidate asked photographers not to take his picture while he ate the sandwich; shutters clicked anyway, and Kerry was caught nibbling daintily at his sandwich -- another serious faux pas.

'It will doom his candidacy in Philadelphia,' predicted Craig LaBan, food critic for the Philadelphia Inquirer, which broke the Sandwich Scandal. After all, Philly cheesesteaks come with Cheez Whiz, or occasionally American or provolone. But Swiss cheese? 'In Philadelphia, that's an alternative lifestyle,' LaBan explained.

And don't even mention Kerry's dainty bites. 'Obviously, Kerry's a high-class candidate, and he misread the etiquette,' LaBan said. 'Throwing fistfuls of steak into the gaping maw, fingers dripping -- that's the proper way.'

And people wonder why the President takes August off. Posted by David Cohen at August 13, 2003 4:31 PM