July 14, 2004
OOPS, NEVER MIND....:
Kerry Didn't Read Iraq Report Before Vote -- Aides (Adam Entous, 7/14/04, Reuters)
Democratic candidate John Kerry, whose campaign demanded to know on Wednesday whether President Bush read a key Iraq intelligence assessment, did not read the document himself before voting to give Bush the authority to go to war, aides acknowledged.
What makes this especially damaging fopr the Senator is that he says he'd only have gone to war if Saddam was an imminent threat--the President went in order to enforce the 1991 cease fire resolutions and liberate the country from a murderous tyranny. Posted by Orrin Judd at July 14, 2004 8:41 PM
Kerry must think that his base needs to hear he doesn't do anything as a Senator in order to keep their support. Pretty pathetic.
Posted by: jim hamlen at July 14, 2004 9:23 PMKerry has been so bad as a candidate that without the media pushing him he would be 15pts down by now.
Posted by: AWW at July 14, 2004 10:31 PMThere is just too much wrong with this, but to me the worst is that he just did not even bother to bone up on the details. It was merely a political call.
On our side, the worst is that we'll let the press let him get away with a huge gaffe on a major issue.
Posted by: JAB at July 14, 2004 10:52 PMFrankly, I don't believe it.
Posted by: David Cohen at July 15, 2004 7:36 AMWell, if he didn't read it, he can't be asked whether he believed it. If he had read and believed the intelligence, how could he criticize the President for believing it? If he read and didn't believe it, why did he vote for the war? Either way is embarrassing.
Posted by: pj at July 15, 2004 8:55 AM"the President went in order to enforce the 1991 cease fire resolutions"
That is sufficient for me. Hopefully Bush can push that idea a little stronger than he has in the past.
As far as reading material etc.. Everyone knows that Bush is a dunderhead, with dsylexia, and I would hope they don't expect him to actually read that stuff. Kerry on the other hand is mental giant fully able assess intelligence reports, and balance all the nuanced interpretations.
Posted by: h-man at July 15, 2004 10:19 AMYes Hman; and Kerry was reported to have 200 economic advisers in his election campaign. How I hope that is true and that Krugman is one of them. His final economic position for the campaign will be announced in May, 2005.
Posted by: genecis at July 15, 2004 10:34 AMHe could say "I read it before I didn't read it."
Posted by: Robert Duquette at July 16, 2004 5:02 PM