The Boston Globe, which knows its "favorite son" best, has three op-eds this morning contrasting the Massachusetts native with the shrub. There's the real warrior versus paternal protector model from Ellen Goodman, the liberal versus liar model in Joan Vennochi's column and then there's Jeff Jacobi's column from which it is only possible to conclude that the proper designation for the presumptive Democratic nominee is "flip-flop Kerry."
While I am inclined to agree with all three commentators, I'm not sure the liberal-liar comparison has it quite right. Because, though it isn't logically proper to call a promise about something that hasn't yet happened a lie, if it doesn't turn out as expected, surely in retrospect unkept promises that are repeated turn into lies.
I mean, isn't that what's happened with the shrub's claims about the WMD? Poor intelligence may have led him to make false promises before the attack and exploration of Iraq. But, after the evidence started accumulating that there are and were no WMD, the reassertion that they were there is a lie.
Indeed, when one looks at flip-flop Kerry's record of accomplishments, it's pretty obvious that he's only liberal in the sense of taking liberties with the truth. From which I at least have to conclude that the man is not to be trusted. But then his personal relationships with women should have told us that, shouldn't it?
That's just what the Democratic party needs, a Catholic liar going into Baptist country preaching courage and virtue and fidelity and truth!!!!
If we go for that, then we are really stupid and deserve to be misled by the shrub for another term.
Dear Robert Oler:
I have been around this Blog for quite a while. I don't post very often because I'm a quiet sort a guy. I think you are a good Democrat and applaud your commitment to Gov. Dean and Democrats in general.
You have taken many bloggers here to task for their criticism of Sen. Kerry's Viet-Nam service. I don't see them criticizing his service, what I see is criticism of his post service actions.
Many of us veterans were volunteers, many others were drafted, but we all tried to do our duty the best we could.
When we came home, we didn't come home to cheering crowds,parades,or thankful Americans with tears in their eyes throwing flowers, like we did when we came home from Desert Storm.
What we came home to were crowds of anti-war protesters, spitting on us, throwing blood on us, and calling us baby killers.
This in large part was due to Kerry's Anti-war activities. He threw another patriot's medals away while he had his tucked safely away in his pocket, only to proudly display them later on his "I Love Me Wall" for all to see.
No Robert, we don't cricicize Kerry's service, we criticize his actions after. He didn't come home to jeering, spitting crowds. He was part of that crowd.
Patrick Sherwood
Russellville, Missouri
patem4159@earthlink.net