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Kerry's Baseless Attack On Hillary Clinton

Obama surrogate Senator John Kerry launched a baseless attack on Senator Hillary Clinton. In an interview with Huff Po, Kerry launched an attack on Senator Clinton, claiming she was falsely attacking Senator Obama on his Iraq record, and then basically admitted his own attack was false:

. . . . Asked to respond to Clinton's contention that Obama has been more rhetoric than substance on Iraq -- speaking out against the war before entering the Senate, but voting for funding resolutions while in office -- Kerry said the attack was baseless. . . . "If you're criticisms and/or your attacks are not founded on accuracy, that's an unfortunate tactic under any circumstance, whatever you call it," said Kerry.

But not a moment later, Kerry admits the criticism is completely accurate:

When pressed to discuss how two presidential frontrunners differed on the war since Obama entered the Senate, Kerry did not cite a speech, policy, or vote. Indeed, he acknowledged their virtually identical voting records . . . "I think that he essentially -- in many ways as you go along the road, the votes we've had, they have paralleled each other on the votes," said Kerry. "But I think Barack has been very clear -- I mean they've both been clear that they are going to try and end the war in a way that is responsible. There is a great similarity in their articulation since then."

(Emphasis supplied.) Thanks for making Senator Clinton's point Senator Kerry. Too bad you prefaced it with a baseless attack on Senator Clinton.

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  • Display: Sort:
    In a way, this is a personal problem for him (5.00 / 1) (#2)
    by andgarden on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 08:11:02 AM EST
    As I recall, he invented the concept of the "Roadblock Republicans."

    Itf anyone had any doubts (5.00 / 3) (#3)
    by RalphB on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 08:11:30 AM EST
    about why this tool lost the race in '04, this should provide one clue.  Mr 'I voted for it before I voted against it' endorses Mr 'I was against it before I voted to fund it'.  A likely pair.

    sigh (none / 0) (#1)
    by Plutonium Page on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 08:07:12 AM EST
    [crude remark about location of Kerry's head self-censored]

    Kerry has a short memory.  I was a Deaniac and I remember Howard's attacks on Kerry et al. for their Iraq votes.  Or, maybe Kerry couldn't come up with anything original, and just dug up a few Dean comments from 2003-2004.

    Great post/find/analysis, as always, BTD.

    he has been my senator (none / 0) (#4)
    by neilario on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 08:45:26 AM EST
    and i have voted for him since the first time he went door to door as a new candidate in my neighborhood. i am definintely just disgusted with him - his lack of leadership and now his relentless desire to be relevant ... argh. i will vote for anyone but him next time. sigh...

    I tihnk it is pretty clear (none / 0) (#5)
    by Jgarza on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 09:29:05 AM EST
    since she cast her vote to authorize war, she has come around to Obama's side.  I think the baseless attack is attacking your opponent for having a record similar to yours.

    Good for John Kerry for calling out Clinton on such a  silly attack.

    so you are attacking Obama (none / 0) (#6)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 09:39:15 AM EST
    for attacking Clinton on Iraq here?

    Very interesting.

    Parent

    Obama has (none / 0) (#7)
    by Jgarza on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 09:49:03 AM EST
    distinguished his initial opposition, from Clinton's initial support.

    By her logic if you ever vote against war authorization you can't vote for funding or you are a flip flopper.  That is crazy, if that is our standard, no one will ever vote against a wars.

    She has also claimed that Obama said he would vote against funding the war. That is not accurate.

    Parent

    B?ut he has NOT admitted (none / 0) (#15)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 12:39:44 PM EST
    what Kerry says.

    Parent
    When I started reading the Kerry interview (none / 0) (#8)
    by oculus on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 10:16:42 AM EST
    last night, I thought, oh he can be an attack dog.  But then he capitulated without being asked a question.  Not a good role for him.

    lol (none / 0) (#10)
    by Jgarza on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 10:26:45 AM EST
    wow that has shades of 2004 all over it

    Parent
    Yeah (none / 0) (#9)
    by BDB on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 10:21:12 AM EST
    Kerry pretty much shows why he was a lousy candidate doesn't he?   Nice to see him playing to GOP stereotype and contradicting himself within a few paragraphs.

    Seriously, when I read that his endorsement of Obama was a big loss for Clinton because she had fought for his endorsement, I couldn't help but think - why had she fought so hard for his endorsement?  

    He would've made a decent president, much better than Bush, but he's a lousy advocate.  He did a terrible job on his own behalf and I'm quite sure he'll do a terrible job on Obama's.

    Because (none / 0) (#17)
    by DA in LA on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 03:39:06 PM EST
    He has a massive email list.  That is all the candidates wanted.

    Parent
    A side point (none / 0) (#11)
    by Dadler on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 11:59:58 AM EST
    None of these candidates has earned my vote yet, but what Clinton can't get around in this debate, and what Obama's camp has failed to focus on it its most simple form, is this: Obama's initial vote AGAINST this war, when doing so came with much more risk and derision and marginalization, translates into a track record that says, "Obama is more likely NOT to get us into another debacle like this in the future."  That's what Obama should keep it on, because if he does, the entire issue goes away, Clinton can't address it, because her initial vote tarnishes her record, both politically and morally, forever -- and in a manner any voter can read with caution.  As for ending this war, and how their votes have mirrored each others, it means nothing.  Clinton helped get us into this, Obama didn't.  While one can easily argue Obama hasn't done enough to get us out, Clinton has no ground to stand on when it comes to initial judgment and chances of future debacles.

    "it means nothing" (none / 0) (#12)
    by Dadler on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 12:03:56 PM EST
    i'm in error with this.  it obviously means something, but something entirely different.  Since we can never know exactly how they will act as president in the future to end this war, we do know how they HAVE acted and voted in positions of senatorial power when faced with starting a war.  

    Parent
    Obama Did Not Vote Against The War (none / 0) (#14)
    by BDB on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 12:37:49 PM EST
    Obama's problem, to some extent, was that he wasn't in the Senate at the time of the vote.  His opposition came in the form of a speech since he wasn't in the Senate.  His actual votes on the war are the same as Clinton's, which is what complicates his argument.  

    I've said before but I have no problem with Obama getting beaten up over not being more of an anti-war leader in the Senate.  Just as I have no problem with Clnton taking it on the chin for her original AUMF vote.  I think the more they get criticized for the failure to lead, the less likely they will fail in the future.  Too often these days the "safe" political thing is seen as going along even if you disagree, it's nice to see them squirm a little bit over failing to speak out.

    Parent

    interesting (none / 0) (#13)
    by Judith on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 12:25:02 PM EST
    they didnt print the interview - I'd like to see the actual interview to follow the conversation.


    Kerry...sigh... (none / 0) (#16)
    by oldpro on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 03:18:29 PM EST
    ...desperate to be relevant.  Job-shopping isn't going well.

    "Obama surrogate" (none / 0) (#18)
    by diogenes on Tue Jan 15, 2008 at 03:42:30 PM EST
    Maybe Kerry doesn't like Hillary not because he is Obama's surrogate but because he simply doesn't like Hillary.