Kerry, Same Old Jive?

[Ulysses G.]

Kerry fails to back up foreign 'endorsements'

By Charles Hurt and Stephen Dinan

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

Sen. John Kerry refuses to provide any information to support his assertion earlier this week that he has met with foreign leaders who beseeched him to prevail over President Bush in November's election.

The Massachusetts Democrat has made no official foreign trips since the start of last year, according to Senate records and his own published schedules. And an extensive review of Mr. Kerry's travel schedule domestically revealed only one opportunity for the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee to meet with foreign leaders here.

On Monday, Mr. Kerry told reporters in Florida that he'd met with foreign leaders who privately endorsed him.

"I've met with foreign leaders who can't go out and say this publicly," he said. "But, boy, they look at you and say: 'You've got to win this. You've got to beat this guy. We need a new policy.' Things like that."

Aides and supporters of Mr. Kerry have said providing names of the leaders or their countries would injure those nations' ongoing relations with the current Bush administration.

"In terms of who he's talked to, we're not going to discuss that," spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said yesterday. "I know it would be helpful, but we're not going into that. His counsels are kept private."

Mr. Kerry has made other claims during the campaign and then refused to back them up, including statements that Mr. Bush delayed the deal with Libya to give up its weapons of mass destruction program for political reasons.

Republicans have begun calling Mr. Kerry the "international man of mystery," and said his statements go even beyond those of former Vice President Al Gore, who was besieged by stories that he lied or exaggerated throughout the 2000 presidential campaign.

"I think it's beyond that level. The results of this week, I think he's going to have a very serious credibility problem with the American people," said Rep. Deborah Pryce, Ohio Republican and chairman of the House Republican Conference.

The Kerry campaign declined to say where or when Mr. Kerry met with foreign leaders and discussed his presidential campaign, which officially began Sept. 2 last year. They refused to give any hints about the leaders such as what region, what continent or even which hemisphere they're from. The Kerry aides also have refused to say how many foreign leaders privately have endorsed their boss.

According to travel records kept by the Secretary of the Senate, Mr. Kerry's last official trip abroad was in early 2002 when he visited the United Kingdom, Jordan, Egypt and Israel. The only other trip noted in Senate records since that time is an October 2002 domestic trip to Charleston, S.C., to appear on MSNBC's Hardball program.

The Washington Times also scoured White House, State Department and other public records for all official trips made to the United States by foreign leaders since the start of last year. During more than 30 such trips, Mr. Kerry was out of town campaigning, at home or in the hospital for a prostate-cancer operation, according to his travel schedules from this year and last.

The only instance found when Mr. Kerry was in the same town as a foreign leader was Sept. 24, when New Zealand Foreign Minister Philip Goff was in Washington meeting with State Department officials. On that day, according to his schedule, Mr. Kerry received the endorsement of the International Association of Fire Fighters in Washington.

Meanwhile, Mr. Bush was in New York meeting with the leaders of Germany, India, Pakistan, Ghana and Mozambique on that same day.

Pressed about the lack of evidence for any such meetings, Ms. Cutter said world leaders are weary of Mr. Bush's "go-it-alone" handling of the war in Iraq.

"After September 11, we had an enormous amount of good will from around the world for helping us seek out who was responsible" for the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, she said. "This administration quickly squandered that good will by pursuing a very arrogant foreign policy. It's time to rejoin the community of nations."

It may well be true that leaders are pulling for Mr. Kerry to win.

A survey of world opinion in 2003 for the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that in most countries, Mr. Bush ranked lower in popularity than Russian President Vladimir Putin, German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, French President Jacques Chirac and British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Other presidential candidates also have been dogged by charges they were not truthful. In 1988, Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr., Delaware Democrat, withdrew from the presidential campaign after news reports that he had lifted whole passages from speeches by British Labor party leader Neil Kinnock.

Republicans said they are beginning to see a pattern in Mr. Kerry's remarks.

In a February meeting with the editorial board from the New York Daily News, Mr. Kerry said Mr. Bush, for political reasons, delayed closing the deal to have Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi surrender his weapons of mass destruction program.

"There's evidence that we could have had that deal some time ago," Mr. Kerry told the newspaper, saying he had heard "from friends in the British government that the deal was in a slow lock."

But the paper said Mr. Kerry refused to give specifics.

Then earlier this month, Mr. Kerry called for an investigation into whether the U.S. overthrew Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, telling NBC's "Today" show a "very close friend in Massachusetts" had talked with people who had made accusations that Mr. Aristide had been kidnapped.

"I don't know the truth of it. I really don't. But I think it needs to be explored, and we need to know the truth of what happened," Mr. Kerry said.

Republicans said Mr. Kerry's remarks remind them of former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark, who said — and later recanted — that he knew of a secret Pentagon memo listing the next countries after Iraq to be attacked in the war on terror.

In a speech to the Dupage County Lincoln Day dinner in Oak Brook, Ill., last night, Republican National Committee Chairman Ed Gillespie said Mr. Kerry has "a more vivid imagination than General Clark."

"Kerry's imaginary friends have British and French accents," Mr. Gillespie said.

Sen. George Allen, Virginia Republican and third-highest ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said such a political conversation occurring between a U.S. senator and the leader of a foreign country is hard to imagine.

"It would just be so inappropriate," he said. "I think it would be insulting."

Several foreign leaders denied having any such conversations with Mr. Kerry, including Mr. Schroeder, whose spokesman issued a denial.

And Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer told Australian radio this week that the remarks certainly didn't come from Australian leaders. He said it's not right either for leaders to make those comments or for a candidate to make them public.

"I think it's probably better to keep foreign leaders and the views of foreign leaders out of domestic elections, I mean, certainly we do that here in this country. I mean, people express different views to you, if you're a candidate, I tend not to pass on those kinds of views publicly," he said.

Even if Mr. Kerry's comments are true, several Republicans said, it's hardly something to brag about.

Republicans mocked Mr. Kerry after European newspapers reported that North Korea leader Kim Jong-il would prefer that Mr. Kerry win.

"Rather than dealing with President George W. Bush and hawkish officials in his administration, Pyongyang seems to hope victory for the Democratic candidate on November 2 would lead to a softening in U.S. policy towards the country's nuclear-weapons program" according to London's Financial Times, which said that Mr. Kerry's speeches are being broadcast on Radio Pyongyang and reported in "glowing" terms.

"The mullahs in Iran probably don't care to have Bush in there because he won't suffer terrorists or the country's that harbor them," said Mr. Allen. "I want a president who cares about what's right rather than the U.N. protocols."

And a poll taken by Andres McKenna Polling and Research found that Americans overwhelmingly believe "the terrorists would prefer" Mr. Kerry to win the election.

The poll of 800 registered voters, taken in February, showed 60 percent thought terrorists would be happier with Mr. Kerry, while just 25 percent said the terrorists would prefer Mr. Bush.

Said Ms. Cutter: "I don't care what the Republicans are saying. The story here is the good will squandered by the Bush administration."

[lamphun]

Ullysses G. What's your opinion on this article ?

To me Kerry is being accused of pretending to know foreign leaders. This seems a bit unlikely as considering his "elite" background he's bound to know quite a few foreign politicians. I understand that he's actually related to a senior French diplomat. The article keeps going on about "official" travel. What about private visits ?

Most likely this article is a smear tactic. Either he's a Walter Mitty, or he's been talking to foreigners behind the back of the administration, in which case he's too friendly with the enemy and can't be trusted.

[Ulysses G.]

Ullysses G. What's your opinion on this article ?

I just think that it is funny he can't get any of these "foreign dignitaries" to go on the record supporting him.

Also I love the line, "Kerry's imaginary friends have British and French accents,"

Do I think he's lying? No, but with no one willing to stand up for him, he might as well be.

[Thaiquila]

Ullysses G. What's your opinion on this article ?

I just think that it is funny he can't get any of these "foreign dignitaries" to go on the record supporting him.

Also I love the line, "Kerry's imaginary friends have British and French accents,"

Do I think he's lying? No, but with no one willing to stand up for him, he might as well be.

Uh huh.

Go ahead and grasp at straws.

Kerry made a minor mistake in talking about the support of world leaders. It was very bad form for him to talk about it, and it would have been very bad form for foreign leaders to confirm it. Domestic political decisions for any country should ideally stay in that country. Kerry knows he made an error, but this minor gaffe will have no effect on the election, which is not until November.

[mouse]

I once was tasked to meet an Aircraft at Aviano Air Base in Italy. To my surprise I found Air Force One arriving and the President of the United Satets disembarked and went to a local Restaurant. After Dinner and meeting a few local officials the aircraft departed. Not a word in the news, not a word anywhere. So I would presume that Foreign Heads of State visit the USA every so often without it being in the news headlines.

[Boon Mee]

The Ketchup King can't be trusted period. He lied about Vietnam Vets committing atrocities, hung out with Jane Fonda, will raise taxes if elected &, not the least of which, he's a LIBERAL!!!

Boon Mee

[Thaiquila]

The Ketchup King can't be trusted period.  He lied about Vietnam Vets committing atrocities, hung out with Jane Fonda, will raise taxes if elected &, not the least of which, he's a LIBERAL!!!

Boon Mee

Response to your absurd points.

Kerry's wife is a wealthy, intelligent woman (unlike dufus smiley face Laura Bush) and a major asset to president presumptive Kerry.

There are some doubts about Kerry Viet Nam war atrocities. There is no way this is going to be a factor in the election. The right wing likes war atrocities and the left wing is for Kerry and will not push it.

Jane Fonda. Ancient history. Irrelevant.

Will raise taxes? TRUE, and good riddance. The plan is to raise taxes on people making over 200K USD annually to the levels they were under Clinton. This money is needed to address the massive Bush deficits.

Liberal? TRUE. And Bush is radical right wing conservative. What's your point?

[Boon Mee]

<<Jane Fonda. Ancient history. Irrelevant.>>

Maybe in some of those rarified, elite, so-called "intellectual" circles but it ain't gonna be forgotten by us Vietnam Vets - ever!

Senator Flip-Flop will raise taxes on small business owners and anyone making over 75k$ per year to fund his 900 billion dollar Medicare "plan". Don't know about you, Taiquila, but if I've got to pay more in taxes, the guy don't get my vote.

My point re. liberals is they got their heads in the sand or more aptly put - they regard the world through rose-colored glasses. The operative term here is they use subjective thinking - it's all about what they regard is good for the masses as opposed to, in this case, stomping out these evil Islamofascists that are killing folks.

Boon Mee

[adjan jb]

in this case, stomping out these evil fascists that are killing folks.

Boon Mee

May I remind you that in another thread you confess your admiration for Franco.

[Thaiquila]

<<Jane Fonda. Ancient history. Irrelevant.>>

Maybe in some of those rarified, elite, so-called "intellectual" circles but it ain't gonna be forgotten by us Vietnam Vets - ever!

Senator Flip-Flop will raise taxes on small business owners and anyone making over 75k$ per year to fund his 900 billion dollar Medicare "plan". Don't know about you, Taiquila, but if I've got to pay more in taxes, the guy don't get my vote.

My point re. liberals is they got their heads in the sand or more aptly put - they regard the world through rose-colored glasses. The operative term here is they use subjective thinking - it's all about what they regard is good for the masses as opposed to, in this case, stomping out these evil Islamofascists that are killing folks.

Boon Mee

The only people who care about the Fonda smear are RIGHT WING WACKOS who are going to vote for the Bush regime anyway!

Do you make more than 200K? That is the figure I heard. If you do, pay more taxes and stop being such a pig. Your country which you cleaim to love, needs your help in a time of crisis.

Islamic terrorists are not fascists. They are crazed religious fundamentalists. Many of Bushs supports are also crazed religious fundamentalists. Dangerous stuff!

[the gentleman]

in this case, stomping out these evil fascists that are killing folks.

Boon Mee

May I remind you that in another thread you confess your admiration for Franco.

Yes adjan jb, he did.

Also this photo with Kerry and Fonda - the man who took the real photo was on Larry King about 2 weeks ago and showed the actual photo he took - since he took the photo, I think he might have a bit more knowledge than Boon Mee.

Kerry - a war hero, who is against war - I love him!

[Thaiquila]

Here is some more background on the context of the Kerry photo with Jane Fonda.

John Kerry, war hero, and leader of the Viet Nam Veterans Against the War, a true American hero. A worthy foe to CHICKEN HAWK Bush.

"John Kerry and Jane Fonda were just acquaintances," Ms. Cutter said. "What's important to understand here is two things: He met her before she went to Vietnam, and he did not approve of her very controversial trip."

She said Mr. Kerry took part in the antiwar movement in order to bring U.S. troops home quickly.

"John Kerry served his country bravely," she said. "He was awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star and three Purple Hearts for his service, and he praised the noble service of his fellow servicemen and women. After coming home, John Kerry worked to end the war so his fellow soldiers could come home, too."

[Thaiquila]

Apparantly, this Kerry Fonda thing NEVER HAPPENED.

He was at the same antiwar rally as Jane Fonda, but NEVER stood on the podium with her as she gave a speech.

From about.com

http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_kerry_fonda.htm

Comments: Presidential candidate John Kerry and actress Jane Fonda sharing a podium at a peace rally? Never happened. Unlike another emailed photo showing Kerry and Fonda within spitting distance of one another at a '70s antiwar rally, the above image, including headline and caption, is a hoax. The original, unaltered photo of Kerry, taken June 13, 1970, captured the Vietnam War veteran sitting alone before giving a speech at an outdoor peace rally. Fonda's likeness was photoshopped in at a later date (both original photos are owned by Corbis).

Update: Fonda, Kerry and Photo Fakery (free reg. required) - Photographer Ken Light describes the experience of discovering his 1970 photograph of John Kerry circulating in altered form on the Internet. "As far as I know, John Kerry never shared a demonstration podium with Jane Fonda, and the fact that a widely circulated photo showed him doing so — until it was exposed in recent weeks as a hoax — tells us more about the troublesome combination of Photoshop and the Internet than it does about the prospective Democratic candidate for president." (Washington Post)

[Boon Mee]

You Left-Wing Commie-Pinko sympathizer - nut jobs believe what you want. No amount of proof is enough to satisfy your skewed view of current events. What can't be denied is that picture of Hanoi Jane sitting on a North Vietnamese tank encourging the enemy to kill her countrymen. She shouda been tried & shot for treason.

It's sorta like people denying that the Holocaust ever happened...

Boon Mee

[Georgie-Porgie]

E plurabus Boon Mee-um!

[Boon Mee]

The Ketchup King in quotes re. Vietnam:

Under Kerry's leadership, members of the VVAW (Vietnam Vets Against the War) mocked the uniform of United States soldiers by wearing tattered fatigues marked with pro-Communist graffiti. They dishonored America by marching in demonstrations under the flag of the Viet Cong enemy.” -- Vietnam Veterans Against John Kerry

"(N)o one in the United States Senate pushed harder to bury the POW/MIA issue, the last obstacle preventing normalization of relations with Hanoi, than John Forbes Kerry." -- US Veteran Dispatch

"People are going to remember Gen. Giap saying if it weren't for these guys [Kerry's group], we would have lost. The Vietnam Veterans Against the War encouraged people to desert, encouraged people to mutiny - some used what they wrote to justify fragging officers." -- Oliver North

We will not quickly join those who march on Veterans' Day waving small flags, calling to memory those thousands who died for the "greater glory of the United States." We will not accept the rhetoric. We will not readily join the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars -- in fact, we will find it hard to join anything at all and when we do, we will demand relevancy such as other organizations have recently been unable to provide. We will not take solace from the creation of monuments or the naming of parks after a select few of the thousands of dead Americans and Vietnamese. We will not uphold traditions which decorously memorialize that which was base and grim. -- John Kerry, in "The New Soldier"

"War crimes in Vietnam are the rule, not the exception." -- John Kerry, May 1971

"To attempt to justify the loss of one American life in Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos by linking such loss to the preservation of freedom...is to us the height of criminal hypocrisy." -- John Kerry, 1971

A real war hero huh???

[Thaiquila]

One minor point you are missing.

The Viet Nam war was wrong and the history shows it was an error of US foreign policy.

Kerry is a smart man who has been through a lot, and changes his opinion over time based on facts and experience. He sees that the world is complex and has lots of gray areas.

Bush is a right wing zealot who does not budge on any policy no matter how flawed, or how badly it is failing, who sees the world as black and white only.

[Boon Mee]

Bottom line on Kerry: He's weak on Defense and Wrong on taxes. He's also called Senator Straddle who flip-flops on the Iraq war and gay "marriage".

[Thaiquila]

Bottom line on Kerry:  He's weak on Defense and Wrong on taxes.  He's also called Senator Straddle who flip-flops on the Iraq war and gay "marriage".

If thats the best a devoted Bush fan can do to try to attack Kerry, I feel even more confident we will be sending your man back to to his ranch in Texas.

Kerry has four terms as a US senator. His positions have evolved over the years and he has likely cast thousands of votes. It is all to easy to take votes taken years ago out of context and label him a flip flopper.

What will matter is how Kerry is defining himself now. This will become more clear in the next few months, and he is looking very powerful.

Better Ketchup Kerry than Bloody Bush.

[mouse]

Maybe he did lie about the foreign endorsements, who cares. But at least he did not tell a lie that gets young men and women killed on a daily basis in Iraq.

[Boon Mee]

Hot off the press:

Kerry's big proposal to fight the global war on terrorism (borrowed from Bill and Hillary Clinton) is to add 100,000 "first responders" to the ranks of firefighters and emergency medical personnel in cities and towns across the United States. In other words: Wait until the terrorists strike us again and then do a really, really good job of cleaning up the mess afterward.

This guy's Som Tom is missing a few ingredients:

Of course, our brave firefighters, cops and emergency personnel need better training and equipment to respond in the event of another attack. But responders, no matter how courageous, prevent nothing. Dialing 911 is not the solution to stopping another 9/11.

"When it comes to protecting America from terrorism," Kerry complains, "this administration is big on bluster and short on action." And what does Kerry have to offer? More bluster about the old Clintonian "law enforcement" approach to prosecuting al Qaeda. More jury trials for terrorists

The Bush administration has moved beyond reactively serving terrorists with their legal papers to proactively busting sleeper cells, detaining enemy combatants before they set off their bombs, setting up military tribunals, and deporting Arab and Muslim illegal alien suspects. What is John Kerry's plan?

Buying more walkie-talkies and playing "People's Court" with Islamic mass murderers...

[Boon Mee]

Another one for Taiquila~

Quote Of The Day From A "Foreign Leader" Who Endorses Kerry

Although the Iranians, French, and North Koreans are reputed to be big fans of Kerry campaign, to the best of my knowledge, there have been two "foreign leaders" who have actually endorsed him at this point.

The first was of course Spain's new prime minister Jose Luis Rodriquez Zapatero who only got into office after receiving a helping hand from Al-Qaeda.

But today, Kerry also got the nod from the most renowned Jewish conspiracy freak on the planet, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad...

"Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad endorsed Democratic contender John Kerry in the U.S. presidential race Thursday, saying he would keep the world safer than President Bush.

I think Kerry would be much more willing to listen to the voices of people and of the rest of the world," Mahathir, who retired in October after 22 years in power, told The Associated Press in an interview.

"But in the U.S., the Jewish lobby is very strong, and any American who wants to become president cannot change the policy toward Palestine radically"

Wow! How exciting it must be for Kerry to have pulled an endorsement from "a widely respected statesman" like Mahathir Mohamad! Why his big speech at the Organization of the Islamic Conference in October of last year made headlines across the world! Here's a little snippet from his Senator Kerry's newest fan!

"''The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million, but today the Jews rule the world by proxy,'' Mahathir, a widely respected statesman in Asia and the developing world, said in a speech as he became chairman of the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference. ''They get others to fight and die for them,'' he said.

...Mahathir said Muslims had achieved ''nothing'' in more than 50 years of fighting Israel.

''They survived 2,000 years of pogroms not by hitting back but by thinking,'' Mahathir said. ''They invented socialism, communism, human rights and democracy so that persecuting them would appear to be wrong, so that they can enjoy equal rights with others.''

Mahathir said the world's 1.3 billion Muslims ''cannot be defeated by a few million Jews,'' but suggested the use of political and economic tactics instead of violence to achieve a ''final victory.''

To his credit, Kerry had his foreign policy adviser Randy Beers aim a slap at Mahathir and did his best to nip the whole "foreign leaders" thing in the bud...

"Kerry "rejects any association" with Mahathir, "an avowed anti-Semite (search) whose views are totally deplorable," said Kerry foreign policy adviser Rand Beers in a statement.

“This election will be decided by the American people, and the American people alone. It is simply not appropriate for any foreign leader to endorse a candidate in America’s presidential election. John Kerry does not seek, and will not accept, any such endorsements,” Beers said."

Of course, knowing Kerry, if he does have a "foreign leader" endorse him who isn't a dictator, terrorism beneficiary, or world class anti-Semite, he'll probably flip-flop on what Beers said and start trumpeting the endorsement to the world.

If you ask me, the GOP should actually make use of some of these endorsements in a campaign commercial. Just check out this magnificent ad that was used against Jimmy Carter in 1980. It worked before and I think it would be effective again.

[Thaiquila]

Booner: what a biased load of bunk!

Afraid your Bushman is in trouble? Well, you are correct.

Anyone who has half a brain knows almost NO world leaders prefer Bush to Kerry. Tony Blair maybe, of course. So naturally, there will be wacko leaders who prefer Kerry, just as there are always evil types in every large crowd of people.

I agree though that its a no win issue for Kerry. This is the US voters choice.

[Georgie-Porgie]

Tony Blair has more brains, more charisma, more class than all the other foreign leaders put together. We'll just stick with the Churchill of the 21st Century!

[Boon Mee]

Booner: what a biased load of bunk!

Afraid your Bushman is in trouble? Well, you are correct.

Anyone who has half a brain knows almost NO world leaders prefer Bush to Kerry. Tony Blair maybe, of course. So naturally, there will be wacko leaders who prefer Kerry, just as there are always evil types in every large crowd of people.

I agree though that its a no win issue for Kerry. This is the US voters choice.

Taiquila~

You're forgetting about "Dear Leader". Taksin, in his heart, respects GWB and has nothing in common with Senator Flip-Flop, Senator Straddle - whatever you want to call him...

[Thaiquila]

Senator War Hero will do. As opposed to President Chicken Hawk.

[Boon Mee]

Taiquila~ On a lighter note...

Bush: Foreign Leaders Want Me to Fix Kerry's Wagon.

In the wake of claims by Democrat presidential candidate John Forbes Kerry that foreign leaders hope he wins the White House, President George Bush today said "unnamed foreign leaders told me they want me to clean Kerry's clock, you know, to fix his wagon."

"They can't go out and say this publicly," Mr. Bush said, "but boy they look at you and say, 'You've got to pummel this wishy-washy appeaser. You've got to spank him with the buckle end of the belt'. Of course, I can't tell you who said that, but them foreigners want me to put a hurt on him."

Open up a can of Whoop-Ass on 'em, George!

Mr. Bush, like Mr. Kerry, spends hours every day chatting with foreign leaders to find out what kind of American foreign policy will be most popular with them. And while Mr. Kerry speaks fluent French thanks to childhood summers spent at a family estate in Brittany, Mr. Bush speaks Spanish and Pig Latin, which he calls "the new Esperanto...the global language of diplomacy."

"You wouldn't believe some of the things my foreign buddies have told me about Enator-say Erry-kay," said Mr. Bush. "It's all on the Q.T., of course."...

[Georgie-Porgie]

"Unnamed foreign leaders told me they want me to clean Kerry's clock, you know, to fix his wagon."

"They can't go out and say this publicly," Mr. Bush said, "but boy they look at you and say, 'You've got to pummel this wishy-washy appeaser. You've got to spank him with the buckle end of the belt'. Of course, I can't tell you who said that, but them foreigners want me to put a hurt on him." 

Open up a can of Whoop-Ass on 'em, George!

You gotta love this one!