Kerry-Edwards Flashback

They're baaaaaack!

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Two Democrats who might seek the White House again in 2008 criticized President Bush for his response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, assailing the suspension of wage laws while urging a concerted effort to aid the poor.

Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts and former Sen. John Edwards spoke separately Monday on the government's handling of the catastrophe and on the broader issue of poverty in the United States.

In a blistering critique, Kerry said former Federal Emergency Management Agency Director Michael Brown was to Hurricane Katrina "what Paul Bremer is to peace in Iraq; what George Tenet is to 'slam dunk intelligence'; ... what George Bush is to 'Mission Accomplished' and 'Wanted Dead or Alive.' ... The bottom line is simple: The 'we'll do whatever it takes' administration doesn't have what it takes to get the job done."

Speaking to an enthusiastic audience at Brown University in Providence, R.I., the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee said the government's response to the disaster revealed a "broader pattern of incompetence and negligence" in the Bush administration.

In an interview after his speech, Kerry said: "What the president has done with FEMA has degraded it, politicized its responsibilities. It's irresponsible."

Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential candidate, said the hurricane was a sober reminder that widespread poverty exists throughout the nation. He said it will persist if the poor are concentrated in specific neighborhoods far from jobs.

"If the Great Depression brought forth Hoovervilles, these trailer towns may someday be known as Bushvilles," Edwards told an audience at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington.

It's not like this qualifies as news.

I would consider it news if Kerry or Edwards had defended President Bush. If they had focused their criticism on the corrupt Democrats of Louisiana for the problems in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, that would be newsworthy.

This story is more like a press release from the Kerry-Edwards campaign. It's 2004 regurgitated only with Hurricane Katrina as the backdrop.

Bush is bad. Blah. Blah. Blah.

I found it interesting that Kerry hyped his speech with a mass emailing.

Dear Mary,

In a few hours, I will deliver a major address at Brown University about what the rage and destruction of Katrina have revealed. I want you to be one of the first to read and reflect upon the text of this speech for a very simple reason.

It's time for each and every one of us to say what needs to be said -- with the full force of our convictions, with nothing held back. This speech is my attempt to do exactly that -- and your response to my call to action will define the work of the johnkerry.com community far into the future.

Twice, a link directing the reader to the full text of his speech was given.

Kerry goes on (and on and on and on...):

Natural and human calamity have stripped away the spin machine, creating a rare accountability moment, not just for the Bush administration, but for all of us to take stock of the direction of our country and do what we can to reverse it. That's our job -- to turn this moment from a frenzied _expression of guilt into a national reversal of direction.

We've seen America at its best and our government at its worst. Millions of Americans are beginning to realize where they fit in our democracy under Republican governance: nowhere.

Kerry then provides some excerpts from his speech, maybe because he knew most people would have no interest in reading the entire thing.

He writes:

The rush now to camouflage their misjudgments and inaction with money does not mean they are suddenly listening. It's still politics as usual. The plan they're designing for the Gulf Coast turns the region into a vast laboratory for right wing ideological experiments. They're already talking about private school vouchers, abandonment of environmental regulations, abolition of wage standards, subsidies for big industries, and believe it or not yet another big round of tax cuts for the wealthiest among us!

How can anyone listen to that and not start laughing?

"A vast laboratory for right wing ideological experiments." That is priceless.

Certainly, Kerry's "vast laboratory" phrase and the catchy "Bushvilles" line from Edwards deserve to make the loony liberal highlight reel.

Kerry ends his email with this:

The speech I will deliver in a matter of hours is about saying what needs to be said. In the weeks ahead, our entire johnkerry.com community must engage in doing what needs to be done. I know I can count on you to stand with me as we take on that challenge -- and I will be in touch in the days ahead about our next steps together.

When Kerry says he'll be in touch that means he'll ask for money.

There is no question that Kerry intends to run for president in 2008. I think he decided he would do that even before the sun rose on November 3, 2004. Only a few months had passed after his defeat and he started sending out fund-raising emails.

As with ALL of his emails, Kerry provides this little handy link at the bottom of the page.



Kerry is kidding himself if he believes that he can triumph over the Clinton political machine. It will crush him.

As far as Edwards goes, it appears that he wants to keep his options for 2008 open. I can't believe that he thinks he realistically has a shot at being the Democrats' nominee. My guess is he just wants a little press and wants to remain relevant on the national scene.

Oh, well. Dreams die hard. Edwards should stay with his lucrative trial law practice and keep chasing those ambulances. He really needs to let the fantasy of being president go. It's not going to happen.

Kerry needs to do the same, but I don't think he'll give up as soon as Edwards will. Edwards did not orchestrate his entire adult life with the presidency in mind the way Kerry did.

I get the feeling that Kerry is in denial about Hillary. How can any Dem think it's possible to get the nomination away from her?

The primaries for the Dems will be about positioning for the number two spot on the ticket. The top spot is a done deal.