Joe had the wrong bait...
Sen. John F. Kerry yesterday tried to shake off the "waffler'' tag given him by opponent Joseph Lieberman, saying his struggling rival is just fishing to get headlines.
Appearing at an Albuquerque community center the morning after the Democrats first major debate, Kerry shrugged off Lieberman's post-debate attacks on Kerry's Iraq stance.
"He's fishing, he's just fishing, I'm not worried about it,'' Kerry said of Lieberman, a Connecticut senator and the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee. "I think I've been clearer than Joe Lieberman, who only recently has started to try to talk about how we ought to be managing (post war Iraq).''
The sudden infighting between Lieberman and Kerry, two New England senators battling to upend front-runner Howard Dean of Vermont, showcases frustrations simmering among the crowded field and attempts by candidates to break out from the nine-person pack.
In the post-debate spin room, Lieberman was asked why he only targeted Dean during the debate.
Lieberman responded by teeing off on Kerry, who during his recent campaign announcement tour said he voted in the Senate on the Iraqi resolution just as a threat to Saddam Hussein - not to go to war.
"It was clearly an authorization for President Bush to use force against Saddam, I don't get it,'' Lieberman said.
"(Kerry's) been criticizing Howard Dean for lacking experience to lead America in the world today. It's true, it's not the best time to put a rookie in charge of our country's future, it hasn't been a good time to have a cowboy (in Bush) in charge of our country's future,'' Lieberman said. "But we also don't need a waffler in charge of our country's future.''
But Kerry said yesterday he always maintained the vote was to authorize force - despite his most recent statements.
"Of course it was, I've said that everywhere I go,'' Kerry told reporters. "The threat came from the authorization, it's that simple. Without the authorization, you wouldn't have had a threat - it's very clear. My language has been clear from day one, it's been the clearest of anybody.''
Kerry said he, unlike Lieberman and the other Democrats, warned Bush that he needed more support from Americans and international allies before rushing into war. He said the post-war debacles have proved him right.
"My experience comes out stronger as a consequence of the way President Bush has screwed up what we are doing in Iraq, it's what I predicted,'' Kerry said. "Joe Lieberman never talked about those things, nor did the other candidates.''
From the Boston Herald - by David R. Guarino
Sen. John F. Kerry yesterday tried to shake off the "waffler'' tag given him by opponent Joseph Lieberman, saying his struggling rival is just fishing to get headlines.
Appearing at an Albuquerque community center the morning after the Democrats first major debate, Kerry shrugged off Lieberman's post-debate attacks on Kerry's Iraq stance.
"He's fishing, he's just fishing, I'm not worried about it,'' Kerry said of Lieberman, a Connecticut senator and the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee. "I think I've been clearer than Joe Lieberman, who only recently has started to try to talk about how we ought to be managing (post war Iraq).''
The sudden infighting between Lieberman and Kerry, two New England senators battling to upend front-runner Howard Dean of Vermont, showcases frustrations simmering among the crowded field and attempts by candidates to break out from the nine-person pack.
In the post-debate spin room, Lieberman was asked why he only targeted Dean during the debate.
Lieberman responded by teeing off on Kerry, who during his recent campaign announcement tour said he voted in the Senate on the Iraqi resolution just as a threat to Saddam Hussein - not to go to war.
"It was clearly an authorization for President Bush to use force against Saddam, I don't get it,'' Lieberman said.
"(Kerry's) been criticizing Howard Dean for lacking experience to lead America in the world today. It's true, it's not the best time to put a rookie in charge of our country's future, it hasn't been a good time to have a cowboy (in Bush) in charge of our country's future,'' Lieberman said. "But we also don't need a waffler in charge of our country's future.''
But Kerry said yesterday he always maintained the vote was to authorize force - despite his most recent statements.
"Of course it was, I've said that everywhere I go,'' Kerry told reporters. "The threat came from the authorization, it's that simple. Without the authorization, you wouldn't have had a threat - it's very clear. My language has been clear from day one, it's been the clearest of anybody.''
Kerry said he, unlike Lieberman and the other Democrats, warned Bush that he needed more support from Americans and international allies before rushing into war. He said the post-war debacles have proved him right.
"My experience comes out stronger as a consequence of the way President Bush has screwed up what we are doing in Iraq, it's what I predicted,'' Kerry said. "Joe Lieberman never talked about those things, nor did the other candidates.''
From the Boston Herald - by David R. Guarino
posted by Pamela J. Leavey at 10:35 PM
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