John Kerry Revs Up His Political Machine

While the Cowboy in Chief was playing Bono Wednesday on the back of a Harley, trying to look cool while pitching B.S. about the economy, a man who really owns and rides a Harley was busy "revving up his online political machine."

John Kerry's fundraising engines were roaring on Wednesday, when he "tapped his 3 million-person e-mail list on Wednesday to deliver a fundraising appeal" for Ned Lamont. The media was a buzz with the news that Kerry was backing "anti-war candidates."

John Kerry is a man on a mission these days. He's taking on the Republican machine. He's backing candidates who share his views. He's determined to help drive the Democrats back into control of the Senate and the House this fall. When you hear him speak, you know he means business.

Ed Schultz pegged it Tuesday when he said to Kerry at the end of an interview with him -- “a lot of things that you said running up to ‘04, it’s a huge I told you so right now.”



The glow has gone out of Bush's star, he's still dipping in the polls, but meanwhile, Kerry's star is rising and it's burning brighter with validation every day.

Taking the opportunity to put his star power to work, John Kerry said in his fundraising email, "Ned Lamont has caused a national stir by successfully challenging the Bush position on Iraq that ignores the utter failure of the President's policy."

The Kerry e-mail also touted two Democratic Senate incumbents facing tough fights this fall, Robert Menendez of New Jersey and Daniel Akaka of Hawaii. Both oppose the war.

"Ned, Dan and Bob have been attacked mercilessly for acting with such conviction and are locked in close must-win races," said Kerry, D-Mass. "It's time to reward their courage."

Over the past year, John Kerry has traveled back and forth across the country to raise money and help candidates he believes in. Kerry "praised Lamont, Akaka and Menendez" in his email, for taking a hard line against Bush's Iraq policies in their campaigns for Senate seats.

"Despite the 'warnings' coming from consultants, political pundits and naysayers in Washington, each of these candidates is making the mess in Iraq a central issue in their campaigns," Kerry said. "If we want to reward their courage, we've got to commit ourselves to pulling them through to victory."

Andrew Miga, reporting for AP News, said, "Lamont's upset victory last week was viewed by many as a referendum on Iraq and Bush's handling of the war."

I view it as another referendum as well -- that John Kerry was right when he stepped up to the podium at Faneuil Hall in Boston in April and said, "the most important way to support the troops is to tell the truth, and to ensure we do not ask young Americans to die in a cause that falls short of the ideals of this country." The time for the politics of fear and lies is over. American's deserve the truth, just as our troops do.

Ned Lamont gets it, Robert Menendez and Daniel Akaka get it -- and John Kerry is revving up his political machine to help the three of them cruise to victory in November.

UPDATE: The Cowboy in Chief could take some lessons from the Real Deal...