Many liberals complain about being disappointed in Obama. Well, imagine how I feel about Kerry's performance as Secretary of State...!
In his remarks on the Ukrainian situation yesterday, Kerry spoke of those photos -- the ones allegedly showing Russian special forces personnel in Ukraine -- as if they were genuine:
Some of the individual special operations personnel, who were active on Russia’s behalf in Chechnya, Georgia, and Crimea have been photographed in Slovyansk, Donetsk, and Luhansk. Some are even bragging about it by themselves on their Russian social media sites. And we’ve seen weapons and gear on the separatists that matches those worn and used by Russian special forces.A lot of people on Reddit and elsewhere have debunked that photographic evidence, and even the NYT (which published the images, giving them huge play on page one) has admitted that they are fakes (on page nine). As for the social media sites -- what sites? How easy is it for someone to set up a page on those sites? Without much difficulty, you or I can create a web page in which "John Kerry" allegedly says: "Hi! I'm John Kerry and I agree 100% with Cliven Bundy on the negro issue!"
So why the hell is our Secretary of State wedding himself to such demonstrably weak evidence? This is a sad moment, akin to Colin Powell's appearance at the U.N. Powell was one of America's most respected figures -- a man who easily could have been president -- yet he ruined his brilliant reputation by spewing a garbage argument for a garbage war, all based on garbage evidence.
Powell was a man of honor. What happened?
Kerry was a man of honor. What happened?
Added note: It may be fair to ask another question: Hillary Clinton was a woman of honor -- what happened? The answer: Barack Obama happened. If you join an administration with reeky policies, that smell will become part of your perfume.
So should we now support the "Elizabeth Warren for President" movement? The argument here is compelling.
I disagree, however, with the premise that Hillary ran a dumb campaign in 2008. Although mistakes were made (as they say), the real problem was not "dumbness" on the Clinton side but perfidy on the Obama side. At any rate, where's the evidence that Warren knows more about such things?
Clinton will be 69 years old on inauguration day 2017, nearly the oldest president ever. She has had a few health scares. By all accounts, she left her previous four-year stint in government service exhausted. She might not run, and the Democrat in second place in the polls, Vice President Joe Biden -- 74 on inauguration day -- is too old to be president. Beyond them, Democrats have nobody -- except Elizabeth Warren.Nobody...? In the interest of "outside the box" thinking, let me toss out some oddball possibilities: Russ Feingold (my personal preference). Al Franken. Donna Edwards, of Maryland. Bill Richardson. Dick Durbin. Barbara Boxer. Tom Udall. Mark Begich (if he can hold onto his seat). Paul Tonko (who has sensible ideas about Social Security). Peter DeFazio. If age weren't an issue, Jerry Brown.
But not DiFi. Please.
12 comments:
Leave it to a conservative-loving journalist to make a compelling argument against Hillary Clinton. LOL.
I really like and admire Elizabeth Warren but I want her to stay right where she is: a loud and effective voice for the progressive point of view. Warren is doing a terrific job in the Senate as a watchdog [with a bark and bite] and the public is beginning to get the message: the system is rigged against them. Her book and Taibbi's and the one on capital and inequality by the French economist Picketty are beginning to rock the boat.
I've always believed Hillary Clinton would have done a much better job in the WH than Obama, particularly on domestic issues. And there's no question that HRC has far more experience than anyone on the GOP's bench.
As far as the 'life is unpredictable,' York might take at glance at New Jersey, where the Big Guy was considered a shoe in for the Republican nomination.
Now? Not so much.
And since Jeb Bush's announcement that undocumented immigration is 'an act of love' even he may be treading water. The rest of the Republican bench are scooting around in clown cars.
I have problems with HRC's hawkish foreign policy positions. But if she runs? She'll have my vote. Warren doesn't have enough experience to run in 2016. In fact, she has less experience than Barack Obama had in 2008. And we know how that turned out.
The Republicans can spin it any way they like. But Bryon York calling for Warren to run is like Rush Limbaugh supporting Hillary in 2008--divide and conquer. Because they've got nothing.
Peggysue
I found DiFi so distasteful that Orly became a viable vote if for no other reason, a message. (Orly is a Cliven by another name)
What's with Kerry? I don't know.
S'pose it could be Paul Wellstone that's with Kerry?
S'pose it could be Mark Dayton that's with Kerry?
S'pose it could be Howard Dean, Tom Daschle, Dennis Kucinich that's with Kerry?
Kerry sucks and he has for a long time now. His Viet credentials are as empty as Harvard and Yale's since Bushwa graduated from them.
Kerry 2004 was where I first found your blog. I share your disappointment with John Kerry. Apparently he chose fame and fortune over moral character. Or is something more sinister afoot?
The internet place for much of info regarding the pictures is Twitter. There is even a #hashtag war of sorts between State Dept of USA and Russia.
I also saw the demonizing of RT (Russia Today) first on Twitter.
State Dept spokesperson, Jen Psaki, referred to Twitter to justify authenticity of photos even after the photographer of the group picture tweeted to complain that his photo was used without permission and misrepresented as being shot in Russia instead of Ukraine.
YouTube has a lot of info.
Ukraine/Russia often use Facebook or their counterpart VK. I don't know much about them because I don't like Facebook, just see them referenced on Twitter.
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What has Kerry done SINCE his testimony 40-some years ago?
There are some uncanny resemblances to Sen. John McCain:
1. Both lay claim to fame as Vietnam war "heroes"
2. Neither has held a real job since, outside of politics.
3. Both married very rich wives.
4. Both ran for president and lost.
4. Comparable talents for bluff and bluster, especially on topic of war.
5. Both named John.
"What has Kerry done SINCE his testimony 40-some years ago?"
Well there was his first term investigation of the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, BCCI. During his presidential campaign I read that his campaign team chose not to highlight his leadership in breaking up this criminal enterprise because the electorate wouldn't understand it, as in "Why did Kerry go after the BBC?"
In doing a background search for this comment I found an interesting post by Marcy Wheeler from 2009 that questions whether we'll ever see the old John Kerry again. Her writing and the comments that follow indicate that the BCCI investigation was the moment when Kerry ran up against the hard realities of politics and the criminal security state, and chose to back off in order to protect himself. Very enlightening.
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2009/02/13/will-we-finally-see-the-john-kerry-who-investigated-bcci-again/
Whoa, Robert Parry has a recent Consortium News essay on the decline of John Kerry. In the comments, F.G. Sanford speculates that Kerry's changing facial appearance and mannerisms are the result of Tardive Dyskinesia. This often results from the long term effects of antipsychotic medications upon dopamine receptors.
"That lizard-like tongue flicking that has become characteristic of Kerry’s speaking engagements is one of those pathognomonic telltale signs."
http://consortiumnews.com/2014/04/25/john-kerrys-sad-circle-to-deceit/
CBarr, Kerry also did some quite courageous work investigating the CIA drug smuggling, work which as I understand it largely validated the claims made by Gary Webb.
Thanks for the link, CBarr.
I amend my comparison to McCain:
1a. Both were in the Navy.
Interesting that Kerry is a member of Skull % Bones. Is there a Naval Academy equivalent (McCain)?
No more Clintons in public life. Seriously. I am sick to death of people pushing a neoliberal agenda when we need a dramatic movement back to restoring the New Deal, support for public institutions including public education, regulations, higher tax rates for the rich, repealing ruinous trade policies, and the whole nine yards. I am sick of fake Democrats taking us down the road to ruin.
Powell was a man of honor. What happened?
Kerry was a man of honor. What happened?
They spent too much time in Washington.
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