How do we rebut the accusations of Kerry not being at senate intelligence?

[coloradodem2005]

WHat do you think of the accusation?

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Basically I don't think it amounts to anything at all.

I can't imagine anyone deciding how to vote on the basis of something like this.

[flordehinojos]

14. It can with some people if the Republicans are able to cast enough doubts

about Kerry and his leadership abilities...which is what they are wanting to do. x( I just heard Andrea Mitchell Greenspan toeing the line on MTP this morning about how Kerry was touting the fact that he was part of the Senate's intelligence committee when he hadn't actually shown up for any votes. The democrat from the House of Representatives who was there said that she could not speak to that since she had not heard Kerry touting said line. Mitchell said that certain ads for Kerry are. The democrat lady from the House of Representatives (I think her name is Jane Hartmann ?) said that the ones who had been really absent on the intelligence about 9/11 were George W. Bush and his cabinet. Burst Andrea's hot air balloon right through the middle--which only got the right wing columnist from the Boston Globe casting further aspersions on Kerry and his campaign. That witch downplayed the protesters who are appearing at Kerry's campaign stops. She said they are not really asking Kerry any of the hard questions. And when Andrea said that at the Bush campaign stop only the selected get to ask selected and previously approved questions by the campaign managers, the witch from the Boston Globe said, well quite frankly George W. Bush, as president, doesn't need to be asked any hard question out in the trail. IF NOT THEN, WHEN? IF NOT BUSH THEN WHO? and Andrea just let that one slide by.
I N C R E D I B L E !!!!!!!!!
x(

[Cerridwen]

2. Some information at this link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x622628

Will this help?

[NMDemDist2]

4. yes that is excellent and in keeping with my thoughts below n/t

[LittleApple81]

5. WE DEMOCRATS on DU don't need this help. We need help for the

uninformed masses who are couch potatoes who WILL VOTE based on their mistaken perceptions.

[NMDemDist2]

3. well if Kerry was at the meetings, the guy on MTP said JK could

ask the committee to release the attendance records. I think that it must be spun that we need to look at the entirety of Kerry's work on that committee.

I wouldn't be surprised if the last couple years he has spent a lot of time campaigning and missed lots of meetings

We need to focus on Kerry's entire record and not let the bushco try to paint us into boxes

[nostamj]

10. if the attendance records are SECRET

WTF is the committee to re-select the chimp doing with them?

[NMDemDist2]

13. they only mention the public meeting attendence in the ad n/t

[July]

16. Good point.

Also, is this a campaign? Throwing out little distortions and waiting for a response? Is that all they've got? What happened to Bush's record, policies, plans for a second term? Can't talk about that stuff?

They're pathetic.

[Gold Metal Flake]

6. Here...

http://blog.johnkerry.com/rapidresponse/archives/002455.html#more

[Caution]

7. Bush has to have people read intelligence reports to him.

[Laura_B_manslaughter]

8. Remind the critics of bush's behavior on 9-11

Seriously - dems need to stop defending kerry against every accusation and attack bush. Remind the critics that bush sat on his butt for 7 minutes on 9-11 and then just flew around in AF1 the rest of the day. There's your dereliction of duty.

[gratuitous]

9. Quite simply

If the attendance of a junior senator from a small state in the minority party was so vital to national security and the intelligence community, then the Bush administration is even more screwed up than their very public blunders would indicate.

[jean]

11. that kind of diminishes Kerry...but I understand your point

[AngryAmish]

12. Here is how

Bush is stupid.

[goclark]

15. Get down and semi dirty

Rove is rolling out his soft balls now. He will really get started after the Rethugs convention. They will be desperate by that time.

Kerry needs to develop clear Meme's...

When they say he didn't show up for the Intelligence meetings,

Kerry Camp MEME:"Let's not go there on "showing up" anywhere! Where was your candidate on 9 11!? He was reading "My Pet Goat!" He did not take charge, he sat in his chair and read "My Pet Goat" while New York burned."

Medals issue Meme:" Since you want us to go there on our valiant war hero's medals, we'll go there - Where was your candidate(don't call him the President) during that time period?

(Move On needs an Ad that has a side by side picture - Bush in a little military outfit with the word "AWOL ? " above him. Other side of the split screen. Kerry in his boat with his Men.)

(Move On needs to keep running the Pet Goat video, over and over and over and over. That image has to stick in the minds of the American public.)

I love Kerry but his answers are too long and too intellectual for the average person. We hear his words and we appreciate that fact that Kerry is i n t e l l i g e n t! Average Joe that is not a political junkie doesn't get the long sentences.

[Cat Atomic]

17. Point out Bush's vacation record. Mention how he goes

on vacation even when the terror alert has been raised. Let people draw their own conclusions.

[wurzel]

18. Are the Repukes saying if Kerry had been there we would be better off now?

Are they complaining that Kerry's input would have made all the difference? Sounds like a dangerous argument to me.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

19. Why play Rove's game?

:shrug:

[kentuck]

20. The Chairman, Senator Roberts of KS, only showed up for two meetings.

during the same time. This was reported on MTP this morning.

[jab105]

22. Do you know any mmore about this? Were the meetings insignificant?

more info would be appreciated... thansk!

[welshTerrier2]

21. the terror threat was just elevated

and mr. bush is flying all over the country campaigning ... and doing so at the taxpayers' expense ... why does he think it's OK to reach into the taxpayer's back pocket and finance his campaign by taking their hard-earned pay? what good is his little tax cut when we have to foot the bill for air force one? it's one thing if he travels on official business; but it's not OK to make the American people pay for his personal ambitions ...

the war on terrorism should be a full-time job for the CIC but mr. bush seems able to spend much of his time campaigning ... and now he wants to blame Kerry for campaigning while the republican-controlled senate intelligence committee failed to do anything meaningful until the 9/11 report became popular in Washington ...

talk about people in glass houses ...

[Lefty48197]

23. Kerry is very busy trying to save the nation and the world from Bush

It's very important too.

[maxanne]

24. we can't

His attendance record in the Senate sucked this past year. Trying to justify that will only fuel the waffle irons.